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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.

Our Story

Primarily this is a place of Christian community, worship and witness. We believe that God’s saving love has been revealed to us in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth (see What we believe | The Church of England).

Every stone and stained glass window is shaped to give glory to Christ whose name is given to this metropolitical cathedral church. St Augustine was sent here by Pope Gregory the Great as a Christian missionary in 597. He discovered indigenous Christians and worked with them to establish a larger Christian community. In time this became the principal seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury who now leads the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. 

Here our stories of church and state intersect. This includes the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket on 29 December 1170.  He was canonised as St Thomas of Canterbury. Canterbury was already a site of pilgrimage, but St Thomas’ shrine elevated it to one of the most important in medieval Christendom. Subsequent centuries offer layer after layer, making a ‘thick story’ to discover. We sense this in the majesty of our medieval building, the quiet mystery of our crypt, and as our imagination is fired walking around our gardens, ruins and cloisters.

Today, our community is drawn from local people and Christians from across the Diocese of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion, from visitors and tourists, from refugees and those cut off from society through exclusion as well as thousands who join us online for worship. Here we are drawn together in a pilgrimage of faith. Like medieval pilgrims to Canterbury, we find it to be a place of miracle and transformation where we encounter the presence of Jesus Christ.

Dean David Monteith's signature

The Very Reverend Dr David Monteith
Dean of Canterbury

Advent and Christmas at Canterbury Cathedral

Journeying to Christmas

 

All are welcome to join us for our traditional services and carols, brand new services and events, child-friendly activities, beautiful trees and decorations, and the return of the historic Cathedral Christmas Market.

 

Regular worship times

For more than 1,400 years God has been worshipped in Canterbury Cathedral. There’s history in every chime of our bells, and passion in every note sang by our choir. 


Whether you need a quiet time to reflect, are seeking comfort, or wish to introduce your loved ones to faith, you are warmly invited to join our worship and services at Canterbury Cathedral.
Matins 

07.30 Monday - Friday (in Jesus Chapel)

09.15 Weekends and Bank Holidays (in Jesus Chapel)

 
Daily Eucharist 08.00  

The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and Counsel

12:00-13:00 Fridays, in The Holy Innocents Chapel (subject to change around events)

Outside of these times, Chaplains are always available should you want to speak with them.

 
Lunchtime Eucharist 12.30 (Wednesdays and Feast Days only)  
Daily Choral Evensong or Said Evening Prayer with Organ Meditation*

17.30 Monday - Sunday (except Thursdays)

 
Said Evening Prayer

17.30 - Thursdays, in the Crypt (This service is not live streamed)

A said service of evening prayer from the Book of Common Prayer.

 
Sunday Choral Eucharist* 11.00 Sunday  

All are welcome and there is no charge to attend a service.

*Live streamed online.

Are you aged 18 - 40?

Do you live, work or study in Canterbury?

Are you interested in gathering with others to explore faith in the modern world?

 

If so, join us as we start to build a new monthly worshipping group here at Canterbury Cathedral.

MORE DETAILS TO BE RELEASED SOON

To find out more, please contact Canon Wendy: [email protected]

Worship for Children and Young People

 

Children and young people are a valued part of our worshipping community and there are a variety of ways for them to get involved and for families to find support.

 

Live streaming

Please be aware that our regular services - 17:30 Choral Evensong and 11:00 Sunday Sung Eucharist - as well as many special services are live streamed on our YouTube channel, and these recordings remain available to view afterwards.

Although there are no intentional close ups of members of the congregation, yourself and your children may be seen.

We welcome the gentle noise of young children into our worship, but recognise that in a long service they may also need space to move around or make a little more noise.

Our stewards can advise you on a good place to sit, where you can both see what is happening, but can also move around and escape should children become very restless.

We have a limited range of quiet toys, books and drawing resources which children are also welcome to make use of.

Food and drink are not allowed in the Cathedral, but you are welcome to breast or bottle feed. Please be aware we do not have toilet facilities within the Cathedral itself.

Children's Church runs most Sundays, but please check dates below.

