Pair the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London with the Tower Bridge walkways in one afternoon — they sit five minutes apart and answer two halves of the same Thames-side story.
Tower Bridge and the Tower of London share a riverbank but tell different stories. The Tower of London is England’s most layered historic site — Norman keep, royal palace, prison, mint, armoury, treasury — and home to the Crown Jewels, a working collection of 23,578 stones including the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s Sceptre. Tower Bridge is the Victorian engineering postcard that sits 450 metres downstream.
Visiting both in one go is a clean half-day. You exit the Tower’s east gate, walk straight onto Tower Bridge, and get the visual context of seeing the bridge’s bascules from above after you’ve walked beside it from the river level. The two pair more naturally than almost any other London combination.
Tickets — what each one includes
Tower of London (£35 adult)
The Crown Jewels exhibition
The White Tower (Norman keep, 1078)
Royal armouries collection
Medieval Palace rooms
Battlements walk
Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) guided tours, included
Tower Ravens lookout
Tower Bridge (£13.40 adult)
Both high-level walkways
Two glass-floor sections
Bridge history exhibition
Victorian Engine Rooms
There is no single official “combo ticket” between the two — they’re run by different operators. The way to bundle them is either through the London Pass / Go City multi-attraction passes, or by booking each separately and timing them carefully.
The half-day plan (4.5 hours)
09:00 — Arrive at Tower Hill tube. Walk down the steps toward the Tower’s ticketed entrance. Pick up a coffee at the Tower Wharf café before the rush.
09:30 — Enter the Tower of London. Head straight for the Crown Jewels first. The queue there grows fastest after 10:30.
10:30 — Yeoman Warder tour. Tours run hourly. The 10:30 slot has the smallest groups outside summer.
11:30 — White Tower and ravens. Allow 60 minutes. Older kids will want extra time in the armoury.
12:45 — Lunch break. The New Armouries café inside the Tower walls is decent but busy. Better: exit and walk to Hay’s Galleria on the south bank for faster service.
13:30 — Walk across to Tower Bridge. 5 minutes from the Tower’s east gate.
15:00 — Done. Coffee on the South Bank or push on to the next attraction.
End the day on the south bank — the bridge’s evening lighting kicks in around dusk.
Booking order — Tower of London first, then Tower Bridge
Three reasons this order works better than the reverse:
Crown Jewels queues build in the late morning. Arriving at 09:30 means a near-empty Jewel House. By noon the line outside it can be 20 minutes.
Tower Bridge is best mid-afternoon. The west-facing walkway catches softer light from 14:00 onwards. Mornings there are also fine, but mornings are better used at the Tower.
Energy curve. The Tower of London needs concentration — three hours on your feet across a sprawling site. Tower Bridge is more contained and a natural wind-down.
How to save on the combo
London Pass (2-day, ~£99) — covers both attractions, plus Westminster Abbey, The Shard and a hop-on/hop-off bus. Saves ~£15 if you visit at least three more attractions on the same pass.
Go City Explorer 3-attractions (~£75) — pick Tower of London, Tower Bridge and a Thames cruise. Saves ~£10 vs separate booking.
National Rail 2 for 1 — works at both attractions independently. Two adults save ~£11.50 at Tower Bridge and ~£30 at the Tower of London. See our 2 for 1 guide for the printed-voucher rules.
Concession rates — students, seniors and disabled visitors get ~25% off at both venues, with carers free at the Tower of London.
Where exactly is the Crown Jewels exhibition?
Inside the Tower of London, the Jewels are displayed in the Jewel House — a purpose-built treasure vault on the north side of the inner ward. The route is clearly signposted from the entrance. You move past the regalia on slow travelators (no stopping right in front of the crowns — keep moving), then a second pass on raised walkways for a closer look.
Photography inside the Jewel House is forbidden. Cameras are switched off; staff are firm on this. Outside the Jewel House and across the rest of the Tower of London, photography is welcome.
What you see in the Crown Jewels collection
Highlights worth slowing down for:
The Imperial State Crown — set with 2,868 diamonds, the St Edward’s Sapphire and the Cullinan II diamond (317 carats).
St Edward’s Crown — used in the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.
The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross — holds the Cullinan I, the largest cut diamond in the world (530 carats).
The Coronation Spoon — the oldest piece in the collection, c.1170.
Queen Mary’s Crown — refitted in 2023 with Cullinan III, IV and V.
Practical logistics
Walking route between the two
Exit the Tower of London via the east gate next to the Yeoman Warder Hall. Cross the cobbled square diagonally toward the river. The pedestrian entrance to Tower Bridge’s walkway exhibition is 100 metres further on the north tower of the bridge. Total walk: 5–7 minutes including the small ramp climb up to bridge road level.
Bags and security
Bag size limits differ. Tower of London allows day bags but no large suitcases. Tower Bridge has no cloakroom — keep it small. Both venues use airport-style security; allow 5 minutes at each entrance.
Eating
Neither attraction has standout food. Better nearby options:
St Katharine Docks (5 min walk from the Tower) — Mediterranean restaurants, real bathrooms
Hay’s Galleria (south bank, between the two) — pub food, quick
Borough Market (15 min walk south) — best food cluster nearby; busy at weekends
Is the combo worth it for families?
Yes, with a caveat. Kids respond differently to the two attractions:
Under 7s — Tower of London works (ravens, armour, Beefeaters); Tower Bridge is short but holds attention with the glass floor.
Ages 8–13 — both attractions land well. The Engine Rooms at Tower Bridge are often the surprise hit.
Teenagers — variable. The Crown Jewels (visible without long reading) usually win. Walk into the Tower Bridge bit late in the day so they’re not “toured out”.
See live availability for the combo
Check Tower of London + Tower Bridge timeslots side by side.
