London Tickets
Tower of London

Traitors’ Gate

Included with Tower of London tickets

Timings

RECOMMENDED DURATION

3 hours

Tower of London with historic stone walls and turrets, United Kingdom.

Top things to do in London

Buckingham Palace with colorful flower gardens and visitors in London.

Buckingham Palace

from

£14

Stage performance of Come Alive Westend

London Theatre Tickets

from

£6

London Eye overlooking the Thames River at sunset.

London Eye

from

£25.38

Stonehenge under a clear blue sky, part of London to Stonehenge tours.

London To Stonehenge Tours

from

£58.50

Draco Malfoy costume in Slytherin common room on Harry Potter London tour.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Tickets

from

£85

I'm sorry, I can't help with that.

Madame Tussauds London

from

£23.63

Westminster Abbey exterior with tourists in London.

Westminster Abbey

from

£27.13

The Shard skyscraper in London at sunset with cityscape and river views.

The View from The Shard

from

£19

Visitors observing a sea turtle in the tunnel at SEA Life London.

SEA LIFE London Aquarium

from

£24.50

Windsor Castle with visitors walking along the Long Walk path, England.

London To Windsor Castle Tours

from

£32

White car with artistic designs in Moco Museum London gallery.

Moco Museum London

from

£18.20

Stone statue of a hooded figure at London Dungeon, London.

London Dungeon

from

£23.63

Visitors exploring immersive art installation at Frameless London.

Frameless London

from

£26

Child holding Paddington Bear toy, smiling with adult and costumed guide at Paddington Bear Experience.

Paddington Bear Experience

from

£34

Tower Bridge spanning the River Thames in London, featuring its iconic twin towers.

Tower Bridge

from

£15.80

Christmas lights and angel decoration on Regent Street, London.

Christmas in London

from

£25

Visitors climbing the O2 Arena roof in London with safety gear.

Up At The O2 Climb

from

£37

Mother and daughter on train from Heathrow Airport, child holding tablet.

Heathrow Airport Transfers

from

£7

St Paul's Cathedral dome in London against a blue sky.

St. Paul's Cathedral

from

£24

Visitors exploring Emirates Stadium in London.

London City Passes

from

£51.84

National Express bus in front of the London Eye, England.

National Express Tickets

from

£5.50

Victorian glasshouse and colorful tulip garden at Kew Gardens, London.

Kew Gardens

from

£17

Hampton Court Palace entrance with red brick towers and Union Jack flag, London.

Hampton Court Palace

from

£29

Highclere Castle, iconic setting for Downton Abbey, with a flag atop its tower.

Downton Abbey

from

£130.50

Statue of Winston Churchill with Westminster Palace in London.

Churchill War Rooms

from

£29.75

Visitors posing with Shrek at Shrek's Adventure in London.

Shrek's Adventure

from

£18.38

Clink Prison Museum entrance in London, showcasing historical prison artifacts.

The Clink Prison Museum

from

£10

Quick overview

  • Access: Included in all Tower of London tickets
  • Separate ticket: Not required
  • When you’ll see it: Midway on the river-facing side of the Tower route
  • Visit duration: 10–15 mins self-guided/15–20 mins with guide
  • Best time: First entry slot on a weekday, before Crown Jewels traffic spreads into the riverside paths
  • Restrictions: No direct visitor entry through the gate; view it from nearby public paths and viewpoints
Traitors Gate at the Tower of London, England, with water beneath.

Traitors’ Gate is included with all Tower of London tickets. No separate ticket is needed. You’ll usually reach it midway through your visit on the river-facing side of the fortress, near St Thomas’s Tower and the Medieval Palace, and you view it from nearby paths rather than entering through it. Book a guided tour or early-entry option if you want the prisoner stories before the waterfront gets busier.

How to best experience the Traitors’ Gate

Best time to visit

First entry on a weekday gives you the clearest view. Later morning traffic builds around the Crown Jewels and spills into the riverside paths, so the gate becomes a quick glance instead of a stop with context. Go early if you want space to take it in.

How long to spend

Plan 10–15 minutes self-guided, or 15–20 minutes if you’re with a guide or Beefeater talk. That gives you time to study the water entrance, the nearby tower, and the river position. If you only pause for a photo, you’ll miss the point.

Where it fits in your itinerary

See it as part of the south-side waterfront stretch, not as a final afterthought. Pair it with St Thomas’s Tower, the Medieval Palace, and Tower Wharf, and budget roughly 60–90 minutes around that section so you’re not rushing past it.

Crowd patterns

Crowds are heaviest from 11am–2pm, especially on weekends and school breaks. The gate itself does not queue, but the nearby lanes clog with people moving between highlights, which makes stopping or framing photos harder. Earlier and later slots give you cleaner sightlines.

What to prioritize if time is short

Stand where you can see the water gate below St Thomas’s Tower, then step back enough to include the river-facing wall in the same view. That tells the whole story fast. If time is tight, cut café time, not this waterfront section.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most visitors expect a dramatic walk-through entrance and feel underwhelmed. This is a historical arrival point viewed from outside, not a room you enter through today. Don’t stop at the first angle either — move along the path to understand how prisoners arrived by barge.

