Ceremony of the Keys

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The Tower of London and The Ceremony of the Keys

A very unique experience is available each night at the Tower of London. This ceremony, steeped in the tradition of over 700 years, is called The Ceremony of the Keys.

You must book your ticket for this ceremony in advance. Each night books quickly, so you want to make sure you make your reservation well before your trip to London.

On the evening of your booked confirmation, you must arrive to be admitted to the Tower at precisely 9:30PM. You will be escorted in to the Tower with a Yeoman Warder to watch the tradition of the locking of the gates. This has happened EVERY night at 10pm for the last 700 or so years. Seriously. Every night. Yes, every every night. Even during the Blitz. Every night!

The Tower when we arrived for The Ceremony of the Keys

The Ceremony of the Keys is basically locking of the gates to The Tower. It is very ceremonial and the dialog goes something like this:

“Halt! Who comes there?”

“The keys!”

“Whose keys?”

“Queen Elizabeth’s keys!”

“Pass then, all is well” And the gates get locked.

Everyone in attendance must be silent – no photos, no videos. It is truly a unique experience. You are standing there in a group, next to the Traitors Gate, witnessing an event that has happened for generations. You can’t help but think of all the people who have come through those gates, sometimes to their doom.

I highly recommend booking this experience. Just make sure you do it way in advance. There is no charge to attend the Ceremony of the Keys except a 1 Pound fee for booking online. Tickets are available 12 months in advance, according to the website.