Tower of London & Crown Jewels Tour with Beefeater Meet & Greet
Description
For over 900 years, the Tower of London has been the site of intrigues, imprisonments, and executions. On this exclusive tour, your small group will be assigned an individual Yoeman Warder, or Beefeater, to explain how this attraction has been a key backdrop in the story of the English monarchy.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour will begin just in front of the main entrance, where you will be given a short introduction to the history of the Tower of London before being led in to meet the Beefeater dedicated to your small group. From stories of traitorous plots to tales of royal scandal, the guards of the Tower of London will bring this attraction to life before your eyes. Your small group will also enable you plenty of chances to ask questions and interact directly with the Beefeater as they lead you through this ancient fortress.
After your tour, continue to discover the Tower at your leisure including a visit to the infamous Bloody Tower, a tour of the old Royal Mint, or a visit to the home of the stunning Crown Jewels. Because of our early morning start time, you will be among the first visitors into the Tower and will have the opportunity to explore without the usual large crowds. At times an important stronghold, a magnificent palace, and an intimidating prison; the Tower of London is a must-see attraction for those interested in British history. Don’t miss out on the opportunity for a guided tour with those most familiar with it – the Beefeaters.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- London's tourist sites are among the most popular in the world. Careful planning limit our crowd exposure, but please be aware that some locations may be unavoidably busy during standard hours.
- Please note that the duration of the Beefeater audience varies by tour time: approximately 30 minutes for morning tours and around 15 minutes for afternoon tours.
Reviews(305)
The self guided tour with a private VIP audience with a Beefeater is the way to go. Book the midday tour or earlier to maximize time at the tower and minimize lines. The Viator will give a great overview of the history of the Tower and the tales of the various monarchs and residents. After visiting Traitor’s Gate, Bloody Tower, the Ravens, the White Tower, and Tower Green, the Yoeman Warder will meet and greet with stories of what it’s like to live inside the walls. Then you are free to view the guards on patrol, Crown Jewels, the cafe, the church, and catch a performance by the tower thespians. Enjoy!
This was a wonderful tour! I definitely recommend this as you get into the Tower early before the crowds and are able to spend special time with a Beefeater who tells you about the Tower.
Michael was a great guide and very helpful. I was a little concerned because I was on the tour with my mother who uses a walker. She is able to go up some steps and we were able to keep up with the group, so I am very happy that it all worked out fine.
This tour was pricey, and early - but worth it to get a briefing on that area of London outside and an insider experience behind the gates. The tour was two parts (outside with a tour company guide, the we met our Yoeman Warder to be escorted through the Tower grounds. And we had plenty of time to see the Crown Jewels and Tower before the heavy crowds. Our Beefeater was charismatic and informative. We really enjoyed both parts. Highly recommend.
Beefeater is great. Go early, you don’t wanna be stuck in the crown jewels line. A bit overrated………….
Great first day tour with my husband and family. Joe, our tour guide, was great! His details about the Tower of London were very informative. We started with the outside of the tower and then went inside to see the most amazing jewels. It was so fun to meet a Beefeater and hear stories about his work. Would recommend Joe!
It was fantastic. Tom our beefeater was funny he involved the crowd we all joined into his stories and listened. He was a great, proud beefeater, Yeoman and made the day. All the beefeaters around the tower were more than happy to answer questions and just made the experience better. Fantastic day
Our tour was delayed 15 minutes or so while we waited for participants who were delayed by a previous tour they took in the morning. This caused to miss half of the Beefeater's presentation.
Not sure if it was just our group, but "early entry" is a misnomer. Our tour was more a "head of line" tour. We met the tour guide outside of the tower at 0830 and were led through the gates of the tower at opening. Our "private " meet and greet with a beefeater became a "everyone join." (Due to NO fault of the beefeater). He actually advised those who jumped on that this was a private/abbreviated tour and where the actual next tour could be accessed. By the time we finished with the extremely knowledgeable beefeater , we had to stand in line to view the crown jewel exhibit. At no time me did we feel this tour lived up to the advertisement. The saving grace was YW A Merry (our beefeater on duty). We recommend rearranging the time line and guide guests directly to the crown jewel exhibit prior to the guide tour of the tower.
Good overview of Tower of London and a detailed and quirky overview from the Beefeater with photo opportunities
