My Picks of the Best Things to do Near Tower Bridge

The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist

Built as a component of the White Tower in the late eleventh century, the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist was most likely meant to be used by the royal family while they were residing at the Tower of London. It has a unique history as a royal chapel and a national record office.

I think this is the first think I can think of any tourist attractions near Tower Bridge. Whenever I meet people who are new to this part of the city, I always recommend historic landmarks and this chapel has a very intriguing history that gives you a glimpse of what London was like years ago.

📍Tower Bridge Approach, London EC3N 4AE, United Kingdom

St Katherine’s Dock

In addition to a marina, St. Katharine’s Dock is a bustling neighborhood in London with stores, cafes, restaurants, pubs, and offices. You could also see the iconic HMS Belfast (We’ll get to that in a second) right on the bank of the River Thames.

Sitting at a cafe here and watching the ships pass by the busy wharf on the river turned out to be one of my favourite pastimes, it’s just so relaxing! Plus, you could also book a boat tour to take you south bank of the river and enjoy a serene cruise.

📍50 St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1LA, United Kingdom

HMS Belfast

The HMS Belfast is a Town-class light cruiser that was built for the Royal Navy and is one of the nearby attractions near the Tower of London. Out of all the tourist attractions in London, I consider this to be one of the more unique ones, I mean you get to board and wander around a warship, how cool is that?

We got to visit the engine rooms, which was super interesting and to anyone visiting you’ll find that this ship is decked-out with a bunch of other cool stuff like their own bakery and radio station.

📍The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2JH, United Kingdom

The Shard

It’s quite impossible not to mention this iconic landmark near Tower of London. It is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, standing at 309.6 meters (1,016 feet) high. Anyone visiting London should take the time out of the day to look at the panoramic views of the London City skyline and this is the best place to see it!

To top it all off, they also have some high-quality restaurants that you could check out. We were able to enjoy an amazing meal and cocktails while staring at the amazing views across London.

📍32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG, United Kingdom

Potters Field’s park

The park is a rare green open space on London’s riverside, with spacious lawns, whispering trees, quiet walkways, and colorful wildlife-friendly gardens. The park is open 365 days a year for everyone to enjoy and is suitable for all ages. It is frequently used for food festivals and other events, and can also be hired for events. 

Not exactly a hidden gem in the city of London, since once you get off the tower hill tube station you could see the luscious green area and a bunch of people strolling around and having a picnic. What makes this place special to me is because it’s super close to the Borough Market and Bermondsey, top places to get some food and your drink on! 

📍Tooley St, London SE1 2UD, United Kingdom

Hays Galleria

Under the huge roof of the Hays Galleria are some of the most amazing shops for arts and crafts you could find on your trip to London. They also have a bunch of cosy restaurants and cafes making it one of the best spot for your friends and family for short shopping spree.

Just a tip though, if you get to the middle of the galleria you could have the most amazing backdrop for you
Instagram!

📍1 Battle Bridge Ln, London SE1 2HD, United Kingdom

Crown Jewels

The area is also home of the Crown Jewels. The collection consists of crowns, sceptres, and other items in addition to the regalia worn at coronations. The collection consists of over 100 items and over 23,000 gemstones.

The items include the Imperial State Crown, which the monarch wears at formal events like the State Opening of Parliament, and St. Edward’s Crown, which is only used to crown a new king or queen during the coronation ceremony.

📍Tower of, Tower Hill, London EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom

Ten Trinity Square

When you plan your London trip, try to also include this amazing hotel in the bridge area. Aside from its location that allow you to visit plenty of things and top attraction in this part of London, it is just a downright gorgeous building.

The building was built around 1912 and 1922 as the headquarters of the Port of London Authority, designed by Sir Edwin Cooper. With its commanding four-column entrance portico overlooking Trinity Square Gardens, the iconic structure faces the Tower Hill World Heritage Site directly across from it.

📍10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ, United Kingdom

Great fire of London Monument

If you wander around Pudding lane, you’ll eventually react the monument to the great fire of London that occurred in 1666. The base of the monument is decorated with sculptures and inscriptions that commemorate the fire and its aftermath. The monument is a popular tourist attraction and is absolutely free to visit.  The column is made of Portland stone and has a viewing platform at the top, which can be reached by climbing 311 steps.

Those steps might seem like a lot but once you’re at the platform you can see lots of cool things around the tower of London and Tower Bridge. What’s cool is that after that exercise you could just head on down and take your pick out of the many cafes in the area!

📍Fish St Hill, London EC3R 8AH, United Kingdom

St Dunstan in the East

Just halfway between tower bridge and London bridge you get a public garden that feels like a hidden forest. Seriously, I love the aesthetics of this place, if you’re looking for the best spot for a relaxing walk then this should be in your top 10 best places to visit. It’s also got this really cool backstory where it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and then rebuilt, only to be destroyed again in the Blitz, but this time it was instead turned into a garden.

The garden is a unique space set within the ruins of a Wren church and has benches and a fountain with greenery draping the historic walls. Something about this place makes it feel so enchanting, kinda like something from a movie. Definitely a must-visit!

📍St Dunstan’s Hill, London EC3R 5DD, United Kingdom

Tower of London

I’ll start with the most well-known attractions around the Tower of London, which is home to the Crown Jewels, the renowned Yeoman Warders, the Anne Boleyn Execution Place, and the ravens, who are referred to as the Tower’s guardians. In addition to those, there is the White Tower and Tower Green.

A number of British nobles, including the consorts of two English queens, were beheaded at Tower Green. Compared to other execution sites, it was thought to be more private. The monarch avoided negative publicity, and the executed were spared taunts from mocking crowds.

Within the Tower of London stands a massive stone keep known as the White Tower. William the Conqueror constructed it in the eleventh century as a show of Norman might. It was used as a palace, a fort, and a jail. Currently, it serves as a museum with historical exhibits about the castle, including the Royal Armouries collection.

All in all, the history behind the iconic Tower of London is amazing and is quite frankly quite diverse. We were able to learn a lot about that time period and how brutal British history could be.

📍148 Tower Bridge Approach, London EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom

Looking for More Guides?

If you’re looking for things to do in London and not just places to visit near Tower Bridge then we’ve got a bunch of guides for you to check out! We’ve got guides on the best food, best landmarks in London, and even the best bars and clubs for fun things to visit to make your visit super memorable!