Descriptive sessions

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Descriptive sessions

Sparkling gems and shining armour!

Tours for visually impaired and blind visitors

White Tower

Blind and visually impaired visitors are invited to marvel at the magnificent Crown Jewels housed at the Tower of London. Join one of our knowledgeable 'vocal eyes trained' wardens on a fascinating descriptive tour of the Jewel House. Warders talk through the objects and history of the Jewel House as well as using tactile books so visitors can get a feel for the items.  

Then tighten your grip on ten centuries of Tower history - assistance will be available whilst you explore our exciting interactive hands on history exhibition on the top floor of the White Tower.

Tower of London volunteers can be available for guidance and orientation around the Tower. Volunteers can meet visitors at the Welcome Centre (located on Tower Hill) and guide them to the Jewel House. After the tours volunteers can also help guide visitors around other parts of the Tower and locate facilities. This service can be arranged in advance subject to the availability of our volunteers. Please check when booking. 

Included in general admission price - advance booking is strongly recommended

It is unlikely we will be able to arrange tours if requested on the day of visit without booking, so please do contact us in advance.



Itinerary

Descriptive tour of the Jewel House 
(between 45 - 70 minutes)
(Meet at entrance to Jewel House)

Assistance with 'hands on history' and White Tower tour
(between 30 - 60 minutes)
(Meet at entrance to White Tower)

Further information

Please be advised of the following -

* The maximum group number per tour is 8 persons, 5 persons at busy times.
* Please note that the Tower of London is very busy during holiday times and therefore tours need to take place early to give the best experience possible.
* Guests are asked to arrive promptly for their tour, lateness may cause tour to be cancelled.
* Guests can take a break in between tours, please discuss when booking.
* To provide the best tour possible we require information about the group coming for the tour.

How to book

Please contact Emma Whiteway using the contact details below, stating the date you wish to visit, how many are in your group, as well as your contact details.

Please also note that flexibility of visit date is advised.

Contact details:

Emma Whiteway
Visitor Services Co-ordinator

HM Tower of London 
London 
EC3N 4AB

T: +44 (0)20 3166 6266
F: +44 (0)20 3166 6265

Textphone: 18001 0844 482 7777

emma.whiteway@hrp.org.uk 


Further information

The tour will include the use of raised image cards in the Jewel House.

Large print versions of the orientation leaflet and daily programme are available in the Welcome Centre on Tower Hill. Please enquire at the desk.

Multimedia Guide for Blind and partially sighted visitors

Discover the Tower with our new tour written especially for blind and partially sighted visitors. The new tour guides you round the Tower visiting some of the key areas including Traitors Gate and the Bloody Tower. It gives you the chance to try on a helmet and handle chain mail as well as hear about the defence of the Tower. It also provides an opportunity to learn more about the prisoners who were held in this great fortress whilst exploring the graffiti they left in the Beauchamp Tower.

The guide is free with admission and comes with a tactile map. It takes about an hour and half and reveals much of the hidden history of this iconic palace. With interviews which tell you what it is really like to live inside a Royal Fortress.

The tour can be collected from the multimedia guide desk in the Beefeater shop. The guides have a neck strap making them easy to carry. The sound can easily be controlled and clear detailed instructions are provided on the guide to help you use them.

For further information please consult our full colour and comprehensive access guide. Please click on the PDF file underneath. The guide includes detailed information, help, and advice for visitors with disabilities. For those with mobility requirements and wheelchair users, there is a colour map detailing routes and other useful information.  

Related links

Plan your visit >
Tickets and prices >

Downloadable Resources

Some files are provided in PDF format - you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files.

  1. Click here to download Acrobat Reader
  2. Alternatively, Adobe offers a service for converting PDFs into HTML or plain text. Access this service here


    Tower of London Access Guide
    (Adobe PDF, 1.96MB)

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