Early Access Tower of London: Crown Jewels and Beefeater Ceremony
- Length1 hour
- Time inside the wallsAbout 1 hour inside the Tower before it opens, then all-day access on the same ticket
- Group sizeUp to 27 travellers
- Departs fromTower Vaults, 2 Tower Hill, London EC3N 4EE, UK
- CancellationFree up to 24 hours before
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before it starts, for a full refund.
Inside before the public
You are through the gate while the queue outside is still forming.
The unlocking ceremony
Watch a Yeoman Warder open the fortress for the day, from inside it.
The Crown Jewels, first
The Jewel House before the queue that builds by mid-morning.
The keep, on your own time
An all-day ticket, so the rest of the fortress runs at your pace.
Six languages
German, Portuguese, Italian, French, Spanish and English guides.
Your hour before the gates open
- Meet at the Tower of London ticket office
- Enter the Tower before it opens to the public
- Watch the Opening Ceremony with a Beefeater
- See the Crown Jewels ahead of the queues
- Step inside the White Tower
- Carry on alone with the audio guide app
What the Opening Ceremony actually is
A short, formal unlocking of the gates by a Yeoman Warder, performed each morning before the public comes in. It is not the Ceremony of the Keys, which is the evening lock-up and is far older. Knowing the difference saves a good deal of confusion, and only one departure carries access to the evening one.
Why the Jewel House goes first
The Jewel House is the single bottleneck in the whole fortress. It is one corridor with a moving walkway, so it cannot absorb a crowd the way the grounds can. Ten minutes at opening becomes an hour by noon in August. This departure exists to remove that, and it is the only thing here that money genuinely buys.
Where the guide leaves you, and why
The guide sets up the history outside the walls, takes you in for the ceremony, and hands you over at the Jewel House door. That is not this operator being unhelpful. The venue does not permit guiding inside the Jewel House or the keep, and the same applies to every guided departure here. The listing includes a self-guided audio app for the rest of the day.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book this if
A first visit between June and September, when the queue is a real problem. Anyone who wants the fortress quiet for half an hour before the day begins. Travellers who would rather explore alone once the history has been set up for them.
Book something else if
You want a guide with you all the way round, or you are visiting in the winter when the queue you are paying to skip has not formed.
The VIP tour with a private Beefeater is the one to look at instead.
What’s included
What the fare covers
- ✓ VIP early entry to Tower of London before public opening (Tower of London & Beefeater option only)
- ✓ Witness the Tower's Opening Ceremony with Beefeaters (Tower of London & Beefeater option only)
- ✓ See the Crown Jewels before the biggest crowds arrive (Tower of London & Beefeater option only)
- ✓ Expert English-speaking guide
- ✓ Self-guided Tower of London audio guide app
What it does not
- ✗ Hotel pickup and drop-off
- ✗ Gratuities
Know before you go
- Meet at the ticket office, not the gate. Directly in front of the Tower of London ticket office at Tower Vaults, where the operator's sign will be.
- Arrive before the stated time. This departure runs to the fortress's clock rather than the group's.
- Not wheelchair accessible. Cobbles, uneven ground and historic stone surfaces are the reason.
- Infants sit on laps. Plan for a carrier rather than a stroller.
- No guiding inside the Jewel House. The venue forbids it, so the guided portion is the grounds.
- Group caps at 27. Larger than the small-group departures, smaller than a coach tour.
What travellers said about this one
Jo, our guide, was quick-witted and knew the place inside out. We watched the gates unlocked, walked straight to the Crown Jewels and had them almost to ourselves before the crowd arrived. That alone paid for the ticket.
Katie · Couple · August 2026
Going in before anyone else was the whole point and it delivered. Allow four hours if you actually want to see the place — the ticket lasts the day and there is far more than the Jewels.
Melody · Couple · August 2026
On a hot day, early entry meant walking in rather than queueing. By the time the lines had built up we were strolling the grounds with a coffee.
James · Friends · July 2026
Read all reviews on the booking page
Frequently asked questions
Does this include admission to the Tower of London?
Yes. The fare covers entry for the whole day, not just the early hour, so you can stay until closing on the same ticket.
Will a guide come round the buildings with me?
No, and no departure can offer that. The venue does not permit guiding inside the Jewel House or the keep. A self-guided audio app is included for the rest of the visit.
Is this the Ceremony of the Keys?
No. This is the morning unlocking. The Ceremony of the Keys is the nightly lock-up at 9.52pm, and the after-hours departure is the one that carries guaranteed access to it.
Can I book this in a language other than English?
Yes. This listing offers guides in German, Portuguese, Italian, French and Spanish as well as English, which no other departure here does.
What if I would rather have a Beefeater to ourselves?
Then this is not the right booking. The VIP tour with a private Beefeater arranges that time for your group.
Can I cancel?
Yes, in full, up to 24 hours before the start time. Inside that window the fare is not refunded.
Other ways into the fortress
- Tower of London and Crown Jewels Exhibition Day Ticket — From $51
- VIP Tower of London and Crown Jewels Tour with Private Beefeater Meet & Greet — From $137
- Tower of London Tours — every option compared