Group Visits at Canterbury Cathedral

Mother Church of the Anglican Communion, seat of the Archbishop. Stunning stained glass. Eleventh century Crypt, Twelfth century Quire, Fourteenth century Nave. The Cathedral's history goes back to 597 AD when St Augustine, sent by Pope Gregory the Great as a missionary, established his seat (or 'Cathedra') in Canterbury. In 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in the Cathedral and ever since, the Cathedral has attracted thousands of pilgrims, as famously told in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Facilities available include:
Guided Tours - Our guides are experts at making the Cathedral and its history come to life and we strongly recommend that you book a tour for your group. Guided tours in several languages as well as special tours of an extended or specialised character can be arranged, starting any time between 09.00 and 15.30 hrs (Monday to Friday) and 09.00 and 13.30 hrs (Saturday). There are no guided tours on Sunday.
Cost for entrance and guided tour: Adult £11.00 Concession £9.50
Audio Visual Presentation - Audio visuals in several languages provide an appropriate introduction or conclusion to a visit. (Pre-booked groups only)
Cost: £1.00 per person.
Audio Tours - in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, lasting 40 minutes, are available inside the main entrance. Cost: Adults: £3.50 Concessions: £2.50
Private Evening Tours - depending on the availability of the Cathedral, private evening tours may also be arranged. Costs: £20.00 per person (minimum charge £500).
'Behind-the-scenes' a great deal goes on - some 220 people work on preparing Services, creating beautiful music, restoring the stained glass or conserving unique and rare books and documents, much as the monks did many centuries ago. Groups visiting the Cathedral can now experience these fascinating aspects of Cathedral life. Packages and tours can be tailor made so that people can visit what interests them most:
-Cathedral's priceless archives and rare books library
-Beautiful Church vestments
-The studio where stained glass is restored and made or where the masons work in stone.
These visits are very popular - numbers are limited and they must be booked well in advance.

The Schools Department at Canterbury Cathedral, working within the National Curriculum provides high calibre resources and support to visiting school groups and teachers from infant to secondary, enabling them to interpret the building and enhance the quality of their visit. Facilities range from guided tours, themed trails and project work to a wide selection of specialised educational publications.

Group accommodation and hospitality available in the Cathedral's Lodge and Study Centre.

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Prices

Group Admission Rates 2010
Pre-booked groups benefit from a reduced entrance rate of:
Adults £7.00
Concessions £7.00
Full Time Students (18-24) £6.50
Language Schools/Under 18 £5.50

Joint Tickets - Groups may benefit from special rates when combining a visit to the Cathedral with a visit to St Augustine's Abbey and/or Canterbury. Contact the Visits Office for up to date information and rates.

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