Tower of London

Yesterday I went to tour the Tower of London. Thank goodness I decided to go when it opened (9 a.m.) as by the time I left just after 1 p.m., it was packed with lines everywhere!

Things I learned ....
1) This is a "weather permitting" event as it involves a lot of walking outside on the grounds and along the walls, and most of the inner rooms aren't heated (they didn't build in central heating back in the 1060s!)

2) Go early. Lines become crazy long later on.

3) Take one of the 45 min tours given by a Yeoman Warder.

4) The crown jewel exhibit is more "touristy" than I remember it being (when I saw it 11 years ago). The cases with the 10 or so crowns and orbs and rings and such are actually flanked by two moving walkways (front and back side). You cannot stop and look, it is difficult to go back for a second look, etc. This isn't Disney World!

5) You had better be in good shape and able to do stairs. You have to climb the spiral staircases up to each tower if you want to see all the information on exhibit.

6) You had better have four hours to be here - especially if you want to go up into the towers. There is one stretch that once you start, you cannot exit until you follow the path which includes 4+ towers.

7) Just because this is part of the "Historical Royal Palaces" group, the items in the gift shop here are different from the other HRP shops - so if you see something you like, you'd better buy it.

8) And probably most importantly, the Tower of London was NOT built as a prison. Rather it was THE royal palace, the center of London, the storehouse for arms and gunpowder, the site of the Royal Mint, etc...