Last Minute Tower of London Tickets

Can You Really Get Last Minute Tower of London Tickets?

The short answer is yes — but the experience varies enormously depending on how you do it and when you visit. On a quiet Tuesday morning in February, turning up without a ticket and buying at the kiosk is perfectly fine. On a sunny Saturday in August with school holidays in full swing, it can mean a 45-minute queue just to purchase, followed by another 30-minute queue to enter.

The Tower of London operates a timed-entry system. This means your ticket is tied to a specific entry window (usually 30 minutes). When you book online, you choose your slot. When you walk up to the kiosk, you take whatever's next available — which during busy periods could mean waiting for the next free slot rather than entering immediately.

The single best piece of last-minute advice: book online via a mobile device even if you're standing outside the Tower. The five minutes it takes to complete an online booking eliminates the kiosk queue entirely and guarantees your entry window.

The Fastest Ways to Get Last Minute Tickets

1. Book Online via GetYourGuide (Recommended)

GetYourGuide shows real-time availability for Tower of London tickets and delivers your ticket instantly to your email and the app. You can complete the entire process on your phone while travelling to the Tower. Tickets are accepted via QR code scan at the entry gates — no printing required.

GetYourGuide is particularly good for last-minute bookings because:

• Real-time availability updates show exactly which time slots remain
• The booking process takes under 3 minutes on mobile
• Instant ticket delivery means no waiting for confirmation
• Same-day cancellation policies on many tickets offer flexibility

Check real-time availability on GetYourGuide →

2. Book via Tiqets

Tiqets is another reliable platform for last-minute Tower of London entry. The platform specialises in instant mobile tickets and frequently offers the same-day entry slots that remain after pre-booked visitors have taken their time windows. Their user interface clearly shows which entry times are available for today and tomorrow.

3. Buy at the On-Site Kiosk

Self-service ticket kiosks are located just outside the main Byward Tower entrance. These accept card payments and can process tickets quickly when queues are short. The kiosks are the right choice if:

• You're visiting in low season (November–March, avoiding school holidays)
• You're arriving early on a weekday (before 10:00)
• You need to use a physical National Rail 2-for-1 voucher
• You need help from staff with accessibility requirements

Avoid the kiosk in peak season — the queue to buy can be longer than the entry queue for pre-booked visitors.

4. London Pass

If you hold a London Pass, Tower of London entry is included — and London Pass holders have a separate, usually shorter, entry lane. If you're planning to visit multiple London attractions, a London Pass purchased the day before offers an effective last-minute, queue-friendly solution.

Do Tower of London Tickets Actually Sell Out?

Standard admission slots rarely sell out completely on any given day — there is typically some capacity available even for the busiest days, though it may be limited to less desirable time windows (e.g., very early or late in the day).

However, the picture is different for specialist experiences:

When Is Last-Minute Booking Risky?

Certain dates are significantly riskier for last-minute visits than others. If your dates overlap with any of the following, we strongly recommend booking 2–4 weeks in advance:

• UK school half-term weeks — February, May, October (each lasts one week and varies by region)
• UK summer holidays — Mid-July through early September
• Easter weekend and the week after
• Bank holidays — particularly May Day, Spring and Summer Bank Holidays
• Weekends in July and August
• Christmas school holidays — Late December and early January

Conversely, these periods are the safest for last-minute visits:

• Weekdays in January, February, and November
• Any weekday morning in March, April (avoiding Easter) or October
• Early opening slots (9:00–10:00) on any weekday

Tips for Getting In Without Pre-Booking

If you're determined to visit today and can't or don't want to book online, these strategies improve your chances of a smooth walk-up experience:

Arrive Early

The Tower opens at 9:00 Tuesday–Saturday and 10:00 Sunday–Monday. Arriving within the first 30 minutes of opening almost always means short or no queues at the kiosk, and the first entry windows of the day are rarely full. The first hour of opening is consistently the quietest period, especially mid-week.

Avoid Midday

The 10:30–14:00 window is when the largest volume of pre-booked visitors arrive and when walk-up queues peak. If you can arrive before 10:00 or after 14:30, the kiosk experience is significantly more pleasant.

Try a Weekday

Midweek visits (Tuesday–Thursday) see roughly 30–40% fewer visitors than weekends in peak season. If your schedule has any flexibility, a Tuesday or Wednesday visit eliminates most last-minute availability concerns for standard admission.

Have a Backup Plan

Tower Bridge is immediately adjacent and rarely has availability problems. If the Tower is at capacity or queues are unacceptable, Tower Bridge offers its own spectacular experience (glass walkways, high-level views, Victorian engine rooms) and the two can be visited on the same day with a combo ticket.

Last Minute Prices — What to Expect

There is no surge pricing or last-minute premium at the Tower of London. Tickets cost the same whether you book six months in advance or on the day. The only price differences between booking channels are:

• Some third-party platforms occasionally offer small discounts (typically 5–10%) as promotional pricing
• On-site kiosk purchase sometimes includes a small booking fee saving (no platform fee), though this is usually offset by time cost
• National Rail 2-for-1 discount is available exclusively at the kiosk with a physical or digital paper voucher

Prices sourced from hrp.org.uk and subject to change. Always verify current prices before booking.

Checking Real-Time Availability

The most reliable way to check what's actually available for your visit date is to use the availability widget at the top of this page. This shows live slot availability across multiple booking platforms — if a time slot appears, it is genuinely available and can be confirmed within minutes.

Alternatively, check directly at:

• The GetYourGuide listing (shows real-time availability by date and time)
• The Tiqets listing (particularly good for same-day slots)
• The official Historic Royal Palaces website at hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london

What If There's Nothing Available?

On very rare occasions, particularly on summer bank holidays, all online slots fill up. In this scenario, your options are:

1. Visit the following day — availability almost always opens up, especially for early morning slots
2. Try walk-up purchase — the Tower maintains a small quota of on-the-day walk-up tickets separate from the online allocation
3. Visit Tower Bridge — it's adjacent, spectacular, and has independent ticket availability
4. Explore the surrounding area — the Tower's exterior, Tower Bridge, and the Thames Path are all free to enjoy without a ticket

Specialist Experiences: Last Minute Reality Check

Ceremony of the Keys

The nightly Ceremony of the Keys — the 700-year-old locking ceremony — is free but requires advance booking directly through Historic Royal Palaces. It is typically fully booked 3–6 months ahead. Last-minute availability is extremely rare. If you want this experience, book as early as possible.

Private Beefeater Tours

Private tours with a Yeoman Warder guide are bookable through third-party platforms but have very limited capacity (typically groups of 2–15). These sell out weeks in advance during peak season. Last-minute bookings occasionally appear due to cancellations — check GetYourGuide within 48 hours of your visit for any drops.

Evening and Night Events

The Tower hosts special evening events and night tours throughout the year. These events have much smaller capacities than standard daytime admission and book up quickly. Check GetYourGuide for any remaining evening slots.

Last Minute Booking — Step by Step

1. Visit the GetYourGuide booking page (button above or link below)
2. Select today's or tomorrow's date
3. Choose your preferred entry time slot (check multiple slots if your first choice is unavailable)
4. Select ticket types (adult/child/concession)
5. Complete payment — card or PayPal accepted
6. Receive instant ticket confirmation via email and app
7. At the Tower, scan your QR code at the timed-entry gate
8. Enter — no queue for pre-booked visitors