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Tower of London - Is it worth it?
I have heard good and bad things about the Tower of London. What does everyone think about it? Is it worth a visit?
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The warders are great and the site is amazing if you have some sense of history -- not to mention the crown jewels:)<BR><BR>It took me MANY years to get there [like 30 years after my first London trip] -- and it was WELL worth it :)
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One visit is enough but it's definitely worth that. The crown jewels are amazing.
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Absolutely!! Besides the fact that it's a nice oasis in the middle of a busy modern city, the history is dripping from the stones. If you enjoy the history of London at all, go for a trip. I lived in London for over two years and didn't visit because I thought it'd be just a tourist stop. Several years later, I visited the Tower on a brief stay - and LOVED it. So much to see, all of it interesting.<BR><BR>Do yourself another favor and drop into the Museum of London as well. This gem is actually built up against the old Roman Wall which surrounded the City nearly two thousand years ago. Lots of interactive links, the Queen's wedding coach, antiquities, a great display on the Great Fire, etc. Go have *fun*!
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If you are not interested in historical places then don't go. But if you are, then at the tower you are at the heart of English history. This 900-year old fortress built by William the Conqueror is worth the time.
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I can't imagine going to London the first time and not going to the Tower of London. It's almost like going to Paris and not bothering to see the Eiffel Tower.
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Yes, it's worth a visit! It was one of the only places in London that surpassed my expectations. I spent an extra day in London to see the Tower and St. Paul's and I'm quite glad that I did both in retrospect. Be sure to take a tour with a warder. That was the highlight of my trip.
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We went during the day to visit and I also obtained tickets for the Changing of the Keys ceremony which was done at night. We all really enjoyed this part, too. I would go again.
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Does anybody else think all these "Is . . . . . . worth it?" threads are trolls? They always seem to be about sites that anyone with half a brain would know is "worth it".<BR><BR>I saw one that asked is Edinburgh worth it? Come On!
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Well sorry "xxx" for asking a question to the forum that I honestly would like to know the answer to. I thought that was the purpose of these messageboards is to get an understanding of historic sites and people's opinion of them.
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We really enjoyed it -- be sure to join one of the Beefeater's tour groups. They are wonderful story tellers and make it a very enjoyable experience.
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The Tower is worth visiting. Buy your<BR>ticket at the little store before you<BR>get. Go<BR>to the new Queens Gallery and the Winston Churchill WWII bunker too. Globe<BR>is very interesting.
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It’s folk like Georgian that make one wonder why people bother trying to be helpful here. Georgian gets 7 helpful answers and one suggesting that the question is slightly dumb. And what does Georgian do? Does Georgian thank all the helpful people? Does he even say that he found their answers useful. No, he writes a cranky response to other post!<BR>
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A couple of footnotes from a Londoner born and bred:<BR><BR>The Crown Jewels alone are indeed breathtaking, but I think you get the best impression of what the Tower meant if you go early (before it gets too crowded) on a wet and gloomy day (to feel what it must have been like when it was a fortress and a prison. I find that on a sunny day, it feels oddly small, even domestic, in the inner and most historic parts, which may be why some people just don't seem to get it. <BR><BR>The Museum of London brings the city's history to life for me, and it's packed with lots of detail about daily life as well as the major historic events. Incidentally, the coach there is not the Queen's, it's the one used for the inauguration each November of the new Lord Mayor (of the mediaeval City of London, now the central financial district).
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For once I agree with our friend xxx.<BR>If you haven't bothered to read up about somewhere like the Tower then you are highly unlikely to find it "worth it". In the same way, if you have never read any 18th or 19th century literature or Roman history or have never had an interest in archictecture, then stay away from Bath.
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I do appreciate all the help that is given here but I just don't understand why (some) people have to be so negative to a simple question.
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Georgian,<BR>As you see, it's not that people are unwilling to give you the information you asked for, it's just that "Is it worth it?" when asked of a cultural heritage (building on the White Tower started 1066) could sound a little bit arrogant. You obviously didn't mean it to be, so the answer to your question is - yes, it's definitley a good place to visit IF you are interested in history.
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I agree with Patrick -- the atmosphere on a gloomy day would certainly add to the experience. BUT the Yeoman Warders tours, which are wonderful, are not given in the rain, so if possible don't go on a day that's actually rainy.
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I, too, enjoyed listening to the stories from the Beefeaters. The Crown Jewels are also interesting...once you are finally able to fathom that these aren't fake jewels! And to see the building where Anne Boleyn was held and trying to imagine what it must have been like to look out her window at the place where the executions took place.<BR><BR>What I enjoyed the most at the Tower was the building (sorry, can't remember what it's called) where prisoners were held. While they were imprisoned there, many carved their thoughts on the walls. Centuries-old graffiti that is pretty amazing.
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Fair point - I'd forgotten that
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