Bloody Tower 5 min read
What happened to the Princes in the Tower?
Two boys walked into the Tower in the spring of 1483 and were never seen leaving it. What the record shows, what a box of bones proves, and what nobody can say.
Inner ward
Bloody Tower
The gate tower into the inner ward, once the Garden Tower, renamed for the disappearance of the Princes in 1483. Walter Raleigh spent most of thirteen years imprisoned here.
- Time here
- 15–25 min (our estimate)
- Access
- Not step-free · Spiral stairs
- Where
- Inner ward · indoors
What you can see
- The working portcullis in the gate passage
- Raleigh's study, set out with a writing desk
- The Princes in the Tower display on the upper floor
Practical considerations
- Not step-free
- Spiral stairs
- Low light
- Sound effects
- Queues at peak times
- No lift or ramp; steep spiral stair
- Low light and sound effects inside
- Queues form on the stair at peak times because rooms are small
Checked 10 Sept 2026
Access details from Historic Royal Palaces' accessibility page. Time estimates are ours unless marked official.
Stories at this place
Book
Tickets that suit a visit built around Bloody Tower
- Viator Guided tour
Small-group guided tour with early entry and a private Beefeater audience
First-time visitors who want a guide for the whole morning and the story behind what they are looking at
From €117 per adult, EUR · seen 10 Sept 2026
Who needs it, who doesn't, and the small print - Official Admission
Standard admission (official)
Almost everyone: first visits, families, anyone happy to explore independently
From £37.00 adult · seen 10 Sept 2026
Who needs it, who doesn't, and the small print
Viator links are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Official tickets earn us nothing. Prices are what we saw on the date shown; providers show live prices in your currency at checkout. All six options compared.