TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors

The Tower of London for 55 Pence.

27/10/2013

 

I found an incredible bargain at London's most expensive attraction. Updated for 2021 with new pricing!

The Tower of London TurnipseedTravel.com
If only these walls could talk...
The Tower of London was the first famous tourist attraction I ever set my eyes on. Studying in nearby East Sussex for a semester meant weekly field trips into London for the purpose of visiting galleries, museums, and other historic sites, with plenty of free time on the side. Rolling into London for my very first time, the gloomy and atmospheric Tower loomed in the distance, beckoning me to investigate its secrets and scandals. 

So why did it take me over 12 years to visit?
The short answer is finances. As a student living in England when the exchange rate between the Canadian dollar and the British pound put me at a woeful disadvantage, the pricey admission equaled an entire day’s budget for me. Another reason was likely a bit of apathy. After all, the Tower wasn't going anywhere. Hadn't it stood in the same spot for nearly one thousand years? Each trip to London brought another tempting, unique opportunity from the study program not afforded to the average visitor, making it easy to put the Tower off for just another week, just another month.
Traitor's Gate Tower of London Prisoner TurnipseedTravel.com
The least appealing away to save money on visiting the Tower? Entering as a prisoner via Traitor's Gate!
The Tower of London Turnipseedtravel.com
The atmospheric Tower of London.
Admission Tower of London Travel TurnipseedTravel.com Donation Admission prices have a donation rolled right in!
The cost of admission to the Tower of London has risen considerably over the past decade, but fortunately for us Canadians the exchange rate has greatly improved, making the real admission cost to me about the same as it would have been many years ago. Still, at 21.45 GBP, the admission price is still expensive, no matter what the exchange rate. I’m use to visiting free sites – how would I find great value here?

Like any other attraction, I scanned the list of potential concessions to see if any applied to me. Striking out there, I noticed some fine print – the admission cost included a ‘voluntary’ donation of nearly 2 GBP. If I was feeling ungenerous I could ask to pay the actual admission price of 19.50. At the very least, I certainly wouldn't be reserving my ticket by telephone. Doing so would actually cost me 2 GBP. I like to skip the lines but not at any price!

One attractive option was to buy an annual membership for 45 GBP This would give me unlimited access to the Tower and four other castles for a year. This would be a fantastic deal if I had more time in London but unfortunately I was only in the city for a few days. Back to the drawing board!

Tower of London Travel England TurnipseedTravel.comExploring the Tower's walls.
Since the expensive admission fee seemed unavoidable, there had to be another way to find great value. Then I remembered London Walks. London Walks runs a city wide walking tour company that offers tours in every neighbourhood of the city on every theme imaginable. They also offer guided tours of popular attractions, including the British Museum and Westminster Abbey.  (I have no affiliation with London Walks– I’m just a big, big fan!)

As luck would have it, they did offer a Tower of London tour, one which offered a steep discount on the admission price. In the end I paid only 22 GBP for admission to the Tower AND the two hour tour. Talk about a deal – it only cost me an extra 55 pence!

Normally, London Walks charges 24 GBP for the combined services of their tour and admission to the Tower (which offers the company a generous group discount). 24 GBP would have been a good value on its own – a few extra pounds is a small price to pay for such detailed and personalized service. But since I had previously purchased a “frequent walkers” card (for a one-time fee of 2 GBP!), I was eligible to save 2 GBP on each and every walk. If you’re doing two walks or more, this is a terrific saving and for me it really paid off when I got my 55 pence tour of the Tower!

(Update for 2021! Okay, so my tour would be a bit more than 55 pence today but still a great deal. Admission to the Tower of London is now 29.50GBP for adults but London Walks is offered a group rate of 21GBP - pretty good! That drops to a further 17 GBP for students and those eligible for concessions (whereas the Tower charges 23GBP normally). So you would pay your 15GBP London Walks regular tour rate that applies to all walks (or 10GBP if you are a senior or have a loyalty card) and you pay the special rate at the Tower for all LW guests. So that's like 15GBP (tour) and 21GBP (tower admission = 36 GBP. In other words - it's just 6.50GBP to get the tour than if you were to show up on your own and pay full price at the tower (29.50GBP). AND if you have a loyalty card, your price is 10 + 21 = 31 GBP - that's just 1.50 more than the gate price without a tour. So maybe I need to rename this the 1.50GBP tour?)

