--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Canterbury, United Kingdom | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Canterbury: the cathedral and Becket's shrine, St Augustine's Abbey, St Martin's Church, the Beaney, the Roman Museum, a punt on the Stour and a ride to Whitstable." url: https://wimup.com/city/canterbury type: City guide updated: 2026-10-23 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Canterbury Canterbury, United Kingdom · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 10 min read Canterbury is a walled cathedral city in east Kent and the seat of the Church of England. The medieval centre is small enough to cross on foot in fifteen minutes, London is under an hour away by high-speed train, and the north Kent coast starts seven miles up the old railway line. ## Quick answer Give the cathedral a full morning: the Martyrdom, the Trinity Chapel windows and the crypt, then stay for Choral Evensong. Walk out through the walls to St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church, which share the cathedral's World Heritage listing. Spend the afternoon at the Beaney and the Roman Museum, take a punt from the Westgate, and keep a second day for the Crab and Winkle Way to Whitstable. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** May · Jun · Sep - **Ideal length:** 1–2 days - **Budget per day:** $110–190 - **Language:** English - **Getting around:** Walking, trains & buses - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.canterbury.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Canterbury ### 1. Visit Canterbury Cathedral Landmark · The Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2EH The mother church of the Anglican Communion, where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170; the Trinity Chapel was built to hold his shrine and its Miracle Windows date from within decades of his death. The standard ticket is valid for twelve months. - **Time:** 2–3 hrs - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Opening time - **Tip:** Under-18s free with a paying adult Links: [Website](https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/visit/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Walk the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey Landmark · Longport, Canterbury CT1 1PF Founded by Augustine after his mission from Rome reached Kent in 597, and the burial place of the early archbishops and Kentish kings. The foundations are low, so take the audio guide; it turns a lawn of footings into a church. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** English Heritage members enter free Links: [Website](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/st-augustines-abbey/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Step into St Martin's Church Landmark · North Holmes Road, Canterbury UNESCO calls it the oldest church in England: it was already standing when Augustine arrived, and Queen Bertha worshipped here before him. It opens only at set hours, so time the ten-minute walk from the abbey around them. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Late morning - **Tip:** Check the opening hours first Links: [Website](https://www.martinpaul.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Explore the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge Museum · 18 High Street, Canterbury CT1 2RA The city's museum, gallery and library under one Victorian roof on the High Street, with free general entry. It is the best rainy-hour stop in the centre; check the programme for the paid exhibitions. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekday - **Tip:** Closed on Mondays Links: [Website](https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/the-beaney/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. Go underground at the Canterbury Roman Museum Museum · Butchery Lane, Canterbury CT1 2JR Below the Longmarket shops at the level of the Roman town of Durovernum, built around the mosaic floors of a Roman house. Small, well told and ten minutes from the cathedral gate. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Pair it with the cathedral Links: [Website](https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/canterbury-roman-museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Punt the Great Stour from the Westgate Activity · Westgate Gardens, Canterbury Chauffeured wooden punts leave from Westgate Bridge and drift past the gardens and the backs of medieval houses. Trips run from half an hour to just over an hour, and most operators work through the summer season. - **Time:** 30–65 min - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Food and drink allowed on board Links: [Website](https://www.canterbury.co.uk/attractions/canterbury-westgate-punts-1933/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. Walk the city walls to Dane John Gardens Walk · Dane John Gardens, Canterbury The medieval wall still runs along the south and east of the centre, and a walkway on top leads to Dane John Gardens and its mound. Pair it with the Norman castle keep, a few minutes' walk further on. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Early evening - **Tip:** The castle ruins are minutes away ### 8. Stand in Eastbridge Hospital Landmark · 25 High Street, Canterbury Founded after Becket's murder to shelter poor pilgrims, and still an almshouse. The undercroft where they slept, the refectory and the chapel are open for a small fee, in the middle of the High Street. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Small fee - **Best at:** Midday - **Tip:** Easy to miss from the street ### 9. Browse the King's Mile and the Crooked House Shopping · 28 Palace Street, Canterbury CT1 2DZ The streets behind the cathedral hold the city's independents, from antique books to craft ale. At the end of Palace Street stands the Crooked House, a 1617 timber frame that tilts on its chimney and sells second-hand books for charity. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Saturday - **Tip:** Saturdays are the busiest Links: [Website](https://www.canterbury.co.uk/attractions/the-crooked-house-catching-lives-bookshop-99117/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. Cycle the Crab and Winkle Way to Whitstable Outdoors · Canterbury to Whitstable Harbour A 7.6-mile cycle route to the harbour at Whitstable, much of it on the line of the old Canterbury and Whitstable Railway and through Clowes Wood. Ride out for oysters at the harbour and come back on the bus. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Summer morning - **Tip:** Leave time for the harbour Links: [Website](https://www.sustrans.org.uk/crab-and-winkle?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Historic Canterbury A Norman keep, the last medieval gate, and the carved way into the precincts. 1. **Westgate Towers** (Via The Pound · Westgate): The last of the medieval city gates, used as the city prison into the 19th century. 2. **Canterbury Castle** (Free · Castle Street): The shell of a Norman keep, built between 1085 and 1125, standing in a public garden. 3. **Christ Church Gate** (Free to view · Buttermarket): The carved Tudor gateway into the cathedral precincts, facing the Buttermarket. ## Best restaurants in Canterbury (2026) French cooking on Northgate, a 16th-century pub dining room, and two country pubs. 1. **Franc** (French · Northgate): French cooking on Northgate, listed in the Michelin Guide. 2. **The Corner House** (British · Dover Street): Simple British cooking in a converted 16th-century pub at the top of Dover Street. 3. **The Fordwich Arms** (Fine dining · Fordwich): A dining pub on the Stour in Fordwich, two miles downstream. Book ahead. 4. **The Duck** (Gastropub · Pett Bottom): A country gastropub at Pett Bottom, about ten minutes from the city by taxi. ## Best pubs and bars in Canterbury Medieval beams, a brewpub in an old foundry, and cocktails in the city jail. 1. **The Parrot** (Historic pub · Church Lane): One of the oldest pubs in the city, with medieval beams in the upstairs gallery. 2. **The Old Buttermarket** (Pub · Buttermarket): A Nicholson's pub facing the cathedral gate, with tables outside in summer. 3. **The Foundry Brew Pub** (Brewpub · Stour Street): Beer brewed on site in a former iron foundry on Stour Street. 4. **The Pound Bar & Kitchen** (Cocktails · Pound Lane): Cocktails in the old city jail beside the Westgate, with seats in the former cells. 5. **The Thomas Becket** (Pub · City centre): A traditional pub and restaurant in the middle of the old city. ## Best cafes and tearooms in Canterbury A Dickensian tearoom and two cafes for people who care about the coffee. 1. **Tiny Tim's Tearoom** (Tearoom · St Margaret's Street): A Dickens-themed tearoom known for afternoon tea and large scones. 2. **Garage Coffee** (Coffee · City centre): Specialty coffee, with flatbreads, salads and cakes for lunch. 3. **Micro Roastery** (Coffee · City centre): An independent roaster's cafe, the place to order filter coffee. ## Canterbury outdoors Riverside gardens, and ancient woodland with a herd of bison on the edge of the city. 1. **Westgate Gardens** (Free · Westgate): Lawns and flower beds along the Stour, five minutes from Canterbury West. 2. **West Blean and Thornden Woods** (Free · Blean): Kent Wildlife Trust's ancient woodland, home to European bison since July 2022. [Website](https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Clowes Wood** (Free · Blean): Forestry England woodland on the Crab and Winkle Way, with cycle trails. [Website](https://www.forestryengland.uk/clowes-wood?