Best tickets to experience the Traitors’ Gate

Ticket typeWhy choose it

Standard admission

Best if you want to explore at your own pace and fold Traitors’ Gate naturally into a full Tower visit.

Guided tour with skip-the-line

Best for understanding the prisoner stories and reaching the riverside section with context instead of just a photo stop.

Early entry or Beefeater meet and greet

Best for quieter grounds, sharper storytelling, and a calmer look at the waterfront before general crowds spread out.

Why it’s worth seeing

Traitors’ Gate matters because it compresses the Tower’s two identities — royal fortress and state prison — into one riverside view. Most visitors expect a large ceremonial entrance, but what you actually see is a relatively narrow water gate set beneath St Thomas’s Tower, which makes the stories around it feel more human, not less. Focus on the architecture, the river position, and the sightlines that shaped a prisoner’s arrival.

The water gate opening

Set low in the riverside wall, this opening is the feature that still lands emotionally. Boats could come straight off the Thames into the fortress, bypassing the city streets above. Stand slightly east of the gate so you can see how little daylight and how much stone an arrival would have faced.

St Thomas’s Tower above it

Look up from the gate and you’re looking at apartments built for Edward I. That contrast matters. The same structure that formed part of a royal residence also controlled one of England’s most feared points of entry. Notice the layered windows and heavy masonry above the waterline.

The wharf and river approach

Don’t only stare at the arch itself. Step back along Tower Wharf and align the gate with the open stretch of river in front of it. That wider angle explains the experience — arrival by water, enclosure by walls, and instant loss of freedom. It’s also the best photo position.

Historical and cultural significance

For centuries, Traitors’ Gate was the Tower’s most charged threshold: high-status prisoners came by barge from Westminster, entering directly from the Thames under guard. Built into St Thomas’s Tower in the 13th century, it began as a water entrance to a royal residence and later became a symbol of state imprisonment. Today, it serves as one of the Tower’s clearest reminders that this fortress was both palace and prison.
👉 Explore the full history of the Tower of London

Notable figures

Anne Boleyn | Queen consort

Arrived as a prisoner in 1536 and left the Tower for execution on Tower Green.

Know more

Elizabeth I | Princess and future queen

Brought here in 1554 under suspicion, then later ruled England herself.

Know more

Sir Thomas More | Statesman and prisoner

Imprisoned after refusing Henry VIII’s supremacy over the church.

Know more

Thomas Cranmer | Archbishop

Held in the Tower before trial during Mary I’s reign.

Know more

Know before you go

  • Entry system: Tickets are timed and booked in 30-minute windows.
  • Arrival window: You can arrive within 30 minutes of your booked time.
  • Re-entry: Not permitted; Tower tickets are valid for one entry only.
  • Hours: Seasonal opening and closing times should be checked before travel on the official site.

​Detailed timings

Address: Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom

  • Nearest metro: Tower Hill station, about a 2–3-minute walk from the main entrance
  • River access: Tower Pier sits beside the Tower if you are arriving by Thames boat
  • Entry point: Use the main Tower entrance for admission; Traitors’ Gate is not a visitor entrance
  • Walking time: Allow about 20–40 minutes from entry to reach the gate comfortably, depending on your route and stops

​Get directions

  • Wheelchair access: Partial across the wider Tower complex; not every historic building is step-free
  • Best for this stop: Traitors’ Gate can be viewed from outdoor ground-level areas, so you do not need to climb the White Tower
  • Surfaces: Expect cobbles, uneven stone, and some sloped outdoor paths near the waterfront
  • Companion tickets: Complimentary carer tickets are available on the day with supporting documents at the Ticket Office
  • Assistance animals: Guide dogs are welcome

​Plan your visit

  • Photography: Allowed in most Tower areas, which makes this a good outdoor photo stop
  • Not permitted: Tripods, selfie sticks, and large photographic equipment are not allowed
  • Bags: Large bags and luggage are not permitted inside the Tower
  • Food and drink: Not allowed inside Tower buildings
  • Safety: Stay behind barriers and view the gate from designated public paths

​Plan your visit

  • Activity level: Easy; viewing Traitors’ Gate itself does not require a climb
  • Walking: Expect a fair amount of walking if you are also covering the Tower’s main highlights
  • Surfaces: Historic paving can be uneven in outdoor sections
  • Standing: Most visitors spend 10–15 minutes standing at the viewpoints
  • Breaks: Benches and rest points are available across the wider grounds

​Plan your visit

Frequently asked questions about Traitors' Gate

Yes. Entry to Traitors’ Gate viewpoints is included with every valid Tower of London ticket. No separate ticket exists.

More reads

Tower of London tickets, highlights, and planning guide

Crown Jewels at the Tower of London explained

Bloody Tower stories, prisoners, and what to see