Tower of London After Hours Tour with Beefeater & Keys Ceremony
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London, England
- 1 hour 40 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Thanks to its magnificent architecture and rich history, the Tower of London is perhaps one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Head inside after the gates have closed to the public and explore the Tower's grounds in the company of a Beefeater, and hear historic tales along the way. To top it off, witness one of London's most historic acts: the Ceremony of Keys.
- Meet and be guided by a real Beefeater
- Guaranteed access to Ceremony of the Keys
- See the Tower at night: Most tourists miss this
- Avoid the crowds on this exclusive tour
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
See the Tower without the crowds—and witness the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys—on this after-hours tour.
What's Included
- Exclusive out of hours entry to the Tower of London (exterior grounds)
- Guaranteed access to Ceremony of the Keys
- Local English-speaking Yeoman Warder guide
- Expertly guided walking tour
- Small group of 20 guests maximum
- Hotel Pick-up/Drop-off
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Tower of London Shop5BT, Tower Place West, 50 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6DT, UK
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour. This tour meets at 5BT, Tower Place West, 50 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6DT, UK. Meet your coordinator at the West Gate entrance, opposite the Starbucks and in front of the Tower of London giftshop.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:30 pm
Itinerary
1
Tower of London
1 hour 40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Near public transportation
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- Sites on this tour are subject to occasional closures. If modifications are needed and time permits, we will reach out to you prior to your tour. For last-minute closures, modifications may be communicated at the tour start time.
- Full names of all participants need to be entered when booking for security.
- This tour does not include access to the Crown Jewels or access inside the buildings. This is a tour of the Grounds only and The Ceremony of the Keys.
- Please be advised that other public groups will join you for the Ceremony of the Keys - The private access is the tour with the Yeoman Warden.
- This tour is in English.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 82 reviews
Kelton_G, Apr 2026
So awesome. A magical night. You get a one of a kind look inside the greatest, oldest and the most important location in the entire United Kingdom.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re so pleased to hear you had such a magical night and enjoyed this unique opportunity to explore such an iconic and historic location.
It’s great to know the experience felt truly special and memorable for you. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind Regards,
Walks Feedback Team, Carrie
Kim_U, Mar 2026
5 Stars for the actual tour - the Yeoman Warden led tour of the tower and the ceremony of the keys was amazing and I highly recommend. The 1-Star is for the ad at booking - it said you go inside the tower. However until you read th “more details” you receive AFTER booking (and you’re checking in for the tour) do you receive word that the tour does NOT include seeing the Crown Jewels. Highly disappointing false advertising. We would have done a separate tour had we realized at booking this tour did not include that important component.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Kim,
Thank you for your feedback. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the Yeoman Warder-led tour and the Ceremony of the Keys—it’s wonderful to know that part of the experience lived up to expectations.
We’re very sorry that the absence of the Crown Jewels was disappointing. As noted on our website, the Tower of London After Hours tour focuses on the external grounds, historical buildings, and the Ceremony of the Keys, and does not include access to the Crown Jewels or the interiors of the towers. The tour highlights Traitor’s Gate, Execution Square, Bloody Tower (exterior), White Tower (exterior), and the church of St Peter ad Vincula, offering a unique, atmospheric experience after the crowds have left.
We understand how this may have been unclear during booking, and we will review the description with Viator to ensure continuity and clarity for future guests.
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and hope this will not deter you from joining us on another tour in the future.
Samantha. Walks & Devour Feedback Team
Faith_K, Oct 2025
My favorite part of London visit IS Tower of London! Gary , the Beefeater, was very informative, friendly, and funny. My husband and I completely loved the whole experience and the special ceremony from the beginning till the end. Learning and seeing where an actual history took place was incredibly amazing (we would love it more if Gary invited us to the Pub for the real ale, lol. Hopefully next time? ). Thanks Gary!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hi Faith!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
We’re thrilled to hear that this tour and that our guide, Gary "the Beefeater", was a highlight of your London visit and that he made it so enjoyable with his knowledge, friendliness, and humor.
We love your comment about the pub — we’ll be sure to pass that along to Gary for a laugh!
It’s wonderful to know that the ceremony and history brought the Tower to life for you both.
We hope to welcome you back on another Walks tour soon! From Italy to Ireland, the UK to the US, we offer a wide range of adventures for travelers worldwide.