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Wildwood** (Ticketed · Herne Common): A native-species animal park beside the Blean woods, which cares for the bison herd. [Website](https://www.wildwoodtrust.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Canterbury neighborhoods Inside the walls for the sights, just outside them for quieter streets. 1. **The King's Mile** (Shops · Inside the walls): Palace Street and Northgate behind the cathedral: independents, pubs and restaurants. 2. **St Dunstan's** (Near the station · Outside the walls): The street beyond the Westgate towards Canterbury West, handy for the train. 3. **Longport and St Martin's** (Quiet · Outside the walls): East of the walls: the abbey, St Martin's and a university campus. ## Day trips from Canterbury Oysters, a brewery town, a castle on the cliffs and the Turner on the seafront. 1. **Whitstable** (Coast · North Kent): Oysters at the harbour, by bike on the Crab and Winkle Way or by bus. 2. **Margate** (By train · Isle of Thanet): Turner Contemporary on the seafront, with free entry to its exhibitions. [Website](https://turnercontemporary.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Dover** (By train · Dover): The castle above the harbour and a walk along the White Cliffs. 4. **Faversham** (By train · Swale): A market town and home of the Shepherd Neame brewery. [Website](https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 5. **Sandwich** (Medieval town · East Kent): One of the original Cinque Ports, with its Fishergate and Barbican gates still standing. 6. **Fordwich** (Riverside · Stour valley): One of England's smallest towns, two miles down the Stour. ## Festivals & annual events in Canterbury (2026) - **Pride Canterbury** (June): A parade from the Westgate along the High Street to Dane John Gardens. - **Kent County Show** (3–5 July 2026): Kent's agricultural show, held at the showground at Detling near Maidstone. - **Medieval Pageant and Family Trail** (4 July 2026): A free trail of 20 stops across the city, plus a pageantry stage. - **Faversham Hop Festival** (5–6 September 2026): A free two-day street festival in Faversham, held since 1990. - **Whitstable Oyster Festival** (11–13 September 2026): The Landing of the Oysters on Whitstable's East Quay; most events are free. - **Canterbury's Cooking** (25–27 September 2026): A food and ale festival in Dane John Gardens, with Kentish ciders. - **Canterbury Festival** (16–31 October 2026): Kent's arts festival: over 130 concerts, talks, walks and family events. - **Canterbury Christmas Market** (Mid-November to 24 December): Stalls in the city centre, opened by the Christmas lights switch-on. ## Must-try dishes in Canterbury, United Kingdom - **Whitstable oysters**: Natives in season, from the harbour seven miles north. - **Gypsy tart**: Kent's pudding: evaporated milk and muscovado sugar in pastry. - **Kentish huffkin**: A soft roll with a thumb dent, once filled with cherries. - **Kentish cherries**: The Garden of England's summer fruit, sold at farm stalls. - **Kentish cobnuts**: Local hazelnuts, eaten fresh from late summer. - **Kentish ale**: Bitter brewed with Kent hops, Shepherd Neame's among them. - **Kentish cider**: Made from the county's orchards, poured at the food festival. - **Canterbury tart**: An old apple tart spiced with saffron. ## Canterbury transport & airports - **Canterbury West** (Rail): Southeastern high-speed trains reach London St Pancras in about 55 minutes, via Ashford, Ebbsfleet and Stratford. A supplement applies on the high-speed line. [Website](https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Canterbury East** (Rail): The station south of the walls, on the line between London Victoria and Dover. Use it for Faversham and Dover. [Website](https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Buses and Park and Ride** (Bus): Stagecoach runs local and regional buses, including Whitstable, from the bus station by Whitefriars. Park and Ride sites at Wincheap and New Dover Road serve the centre. [Website](https://www.stagecoachbus.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **London airports** (Air): Canterbury has no airport of its own. Fly into London Heathrow or Gatwick and come on by rail through London. [Heathrow](https://www.heathrow.