Included with Tower of London tickets
Timings
RECOMMENDED DURATION
3 hours
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The Waterloo Block is included with all Tower of London tickets. No separate ticket is needed. It sits inside the Inner Ward, south of the White Tower, and most visitors head there soon after entering because it houses the Crown Jewels; you can visit it at any point once inside. If the Crown Jewels are your priority, book an early-entry or guided Tower ticket so you reach the line before it swells.
Choose the first timed entry on a weekday if the Crown Jewels matter most to you. The Waterloo Block queue builds quickly after 10:30am, especially in summer and school holidays, so don’t save it for late morning.
Plan 20–30 minutes if you’re visiting on your own, or 30–40 minutes if you’ve booked a guided Tower visit with Crown Jewels context. The line moves steadily, but the main regalia cases deserve a second look, so don’t treat it as a five-minute stop.
Waterloo Block sits inside the Inner Ward, south of the White Tower, and you can head there soon after entering. If it’s a priority, do it before climbing towers and battlements, otherwise you’ll reach it later with less patience for the queue.
Queues peak from about 11am to 2pm, and weekends feel slower because the line is staff-managed through security-controlled galleries. Earlier arrivals move faster; midday visitors spend more time waiting than looking, so build your route around the line.
If time is tight, focus on the main regalia cases: St Edward’s Crown, the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, and the Orb. Use the fixed viewing points after the moving walkway, or you’ll miss details while drifting past.
Most visitors make three mistakes: they assume photos are allowed, leave the Crown Jewels until after lunch, and arrive with bulky bags. Go early, travel light, and read the signs, because staff keep the line moving and rules are enforced.
| Ticket type | Why choose it |
|---|---|
Standard admission | Best if you want full Tower access and can head straight to Waterloo Block at your own pace. |
Guided tour | Best if you want the Crown Jewels placed in context before you enter the Jewel House. |
Early access | Best if Waterloo Block is your priority and you want the shortest lines of the day. |
The Waterloo Block matters because it holds the only part of the Tower where royal ceremony is still visibly alive: the Crown Jewels here are not retired museum pieces, but objects still used for coronations and state occasions. Most visitors don’t realise the building itself began life as 19th-century barracks after a fire destroyed the earlier Grand Storehouse. Knowing that helps you read the space as both fortress and high-security treasury. Start with these three highlights.
Near the main central regalia cases, look for the heavy gold crown with a purple cap and four arches. This is St Edward’s Crown, used at the moment of coronation itself, which makes it the ceremonial centrepiece of the display.
In the main regalia case, find the long gold sceptre set with the Cullinan I diamond, also called the Star of Africa. It looks slimmer than many visitors expect, so pause at the fixed viewing point after the walkway for a clearer look.
Before the main crown cases, look for the 12th-century Coronation Spoon and the gold eagle-shaped ampulla. They’re smaller than the crowns, but they’re among the few ceremonial objects to survive the 1649 destruction of the earlier regalia.
Completed in the 1840s after fire destroyed the Tower’s Grand Storehouse, the Waterloo Block began as military barracks rather than a royal gallery. Its significance today comes from what it protects: the Crown Jewels remain a working ceremonial collection still used for coronations and major state occasions. That shift from barracks to secure treasury explains why this stop feels more tightly controlled than most of the Tower.
Ordered replacement regalia after the medieval Crown Jewels were destroyed in 1649.
Tried to steal the Crown Jewels in 1671, shaping later security around the collection.
Wore the Imperial State Crown repeatedly, showing these objects remain part of the living state ritual.
Returned the regalia to the centre of global attention during the 2023 coronation.
Address: Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB
Yes. Entry to the Waterloo Block is included with every standard Tower of London admission ticket. No separate ticket exists.
No. Any Tower of London admission ticket gets you in. Guided and early-entry options mainly change queue times and how much context you get.
No. Waterloo Block has no independent entrance and sits inside the Tower complex. You must enter through the main Tower gates first.
It’s an early stop inside the Inner Ward, south of the White Tower. Allow 5–10 minutes from the entrance, plus any queue time.
Allow 20–30 minutes self-guided, or 30–40 minutes with guide-led context. The main regalia cases reward a second look.
Yes. Guided Tower tours include access, though guiding may happen before you enter the Crown Jewels display itself.
No. Photography is prohibited inside the Jewel House display. You can take photos elsewhere in the Tower where signs permit.
Yes, more than several other Tower buildings. The wider site is only partially accessible, so ask staff for the step-free route.
The Crown Jewels are a working collection, so displays can change without notice. Temporary security closures are unusual, but possible.
What to bring
What’s not allowed
Accessibility
Additional information
Inclusions #
Entry to the Tower of London
Access to the Crown Jewels
Entry to the White Tower, Battlements, Bloody Tower, Torture at the Tower exhibition, Fusiliers Museum, and Royal Mint exhibition
Additional paid upgrades:
Access to Headout’s exclusive AI-powered audioguide app (English only, iPhone required)
Early access entry to the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels Collection
Escorted entry to the Tower of London
Guided tour of the Tower of London
Entry to Bloody Tower
Expert English-speaking tour guide
An English-speaking City Wonders tour leader
A private audience with a Beefeater for your group
Flexible Thames River cruise
Small group of max. 20-30 guests
Exclusions #
Gratuities
Food and drink
Hotel transfers
What to bring
Tower Bridge
What’s not allowed
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Accessibility
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Additional information
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Inclusions #
Tower of London
Entry to the Tower of London
Access to The Crown Jewels
Tower Bridge
Entry tickets to Tower Bridge
Access to the Engine Rooms
Exclusions #
Tower of London + Tower Bridge
Food and drink
Hotel transfers
What’s not allowed
Accessibility
Additional information
Inclusions #
Skip-the-line access to the Tower of London
Access to the Crown Jewels
Guided tour of the Tower of London
English-speaking guide
Additional paid upgrades:
Early access to the Tower of London
15-min private meet and greet with a Yeoman Warder (Beefeater)
Access to the Opening Ceremony
Flexible Thames River cruise
Small group of max. 20 guests
Exclusions #
Gratuities
Hotel transfers
What to bring Westminster Abbey + Tower of London
Westminster Abbey
What’s not allowed Westminster Abbey + Tower of London
Westminster Abbey
Tower of London
Accessibility Westminster Abbey + Tower of London
Westminster Abbey
Tower of London
Additional information Westminster Abbey
Tower of London
Inclusions #
Westminster Abbey
Entry to Westminster Abbey
Multimedia guide in Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Japanese, Italian, Hungarian, Arabic, French, German, Spanish, and English
Tower of London
Entry to the Tower of London
Access to the Crown Jewels
Entry to the White Tower, Battlements, Bloody Tower, Torture at the Tower exhibition, Fusiliers Museum, Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, Medieval Palace, Royal Mint exhibition
Access to the children's activity trails and live historical re-enactments
Exclusions #
Westminster Abbey + Tower of London
Gratuities
Food and drink
Hotel transfers
What’s not allowed
Tower of London
London Eye
Accessibility
Tower of London
London Eye
Additional information
Tower of London
London Eye
Inclusions #
Tower of London
Entry to the Tower of London
Access to the Crown Jewels
Entry to the White Tower, Battlements, Bloody Tower, Torture at the Tower exhibition, Fusiliers Museum, and Royal Mint exhibition
London Eye
Entry to the London Eye
30-min ride on the London Eye
Additional paid upgrades:
London Eye
Exclusions #
Tower of London + London Eye
Food and drink
Transfers
