Things to do near Tower Bridge

Built in the late 19th Century, Tower Bridge is one of those great London attractions you can visit for free. Scratch your selfie itch on the Thames’ South Bank before strolling across this masterpiece of Victorian engineering and pausing to admire the views of the Shard and Tower of London as you go.

Want an even better view? You will now have to pay for the privilege, but boy is the experience of stepping onto the glass-floored walkway over 100 feet in the air worth it. Peer down between your feet at the black hackney cabs and tomato-red double-decker buses far below and take in fine panoramic views of the London skyline.

Pro-tip: entry to the glass platforms at Tower Bridge is included with The London Pass, which could save you up to 50% on the regular admission prices of multiple major London attractions, tours and activities, including many featured in this guide.

But what other London attractions can you visit near Tower Bridge? Let’s take a look…

Thirst for skyline views not satiated by a trip to the top of Tower Bridge? Fear not, it’s just a short stroll to The Shard. And you really can’t miss it: it’s that big pointy thing rising up from the South Bank like, well, an oversized splinter of shattered glass.

Whiz up to the 69th floor in less than 60 seconds aboard one of the elevators, which are equipped with surround video screens (and thankfully not also made of glass). Once you’ve reached those dizzy heights, you can steady nerves at the Champagne bar before ascending to the open-air viewing platform on the 72nd floor. At 800 feet above terra firma, it’s the UK’s highest viewing gallery, and has the view to prove it. On clear days, you can see everything from – yes – the nearby Tower Bridge to the South Downs, some 40 miles distant.

Read our comparison of the View from The Shard and the London Eye.

You can bet your bottom dollar that Sir Christopher Wren, legendary architect of St Paul’s Cathedral (as well as many more London churches, palaces and statues), would have considered The Shard vulgar and grotesque. His own masterpiece, one of many Wren buildings that rose from the ashes of the Great Fire of London, lies on the opposite side of the Thames, a little over a mile from Tower Bridge.

St Paul’s Cathedral has borne witness to – and survived – two World Wars, as well as overseeing countless royal weddings, state funerals and other significant national occasions. And now it’s ready for its most momentous and historic occasion: your visit. In which you might take wacky selfies on the steps, horse around in the Whispering Gallery, and, perhaps more soberly, pay your respects to such luminaries as Admiral Lord Nelson and Wren himself in the cathedral’s cavernous crypt.

Beneath the ever-thundering railway arches that service London Bridge station lies the equally noisy Borough Market, where eager stallholders have loudly plied their wares for nearly 1,000 years. 

Arrive early for the quintessential London experience. Legendary alehouse the Market Porter opens from 6AM on weekdays, so that you can wet your whistle with a reviving stout before diving into the sensory saturnalia that is the market proper. Come with an empty stomach for maximum effect: the mingling scents of freshly brewed coffee, pungent British cheeses and sizzling rashers of breakfast bacon will soon have you scurrying to the nearest stall for your farm-fresh foodie fix. Retreat with your goodies to the leafy (and relatively peaceful) grounds of medieval Southwark Cathedral just next door to Borough Market, and note that entry to the cathedral is also included with The London Pass.

The west side of Tower Bridge is one of the best spots from which to admire the medieval turrets of the Tower of London and its ominous Traitors’ Gate, particularly on balmy summer evenings with pink sunset skies. 

The Tower has served as palace, fortress, prison and, um, zoo, since it was first built for big Bill the Conquerer back in the 11th Century. Step inside to discover a world of mystery, murder and intrigue that runs the gamut from vanishing child princes to public beheadings (oh hello, Henry VIII!). Say hey to the resident ravens and red-and-gold-clad Yeoman Warders and take time to ogle the Crown Jewels, including the historic St Edward’s Crown. This comically opulent bit of headgear has been sported for several coronations over the last 350 years, including gracing the bonces of the late Queen Elizabeth and current throne-sitter Charles III.

There’s much more to Whitechapel than just J*ck the R*pper. The district has long since shed its shady image and is now an absolute mecca for hipsters, chock-full as it now is of trendy coffee houses, cool vintage boutiques, secret speakeasies, and vinyl record stores. Pick up unique gifts and souvenirs in Spitalfields Market, check out bleeding-edge contemporary art at the low-key Whitechapel Gallery, and feast on the best bagels in town along cosmopolitan Brick Lane.

And sure, you can of course also take a Jack the Ripper tour, which explores some of the monster’s favorite hunting grounds and promises Insta-perfect photo opportunities galore: creaky old pub signs, soot-stained Victorian houses and narrow cobbled lanes for the win.

Check out our guide to top East London attractions here.

It’s fair to say Sir Christopher Wren made hay in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London. Around a 15-minute walk along the Thames from Tower Bridge, the Monument was designed by one of his architects to commemorate the conflagration, and has stood in this spot on the North Bank ever since. A classic fluted Doric column of some 202 feet in height, it also lies precisely 202 feet west of the spot in Pudding Lane where the fire began.

Steel yourself for the glute-troubling 311-step climb that takes you up a narrow, winding staircase inside the tower to the viewing platform up top. Those who get all the way up are rewarded with splendid panoramas of the city skyline, including views of St Paul’s, Shakespeare’s Globe and Tower Bridge, as well as an official Monument certificate to prove you made it.

Looking for more things to do near Tower Bridge and around London? The London Pass includes nearly 100 top attractions, tours and activities, and can save you up to 50% on regular admission prices for up to 10 consecutive days of London sightseeing. Hit the buttons below to find out more and to bag your pass!