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Tickets and opening times

We can’t wait to welcome you to Canterbury Cathedral. Tickets can be booked online or are available to buy on the day at our visitor centre. Please check our website prior to your visit as opening times may be subject to change.

Monday to Saturday 09.00 - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)

Sunday 11.30* - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)
*Between 11.30-12.30, access is available to the Cathedral grounds and Shop only. The Cathedral church opens at 12.30.

 

 

Adult

£17.00

Our standard visitor ticket is valid for 12 months, meaning you can re-visit the Cathedral as often as you want during that time at no extra cost.

Children (aged 17 and under)

Free

Children go FREE when accompanied by a paying adult. (Max 2 children per paying adult; does not apply to group bookings or school visits). Children must be accompanied at all times.

 

Canterbury Students

Free

Students studying full-time at local universities - Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Kent, University for the Creative Arts - enjoy FREE entry with their student ID.

English Heritage Members

20% discount on visitor entry

  • Not valid with other promotions or offers.
  • Discount applies to tickets bought on the door at our Visitor Centre only. Discount is not available for online booking. Standard price admission tickets cannot be refunded and exchanged for discounted tickets.
  • Valid until 31 March 2025. T&Cs apply.

Cathedral Pass

Locals can enjoy unlimited visits for the equivalent of just 10p per month!

You may be eligible for a Cathedral Pass if you:

  • work in the old city of Canterbury
  • live within 4 miles of Bell Harry tower, including within The Precincts
  • are a member of the Cathedral Congregation
  • are immediate family of a Cathedral staff member
  • are a member of any church in the diocese (on the parish electoral roll or equivalent)

Our Cathedral Pass cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions or offers.

Apply for The Cathedral Pass

Event calendar

Have a look at the range of events Canterbury Cathedral has on offer below.

 

 

What's on

There’s something for everyone – see what exciting events are currently taking place.

See what's on

Service times

Daily Eucharist   08:00
Lunchtime Eucharist   12:30 (Wednesdays and Feast Days only)
Daily Choral Evensong or Said Evening Prayer with Organ Meditation*   17:30
Sunday Choral Eucharist*  11:00
All are welcome and there is no charge to attend a service. *Live streamed online.

Services

Online worship

Every day the Cathedral’s services are broadcast on our YouTube channel. It’s perfect for when you are unable to be here in person. 

Explore 

Find us

We can't wait to welcome you to the Cathedral

Monday to Saturday 09.00 - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)
Sunday 11.30 - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)

Between 11.30-12.30, access is available to the Cathedral ground and Shop only. the Cathedral church opens at 12.30.

Address

Cathedral House
11 The Precincts
Canterbury
CT1 2EH
United Kingdom

Parking 

Parking in the Cathedral grounds is only available for Blue Badge holders, subject to limited availability and prior arrangement. There are several public car parks nearby. 

Find out more

 

Planning your visit? Remember to check our closures.

The Historic Graffiti Project

The Canterbury Cathedral Historic Graffiti Research Project began in October 2018 as part of The Canterbury Journey – a Heritage Lottery Funded restoration and community engagement project – and continues to this day with a team of volunteers surveying and recording graffiti, and sharing the discoveries made with visitors.

Things to discover

Masons' marks, scenes of devotion, names, faces, hands and feet are all etched across the walls of the Cathedral and are now being surveyed, recorded and shared with visitors by our Historic Graffiti Research team. Want to find out more? Book your place on our Historic Graffiti guided tour.

Masons' marks

Some of the earliest marks in the Cathedral were made by the men who built it, to indicate their work. You can identify these marks by their repetition and quality.

Acts of devotion

From simple crosses, to complex biblical scenes, most medieval graffiti across the Cathedral were marks of faith. 

Hands and feet

The marks left by school boys across the centuries - who traced round their hands and feet - can be found around the Great Cloister.

Names, initials and dates

Many post-medieval pieces of graffiti may commemorate an event, perhaps a visit to the Cathedral.

Fascinating Facts

42 

The number of unique masons’ marks in the Eastern Crypt; suggesting the size of workforce that built it between 1179-81.

23ft

The length of the largest feasting scene in the Cathedral.

70+

There are over 70 footprints in the Great Cloister. Can you find them all?

Dates throughout the year

Historic graffiti tour

Explore the historic graffiti that can be found throughout the Cathedral.

Discover a selection of different types of historic graffiti from different periods in the Eastern Crypt, Quire and Trinity Chapel.

New dates for this and other specialist tours are added regularly.

Other highlights

Christ in Majesty

The largest graffiti in the Cathedral, located in the Eastern Crypt, is over 6 sqm. It depicts Christ surrounding by the four evangelists. This piece is behind protective glass, but please do ask a guide to illuminate it for you.

Image: Digital drawing interpretation by David White, Historic Graffiti Research Team

The mark of the Master of the Tomb

The mark of William Boolde in the Crypt is possibly that of Mayor Boolde of Canterbury (1457-8), or William Boolde, a monk at the Cathedral who was described as ‘master of the tomb’ in about 1490.

Book your tickets

Tickets start from £17.00 or free if you are a local resident and have a Cathedral Pass

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