Getting to the Tower of London
Five stations and a pier serve the same set of walls, and which one you want depends entirely on where you start. Journey times, exits and the walk from each.
Tower Hill, and the three-minute walk
The obvious answer. Tower Hill is on the Circle and District lines, in fare zone 1, between Aldgate and Monument on the Circle and Aldgate East and Monument on the District. The present station opened in 1967, replacing Mark Lane. Come out of the main exit, cross towards Trinity Square Gardens, and the fortress is in front of you down the slope — about three minutes, all of it signposted.
If a guided departure is the plan, its own start time and meeting point sit with the listing on tower of london and crown jewels tour.
Tower Gateway and the Docklands Light Railway
A short distance from Tower Hill and the right choice if you are coming from Canary Wharf, Greenwich or the eastern docks. The DLR runs driverless and the front seats are the best view in London for the price of a normal fare. Change at Bank if you are coming across from the west.
Fenchurch Street and the mainline
Fenchurch Street handles National Rail services from Essex and south Essex, and it is a short walk. If you are arriving from Southend, Basildon or Barking, this is the station that saves you a change onto the Underground.
Arriving by river
Tower Millennium Pier sits on the wharf below the walls and is served by river bus services along the Thames. Coming in by boat is slower than the tube and better in every other respect, and it is how the fortress was designed to be approached. Tower Bridge Quay, a separate pier beside it, is where the sightseeing cruise below departs.
London Bridge, and the walk across
London Bridge station puts you on the south bank with the Northern and Jubilee lines and mainline services. The walk across Tower Bridge takes about fifteen minutes and is the best approach on foot — you see the whole fortress from above the water before you reach it.
From each London hub
| Starting from | Route | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| King’s Cross St Pancras | Circle line direct to Tower Hill | 20 minutes |
| Paddington | Circle line direct to Tower Hill | 30 minutes |
| Westminster | District or Circle to Tower Hill | 12 minutes |
| Victoria | District line direct to Tower Hill | 18 minutes |
| Liverpool Street | Circle line, two stops | 6 minutes |
| Canary Wharf | DLR to Tower Gateway | 18 minutes |
| Heathrow | Piccadilly to Green Park, District to Tower Hill | 70 minutes |
| Gatwick | Train to Victoria, District to Tower Hill | 60 minutes |
| London Bridge | Walk across Tower Bridge | 15 minutes on foot |
Approximate journey times on public transport at a normal weekday hour, excluding the walk at the far end.
Driving, and why not to
There is no visitor car park. The fortress sits inside the City of London, which means the Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emission Zone both apply, and the streets immediately around it are not places you want to be circling. Coaches drop off on designated bays nearby rather than at the gate. Arrive by rail or river.
Getting to the right meeting point
Reaching Tower Hill is only half the problem if you have booked a guided departure. Guided departures gather at nine different meeting points, including a pair that start three miles west in Parliament Square. The addresses, the landmarks to look for and how early each operator wants you there are set out on the meeting points page.
Once you are through the gate, what to do first is on the visiting page, and every departure with its own start time is compared on Tower of London Tours.