As part of our Sunday morning Eucharist we invite children aged 5-11* to join us for from 10.30am in the Community Studio (see schedule), where through story, songs, craft and games we worship together before joining the rest of the church family in the Cathedral for communion.

Registration and refreshments from 10.30am allow time for children to settle before parents/carers head over to the Cathedral returning to pick up children during the Peace.

Children’s Church is free but with a suggested donation of £1 per family to contribute to our running costs.

*Under 5s are welcome to attend Children’s Church, but must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Schedule:

Sunday 3 November

Sunday 17 November
Sunday 24 November
Sunday 1 December
Sunday 8 December
Sunday 15 December

We encourage young people to play an active part in our worshipping community.

There are opportunities to join the serving team, lead prayers or do readings and to develop as leaders within Children’s Church.

We are currently looking at what else we might offer to support the young people of our Cathedral community so watch this space for more information over the coming months.

Special Services

 

 

Sunday 10 November

Remembrance Sunday

10:10 Civic Act of Remembrance and Wreath Laying

10:45 Civic Service of Remembrance

12:30 Sung Eucharist

Monday 11 November

Remembrance Day

11:00 Act of Remembrance

17 November

National Safeguarding Sunday

11:00 Sung Eucharist

We are joining with thousands of churches to highlight the importance of safeguarding and to help protect vulnerable people. Meet our Cathedral safeguarding team after the service as we commit to building a safer church for all and lament the mistakes of the past.

Preacher: Bishop Jo Bailey-Wells

Saturday 23 November,17:30 in the Nave

Holodomor Service with the Canterbury Ukrainian Ladies Choir

All are welcome to join us for this special service, as we pray for Ukraine and all who suffer.

Preacher: The Archbishop of Canterbury.

 

This service replaces our usual 17:30 Choral Evensong service on this day.

Events of Spirituality and Faith

31st October 2024

Journeying Together: an Intergenerational Pilgrimage and exhibition workshop

As part of our theme of ‘Journeys’, join us for a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral.

Suitable for all ages, you can make your pilgrimage as long or as short as you wish - a gentle stroll from Westgate Gardens or the full 10 miles from St Mary’s Church, Chilham.

Whichever you choose, we would love for you to be involved as we journey together, following in the footsteps of generations of pilgrims.

Today's prayer

Prayers have been said at Canterbury Cathedral for more than 1,400 years and people of every age pray every day. Whether you are a child, young person or an adult, please join us in our daily prayer.

 

Send a prayer

Send your prayer via email here and continue the faith that has lasted for more than 1,400 years at Canterbury Cathedral.

 

Will I meet the Archbishop of Canterbury?

The Archbishop only visits the Cathedral at certain times of the year. You are unlikely to encounter him on your visit to the Cathedral. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England. He is 105th in a line which goes back more than 1,400 years to Augustine of Canterbury, sent from Rome in 597AD.

Our active community

There’s over 300 paid staff, supported by over 600 volunteers at the Cathedral, welcoming all into the grounds and building.

You may meet a range of people during your visit, from our Constables who keep the Precincts safe, to our Shepherds and guides who are always happy to answer any questions you have.

Volunteers

Our volunteers are a major part of the running of the Cathedral. Whether that’s our Flower Arrangers, Bellringers, Stewards, Servers, Sunday Club Assistants, Cathedral Guides, Chaplains or Learning Volunteers – they all make Canterbury Cathedral the welcoming and impressive place that it is.

Cathedral Constables

As well as keeping the Cathedral safe and secure, our constables are trained as first responders for fire and first aid emergencies.

Bell ringing

Listen to the Cathedral’s 20+ bells which are an important part of the Cathedral’s worship. Great Dunstan, the Cathedral’s largest bell, often commemorates services.

My Spirituality

David Holton

Volunteer

"When I did my assistants training I took part in a candlelight pilgrimage one evening around the Cathedral. It was led by Canon Clare Edwards. Her lovely voice singing prayers was truly inspirational to me. It rekindled my faith, which had been absent since my teens.

Then with the help of Clare and the Reverend Bill Hornsby, it culminated in me being confirmed by Bishop Trevor on Easter Saturday in 2018.

This has changed my life."

Stay in the loop

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