All the best,
Walks Tours
Kevin_T, Oct 2025
Great night tour by Gary (Yeoman Warder)! Great perspective of the overall history and key events. We were fortunate to also have some VIPs in attendance, which meant that the Constable (General Messenger) was also in attendance for the Ceremony of the Keys (he gave his perspective on the significance of the Ceremony). Great tour overall! Highly recommended!
BethAnn_B, Oct 2025
It was pretty spectacular. Though we brought our 9 yo who was a bit bored, unfortunately. So age is a factor. We would have liked to have seen more of the ceremony given the price tag (there were a lot of people so we were in the back). That said it was a once in a lifetime! Glad we did it!
Anne_H, Oct 2025
Yeoman Gary took us on an informative and emotional tour of The Tower. The hour tour prior to The Key Ceremony was filled with historical information, opportunities to take photos and friendly banter with the tour participants. Yeoman Gary clearly explained the history of The Key Ceremony and the protocols the tour group needed to adhere to once it began. The silence of the tour group, the echo of the guards marching along the cobblestones as they escort the Chief Yeoman Warder as he locked the gates of The Tower and then the playing of The Last Post amidst the beautifully lit Tower raises the hairs on the back of your neck. A truly emotional experience!
Martin_P, Oct 2025
We had a special Keys tour on a super cold night of the Tower of London by Beefeater Tom. It seemed other tour groups were there but we seemed to get super special treatment because Tom the Beefeater was our guide. He was super easy to hear and very very knowledgeable. Although some of the stories were morbid (lots of rolling heads), :) it was a really cool tour and highly recommended. Only caution is to dress warm this time of year. The entire tour was outside and on this particular Saturday Night it was very cold and windy! Tom was great though, and fascinating, had a lot of personable and informative stories and we really enjoyed it!
David_T, Sep 2025
Best tour if you have a chance go it’s a once in a lifetime experience the story’s and the tour at night and you fill like there are ghost there it was my favorite tour
Elizabeth_R, Aug 2025
For some unknown reason we were left standing outside the gate for over 20 minutes.. adding to the 15 minutes we were asked to be there ahead of time, so felt confusion. The Warden seemed to rush through the first part of the tour because they were late. The actual ceremony was wonderful to see and great to feel a part of. The historical knowledge was condensed but was great to hear.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re very sorry for the confusion and delay at the start of the tour — we understand how frustrating it can be to wait and feel rushed. We appreciate your patience and are glad to hear that you enjoyed the ceremony and found the historical insights interesting, even if condensed. Your comments will help us improve the timing and pacing of the tour for future guests. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a smoother experience in the future.
Kind regards
Walks and Devour Feedback Team
selena_h, Aug 2025
Very informative history session, yeoman very funny . Amazing sights of Tower of London , wished we could have gone inside at least one of the towers though
Anne_L, Aug 2025
Lots of history of the Tower of London, our Yeoman lead was very informative and entertaining. Would highly recommend.
Heather_C, Aug 2025
This is a truly amazing tour that I highly recommend. Touring the exterior of the Tower followed by a small group viewing of the Ceremony of the Keys was very informative and intimate. Note:This tour does not include viewing the inside Tower tour.
Michael_B, Aug 2025
We enjoyed every minute of the after hours tour. Our Beefeater, Bruce, was fantastic. It was magical to be part of the ceremony
Meghann_B, Jul 2025
Well worth it! Fascinating, brings the history of the Tower of London and job of beefeaters to life. Very special to see something that has occurred nightly for 700+ years
Steve_M, Jul 2025
What an amazing experience. The most pricey tour that we booked on our trip, but would not hesitate to do it again. It was our favorite. Learning the history of the White Tower from a Yeoman, in the setting of an empty and dark castle grounds was a privilege that many of the visitors never experience, but should.
Denise_M, Jul 2025
Tom was our Beefeater and was a wealth of knowledge about the Tower. We thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony and would highly recommend it to families.
wonnie_k, Jun 2025
The ceremony of the keys is an amazing experience! We’ve toured the Tower last year during daytime, but being guided in a small group by a knowledgeable and friendly beafeater ( the yeoman warders of Tower of London) was also quite special.
One specific issue I want to bring up though; I booked this tour through Viator, of which the website clearly states the meeting point as Starbucks, 3 Tower Place. Well, we were waiting there for 15 minutes, even double checked the address with the Starbucks employee , no one showed up. Messaged Viator guide but no response. Turns out that it is actually across from the coffee shop, in front of the Tower gate. A Viator personnel was holding a sign there, wasn’t easily visible from Starbucks! Please, correct this misleading information on your website! I was panicking, thinking I might lose $750+ I paid for our family of four and miss this magical experience I had been looking forward to for many months..
