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

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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
Get directions

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.

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Stained glass

Things to discover
Fascinating facts
Guided tours
Other highlights
From miracles to murders, the 1200m2 of stained glass brings to life the rich, and sometimes gruesome, history of the Cathedral.

Things to discover

Over the years, many original windows have been destroyed through reformations and wars – yet the oldest glass has lasted over 840 years, continuing to tell stories even today.

The Parable of the Sower 1180

This is an early example of an artist depicting a landscape. It shows an elegant and monumental representation of a working person doing his job.

The Siege of Canterbury 1180

The Siege of Canterbury took place in 1011 by the Danes. An eyewitness account of the event was probably known to the artist of this panel.

Portraits of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville 1482-87

Sumptuous colours, rich gold silks, and striking patterns. This stained glass portrays two of England’s most intriguing royals.

 

The St Anselm Window 1959

On a sunny day in the early afternoon, you can catch the stained glass projecting a multitude of beautiful colours onto the stonework next to the window.

Fascinating facts

1

The stained-glass panel in the South Window depicting Adam delving is believed to be the earliest representation of gardening in English art.

43

Surviving number of Ancestor Windows at Canterbury Cathedral- there were originally believed to be 86.

1,200m2

Canterbury Cathedral contains over 1,200 square metres of stained glass.

Book your tickets

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

Book online for fast-track entry

Guided tours

Our guided tours are the perfect way to discover the Cathedral’s amazing history, spaces, and secrets.

WEEKLY Monday - Saturday 10:30, 12:00 and 14:00 and Sundays 13:00

'The Inside Story' Tour

Discover the story of Canterbury Cathedral through its soaring architecture, beautiful medieval stained glass and the history that helped make and shape the Cathedral.

Only £5 per person, plus admission charge. Book at our Visitor Centre.

Stained Glass Windows Tour

Did you know that some stained-glass windows at Canterbury Cathedral are amongst the oldest in the world? Join us on a guided tour, offering an introduction to the history and range of stained glass found at the Cathedral, from medieval to modern.

£5 per person, plus admission charge.

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

 Find upcoming tours

Historic Graffiti Tour

The Cathedral’s Historic Graffiti Team shine a light on a selection of the historic graffiti that can be found throughout the Cathedral.

£5 per person, plus admission charge.

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

 Find upcoming tours

Precincts and Gardens Tour

Explore the Cathedral Precincts to find traces of the lives of the monks who were the site’s early inhabitants and discover our beautiful public gardens while learning how these spaces, created over centuries, are still used and tended by our gardening team today.

£5 per person, plus admission charge.

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

 Find upcoming tours

Cathedral Precincts Tour

Discover how the Cathedral was first built and altered over time.

£5 per person, plus admission charge.

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

 Find upcoming tours

Other highlights

Designed by Christopher Whall and installed in 1902, this window is steeped in the ethos of the Arts and Crafts movement, of handcraftsmanship and truth to nature.

The luminescence was achieved by the use of slab glass, thickly moulded and of an uneven texture, it achieves a brilliance of colour.

King Edward IV visited the Cathedral regularly, donating this window depicting himself, his wife Elizabeth Woodville, and their children, among them sons Edward and Richard - the ‘Princes in the Tower’ - and daughter Elizabeth of York, who married Henry VII.

The window was attacked by iconoclasts in 1642.

Two figures of a Jesse tree, dating from around 1,200, show Christ’s genealogy as a branching tree rising from Jesse of Bethlehem, King David’s father.

This is the only intact medieval representation of the Virgin in the Cathedral.

Besides these two figures are a Jesse Tree window created by George Austin Junior in 1861.

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