Yeoman Warder tours

Tour the Tower of London with a famous Yeoman Warder

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When

Daily

Tours begin every 45 minutes

Where

Tours start at the Bell Tower

Ticketing information

Tickets do not need to be booked in advance.

Included in palace admission (Members go free)

Buy Tower of London tickets

Our famous Yeoman Warder tours of the Tower of London are the perfect way to begin your visit.

Yeoman Warders, also known as ‘Beefeaters’, will share key stories from 1,000 years of history. Be entertained by tales of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and much more…

Learn about the Tower's iconic history as a fortress, palace and prison. Discover how William the Conqueror built the White Tower and hear tales of the prisoners who entered through Traitors' Gate.

Yeoman Warders will share details of the famous prisoners executed on Tower Green. Many are now buried nearby in the 16th-century Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.

Important tour information for Tower ticket holders

Please be aware:

Tours may be adapted or cancelled in poor weather conditions or to accommodate large crowds.
Parts of the Tower covered by the Yeoman Warder tour may seem frightening or scary to young children.
The route of the tour requires visitors to navigate a flight of 21 steps and cobbled, uneven walkways.

Yeoman Warder Andy Merry wearing new uniform featuring HM King Charles III's royal cypher leading a tour at the Tower.

Plan a Tower of London tour during your visit

Tour times

Tours begin every 45 minutes.

Tuesday to Saturday: the first Yeoman Warder tour starts at 10:00
Sunday and Monday: the first tour starts at 10:45

The final tour of the day starts at 15:15 and takes place during Tower opening hours.

How to find your tour

Tours begin near the main entrance to the Tower of London.

Booking

The Yeoman Warder tours are included as part of your Tower of London admission ticket. Places on the tours cannot be booked in advance. Yeoman Warders will strive to accommodate as many people as possible.

Languages

Yeoman Warder tours are given in English only.

Audio guide tours provide information about the Tower of London in many different languages.

Accessibility

The Tower of London is a historic building with difficult stairs and wheelchair access is limited. The route of the tour requires visitors to navigate a flight of 21 steps and cobbled, uneven walkways. Learn more about accessibility at the Tower of London.

More on accessibility at the Tower of London

Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London

Royal bodyguards

The 'Beefeaters', as they are nicknamed, have long been symbols of London and Britain.

It is thought their nickname is derived from their position in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table.

Yeoman Warders are a detachment of the 'Yeomen of the Guard' and they have formed the Royal Bodyguard since at least 1509. Their origins stretch back as far as the reign of Edward IV (1461-83).

Recruiting Yeoman Warders

Yeoman Warders must have served in the armed forces for at least 22 years, reaching a certain rank within their service, and they must also have been awarded the long service and good conduct medal.

The current contingent of warders have between them served in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, Bosnia, the first and second Gulf conflicts and Afghanistan.

They are happy to answer your questions about the Tower and are some of the most photographed guards in London!

Warders behaving badly

Today's immaculately behaved and salaried Yeoman Warders would no doubt be shocked by the complaint of Sir John Peyton, the Lieutenant of the Tower in 1598, when he declared some were 'given to drunkenness, disorders and quarrels'.

More on Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London