Tower Bridge - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksBridgesObservation Decks & Towers
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
An iconic London landmark and one of Britain's best loved historic sites, Tower Bridge is open to the public 363 days a year. Within the Bridge's iconic structure and magnificent Victorian Engine rooms, the Tower Bridge Exhibition is the best way of exploring the most famous bridge in the world! Come learn about this incredible feat of Victorian engineering, discover how the Bridge is raised and enjoy stunning panoramic views across London from our high-level walkways, 42 metres above the River Thames. Opening Times: 09:30 - 17:00 (last admission )
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Gallions Reach • 6 min walk
  • Tower Hill • 7 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
  • Joan C
    Reserve, New Mexico923 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Large Beautiful Bridge
    We stayed a few blocks from this bridge and had occasion to walk across it several times during our stay. It is a beautiful bridge and the views up and down the river are ever-changing depending on the light and the river traffic. It can get a bit crowded with pedestrians at times. We did not go inside. We're not good about waiting in line to see an attraction. Recommend.
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 19, 2023
  • Grover R
    Pensacola, Florida21,691 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Bridge and Symbol for London
    The Tower Bridge is certainly both a beautiful and historic bridge in London. It gets its name from its location next to the Tower of London. However, it is not close to the oldest bridge over the Thames. It is a technical marvel for its Victorian Age. Its beauty from its towers has enabled to become that symbolic bridge for the city. We were able to get great views of it from so many different places in the city
    Visited December 2022
    Written May 28, 2023
  • VickyLargs
    Largs, United Kingdom737 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning!
    Not the first time in London and not the first time to see the Tower bridge, but possibly the first time we had the opportunity to admire it day and night for 3 days in a row as we stayed in the Tower Hotel overlooking it. What an architectural beauty! For any traveller coming to London, it’s not to be missed!
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 30, 2023
  • wethiker
    184 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    They don't make em like that anymore.
    The tower interiors are spectacular. The view is great and video shows quick. The glass section of the tower bridge walk is stunning, go slow. Don't miss the engine room, very cozy.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 6, 2023
  • lamarbradley
    Nashville, Tennessee1,231 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting Place to See
    We were ending a tour of the Tower of London and at the exit is near Tower Bridge. It is a great place for a photo and is so iconic, that folks know it is London when they see the bridge, though it is often erroneously called London Bridge. We did not get any closer to the Bridge than this, but it was a great place for a photo op.
    Visited May 2023
    Written June 19, 2023
  • Suzanne D
    Essex, Vermont25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Scary fun with great views!
    This was my second time visiting the bridge and my cousin's first, and it's such a fun activity. We booked a time beforehand so when we got there, we didn't have much of a line to deal with. The staff were friendly and helpful. We took the elevator to the top and had fun making our way across the upper section, stepping on the glass floor long enough for a picture and then hopping off! It was a bit scary, but that was the fun of it and the views from up there (of the surrounding area, as well as the Thames below) were really great. I would recommend this activity to anyone visiting London. It's not often you can walk across the upper catwalk of a bridge as iconic as Tower Bridge!
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 2, 2023
  • HINA W
    Islamabad, Pakistan7,269 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Blue Bridge!
    This iconic bridge was completed in 1894. It was designed by architect Horace Jones and inaugurated by Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales. It is 244 meters long. There are two 213 foot high bridge towers with a walkway between the upper upper level. Around 40,000 people cross it daily. This bridge gets its name from the nearby Tower of London. This amazing feat of engineering has a machine room which works the hydraulic system to allow the drawbridge to rise for the traffic in Thames. There is an interesting incident that in 1952 the bridge started rising out of the blue. Disaster was averted by a double decker bus driver when he kept his nerves and accelerated quickly jumping over the gap. It is a blue coloured bridge on which requires 22,000 litres of paint to cover it. The view from the overhead walkway is simply superb.
    Visited August 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written July 8, 2023
  • Catcatjim
    Bacolod, Philippines23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Experience London
    My first in London! Be sure to take a walk along the lenght of the bridge and back. The crowd, the noise, the sights is all part of the experience. There are lot of opportunities to take pictures and more opportunities to learn history along the way.
    Visited October 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written July 10, 2023
  • Paula P
    Inverness, United Kingdom10 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good experience
    Very interesting and informative. Lovely opportunity to get a look down at the bridge through the glass walkways and also to get an interesting look reflected in the ceiling mirror! Internal Engineering and architecture is amazing and the Victorian steam engine is pristine. Shame we were cut short from our visit in the second tower due to a fire evacuation as an alarm had gone off. We weren’t offered the opportunity to go back in ☹️ so just lucky we had seen 90% of it at that point.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 14, 2023
  • Jennifer H
    Montville, New Jersey22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun thing to do after seeing the Tower of London
    A neat experience! At first we were just going to walk across the bridge, but I did decide to pay extra in order to go up top. We got a great view of London, as well as a glass floor to look down at the bridge below. Then we went over to a little museum that explained the inner-workings of the bridge in more detail, which my engineer husband really liked. I'm not sure if it's worth a special trip to come see (unless you are really excited about bridges), but definitely worth doing if you are in the area. We went right over after seeing the Tower of London
    Visited July 2023
    Written July 16, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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TheShis
Tel Aviv, Israel40,999 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We had a great time visiting the famous bridge and enjoying its upper level with the glass floors (and the partial mirrors above).
There was a 5-minute queue to get the tickets, but it was worth it.
Included with the ticket is entry to the nearby Tower bridge museum, which is a lovely addition that explains the mechanics behind the bridge.
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael Shields
Louisville, KY25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
This was an unexpected gem of a self-guided tour. We purchased tickets in advance which I almost always would recommend because sites like this can limit access. We visited in September 2022 the weekend before the Queen's funeral, so the access pattern was a little different from the usual signage, but it only delayed us a few minutes and all of the staff were extremely polite and helpful.

