Itinerary #4: Tower of London, Tower Bridge & Sky Garden

This itinerary has a bit of backtracking in terms of its path so you could easily re-order the stops or eliminate one if it’s too far out of the way. I’ve started with the Tower of London, as it’s best to get there in the morning. Also, if you’re staying in the area, you could easily split this itinerary into two days.

It will come as no surprise that Tower of London is on this itinerary, as it’s one of London’s most famous sites and I think one of its most interesting by far. If you’re not familiar, it’s a 1000 year old castle that was used as a prison from 1100 to 1952 (yes…for that long). Many famous executions (and very many not so famous ones) took place here, including Anne Boleyn, Thomas More, and Thomas Cromwell to name just a few. In my opinion, you must do a tour here. The live ones done by Beefeaters are preferred, but an audio tour will suffice if necessary. Otherwise, you have no context for the amazing history around you, and it will just seem like a series of old walls. The Crown Jewels are also kept here and are totally worth waiting to see if you must. If visiting at a busy time, I highly recommend buying a skip the line ticket.

Following the Tower of London, you could probably do with a sit down and some food (if you’re an early morning person…something the Haines family really can’t relate to…you could do Tower Bridge before this). The Dickens Inn at St. Katharine’s Docks is a lovely pub, straight out of an English novel or movie. It’s about a 10-minute walk from Tower of London and a 5-minute walk from the entrance to Tower Bridge. It’s a nice place to eat, have a pint, and rest for a bit.

Within eye sight of Tower of London and 5 minutes from the Dickens Inn is Tower Bridge, one of London’s most famous bridges. It has an exhibition at the top; and if you have kids, it’s a great stop, as there are glass floors that let you see all the way through to the street below. The exhibitions are also pretty interesting. I would make this stop kids or no; and while I’ve never done this, I’ve heard it’s cool to visit when the bridge is opened to let ships pass beneath. You can check times here – https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/. If you’re pressed for time, however, you could easily just admire the bridge as you walk by and then move on.

Note: For fans of Spiderman, Far from Home, this is where they filmed the last scene.

Sky Garden is “London’s highest public garden” situated at the top of a sky scraper known as the Walkie Talkie building (because it looks kind of like a walkie talkie). You can go to the top for free, but you must book tickets in advance (and WAY in advance if you want a chance of getting in). There’s also a restaurant at the top, but you’ll need a reservation. We’ve never actually done this because I didn’t plan far enough in advance and could never get tickets. However, I have it on good authority from a good number of work colleagues and friends that the views are great and that this is a worthwhile activity. I plan to try again next time we are in London! You can book tickets here - https://skygarden.london/. From Sky Garden, you’re only a few minutes’ walk from the Monument tube station, which is on the District and Circle lines.

I would love to hear from you...

• n_haines@bellsouth.net