Because the princess was fully into a “princess” period, we thought that a detour to the Tower of London would please her. Yes, admiring the royal crowns is something! Must-see during a stay in London, the Tower of London also offers other interesting activities.
Well… from central London, and in this case, from The Langham London for us, it takes a while to reach the Tower of London, it’s true, even with a taxi. Tower Hill is very east of the English capital, after St. Paul. And to avoid the huge crowd, we strongly recommend that you arrive at the opening (9 a.m.) from Tuesday to Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday and Monday.
You have to plan between 2 and 4 hours for your visit, depending on whether you only want to see the Crown Jewels or visit everything there is to see.
Good to know: you have a very beautiful view on Tower Bridge, the amazing bridge spanning the Thames river.
Once inside, head straight to the Crown Jewels, as this is where you will wait the longest. You are not allowed to stay there for more than an hour and everything is organized so that you can move forward continuously: you will find that the Crown Jewels are observed from a conveyor belt, so that you can leave room for others.
If you speak English, we highly recommend the Yeoman Warder tours which will allow you to take advantage of historical and very interesting details. However, avoid this guided tour with children who are too small, as this could be laborious.
Finally, the last essential (beyond the torture room …), the crows will impress you with their behavior and size. You will no doubt come across one who will beg for food or tell you about his life.
Good to know
A must do
You cannot come to the Tower of London without admiring the crowns, adorned with their magnificent jewels. It’s very crowded? Well, wait in line, in the end, it goes quite fast!
The princess loved
The princess wanted to see the Crown Jewels, but ultimately, what she really liked were the crows and especially the one who had stolen a cereal bar and who was doing very well eating it by itself. She also loved eating at the Wagamama, a stone’s throw from the Tower of London.
The ups for kids
Your kids are over 8 years old
They will love guided tours, because the people in charge of these tours are real actors. The walk on the covered way is also very nice.
Your kids are less than 8 years old
Be there early and start with the Crown Jewels that they will obviously love. Make it short and then try to spot the crows. Your kids will also undoubtedly like the sculptures reminding that wild animals used to be kept in the enclosure of the tower.
Slideshow
Practical information
Rates
Buying your tickets online will save you 10%. £24.70 for adults and £11.70 for children 5 to 15 years old. There are also family packs, with up to 3 children.
Details
Tower of London
St Katharine’s & Wapping, London
Website: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/
Open from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Sunday to Monday. Please note, last entry at 4 p.m.