Took the advice of some tour books I read beforeha...

Took the advice of some tour books I read beforehand and got there first thing in the morning (purchased my ticket online). Headed straight for the crown jewels to avoid lines that would soon form, then took the beefeater tour, which was amusingly given by celebrity guide Alan Skaife, aka Ravenmaster, then did a tour (actually a one-on-one Q&A since no one else attended) of the white tower, then some free roaming. A pretty good solo itinerary which still took over 2 hours. I think 3 hours would have been comprehensive, but I had other places to go and the crowds were getting thick. Pretty compulsory for a London visit.