Is Tower Bridge the same as London Bridge?

No — this is a common mix-up. Tower Bridge is the ornate Victorian bridge with two towers beside the Tower of London. London Bridge is the plainer bridge just upstream.

Can you walk across the glass floor at Tower Bridge?

Yes, the glass-floored walkways are part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which requires a ticket. Walking across the road deck of the bridge itself is free.

When does Tower Bridge lift?

The bridge lifts around 800 times a year for tall vessels. Lift times are published in advance on the official Tower Bridge website, so you can plan to watch.

Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets

Tower Bridge

Opened 1894Historic BridgeTower Hill

About Tower Bridge

The instantly recognisable Victorian bascule and suspension bridge over the Thames, famous for its twin Gothic towers, high-level glass walkways and a lifting roadway that still opens for tall ships.

History & Heritage

Tower Bridge was built between 1886 and 1894 to ease road traffic in the crowded East End while preserving river access to the busy docks upstream. The design, by architect Sir Horace Jones and engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry, combined a movable bascule roadway with high-level walkways so pedestrians could cross even when the bridge was raised. Its Gothic towers were clad in stone partly to complement the neighbouring Tower of London.

The bascules were originally driven by steam-powered hydraulics, with coal-fired boilers and vast accumulators that are preserved today in the Victorian Engine Rooms. In 1976 the system was converted to electric and oil power. The bridge still lifts around 800 times a year for river traffic, and its high-level walkways — once notorious as a haunt for pickpockets — now house a glass floor offering a dizzying view straight down onto the road and river below.

What to Expect

Expect one of the world's most photographed bridges, spectacular by day and floodlit by night. The Tower Bridge Exhibition takes you up into the towers and across the glass-floored high-level walkways, then down into the beautifully preserved Victorian engine rooms. Check the published lift times to watch the bascules rise for a passing ship — a free and memorable spectacle from either bank.

Known For

Bascule lifting deckGlass floor walkwayTwin Gothic towersVictorian engine rooms

Highlights

Glass-floored high walkways
Original steam engines
Bridge lift viewings
Panoramic river views
Blue and white ironwork
Tower of London views

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tower Bridge the same as London Bridge?: No — this is a common mix-up. Tower Bridge is the ornate Victorian bridge with two towers beside the Tower of London. London Bridge is the plainer bridge just upstream.
Can you walk across the glass floor at Tower Bridge?: Yes, the glass-floored walkways are part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which requires a ticket. Walking across the road deck of the bridge itself is free.
When does Tower Bridge lift?: The bridge lifts around 800 times a year for tall vessels. Lift times are published in advance on the official Tower Bridge website, so you can plan to watch.

More London Landmarks

Tower Hill

Tower of London

A historic royal fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the north bank of the Thames, home to the Crown Jewels, the legendary ravens and nearly a thousand years of history as palace, prison and stronghold.

Westminster

Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament

The iconic clock tower — officially the Elizabeth Tower — rising above the Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames, home to the UK Parliament and one of the most recognised silhouettes in the world.

Westminster

Buckingham Palace

The London residence and administrative headquarters of the British monarch, famous for its balcony appearances, the Changing of the Guard ceremony and the opulent State Rooms opened to visitors each summer.