Visiting London’s Tower Bridge
London busses drive over London Bridge
Tower Bridge is one of the most iconic London attractions and it’s also very easy to visit. You can walk across the bridge for free or for a slight fee you can walk up inside the bridge, take in the breathtaking skyline and walk across the glass bottom walkway.
History of Tower Bridge
In the late 1800s, the City of London wanted to build a new bridge across the Thames just downstream from London Bridge. The problem was they didn’t want to disturb river traffic so a design competition was announced. In 1884 the design by Sir Horace Jones and Sir John Wolfe Barry was chosen.
It took 8 years, over 400 workers, and 11,000 tons of steel to complete the bridge.
How to get to Tower Bridge
As with most things in London, the Underground (aka - The Tube) is a great way to get to Tower Bridge.
On the north bank of the Thames, The Tower Hill stop is a very short walk from London Bridge. You can take the Circle Line or District Line to Tower Hill station. On your short walk, you’ll pass the Tower of London and a great spot along the Thames to photograph the Tower Bridge.
On the south bank of the Thames, you can take the Jubilee Line to London Bridge station. It’s then a 15-minute walk to Tower Bridge. You’ll then need to cross the bridge to the north tower if you are going up in the towers.
How much does it cost to visit Tower Bridge?
Walking across Tower Bridge is absolutely free.
We decided to add a visit to the towers and upper walkways. This costs £12.30 for adults and £6.20 for kids age 5 -15.
Walking across Tower Bridge.
Visiting the walkways
To visit the towers and walkways across the bridge you’ll need to purchase a timed ticket in advance. You can easily purchase tickets on Tower Bridge’s website.
While the roadway and adjacent walkway is open 24 hours a day the towers and upper walkways are open 9:30 AM to 6 PM.
After going through a security check you’ll walk up a series of steps up to the walkways about 140 feet over the river. The staircase is wide and there are numerous places to stop and view displays about the building and history of the bridge. Normally climbing stairs are the worst part of visiting an attraction but they’ve done a good job keeping it interesting.
There is also an elevator if you feel like you can’t make the journey up the stairs.
Once upstairs you can walk across both walkways the span between both towers. The view is fantastic but the big attraction is the glass walkway. There are a few spots with huge glass panes that allow you to see straight down to the roadway and river.
The glass windows are easy to spot, just look for the crowd and people laying on the floor. If you are a little nervous about walking across the glass there is enough room on either side to scoot by on a normal floor.
We opted for the elevator on the way down
Your ticket also includes a visit to the Engine Room. At one time the room helped open the bridge 20 to 30 times a day, today it opens 2 to 3 times a day.
What else to see in the area of Tower Bridge
If you visited the Tower Bridge Engine Room you’ll be very close to the Vault Bar, it’s built right into the base of the bridge. They serve beer, wine, and traditional pub food. Best of all their outside patio has an iconic view of the bridge.
We decided to eat at the nearby Greek Restaurant, The Real Greek. The price of the lunch special was great but the food was average,
Another great option is to walk along the banks of the Thames River to Borough Market. The historic market, dating to 1756, houses countless food stands featuring many types of food and drink. Just remember it closes at 5 pm (4 pm on Sunday).
If you are looking for great views of the London skyline check out our post: Best Free Views of the London Skyline
You could always cross the river into central London, with its endless variety of restaurants. If you haven’t visited the Tower of London, it’s located just a few steps from Tower Bridge.
Are Tower Bridge and London Bridge the same?
Tower Bridge and London Bridge are not the same but they are often confused. While the history of London Bridge goes back 600 years the current version opened in 1973. The updated London Bridge is not particularly interesting compared to the iconic Tower Bridge.
Is it worth visiting Tower Bridge?
On previous visits to London, we had photographed Tower Bridge from afar but never walked on the bridge. So we made visiting Tower Bridge a priority on our most recent visit.
Whether you walk across the bridge for free or buy a ticket and climb up the tower it’s certainly worth a visit to this London icon.
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