<p>We will have one day in London next month and the kids (two teens and an almost-teen) have decided that the Tower of London is what they most want to do. I have sent away for tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys, so hopefully we will have that to do, but not until 9:30 at night. I have read that it is best to be at the Tower when it opens to avoid the long lines (we will be there on a Sunday). The Tower opens at 10:00 am and closes at 5:30 pm. So even if we stayed there the whole time it was open, we would still have several hours to do something else. But most of the “main attractions” close by 6:00 pm. So for any London experts, and especially Tower of London experts, how much time do you think we really will need at the Tower? And what should we do after the Tower, before the Ceremony of the Keys? (We all have been to London before, and have visited many although by no means all of the museums and churches, so I am okay with the kids’ desire to spend the day at the Tower.)</p>
<p>A friend of ours, a native Londoner, passed on this tip to us: if you want to see the Crown Jewels, wait until about 15 minutes before closing time. The line drops off to nothing and you can get right in. Our kids thought they were totally boring, however, and you see them on a moving sidewalk, so it’s not like you can get up close and personal with them.</p>
<p>My son loved, loved, loved the Tower of London, which closely resembled his Lego castle. The second time we visited he was in fourth grade and could identify every single medieval weapon in the museum there. For each he announced (in a loud voice) its name, how it was used, and how many points it was worth. He and his dad had been playing Diablo II.</p>
<p>The Tower of London was one of our favorite stops in the city but I can’t imagine spending all day there. I think that in a few hours, you could see absolutely everything there, even with three kids along, and still have time to spare. I remember us having a bite to eat afterwards at the cafe that is right on the waterfront, then we took one of the river taxis up to Big Ben and headed over to Westminster Abbey. The river taxis are fun. They give you a different perspective, and tour, of the city and the captains are interesting and quite funny with their commentary.</p>
<p>You could walk over to the London Eye which gives you a great view over the area.</p>
<p>My kids loved the armors (the one of Henry VIII was particularly impressive). They could not have cared less about jewels, so we did not go to see them. I don’t think one needs to spend the whole day there.</p>
<p>Go to Tower in the am, then catch the boat down to Greenwich for the day. The boat is right in front of the Tower. Visit the Royal Observatory and Royal Naval Museum. Great boat trip down the Thames.</p>
<p>My kids loved the lecture on torture at the Tower of London. It was fascinating.</p>
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In about 45 mins at least. It isn’t very close. It’s quite a nice walk along the South Bank though. That’s if you cross over Tower Bridge and turn right along the river. Lots of street entertainers and stuff. Plus HMS Belfast. This is a big war ship which is open as a tourist attraction. I’ve never been on it but you can see it from the tower. I suspect teenage boys would like that.</p>
<p>I’ve been to the Tower of London and as it was a week day in May, there was hardly anyone there. I went round the jewels twice because it was empty. I think I was there 4 or 5 hours and didn’t see all of it. </p>
<p>6-9.30pm most people in England would have dinner. Shops in Oxford street are open late, but not so much in other areas.</p>
<p>Take the tour. The tour guides are terrific - they are Beefeaters who have retired from service and live at the Tower, and I don’t think it cost anything additional - you just had to wait till they were ready. You can wander on your own afterward. We didn’t have any trouble seeing the jewels. And while we were there, the Tower bathrooms had official signs up announcing that they had won “Loo of the year” awards! :)</p>
<p>Also, check the web for the times the Tower Bridge (drawbridge) will be opening. You’ll be right next to it, so it’s fun to watch. You can walk across the bridge for some nice views, too. And I think I remember a nice little ice cream kiosk on the other side.</p>
<p>Depending on what day you are there, some museums (free) might be open later. I think it was a Thursday when we were there that the British Museum was open late, and we saw the Rosetta Stone and many other cool exhibits. And The National Gallery is free too. They aren’t right next to the Tower, though. Just depends how early you finish at one place.</p>
<p>I’m sorry you only have one day. We had such a blast in London - one of our favorite trips.</p>
<p>I agree with take the tour. We were there last summer and even with the tour and spending what seemed like a great deal of time wandering around, it was perhaps 3 hours. </p>
<p>If you are looking for a reasonably priced bite to eat, there is a wagamama right across the street from the entrance:</p>
<p>[wagamama</a> | positive eating + positive living](<a href=“http://www.wagamama.com/locations/showlocation/549]wagamama”>http://www.wagamama.com/locations/showlocation/549)</p>
<p>If I had extra time in that area of london, I’d walk or catch the tube to 1) Covent Garden. Lots of shops, people doing strange things, etc. or 2) St. Paul’s is pretty close - another amazing site or 3) go across the river to the globe.</p>
<p>One of the best things that we experienced at the Tower was a chat with a volunteer, an older man who chatted with us as we relaxed on an exterior staircase. We were exhausted after our flight and needed a “moment” - he gave us all sorts of insider info from his years of experience… so my advice is to step back from the mania and just enjoy the experience.</p>
<p>I’ve been to the Tower several times and it’s one of my favorite things to see in London. It’s full of history - just stand there and wonder what it was like hundreds of years ago. It seems that the last time I went, which was in the peak tourist time, I went there about when it opened and it was a good time to see it. It definitely isn’t an all day thing - maybe a couple or three hours depending on how much time you spend reading the little placards, etc. </p>
<p>From the Tower you can walk to many places in London including St. Pauls cathedral. You could also go get on one of the tour boats that heads up the Thames. But really, you could just wander around, find some pub to eat lunch in, etc.</p>
<p>I hope you have the experience we had when we visited the Tower of London several years ago. A motorcade pulled up and Prince Charles got out of it! Too cool!</p>
<p>Definitely take the tour. The guard that we had was so entertaining. I’m not a tour person, but definitely enjoyed the tour. You get a lot of legends from a very entertaining tour guide.</p>
<p>Agreed…do the whole tour…well worth the time. We were there for about 3 hours.</p>
<p>We visited the Tower in June '06–it’s a great choice when you’ve got just a day. My advice: spend minimal time sitting around in restaurants–there’s so much to see out there. We got takeaway and made sandwiches (I like Waitrose–a little pricey but lots of delicious choices) and ate in a park near the hotel, then strolled to get over our jetlag.</p>
<p>Might I suggest the London forum on the Trip Advisor website for other ideas, too?</p>
<p>God, I love London. Enjoy it for us!</p>
<p>“Go to Tower in the am, then catch the boat down to Greenwich for the day. The boat is right in front of the Tower. Visit the Royal Observatory and Royal Naval Museum. Great boat trip down the Thames”</p>
<p>If you want to hit the observatory and don’t want to spend the money on the boat tour, there is a train to the tunnel. you can walk the whole way. Depending on where you are from, being beneath a river may be really cool for your kids, or just another trip to jersey…</p>
<p>my daughter answered the final jeopardy question , because it was anne bolyn’s quote that is talked about ont he tour, something about her neck, She was 8 when she visited. We stayed a few hours but not all day. London eye was great too.</p>
<p>funny the things you remember wax museum drove me nuts, so crowded, had no patience though-jet lag.</p>
<p>Our visit to the Tower of London in 1984 was a memorable one. Much of the tower was closed as Prince Charles, Lady Di, Prince William and Prince Henry (then a babe in arms) were also visiting that day. They came outside to greet the masses and we got a good view of them.</p>