Daily schedule for 2026 — when the gates open, when last admission is called, how hours change between seasons, and which days you simply cannot get in.
⚠ Independent guide — not the official Tower Bridge website.
| Period | Hours | Last admission |
|---|---|---|
| Daily (year-round) | 09:30 – 18:00 | 17:00 |
| School summer holidays (Jul–Aug) | 09:00 – 18:30 | 17:30 |
| Christmas Eve (24 Dec) | 09:30 – 15:00 | 14:00 |
| 25–26 Dec (Christmas) | Closed | |
| 1 January | 10:00 – 17:30 | 16:30 |
Source: towerbridge.org.uk. Always confirm before travelling.
For most of the year, Tower Bridge runs a single schedule: 09:30 to 18:00, seven days a week. Last admission is one hour before closing, at 17:00, and the building begins to clear about 15 minutes before the doors lock.
Unlike many central London attractions, the schedule barely changes between weekdays and weekends. Sunday hours match Tuesday hours. Bank holiday Mondays usually open as normal.
During the UK school summer holidays the bridge opens 30 minutes earlier and closes 30 minutes later — a small concession to the longer days. Last admission is 17:30. This is also when timeslots sell out fastest, so the extended window doesn’t loosen demand much.
Standard 09:30–18:00 hours apply. The lighting inside the walkways feels different — softer through October to March because the sun sits lower in the windows — but the timetable doesn’t shift.
December is the only month with multiple bespoke schedules (see the calendar below). Otherwise winter Tower Bridge opens at 09:30, the same as any other Tuesday. The bridge stays open during snow unless conditions affect the lifts.
| Date | Day | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 | New Year’s Day | 10:00 – 17:30 (late opening) |
| 3 Apr 2026 | Good Friday | 09:30 – 18:00 (normal) |
| 6 Apr 2026 | Easter Monday | 09:30 – 18:00 (normal) |
| 4 May 2026 | Early May bank holiday | 09:30 – 18:00 |
| 25 May 2026 | Spring bank holiday | 09:30 – 18:00 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | Summer bank holiday | 09:30 – 18:00 |
| 24 Dec 2026 | Christmas Eve | 09:30 – 15:00 (early close) |
| 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | Closed |
| 26 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day | Closed |
| 31 Dec 2026 | New Year’s Eve | 09:30 – 16:00 (early close) |
Schedule reflects the published pattern from prior years and may be updated on the official site closer to each date.
Tower Bridge closes its Exhibition (the paid attraction) on three calendar dates only: 25 December, 26 December and sometimes for short maintenance windows announced a few weeks in advance. The road and footways across the bridge themselves stay open to traffic and pedestrians on most of these days — only the indoor exhibition shuts.
Maintenance closures are rare but possible. Recent examples include short refurbishment days for the Engine Rooms in early February and one-day closures for the bridge’s biennial deep clean.
Three honest answers, depending on your priority:
A leisurely visit is about 75 minutes: 35 minutes on the walkways and glass floor, 10 minutes in transit between the two ends of the bridge, and 30 minutes in the Engine Rooms. A quick visit can be done in 45 minutes if you skip the engines. Photographers tend to stay 90–110 minutes, especially if they’re timing a bridge lift.
If you’re booking a timed slot, the slot only governs your entry time. Once inside, you can stay as long as you like until closing.
Last admission is firm. If your timeslot is 16:45 and you arrive at 17:05, you will not be admitted, even with a valid pre-booked ticket. Staff will offer to rebook you for another day, subject to availability, but no refund is issued on a missed slot bought via the official site.
If you booked via GetYourGuide and miss the slot due to a delay outside your control (tube strike, accident on the line), open a support ticket the same day — the partner’s flexibility on rebooking is generally good.
A bridge lift can happen at any time of day, but the visitor exhibition has nothing to do with the lift schedule itself. The walkways remain open during lifts. If anything, lifts are a bonus — you can watch the bascules rise from above, which is the rarest view in London. See our bridge lift times guide for the live schedule and how to plan around it.
The two nearest tubes — Tower Hill and London Bridge — run from roughly 05:30 to 00:30 on weekdays, with a 24-hour service on Friday and Saturday nights on the Jubilee Line. The DLR opens around 05:30. Thames Clippers river boats run from 07:00 until about 22:00. None of these will limit a daytime Tower Bridge visit.
Most timed tickets at Tower Bridge include a 15-minute grace window. If you’re 5–10 minutes late, head straight to the front of the queue and explain — staff will usually wave you in. If you’re more than 30 minutes late, you’ll typically be asked to step aside and wait for an empty slot. On peak Saturdays, that wait can stretch beyond an hour, and you may simply lose the day.
Step-free access is available throughout standard opening hours. The lifts open at the same time as the main gate. There’s no separate “quiet hour”, but the first 30 minutes after opening have the closest equivalent feel. If you’re booking for a guest with sensory needs, the official site’s accessibility team can pre-arrange a quieter entry.
09:30 daily for most of the year, with last admission at 17:00.
No. The exhibition closes on 25 and 26 December.
No. The schedule is identical Monday through Sunday.
Yes. The road and pedestrian footways across the bridge are open 24/7. Only the paid exhibition closes.
Arrive at 09:30 on weekdays. The first hour after opening is the quietest of the day.
No. Lifts happen while the walkways remain open above the road. You can watch from inside.