This is a tour that you could easily blow through in an hour or less, but if you take your time (which we did) and enjoy the views and read about the history, you should plan on a couple of hours to see the exhibits.

The old boilers and pumps were cool to see, but I wish we could have seen the actual working mechanism (even if you don't get to see it work - since openings don't happen randomly). Maybe they already offer a small group tour, but if they don't, they should.

The views from the top were awesome and the glass floor provided some very cool perspective on the river and the bridge itself. It was a beautiful morning so the vistas were awesome. This was also a relative bargain at just over 11 GBP each.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi MichaelShields. Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed visiting inside Tower Bridge! We do indeed offer guided tours for small groups, so we look forward to welcoming you again in the near future. Warm regards, Tower Bridge Marketing team
Written October 20, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Colleen C
Middleton, WI290 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is (I think) one of London's most beautiful bridges, and with our Travelcards, we were able to get two for one tickets to climb up the North Tower and walk across the upper level walkway. It is enclosed, so weather is not an issue, and there are small windows that open that allow you to get amazing pictures up and down the river. We went at night, so the city was lit up; it was beautiful. There is also part of the floor that is glass, so you can see the road and the river underneath you. We also went just down the road a bit to see the Engine Room and learn more about the history of the bridge and the people who worked it every day. It was fascinating and well worth the extra time. Walking back across the lower level of the bridge (street level) rounded out the visit nicely. This was a very cool stop.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicoyaforever
Sandy, UT109 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Tower Bridge (not to be confused with London Bridge), is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of London, and it is a must-visit. If you are able to walk up the steps, I recommend you do that, for you go up a winding staircase from the street level, all the way up to the observation deck level. Along the way, you feel like the engineers and workers who built this wonderful tower and bridge. At the observation area, you are able to see the street and people below through the glass-bottom floor. Very cool. You can walk from one tower to the other, and from one end of each tower to the other end. You then walk downstairs, go outside, and about a block from the Towers, the engines that power the bridge can be seen, and a pretty good gift shop can be visited. The area around the bridge is very lively, with pubs and restaurants nearby, so there are lots of things to do. A must do when in London!
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LUX ESCAPES 🌏 📸
Perth, Australia1,648 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
One of Londons most photographed landmarks The Tower Bridge.
We recommend viewing from both sides of the river to see it in all its glory.
If you are lucky you may see it open for a big ship like we did.
Written January 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hannah M
Lifton, UK112 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Family
Trying to find affordable child friendly things to do in London isn’t easy but Tower Bridge with it’s glass floored walkway was both fun and great value. However, once you’ve climbed the stairs (lift available for wheelchairs & buggy’s only) it’s a very short experience. The glass floor section is only a few meters long, so everyone up there is huddled around this one section and once you’ve managed to find a space to take a pic of the traffic below, you head back down again. We’re we’re only on the bridge for 15mins! You can then visit the engine room but my kids weren’t at all interested in that part of the experience. Overall I’d say it’s worth doing once, just to say you’ve done it as the unique view of the bridge below your feet is quite something.
Written November 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

