Behind-the-Scenes Tour with British Sign Language Interpretation

Ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes at London's defining landmark?

This winter, we will have Behind-the-Scenes Tours available with a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, running on selected dates from January to March 2026. 

Booking information

Dates: Tickets for our 2025-2026 Tours will go on sale soon. 

To be the first to book these BSL interpreted tours, please sign up to our dedicated mailing list called 'Behind-the-Scenes Tours with British Sign Language Interpretation’.

Join our mailing list

About the Tour

This fascinating tour will take you on a rare and extended look around Tower Bridge: from its iconic Towers, high-level Walkways and Victorian Engine Rooms down to its hidden depths, normally out of bounds to the public.

Led by one of our expert guides, a member of our Technical team and accompanied by a BSL interpreter, you will discover the fascinating history of the Bridge’s design and construction, take in the unparalleled views from the spectacular Glass Floors and high-level Walkways, then get up close to the original steam engines, accumulators and boilers in the Victorian Engine Rooms.

This tour also goes behind-the-scenes to the Bridge’s operational areas including the Control Cabin, Machinery Room and the immense Bascule Chambers, which house the enormous 420-ton counterweights that form the unseen part of the iconic Bridge Lifts.

This is a thrilling experience not to be missed.

What to expect

Tower Bridge’s Behind-the-Scenes Tour is a unique experience with access to operational areas not normally open to the public.

All visitors need to:

  • Wear comfortable footwear and practical, warm clothing.
  • Be of sound health in the event of an emergency evacuation from these areas.
  • Climb 115 steep steps (of which 35 are a spiral staircase) to access the Bascule Chambers.


Operational areas include:

  • Both indoor and outdoor areas which are naturally dirty as part of everyday Bridge operations.
  • There are uneven floors and some of the spaces are damp and cold, especially those located underneath the Bridge and below river level.
  • Some of these areas are considered confined spaces and have no windows and no natural light.

Important information

  • Tours start at the Ticket Office. Look out for the signage.
  • The Tour will take around 2 and a half hours.
  • Due to the operational nature of some of the spaces, this tour is not fully accessible.
  • Attendees must be 14 years or older; those aged 14 to 17 years must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Please note tours are conducted in English with in-person BSL interpretation.
  • Please ensure you read the Behind-the-Scenes Tour waiver below.

Waiver - please click to read

This waiver forms section 7 of our general terms and conditions, which can be found in full here.

  1. This tour is not fully accessible. This tour takes place in the restricted, operational areas which house the moving parts and mechanisms for raising the Bridge to river traffic. If a Visitor has any access requirements, they should contact +44 (0)20 7407 9191 or bookings@towerbridge.org.uk before booking.  
  2. Visitors must be of sound health in the event of an emergency evacuation from these areas. The Bascule Chambers are accessed via 115 steep steps: a combination of concrete stairs and metallic spiral staircases. The Chambers are considered confined spaces, located underneath the Bridge and below river level. As such there are no windows and no natural light. The tour includes outdoor spaces, areas which are naturally dirty as part of Bridge operations, uneven floors, and damp and/or cold spaces, which are beneath river level.  
  3. Tower Bridge staff will accompany Visitors at all times during the tour.
  4. All Visitors should wear comfortable footwear (no high heels) and practical, warm clothing.  
  5. Visitors must be over 14 years old; those aged 14 to 17 years must be accompanied by an adult.
  6. Due to the City of London Corporation's statutory obligation to raise Tower Bridge for river traffic with 24 hours' notice, it is possible that booked Bridge Lifts can alter the advertised time of the tour. The effect on timings is likely to be minimal, and Visitors will be contacted at the earliest opportunity via email if their tour is affected. Where the service cannot be provided, ticket holders will be informed, and a full refund given.  
  7. Where Visitors arrive late for the start of a tour every effort will be made to get them to the group, however, no refunds will be given in the event of staff not being able to add them to the group.  
  8. Tower Bridge has the right to refuse entry to Visitors who have not complied with these conditions.  
  9. Tower Bridge can take no responsibility for accidents that may ensue during this tour. 

Accessibility information

Visual story
This document is a visual guide through Tower Bridge, including the Bridge itself and the Victorian Engine Rooms. It does not include operational areas including the Control Cabin, Machinery Room and the Bascule Chambers.
Visitors can use this document to plan their visit in more detail prior to arrival.

View the visual story


Detailed access guide
Tower Bridge work with AccessAble to provide factual, detailed, accessibility information. You can find all information in our Detailed Access Guides by clicking the Access Able button below.

AccessAble Logo


Talk to a BSL Interpreter
Tower Bridge has partnered with SignVideo to facilitate the visit of deaf and hard of hearing people who use British Sign Language (BSL). Connect to BSL Interpreter by clicking the button below.

SignVideo button
 

Discover more about accessibility for visiting Tower Bridge.

Access for all

If you can't find the information you require, please contact us on +44(0)20 7407 9191 or bookings@towerbridge.org.uk.

Sneak peek

Subtitles are available for this video.

 

Get a first look of the Behind-the-Scenes Tour with BSL in Liam O'Dell and Sam (Deaf Chef)'s Instagram posts.

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