MUST SEE ATTRACTIONS: HM TOWER OF LONDON

As someone who regularly visits the capital and has experienced their fair share of ‘must do’ attractions, it is a wonder that I have never actually been to HM Tower of London until now – this is certainly a mistake on my part!

Arriving towards the end of a Thursday afternoon, I decided to join the last Yeoman Warder guided tour of the Tower (starting at 15:30 inside the main entrance) to gain some insight. I cannot recommend the tour highly enough…our Warder, Clive was brilliant – highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and entertaining. The group included a wide range of visitors; young and old, local and international, but the tour seemed to cater for all needs. We gained a snapshot of the Tower’s history, including some little-known facts about some of England’s most famous Kings and Queens and other interesting characters in the Palace’s time-line, as well a few of the more ‘gory’ stories of torture and execution. By the end of the guided tour, we were positioned nicely to be able to explore the separate components of the Tower, at our own leisure.

…And you needn’t be a history ‘buff’ to enjoy your visit to the Tower of London – it is well-known that the Crown Jewels are securely housed here, but the exhibit is truly magnificent and certainly an important feature not to be missed. I’d personally recommend allowing around 15-20 minutes to take it all in…maybe a little longer if you have an eye for diamonds and jewels!

Other top attractions include:
The White Tower, Bloody Tower, Royal Beasts, and Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula

During my visit, I was a little pushed for time, having just over 2 hours to explore the Tower, so would recommend allowing at least 3 hours (especially during peak times) to fully enjoy all that this incredible Royal Palace has to offer.

An absolutely fantastic day out, HM Tower of London should be high on anyone’s London ‘to do’ list and is a great experience to share with family or a group of friends.