scaz m
Oxford, UK18 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Family
This visit takes between 30mins- 1hour.
There was plenty of info about how the bridge was developed and built. There was a clear but slightly uninspiring video talking through the process at 2 points in the upper walkways. Lots of photo displays and great views across the river and the Tower of London. The glass floors are fun, mainly because it was entertaining to see lots of grown ups rolling around on them pretending to be scared they might fall through. People also jumping cheerfully on the glass, posing in the air. The engine room was really good, and I especially liked the stories of the people who worked there - some for 40 years, and the joy and pride they took running the amazing hydraulics system to raise the bridge.
Good mix of history and entertainment
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cliffy
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
Visited on a day trip to London. One ticket covers both a tour of the original steam powered engine room (under the Southernmost part of the bridge) and the overhead non moving part of the bridge, with access gained from the Northernmost tower.

The Victorian engine room is well laid out, informative and easily accessible but it’s mainly of interest to adults who like industrial heritage and anyone seeking the history of the bridge.

The greater highlight for young and old alike, has to be the twin over bridges. Both of these have a large glass floor in them, where the opening bridgedeck and the Thames can be clearly seen below your feet. Although part of the ascent is via a lift, there are a number of steps to climb so check in advance whether this is suitable for you. Views up and down the Thames are lovely (especially on a fine day), and small sliding windows in the glass sides enable photos to be taken from the over bridges without any intrusion into camera autofocus systems.

Well worth a visit, and on this occasion no prebooking was necessary even though some ticketing websites were implying that tickets weren’t available so again, best to check direct with Tower Bridge before travelling
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jackie W
Leominster, UK24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
There was a short queue when we arrived and we were soon in a lift being taken upwards. There was a short film to watch when we got out the lift and a guide chipped in with various snippets of info and answered any questions. We were then free to walk along the walkway reading about the bridge and looking at the views. The best bit was the glass floor with the mirrors above so you can look up and see what's going on under your feet! Amazing. We then descended and walked to the engine room. What an interesting history this bridge has. Well worth the entrance fee. I thoroughly recommend this place.
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anna H
Lincolnshire, UK14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Family
It was satisfying to time our visit with 2 opening and closing moments of the bridge within 45 mins. For the first we looked down on the animated passengers below us on the deck of a cruise ship. They were waving and clapping and one boldly stood on a table to get our attention whilst holding aloft a red sweatshirt. We gazed at them through the glass floor of the viewing platforms as 2 tugs guided the ship through, enjoying their excitement. Then we dashed down the stairs in time to see the bridge raised again for one of the tugs to go back down river.Plenty of photo opportunities and lots of information about construction and running of the bridge over its history. It is disappointing that the engine rooms no longer form part of the main tour.
Written April 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Tower Bridge - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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