Tower of London London Walks TurnipseedTravel.com
Brian's passion for history really shines through as he brings the Tower of London to life.
Our tour guide, Brian, didn't start the tour at the Tower at all, but instead at Trinity Hill Park across the street. He described the history of park, where many of London's most infamous executions took place, and we were able to see the small memorial that marks the spot where Thomas Moore and so many others climbed the scaffold. There’s also a much larger, unrelated memorial to those who have served in the armed forces. 
Trinity Hill Park London Tower TurnipseedTravel.com
Commemorating the loss of over 125 lives.
Scaffold Tower of London Trinity Hill TurnipseedTravel.com
This marks the place where the scaffold stood.
Tower of London TurnipseedTravel.com
It looks like a medieval village!
Raven Tower of London TurnipseedTravel.com
One of the Tower's famous ravens.
Tower of London England UK TurnipseedTravel.com
Guards are present as this is a royal residence.
London Walks Tower of London TurnipseedTravel.comGetting ready to breach the Tower!
We then went on to get a comprehensive overview of the Tower and the surrounding area from outside the gate, including some information of what we were seeing on River Thames, as we had an incredible view beside Traitor’s Gate. Entering the Tower through the group entrance with no line up, Brian took us around the Tower complex, sharing both tidbits of royal history and some more modern information as well. Did you know that the Beefeaters who guard and serve the Tower also live there and they even have their own pub within its walls! 

Finally, if you are on a strict budget and cannot afford the admission price, or if your interest in the subject matter isn’t strong enough to warrant the full price or several hours of visiting, you can tour around the outside of the Tower for free. You can get a fairly comprehensive view of most of the complex of the outside, including glimpses of the Beefeaters, many of the mesh ‘animals’ that represent the Tower’s former menagerie, and a close-up at Traitors’ Gate. There are many historical plaques to fill in the gaps of your knowledge. As well, the Tower is built right on the banks of the Thames, so as you walk around it you get a fantastic view of the river. There are gift shops, food kiosks, and public washrooms (for 50 pence) outside the Tower near the ticket booth for your convenience.
Tower of London Raven TurnipseedTravel.comSpying on the famous raven through a hole in the wall.
After our two hour tour, Brian left us outside the entrance to see the crown jewels. We were then free to spend as much time as wanted to in and around the Tower, investigating the different rooms and compartments to our hearts’ content. It seems obvious to me now, but I never realized that the Tower is actually a complex of many buildings, each with their own unique story. For those who enjoy the guarded tour experience, you can double your fun by joining a classic Yeoman Warder’s tour of the Tower (included free in all admission) and, for those truly passionate about the Tower’s history, you can attend the Ceremony of the Keys. It requires plenty of organization to attend this 700 year old ceremony, as the free spots are allotted up to several months in advance. 

Lions Tower of London TurnipseedTravel.com
There's plenty to see without paying admission.
Tower Bridge London TurnipseedTravel.com
A perfect view of Tower Bridge and the Thames.
A visit to the Tower of London was a long time coming for me and I’m so glad I finally had a chance to see the legendary fortress up close and personal. I highly recommend spending the tiny bit extra to do a tour with London Walks as you will get so much more for your time and money. It was wonderful to learn so much about the Tower and the neighbourhood as a whole. That being said, budget travelers needn't feel bad if the admission price is too rich for their blood, as an observant walk around the perimeter will reward you with more than just a glimpse of the past.

As always, I welcome and encourage your comments. What do you do to get the best bang for your buck at an expensive attraction?

If you enjoyed this article, you'll also like:
Loving London for Less
Travel Value All Stars: Walking Tours
Getting Value from Paid Attractions 

Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2024.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors