destination tower of london

I must confess that despite having lived in the centre of London, I did not at the time have much time for sightseeing. It’s now time to start playing catch up and also start introducing our children to the rich history of this city. So, first stop: The Tower of London by the river Thames.

The history of the Tower of London dates back to 1066 and it has been occupied by many famous kinds such as Richard the Lionheart and Henry III and used for several purposed such as prison, menagerie and treasury to name few. The complex consists of several buildings set in the shape of two concentric rings and a moat around it. There is just so much to see here and I’d recommend booking at least a good four hours to visit this venue – especially if you are visiting during the high tourist season in the summer.

So what’s there to see? The minimum I’d recommend is walking around the whole area, then popping into the exhibition to see the Crown Jewels. A guided tour with Beefeaters, the Yeoman Warden, is an excellent way to learn about the history and hear entertaining stories of old times. Of course one also needs to visit the white tower, peek into the famous prisons and the traitors gate. Inside the tower one can also enjoy a re-enactment from the lives of the kings, which was very entertaining and enjoyable for the children also.

Here’s a great tip if you are visiting the Tower of London with children: After you have bought your tickets pop into the information office and get a fun activity booklet, stickers and a prince(ss) pencil for the little ones. They will love solving the questions in the booklet!

This is the setup for the Tower of London {via Wikipedia} where you can see the central position of the White Tower and the main sights to visit. Once you have seen this place and if you still feel like more sightseeing a great stop next to the Tower area would be the most famous bridge in the world – The Tower Bridge over river Thames. There you can go up to the walkway to admire views of London and also visit the latest exhibitions.