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [Gatwick](https://www.gatwickairport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Canterbury at a glance - **Country:** United Kingdom (England) - **Region:** Kent, South East England - **Population:** About 55,000 in the city; 157,400 in the district (2021 census) - **Founded:** As the Roman town of Durovernum Cantiacorum - **World Heritage:** Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church, since 1988 - **Language:** English - **Currency:** Pound sterling (GBP) - **Time zone:** GMT · UTC+0, BST UTC+1 in summer - **Calling code:** +44 - **Airports:** None; use London Heathrow (LHR) or Gatwick (LGW) - **Power:** 230 V, type G plugs - **Emergency:** 999 or 112 ## Interesting facts - The World Heritage listing of 1988 covers three sites: the cathedral, the abbey and St Martin's. - Augustine arrived in Kent in 597, sent from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great. - The cathedral's Trinity Chapel was built between 1179 and 1184 to house Becket's shrine. - Christopher Marlowe was born in Canterbury; the 1,200-seat Marlowe Theatre bears his name. - The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway closed in 1952 and is now the Crab and Winkle Way. ## Canterbury travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Canterbury? One full day covers the cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, St Martin's, the Beaney and a punt on the Stour, all on foot. Stay a second day for the Crab and Winkle Way to Whitstable or a train to Margate or Dover. ### Can you do Canterbury as a day trip from London? Yes. High-speed trains from St Pancras reach Canterbury West in about 55 minutes, and slower trains run from Victoria to Canterbury East. Start with the cathedral, which closes earlier than the pubs and the river. ### Do you need a ticket for Canterbury Cathedral? Yes, for a sightseeing visit. Tickets are sold online and at the Visitor Centre, children aged 17 and under go free with a paying adult, and the standard ticket is valid for twelve months. ### When is the best time to visit Canterbury? May, June and September, when the punts run, the gardens are full and the city is quieter than in high summer. Late October brings the Canterbury Festival, and the Christmas market runs from mid-November. ### Can you reach the Kent coast without a car? Yes. Trains from Canterbury West run to Margate, and from Canterbury East to Dover and Faversham. Whitstable is a bus ride or a 7.6-mile cycle on the Crab and Winkle Way. ## Nearby guides - [London](https://wimup.com/city/london.md): Day trip · 10 picks - [Bruges](https://wimup.com/city/bruges.md): Belgium · 10 picks - [Ghent](https://wimup.com/city/ghent.md): Belgium · 10 picks - [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 161 cities Part of the [United Kingdom guide](https://wimup.com/country/united-kingdom.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md) ## Sources - [Canterbury tourism board](https://www.canterbury.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Visit Canterbury Cathedral (official site)](https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/visit/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey (official site)](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/st-augustines-abbey/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Step into St Martin's Church (official site)](https://www.martinpaul.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Explore the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge (official site)](https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/the-beaney/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Go underground at the Canterbury Roman Museum (official site)](https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/canterbury-roman-museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Punt the Great Stour from the Westgate (official site)](https://www.canterbury.co.uk/attractions/canterbury-westgate-punts-1933/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Browse the King's Mile and the Crooked House (official site)](https://www.canterbury.co.uk/attractions/the-crooked-house-catching-lives-bookshop-99117/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Cycle the Crab and Winkle Way to Whitstable (official site)](https://www.sustrans.org.uk/crab-and-winkle?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [West Blean and Thornden Woods (official site)](https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Clowes Wood (official site)](https://www.forestryengland.uk/clowes-wood?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Wildwood (official site)](https://www.wildwoodtrust.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Margate (official site)](https://turnercontemporary.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Faversham (official site)](https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Canterbury West (official site)](https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Buses and Park and Ride (official site)](https://www.stagecoachbus.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [London airports: Heathrow](https://www.heathrow.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [London airports: Gatwick](https://www.gatwickairport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.