Yes. It’s best to book as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment as we get extremely busy, especially in summer. Un-booked groups are also charged more.
Planning a future visit? Remember to check our opening times and upcoming closures.
Please note, on Thursday 20th February the Cathedral will open for visiting at a slightly later time of 10am.
Have an inspiring day-out filled with an abundance of historical and educational interests. Days can be planned to reflect the interests of students from primary school through to university.
School visits
How to book
Visits can be adapted for different year groups. It is also possible to book a self-led ‘entrance only’ visit.
To make an initial enquiry, please email [email protected] or telephone 01227 865262.
To make a provisional booking, please complete the online booking form below.
Facilities are often booked up months in advance, so please contact us as soon as possible.
Visits to suit every school
Primary Schools
Canterbury Cathedral offers curriculum-linked primary school visits. Children will enjoy a costume trail or guided tour, as they see the places and hear the stories that bring their chosen topic to life.
Visiting groups will also have a workshop in our project room, enjoying a range of hands-on activities including creating a stained-glass window, quill pen writing and stone carving. Use of a dedicated lunchroom is also provided.
Discover more about the range of visits we offer on this page or book a bespoke visit tailored to your specific learning requirements:
Curriculum Focus
- Anglo Saxons and Vikings – Discover more about life in Anglo-Saxon Canterbury. Find out how Canterbury Cathedral was founded by Saint Augustine and how Archbishop Alphege was kidnapped and killed by the Vikings. This visit includes a workshop exploring items from the Cathedral collection that date from Saxon times.
- Thomas Becket and Pilgrimage- Explore the dramatic events of December 1170 when Archbishop Thomas Becket was brutally murdered in the Cathedral, leading to the emergence of Canterbury as the most important site of pilgrimage in the United Kingdom.
- Religious Education – Understanding Christianity. Canterbury Cathedral is the perfect location for children to explore many of the key concepts they have been learning about in the classroom. From Incarnation to Salvation, find out more in this extraordinary building, built as an expression of faith.
- How did they build that? A very hands-on experience exploring the features and architecture of Canterbury Cathedral as well as the materials used to build it. Find out about the centuries old stained-glass windows before having an opportunity to create some stained glass craft of your own.
Secondary Schools & Post 16 Visits
Explore Canterbury Cathedral on one of our curriculum-linked Secondary visits. Choose from the list below or contact us directly to book a bespoke visit tailored to your specific learning requirements.
Depending on availability, it may be possible to include a session in the Cathedral Archives and Library, discovering items from our collections, relevant to your learning objectives.
History
The development of Church, State and Society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509
The struggle between church and crown
Find out about Thomas Becket’s turbulent relationship with King Henry II and the events that led to his brutal murder. Discover how Canterbury Cathedral became one of the key sites of pilgrimage in Europe, right up to the destruction of the shrine of Saint Thomas during the reign of King Henry VIII.
Religion in daily life
For many centuries, Canterbury Cathedral was home to a formal community of Benedictine monks. Visit the many monastic buildings that remain to learn more about their way of life that lasted for centuries, until the changes brought about by the reformation.
Religious Studies
A sacred space – Christian places of worship
Explore how Canterbury Cathedral is used as a Christian place of worship. Find out about the services that take place every day and throughout the year and how the Cathedral building has been shaped by worship over the centuries.
English Literature
The Canterbury Tales – a background to Chaucer.
Pilgrimage has played a significant role in the history of Canterbury Cathedral and has shaped the building that we see today. This tour gives an insight into the experience of a medieval pilgrim, walking the route they would have followed and describing the sights and sounds of Canterbury Cathedral in the time of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Overseas schools
Canterbury Cathedral is often described as England in stone, and as such, is ideal for students wanting to discover more about English history and culture.
All booked education groups are provided with teachers notes and a questionnaire that students can complete whilst visiting the Cathedral.
You are welcome to book an entrance only self -led visit. If you require additional services, details are provided below. Please note, these services will incur a small additional charge.
A short film on the history and life of the Cathedral provides an interesting introduction to a visit. This is available in English, French and German.
Multi-media guides are available in English, French, German and Japanese. A young person’s media guide is also available.
The guide provides an excellent wayfinding tool as well as interactive activities and unique behind-the-scenes material – including interviews with our clergy, craftspeople, and heritage specialists.
Guided tours are currently only available in English, but can be adapted for students who are learning the language with vocabulary and pace tailored to the groups requirements.
Please be aware that our guides are volunteers and demand is extremely high, so it is always advisable to book these facilities well in advance of your visit.
Support for students
Further and higher education
The Cathedral is a rich resource for students in subjects such as architecture, conservation, art, literature, music and religion. We offer tailored lectures, special interest guided tours, and ‘behind the scenes’ visits to conservation areas, and the Cathedral Archives and Library.
Please contact the Visits Office to make an initial enquiry.
Which pilgrim are you?
Try our new medieval pilgrimage interactive experience to select your own path, explore significant artefacts from the time and experience the sights and sounds of medieval Canterbury.
The choices you make will lead you to become a pilgrim from either the earliest years of pilgrimage to Canterbury in the decades immediately following the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, or one of Chaucer’s pilgrims who visited centuries later.
Primary schools
Secondary schools
Keeping you safe
Did you know that Canterbury Cathedral has its own Constabulary?
Our officers are here 24/7 to protect this special site, and to ensure the safety of all who come to visit and worship at the Cathedral.
FAQs
We have a lunch room in the Schools Department which is mostly reserved for primary schools. There are plenty of places in the Precincts where you can enjoy a packed lunch.
The closest toilets to the Schools Department are situated 50 metres away in the Cathedral grounds.
Where do we go when we arrive?
Please report to the Visitor Centre on arrival.
Do you have a risk assessment we can use?
Yes, we have comprehensive risk assessments for the Cathedral Building, Precincts, and the project room. You are welcome to use these when completing your own risk assessment for your visit.
The Cathedral Shop stocks a wide range of gifts including plenty of items at pocket money prices. Alternatively schools can pre-book ‘goody bags’, which include a notepad, pen and a pencil, costing £2.50 each.
Let us know if you are going to be later than scheduled. Guides are booked for specific times and may only be able to wait for 15 minutes. If you inform us of your delay, we are more likely to be able to rearrange your activities so you still have an enjoyable visit.
Once you have entered the Precincts you are welcome to stay as long as you like. We suggest that you allow at least one hour for an ‘entrance only’ visit, or 90 minutes if you have booked tours.
School visit booking form
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