We loved the time we were able to spend in London this summer. It is such a wonderful city and we really enjoyed it! Last week, Ben wrote about his favorite thing in London, and today I’m writing about my favorite thing in London: Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge is often misnamed by tourists. Many people think that Tower Bridge is called London Bridge (made famous by the children’s song). But actually London Bridge is just down the Thames near Borough Market. It is basically just a road with no touristy things on it at all.

How to Get to Tower Bridge:

Tower Bridge is pretty easy to locate and get to. If you’re already at the Tower of London, you will easily see Tower Bridge from the grounds. As far as Tube stops go, the closest stops on the North side of the Thames are Tower Hill Station or the Monument Station. If you’re on the South side of the Thames, the closest stop is the London Bridge stop.

Once you get to Tower Bridge, it is free to walk across. There are pedestrian paths that keep you safe from the traffic that crosses the bridge as well. If you’re looking to get to the Tower Bridge Experience (which we highly suggest!) the entrance is towards the North end of the bridge on the West side.

What You Will Do at Tower Bridge:

If you’re going for the free route, you can just walk across this amazing bridge along the roadway. You can also get good views of Tower Bridge along the banks of the Thames on either side.

We really suggest doing the Tower Bridge Experience. It is included on The London Pass (which we also highly recommend!) and you have a fast pass entry with The London Pass as well which we were glad to have!

After you get your tickets or get your London Pass checked, you will get in an elevator (or lift) and head up to the top of the towers. You will then watch a little intro video that gives you the history of the Tower Bridge which is quite fascinating. From there, you will walk across the top of Tower Bridge in a glass enclosed hall. You can see out onto the Thames and there are parts of the floor that are also glass. You can walk along the glass floor and see the Thames and the road below. This was my favorite part of the Tower Bridge Experience!

As you walk along the paths across the top there are displays and information about the architecture, history and building of Tower Bridge. At the end of the first hall, there is another presentation you can watch about how Tower Bridge was built. From there you will continue back down the hall on the opposite side that gives you more views of the Thames and of the cars and pedestrians below.

We were lucky enough to be up top when Tower Bridge had to open to let a boat pass through. We were able to sit on the glass floor and enjoy the view below. It was a really amazing experience and hopefully you are lucky enough to experience it too! There are no set times they let boats through, it is just on an as needed basis.

After you finish your views from up top, you can head back down to the ground. At the end of your tour, you can continue your visit across the way and see the machine room. Or you can come back later in the day to experience that if you wish.

Sum Up:

Tower Bridge is my favorite site in all of London! I absolutely loved the views and walking across the glass floors was such a fun, exhilarating experience. This site is should be at the top of your must see list in London. If you have the London Pass, it is definitely a no brainer that you should go! With a fast track entry, we hardly had to wait in line at all and we were able to get right on the elevator and head up to the top to start our experience.