Westminster Abbey & Tower of London Tours: The Abbey and the Tower
Quick summary: A Westminster Abbey and Tower of London combo pairs two of England’s most historically significant buildings — the coronation church (where monarchs are crowned) and the medieval fortress (where monarchs imprisoned and executed their enemies). The combination covers the glory and the darkness of the English Crown in a single day: coronation splendour at the abbey, then the Traitors’ Gate, the Crown Jewels, the execution site and the Yeoman Warder tours at the Tower. The Tower lies about 3 miles east of the abbey along the Thames.
Abbey & Tower at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| The two sites | Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London |
| Distance apart | About 3 miles east, along the Thames |
| Travel time | 20–30 min by Tube; ~30 min by river bus |
| The abbey’s theme | Coronation and ceremony — the glory of the Crown |
| The Tower’s theme | Imprisonment and execution — the darkness of the Crown |
| Crown Jewels | Displayed at the Tower |
| The White Tower | The Norman keep, built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s |
| Yeoman Warders | The Beefeaters, who guide tours of the Tower |
| Time at each | About 1.5–2.5 hours |
| A full day | 9:00 AM–5:00 PM covers both comfortably |
What Is a Westminster Abbey & Tower of London Combo Tour?
A Westminster Abbey and Tower of London combo pairs two of England’s most historically significant buildings — the coronation church, where monarchs are crowned, and the medieval fortress, where monarchs imprisoned and executed their enemies.
The pairing is built on contrast. The abbey is the glory of the English Crown: coronation splendour, the ceremony of monarchy at its most magnificent. The Tower is the darkness: the Traitors’ Gate, the execution site, the long history of imprisonment and death that runs alongside the pageantry.
Seeing both in a single day captures the full character of the English monarchy — not just its ceremony but its cruelty, the crown and the block. Few combinations tell so complete, and so double-edged, a story.
What Is There to See at the Tower of London?
The Tower of London, about 3 miles east of the abbey along the Thames, holds several of the most famous attractions in Britain:
The Crown Jewels — the coronation regalia, including the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign’s Orb and the Sovereign’s Sceptre. This is the working regalia of the monarchy, used in the coronation itself.
The White Tower — the original Norman keep, built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s. It is the oldest and most imposing part of the fortress, and the building from which the whole Tower complex takes its name.
The Yeoman Warder tours — guided by the Beefeaters, who narrate the Tower’s 1,000-year history with theatrical authority and dark humour. These tours are included with admission and are among the highlights of any visit.
Beyond these, the Traitors’ Gate, the execution site on Tower Green and the ravens are all part of the experience.
Who Are the Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters)?
The Yeoman Warders — universally known as the Beefeaters — are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London, and they guide the free tours included with admission.
They narrate the Tower’s 1,000-year history with theatrical authority and dark humour, and their tours are consistently rated among the best things about a visit. Rather than a dry recitation of dates, a Beefeater tour is a performance — the grim stories of imprisonment and execution delivered with wit and timing by guides who live within the Tower walls.
For most visitors, joining a Yeoman Warder tour is the single best way to experience the Tower, and it costs nothing beyond the admission ticket.
Where Are the Crown Jewels?
The Crown Jewels are displayed at the Tower of London, not the abbey. This is one of the most common points of confusion, and worth stating plainly.
The distinction is neat: the Crown Jewels — the regalia — live at the Tower, while the Coronation Chair, on which the monarch is actually crowned, is at the abbey. For the coronation itself, the jewels travel to the abbey for the ceremony and return to the Tower afterward.
So the two sites hold the two halves of the coronation. The chair where it happens is at the abbey; the crown, orb and sceptre used in it are kept at the Tower and only leave for the ceremony. Seeing both completes the picture of how a monarch is crowned.
How Far Is the Tower of London from Westminster Abbey?
The Tower lies approximately 3 miles east of the abbey, along the Thames.
There are two main ways to travel between them:
By Tube — Westminster to Tower Hill, taking approximately 20–30 minutes.
By river bus — Westminster Pier to Tower Pier, taking about 30 minutes, and the scenic option.
The river bus is worth considering even though it takes no less time than the Tube. It follows the Thames past a succession of London landmarks, turning the transfer between the two sites into part of the day out rather than time underground.
Can You See Both in One Day?
Yes — and a full day covers both comfortably.
