I love the city of London. It has a number of great attractions, but one of the best is the Tower of London. Located near the famous Tower Bridge, the Tower of London is the place to visit if you like history or just listening to all the old stories this place contains. You can go to the Bloody Tower, where you will find the story of the two princes, who were murdered in their quarters there. There is also Traitors Gate, were the people who were to be imprisoned in the Tower were escorted in. There is the nearby Scaffold site, were many people were beheaded. There are Beefeaters houses, which you may not enter; the cages where the ravens are kept; and the on-grounds church, which I cannot recall the name of, where many are buried beneath your feet. There is a museum that gives you the history of the Tower, armor, weapons, mystery writings, and finally, the area in which the Crown Jewels are stored. You ride past on a sort of conveyer belt in the floor and see the jewels of past and present royalty. And for those who like the supernatural, keep your eyes open--this place is full of ghosts. BOO!

It is absolutely stunning, with loads of history. Tickets can be bought online from several places or from tourist information sites, so check around for the best deal. Depending on how in-depth you want to explore, allow anywhere from 2 to 3 hours to the entire day for this attraction.

When you first arrive, wait for the next tour by one of the "Beefeaters" to start. If you've come in the middle of one, you will end up at the back and it can be hard to hear and follow. They usually start at least every half- hour, more often during peak season. The Beefeaters are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the tower, and they are not just tour guides, as they actually live at the tower and perform official duties as well.

A tour will take about 1 hour, and then you will be on your own to explore further. It may be a bit hard if anyone in your party has difficulty with stairs or walking long distances, so allow extra time if this is the case. You'll probably want to see the Crown Jewels right after the tour, which takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes, as you're somewhat shuffled through there by moving walkways. It’s still very impressive, though.

Once you've done the tour and seen the jewels, you can safely leave with the knowledge that you've hit the best bits. There is a café if you're feeling a bit peckish, but it is somewhat overpriced and you'd be better off eating outside.

My strong recommendation is to hit this attraction early in the morning and stay for a few hours, and then have a go on the Big Bus Tour (see my entry on that). This way, you can relax a bit on the bus after trooping around the tower all morning, and you'll see most of the major sights and decide what you want to explore further.

Great place to visit. Free with London Pass. I recommend paying the extra 4GBP to get a guided tour. If you decide to explore on your own, be sure of what you really want to see before entering any of the buildings. Also stop to talk to one of the Beefeaters to find out about the ravens.

The Tower of London is a must for any trip to London. There is so much history packed into this space. The Yeoman Warder (Beefeaters) tour guide was absolutely fantastic. These men live on-site at the Tower, and there are only 40 of them in total. The crown jewels are impressive, but the stories by the guards really make this awesome.

The Tower of London is a large fortress that was once a prison. It is a large area to take in, with various buildings. The Crown Jewels are in one room that, to get to, you have to go through switchbacks for three rooms, which made me glad I went in February instead of the summer months. We just walked in.