London Bridge is a boring concrete slab two hundred metres upstream. Tower Bridge is the one with the two towers, the blue suspension walkways and the steam engines, and it has been the most misidentified landmark in the city since it opened in 1894. Sorting out your Tower Bridge tickets is easy. Sorting out where to eat on either side of the river takes a little more thought, which is what this guide is for.
The bridge is a working road crossing, a scheduled monument and one of the few Victorian structures in London that still does the job it was built for. Around 40,000 people cross it every day. The bascules lift somewhere between 800 and 1,000 times a year, and if you time your visit right you will see the road split open in front of you.
Tower Bridge Tickets: What Each Option Includes
The standard admission covers the high-level walkways, the glass floor panels in the walkways, and the engine rooms down in the south pier. Expect to pay in the region of 13 pounds for an adult ticket, with a small discount for booking online and reduced rates for children and seniors. Children under five usually go free.
The walkways sit 42 metres above the river. The glass floor sections were installed in 2014 and are the part everyone photographs, though the more interesting thing is the Victorian engine room, where the original 1880s hydraulic pumping engines are still on display with their flywheels and accumulators. The steam engines were replaced by an electro-hydraulic system in 1976, but the machinery is intact and the room smells faintly of oil.
There is no combined ticket with the Tower of London, despite what some resellers imply. Buy directly from the bridge’s own ticket office or official site, and be sceptical of third party listings that bundle in extras at inflated prices.
The Neighbourhoods on Either Side
On the north side you have the City of London and Tower Hill, which empties out completely after six in the evening and on weekends. That makes it an odd but very convenient place to stay: quiet, central, and dead cheap on Friday and Saturday nights when the financial district shuts.
South of the river is the more interesting half. Shad Thames is a converted warehouse district with brick wharves, iron walkways and a handful of good restaurants at ground level. Wapping is quieter still, with cobbled streets, the old Tobacco Dock, and the Prospect of Whitby pub, which claims to be London’s oldest riverside pub. Bermondsey, ten minutes south, has become the city’s best food and drink strip.
Getting Around
Tower Hill station on the District and Circle lines is on the north side. Tower Gateway is the terminus of the Docklands Light Railway and sits more or less opposite the bridge. London Bridge station, five minutes west on the south side, is a mainline and Underground hub with Jubilee and Northern line services, and it is where you change for trains to Gatwick.
The riverboat pier is Tower Millennium Pier, right by the bridge’s south side, and Thames Clippers services run west to Westminster and the London Eye and east to Canary Wharf and Greenwich. It is slower than the tube but far more pleasant, and contactless payment works on the boats.
Walking is genuinely the best way to see this part of town. The south bank promenade runs uninterrupted from the bridge past London Eye towards the Southbank Centre, and the whole stretch takes about 25 minutes at a normal pace.
| Option | Best for | Rough cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underground | Speed, anywhere in central London | Contactless, capped daily | Tower Hill or London Bridge; crush-loaded at rush hour |
| Docklands Light Railway | Canary Wharf, Greenwich, Stratford | Same contactless caps | Driverless, front seats are the best free view in London |
| Thames Clippers riverboat | Scenic trips east and west | Higher than the tube | Slower; open decks in summer; contactless accepted |
| Santander Cycles | Short hops along the river | Small per-ride fee | Flat, well-marked cycle route on the south bank |
| Walking | Everything within two kilometres | Free | The riverside path is continuous and well lit |
Where to Stay Near Tower Bridge
Budget travellers should look at the chain hotels around Tower Hill and Aldgate, where rooms go for noticeably less on weekends because the area’s business trade vanishes. You can find a clean double for under 100 pounds if you book a Friday or Saturday, and you are three minutes from the bridge.
Mid-range options cluster around London Bridge and Borough, where boutique hotels in converted office buildings sit above street-level restaurants. Expect 150 to 250 pounds for a decent double in high season. Wapping has a handful of short-term rental apartments in old warehouses, which work well for families who want a kitchen.
At the top end, the towers around London Bridge include some of the tallest hotels in western Europe, with rooms above the 30th floor looking north across the river to the City. Those run 350 pounds and up, and the lift from the lobby takes under a minute.
Eating and Drinking
Borough Market on the south side is the obvious stop, open most days with the full market running Thursday to Saturday. It gets unbearably busy between noon and two, so go before eleven if you want to move. Maltby Street Market in Bermondsey is the quieter alternative, tucked under railway arches with a smaller, better curated selection.
For a sit-down meal, the Shad Thames riverfront has Italian and modern British places with terraces facing the water. In Wapping, the riverside pubs serve proper cask ale and Sunday roasts. Bermondsey’s “beer mile” along the railway arches has taprooms that open Thursday through Sunday and close early.
Three Days on the Riverfront
Day one: cross the bridge from south to north, visit the Tower of London next door, then walk back over the high-level walkways in the afternoon. Eat in Shad Thames that evening. Day two: walk west along the south bank to the Southbank Centre, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe, finishing at the London Eye around sunset. Day three: take a boat east to Greenwich for the meridian line and the park, and come back by DLR.
Anyone building a longer European route out of London should look at Vatican Museums, Krakow Old Town, Dubrovnik and Venice next, since all four pair naturally with a few days in the capital. For spring travel, Keukenhof is a short hop by train and air, and for genuinely long-haul contrasts, Perito Moreno and Hokkaido show how differently the same trip can feel.
For more city guides with the same level of practical detail, see our Travel Cities archive, and if you are planning a wider England trip, the Travel Guides collection covers routes beyond London.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are Tower Bridge tickets?
Admission to the exhibition is roughly 13 pounds for an adult, with concessions for children, students and seniors, and a small discount for booking in advance online. Walking across the bridge itself is free.
Can you walk across Tower Bridge for free?
Yes. The road deck is a public highway and there is no charge to cross on foot. The ticket covers the elevated walkways, the glass floor and the engine rooms.
When does the bridge lift?
The bascules rise for river traffic several hundred times a year, typically for tall ships, naval vessels and scheduled maintenance. Lift times are published in advance on the bridge’s own site and posted at the pier.
Is Tower Bridge the same as London Bridge?
No. Tower Bridge is the ornate Victorian one with towers. London Bridge is the plain modern concrete crossing about 200 metres upstream, and it is the one that was famously sold to an American buyer in 1968.
How long does a Tower Bridge visit take?
Allow 60 to 90 minutes for the walkways, glass floor and engine rooms. Add an hour if you plan to photograph from the riverbank before or after.
Is the glass floor scary?
It is 42 metres above the Thames and you can see straight down to the road and the water. Most people are fine with it, but if heights bother you, you can walk around the panels on the solid sections of the walkway.