The standard combo visits the abbey in the morning and the Tower in the afternoon, or the reverse. Allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours at each, and a full day of roughly 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM accommodates both sites with the travel between them.
The morning-abbey, afternoon-Tower sequence has a slight advantage: the abbey is best seen early, before the crowds, and the Tower’s Yeoman Warder tours and Crown Jewels queue tend to be manageable in the afternoon. But either order works, and the river bus between them makes a pleasant midday interlude.
What Is the Best Way to Travel Between the Two?
For most visitors, the river bus is the more rewarding choice, even though it takes a comparable time to the Tube.
The Tube (Westminster to Tower Hill) is faster and weather-proof, and the sensible option if time is tight or the day is wet. The river bus (Westminster Pier to Tower Pier) is slower in feel but far more scenic, following the Thames past the South Bank, the bridges and the city — a sightseeing leg in its own right.
Since the two take roughly the same time, the choice comes down to preference: efficiency underground, or the river with views. On a fine day, the river wins.
What Does an Abbey & Tower Combo Include?
A typical full-day combination covers:
- Westminster Abbey in the morning — the coronation church, royal tombs and the Coronation Chair
- Travel east by Tube or, better, river bus along the Thames
- The Tower of London in the afternoon
- The Crown Jewels, the White Tower, and a Yeoman Warder tour
- The darker landmarks — Traitors’ Gate, the execution site on Tower Green
Allowing 1.5 to 2.5 hours at each site and the travel between them fills a full day from around 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Practical Tips for Visiting the Abbey and Tower
- Allow a full day — roughly 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM covers both comfortably.
- See the abbey in the morning, before the crowds, then the Tower in the afternoon.
- Take the river bus between them on a fine day for the scenic Thames route.
- Join a Yeoman Warder tour at the Tower — it’s included and among the highlights.
- Allow 1.5–2.5 hours at each site, plus travel time.
- Expect a queue for the Crown Jewels, which is one of the Tower’s busiest points.
- Dress respectfully for the abbey, which remains an active place of worship.
Is a Westminster Abbey & Tower of London Tour Worth It?
For anyone wanting the complete story of the English monarchy — not the sanitised version but the whole of it — this is one of the most rewarding combinations London offers.
The two buildings tell opposite halves of the same history. The abbey is the crown in its glory: nearly a thousand years of coronations, the Coronation Chair, the ceremony at its most splendid. The Tower is the crown in its cruelty: the fortress where monarchs locked away and executed their rivals, the Traitors’ Gate, the block on Tower Green. Between them they hold the coronation regalia itself — the chair at one, the jewels at the other, reunited only for the crowning.
The two sites are 3 miles apart along the Thames, linked by a river bus that turns the transfer into a sightseeing leg of its own. A full day takes in both without rushing, from the coronation splendour of the morning to the Beefeaters’ dark tales in the afternoon.
For the full arc of the English Crown — its magnificence and its menace in a single day — the abbey and the Tower are among the most compelling pairings in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Approximately 3 miles east along the Thames. The journey takes approximately 20–30 minutes by Tube (Westminster to Tower Hill) or 30 minutes by river bus (Westminster Pier to Tower Pier — the scenic option).
Yes. The standard combo visits the abbey in the morning and the Tower in the afternoon (or vice versa). Allow 1.5–2.5 hours at each. A full day, roughly 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, covers both comfortably.
The Crown Jewels are displayed at the Tower of London. The Coronation Chair, used to crown the monarch, is at the abbey. The jewels travel to the abbey for the coronation ceremony and return to the Tower afterward.
The Yeoman Warders, known universally as the Beefeaters, are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London and guide the tours included with admission. They narrate the Tower’s 1,000-year history with theatrical authority and dark humour, and their tours are among the highlights of any visit.
The Tower houses the Crown Jewels — the coronation regalia including the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign’s Orb and the Sovereign’s Sceptre — along with the White Tower, the original Norman keep built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s, and the Yeoman Warder-guided tours. The Traitors’ Gate and the execution site on Tower Green are also part of the visit.
Both take a comparable time, so the choice comes down to preference. The Tube from Westminster to Tower Hill is faster in feel and weather-proof. The river bus from Westminster Pier to Tower Pier follows the Thames past the South Bank and the bridges, making the transfer a sightseeing leg in its own right. On a fine day, the river is the better option.