The single biggest frustration at the Tower of London is the Crown Jewels queue, which builds through the late morning in summer. This tour solves it by getting you in before the public. You arrive early, watch the Opening Ceremony as a Yeoman Warder and military escort unlock the gates, and are among the first into the Jewel House — seeing the Crown Jewels while they are calm rather than shuffling past in a crowd.
It is the crowd-beater on this page, and at $99 it costs less than the premium Beefeater and private tours. A guide frames the ceremony and the early history, then you explore the White Tower and grounds at your own pace with a self-guided app. If your priority is the Crown Jewels done properly, this is the tour to book.
What the tour includes
Included
- Early entry before public opening
- The Tower's Opening Ceremony with a Yeoman Warder
- The Crown Jewels before the biggest crowds
- Expert guide for the early history
- Self-guided multilingual audio app
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Not included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Gratuities
- A private Beefeater meet and greet
- The nightly Ceremony of the Keys (separate booking)
What you will see
The morning opens with the Opening Ceremony, a short ritual most visitors never witness because it happens before standard opening. You then head straight to the Crown Jewels — the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign's Sceptre and the coronation regalia — ahead of the queue. With the early rush handled, you can take your time in the White Tower, walk Tower Green where the queens were executed, and find the ravens on the lawns before the grounds fill up. The self-guided app lets you set your own pace once the guided portion ends.
Is early access worth it?
Here is the arithmetic. A standard ticket is about $50, and in peak summer the Crown Jewels queue alone can cost you 45 minutes to an hour of your visit. This tour is roughly $99 — about $49 more — and it removes that queue while adding the Opening Ceremony you cannot otherwise see. If you value your morning and you are visiting between April and September, that is an easy trade. Off-peak or early in the day on a quiet date, the standard day ticket may be all you need.
If you also want a personal Beefeater encounter, compare the VIP Beefeater tour; if you want early access plus Tower Bridge or a river cruise, see the early-access options.
The crowd-free Crown Jewels and the Opening Ceremony only work because you arrive before general opening — expect an early start and arrive about 15 minutes ahead. It is the one demand this tour makes, and the reason it delivers what it promises.
Meeting point and practical details
| Start time | Early, before general opening (arrive ~15 min early) |
| Meeting point | At the Tower of London ticket office, near Tower Hill |
| Format | Guided opening, then self-guided with a multilingual app |
| Crown Jewels | Included, before the public |
| Accessibility | Involves walking, cobbles and stairs; check before booking |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before |
For opening hours, directions and the 2026 Middle Tower conservation note, see the visitor guide.
Early-access tour FAQs
Watch the Opening Ceremony and see the Crown Jewels before the crowds arrive.
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