Included in admission
The Yeoman Warder tour, also known as the Beefeater tour
Free with your ticket, led by a serving Yeoman Warder, and for most visitors the best hour in the fortress. Here is how to catch one, what it covers, and how the paid Beefeater products differ.
Times and meeting point
- Every 45 minutes. First tour 10:00 Tuesday to Saturday, 10:45 Sunday and Monday. Last tour 15:15.
- Starts near the main entrance, by the Bell Tower, just inside the Byward Tower on Water Lane. The next departure is signposted and a Yeoman Warder gathers the group.
- No booking. Turn up. Yeoman Warders "strive to accommodate as many people as possible"; on peak days the groups are large, so stand near the front.
- Length: HRP gives no figure. Budget an hour. The tour ends inside the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, which independent visitors can otherwise usually enter only in the last hour of the day.
- Weather and crowds: tours may be shortened or cancelled in poor weather or when the Tower is very busy. English only.
From HRP's Yeoman Warder tours page, checked 21 Oct 2026.
What the tour covers
A walk through the outer and inner wards with stops for stories: the building of the White Tower, the prisoners who arrived at Traitors' Gate, the executions on Tower Green and the burials in the chapel. It is a performance as much as a tour, loud, funny and dark by turns. It does not go inside the Jewel House or the White Tower; you do those yourself afterwards.
Access: the route includes a flight of 21 steps and cobbled, uneven walkways; there is no step-free version. Children: HRP warns the content "may seem frightening or scary to young children"; from about nine it is usually the highlight.
Who the Yeoman Warders are
The Yeoman Warders are a detachment of the Yeomen of the Guard, the royal bodyguard that dates from at least 1509; Henry VIII ordered some of them to remain at the Tower permanently. To be appointed, a candidate must have served at least 22 years in the armed forces, reached a senior non-commissioned rank and hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal. They live inside the walls with their families, guard the fortress, lead the tours and lock it every night in the Ceremony of the Keys. "Beefeater" is a nickname, thought to come from the beef ration of the royal bodyguard; it is not an insult and they use it themselves.
On your plan
The planner adds an hour for the tour when you have four hours or more and no stairs restriction. Build a plan.
The paid Yeoman Warder experiences, compared with the free tour
Everything below is in addition to the free tour, not instead of it. Official extras are sold by Historic Royal Palaces; the third-party tours are on Viator and earn us a commission (disclosure).
| Option | What you get | When | Price basis | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Yeoman Warder tour | About an hour around the grounds, ending in the chapel | Every 45 min to 15:15 | Included in admission (£37.00 adult) | Everyone who can manage 21 steps |
| Keys Club experience (official) | 45-minute talk by a Yeoman Warder inside the Keys, the warders' private club; the Chief Warder's axe and mace | Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 | £20 adult, £16 concession, adults only (18+), on top of admission | Adults who want the behind-the-scenes life rather than the history |
| Ravens experience (official) | Enter an hour early, 45-minute talk at the ravens' cages with the Ravenmaster's team, first into the Jewel House | Wednesdays and Fridays, 08:00 | £90 adult, £50 child or 16–17, £70 concession, including admission | Early risers and bird lovers; expensive for a family |
| Opening Ceremony experience (official) | Watch the gates unlocked by a Yeoman Warder, enter before the public, first into the Jewel House | Daily until 1 November 2026 | £62 adult incl. admission | Peak-day visitors who want the Crown Jewels without a queue |
| Small-group tour with a private Beefeater audience (Viator) | External guide for three hours plus a private meeting with a Yeoman Warder; early timed entry | 08:45 start | From about €117 incl. admission | First-timers who want a guide all morning and time to ask a Beefeater questions |
| After-hours tour with a Yeoman Warder and the Ceremony of the Keys (Viator) | Grounds after closing with a Yeoman Warder, then the ceremony; no interiors, no Jewels | 20:30 | From about €188, no daytime admission | Anyone who could not get official Keys tickets |
Book
The two paid Yeoman Warder tours you can book
Neither replaces the free tour. The first is a morning with a guide and a private Beefeater audience; the second is the grounds after closing and the Ceremony of the Keys.
- 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 - Viator After hours
After-hours tour with a Yeoman Warder and the Ceremony of the Keys
Anyone who could not get free Ceremony of the Keys tickets from HRP, which are often booked up months ahead
From €188 per adult, EUR · 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.
Official prices from HRP pages checked 21 Oct 2026; Viator prices as displayed in EUR on 10 Sept 2026. We do not show availability.
Questions people ask
- Is the Beefeater tour free?
- Yes. The Yeoman Warder tour is included in Tower of London admission. It cannot be booked: tours leave every 45 minutes, first at 10:00 Tuesday to Saturday and 10:45 on Sunday and Monday, last at 15:15.
- How long is the Yeoman Warder tour?
- Historic Royal Palaces does not publish a duration; tours leave every 45 minutes and visitors generally report about an hour. Allow an hour and expect the tour to end at the Chapel Royal.
- Where does the Beefeater tour start?
- Near the main entrance, by the Bell Tower, just inside the Byward Tower. The next tour time is signposted.
- Is the tour suitable for children and wheelchair users?
- Historic Royal Palaces warns that parts of the tour may frighten young children, and that the route includes a flight of 21 steps and cobbled, uneven walkways, so it is not step-free.
- What is the difference between a Yeoman Warder and a Beefeater?
- None. Beefeater is the nickname; Yeoman Warder is the title. They are retired armed-forces personnel who live at the Tower with their families and guard it, lead the free tours and perform the Ceremony of the Keys.