Things to Do
- Visit the Cathedral. There is an entrance fee before late afternoon, but admission to services is free. Sung evensong (time varies with time of year) is very special. We have details of service times.
- Check out St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church. This is a World Heritage Site, the birthplace of Christianity in England.
- Take a guided city tour from Tourist Information Office opposite the Cathedral main gate.
- Go to the Museum of Canterbury (Poor Priests’ Hospital, Stour Street) and immerse yourself in the amazing history of the city.
- Experience Chaucer’s Canterbury at the Canterbury Tales, with smells!
- Glide through the city in a punt. River tours from Westgate Towers, Stour Street or the Weavers.
- Walk the City walls, climb the mound and walk through the Dane John Gardens
- Don’t miss the Roman Pavement museum, in Butchery Lane.
- Wander around the ruins of Canterbury Castle.
- Take a walk in the Franciscan Garden. Peaceful meadow garden beside river.
- Have a picnic in the Westgate Gardens. Municipal park along riverbank.
- Enjoy a foodie experience at the Goods Shed Farmers Market and restaurant. Closed on Mondays.
- Enjoy a performance at the Gulbenkian Theatre or an art film at the cinema there.
- Browse the art galleries in Castle Street.
- Shop!
...and roundabout
- Explore the ancient woodland at Blean Woods. A choice of waymarked routes from 1 to 7.5 miles.
- Walk the beach at Whitstable and eat shellfish at the Harbour.
- Sit on the Lees at Tankerton and watch the giant wind farm turbines.
- Visit Reculver --- explore the ruins and enjoy a clifftop walk.
- Play on the arcade machines on Herne Bay front.
- Visit the small animals wildlife park at Wildwood (Herne Common).
- Go birding at Stodmarsh RSPB reserve.
- Watch the animals at Howletts Zoo (Bekesbourne) John Aspinall’s tiger and gorilla breeding programme.
- Visit Chilham and imagine yourself in a period drama. Attractive village around a square. Location for numerous films and TV productions.
- Hike through Kings Wood at Challock. Woodland walks with art installations.
- Climb up Wye Downs. Amazing views towards the Weald.
- Play golf at Canterbury, Faversham, Deal or Sandwich.
- Go fishing at Fordwich – fly or coarse available.
Other Places to Visit.
Faversham (15 minutes) Interesting (but quiet) town centre, with lovely old houses. National Fruit Collection at Brogdale. Macknade Fine Foods, large scale deli in farm buildings.
Sandwich (25 minutes) Medieval town and Cinque Port. River trips in summer. Visit The Salutation, a Lutyens house. The Open Golf is held at St George’s periodically.
Dover and St Margaret’s Bay (30 minutes) Dover Castle and the Roman Pharos. Visit the White Cliffs and watch the ferries coming in and out. A few miles away at St Margaret’s Bay, you can eat in the old Coastguard station high above the Channel.
Deal(30 minutes) Castles at Deal (massive and bare stone) and Walmer (residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, furnished with lots of historical exhibits and beautiful gardens).
Broadstairs (45 minutes) Traditional small seaside resort. Bags of Victorian charm.
Birchington (30 minutes) Beautiful safe beach at Minnis Bay.
Ramsgate (40 minutes) Regency seaside town. More buildings mentioned in Pevsner’s Buildings of England (North and East Kent) than anywhere other than Canterbury. Bustling harbourside with bars and restaurants.
Tenterden (1 hour, winding road) Pretty town strung along wide main street. Antique shops, steam railway, award winning vineyard at Chapel Down.
Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (35 minutes) From Hythe to Dungeness. Small scale steam railway along coast and out to the wilderness of Dungeness beach and power station.
Leeds Castle (30 minutes) Just this side of Maidstone. “The Loveliest Castle in the World”
Rochester (30—40 minutes) Cathedral and impressive Norman Castle high above River Medway. Attractive old city.