Mike, Jun 2025
No photography at ceremony of the keys and with the possibility of large numbers of other groups there is an excellent chance that you won’t see anything !
The guided tour by the Beefeater (Barney) was excellent, very informative, interesting and jocular. It was just a shame that there were so many other groups including what looked like a corporate group and a large contingent of what appeared to be military (marines). This meant we at the back could see very little. Such a pity.
It is also very expensive when considering we didn’t get a proper view of the main attraction the ceremony of the keys.
Jane_P, Jun 2025
This was a wonderful tour of the Tower. Lisa was so informative, lively, funny and full of great stories. And the locking of the gates was so fun - such tradition.
Martha_T, Jun 2025
Great ceremony.
So glad we were
Able to book this. It was special and the beefeater was so information
Julie_K, Jun 2025
It was such a special time spent inside the walls. The ceremony of the keys, a 700 year old tradition, was moving. And Garry did an incredible job sharing the details and helping us to experience it all.
Julie_F, May 2025
The tour is very informative but you do not see a lot of The Tower of London itself. It is all outside
Teresa_M, May 2025
It could be cold or rainy. Cobblestones wear trainers.. you do net see the Crown Jewels. Cameras away during the actual ceremony .
Patricia_A, May 2025
Our guide Yeoman Lisa was absolutely stellar! She made the Ceremony of the Keys just a fabulous experience. Recommend 5 stars!!!!
Kathy_H, May 2025
Great in detail and history. Also presented individual time for looking at exhibits. Provided awesome overview.
Dena_B, Apr 2025
This tour is a must. A great experience. You learn the history of the tower and see the key ceremony. This was a highlight of our trip.
Stephanie_E, Apr 2025
I was disappointed to only walk around the outside of the towers in frigid cold windy weather. I had on a long sleeved shirt under a sweatshirt under a wool peacoat with jeans and sneakers. I came prepared for cold weather but the wind was too much. The Viator tour guide left as soon as we entered the gates. No explanation or info about the outside area before entering the gate, which the beefeater seemed led to think we had already heard. The beefeater was very knowledgeable, but not as charismatic as I’ve heard them to be. The site was very dark, making it difficult to see certain things. We were told about things “over there” but couldn’t really see. For example we were told about an area that has a glass pillow in honor of Ann Bolyn but never got to actually see it. Never got to see inside any buildings which felt like a rip off. If we want to see that we have to come back another time and do another tour. The ceremony of the keys was interesting to watch, however I was so cold at this point I was counting the minuets until I could find a warm place. All the shops were closed so we couldn’t purchase any souvenirs or use any restrooms.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Dear Stephanie,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
We’re sorry to hear the tour didn’t meet your expectations, and that the weather made it especially uncomfortable. While the Tower’s nighttime setting offers a unique perspective, we understand how cold, windy conditions can detract from the experience—especially with limited indoor access. We appreciate that you came prepared, and regret it still wasn’t enough to enjoy the evening.
We also apologize for the lack of context before the beefeater-led portion began. Our coordinator, Kaitlyn's early departure and unclear handoff to the Tower of London's
Yeoman Warder guide may have added to the confusion, and we’re following up with our partners to ensure a smoother transition in the future.
The Ceremony of the Keys is a historic highlight for many, but we understand that limited visibility and the inability to explore interior spaces left you feeling underwhelmed. We're also sorry that closed amenities impacted your experience further.
Your feedback is truly valued and will help us improve both the experience and the clarity around what to expect.
We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a smoother and more enjoyable experience in the future.
Kind regards,
Princess
Walks and Devour Tours
Michael_W, Apr 2025
Phenomenal one of a kind experience led by a bonafide Yeoman Warden stationed at the tower. Extremely knowledgeable and engaging. Well worth the time and expense.
joshandlani, Mar 2025
Wonderful guide of was incredibly informative and fun! Enjoyed the stories and the history! Recommend to all!!
lindabutrym, Jan 2025
It is totally outdoors and at night it was cold, so bundle up. Our Beefeater was extremely knowledgeable and very pleasant. My planned this on my husband’s birthday and he loved it.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you, Linda! We're so glad you and your husband had a memorable experience on this special occasion. Beefeaters are incredibly passionate about sharing the Tower’s history and it’s great to hear you enjoyed their fascinating insights. Excellent tip about bundling up for the evening! We appreciate your review and hope to see you on another tour soon.
Safe travels,
Samantha.
From $219.57
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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