United Kingdom Tower of London

“Our luck could not have been better. There was no line! A huge system of railings are in place for an enormous queue, but we were fortunate enough to be able to walk right into the exhibit. Photography of the Crown Jewels is not allowed. It is probably for the best, too, since I would likely still be in there taking pictures today. As it was, I walked through and admired each piece – crowns, scepter, orb, golden plates and goblets – and left with the feeling that I had just seen the absolute highlight of my trip to England.”

“After paying 17pound05 for a ticket (of which 10% is my “voluntary donation”) and queuing at the entrance, I explored England’s history for the next four hours. [...] There’s no picture or video allowed in the vault, just signs saying you are now in the most secure location in the Tower of London and display after display of shining gold plates, cups, water fountains, spoons, swords, and yes, the occasional crown, sceptre and orb.”

“When I looked at the clock I noticed we didn’t have a lot of time left to tour the Tower of London; a ticket agent at the gate said they recommend nearly three hours and we only had 90 minutes. In actuality, though, three hours is still too short to tour this amazing complex. I could have easily spent all day in it, as my friend, who isn’t known for his sightseeing interest, also admitted.”