Tower of London: VIP After Hours Access & Ceremony of the Keys

As London’s streets empty out, meet our representative outside the Tower of London—a landmark where shadows grow longer, and the air hangs heavy with centuries of secrets. Here, under the gathering cloak of night, you’ll head inside after opening hours and meet your guide: a Yeoman Warder, better known as a Beefeater, whose insider stories breathe life into the stone walls around you.

With the crowds gone and the city hushed, step inside one of London’s most infamous prisons and walk in the footsteps of traitors, royals, and the condemned. This after-hours experience reveals the Tower as you’ve never seen it before—dark, quiet, and alive with whispers of the past.

The Byward Tower, one of the iconic gateways to the Tower of London. This 13th-century gateway once housed watchful guards, its iron gate ready to drop and seal the fortress against intruders. Peek into hidden guard rooms and hear how its narrow, twisting staircases gave defenders the upper hand during attacks.

Stand before the infamous Traitors’ Gate, where the murky waters of the Thames once delivered prisoners to their doom. Imagine the creak of oars and the soft splash of water as boats passed under its stone arch, carrying the accused—Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas More, and countless others—through this foreboding entryway. The name alone sent shivers down spines; for many, it was the final gateway, marking the end of freedom and the start of their fate.

Next, we’ll approach the White Tower, the oldest and most imposing structure within the Tower of London. Built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, this fortress has stood through centuries of history, serving as both a royal residence and a grim prison. From the outside, you can’t help but be captivated by its immense stone walls and towering turrets, each one telling tales of power, intrigue, and the royal bloodshed that unfolded within.

As you approach Tower Green, you step into one of the most solemn and haunting parts of the Tower of London. This quiet, grass-filled courtyard may look peaceful today, but it was once the site of some of England’s most notorious executions. Here, beneath the shadow of the White Tower, figures like Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey faced their tragic fates.

As you stand before the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, feel the weight of its grim past settle around you. This chapel, steeped in tragedy, has served as the final resting place for some of history’s most ill-fated figures—still buried here today, their stories forever entwined with the Tower’s dark legacy. The name "ad Vincula," meaning "in chains'', serves as a haunting reminder of the suffering they endured within these cold stone walls—prisoners marked by betrayal, doomed to an untimely end.

As you approach the Bloody Tower, its very name sends a chill through the air. This infamous structure is steeped in bloodshed, mystery, and untold secrets. Once a royal residence, it became forever linked to the tragic disappearances of the young Princes in the Tower, Edward V and his brother Richard, who vanished without a trace in 1483, sparking centuries of speculation.

Once used to announce significant events, the belltower is a must see for those wanting to learn about the history of the tower of London. It was within these cold, stone walls that Thomas More, the renowned statesman and martyr, was imprisoned before his tragic execution, and the tower is believed to have housed other prisoners of note. Many believe the tower’s cold walls still echo the suffering of those who were held within.

Your after-hours visit concludes with a century-old tradition—the Ceremony of the Keys, an exclusive experience that few are fortunate enough to witness. For over 700 years, this ritual has been carried out each night to lock the Tower’s gates, a symbolic gesture of safeguarding the crown jewels and the fortress itself. The quiet reverence of the ceremony, with the flickering lanterns and the sound of the keys turning, will leave you with a sense of awe for a tradition that has endured through the centuries.