6 Things to Do in Canterbury You Shouldn't Miss — UNESCO Cathedral, St Martin's Church, and the Roman Walls

The English call Canterbury the spiritual heart of their country, and once you walk inside the old city — Roman walls still standing on all sides — you understand why 2,000 years of history feel so close. Canterbury Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed alongside St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church. The entire old town is walkable in a day without getting bored, and the city sits just 1 hour from London by train.

#1

📍 Centre of the old city, Canterbury

Canterbury Cathedral

One of the greatest buildings in England, the cathedral was begun in <strong>597 AD</strong> and has held UNESCO World Heritage status ever since. Inside, it contains one of the most complete sets of medieval stained glass in Europe, as well as the spot where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in <strong>1170</strong> — an event that turned Canterbury into the most famous pilgrimage destination in medieval Europe and inspired Geoffrey Chaucer's <em>Canterbury Tales</em>.

Best time Between 9 and 11 am, before tour groups arrive — natural light hits the stained glass at its best.

How to get there About a 10–15-minute walk from Canterbury East or Canterbury West train stations, or enter through the Westgate in the old city walls.

Travel tips

• Buy tickets online in advance — adult entry is <strong>£16</strong> — to skip the long summer queues.
• Guided tours (included in the ticket price) run several times a day and go far deeper than self-guided wandering.
• High heels are banned in certain sections; dress modestly, as the cathedral remains an active place of worship.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Canterbury Cathedral on Klook →

🏨 Want to wake up near these spots? See top-rated hotels in Canterbury →

#2

📍 Just outside the old city walls, around 600 m east of the Cathedral

St Augustine's Abbey

The ruins of a Benedictine abbey founded by St Augustine in <strong>598 AD</strong> — one year after he arrived in England to spread Christianity — making it the most important birthplace of English Christianity. Henry VIII dissolved and destroyed the abbey; today it opens as a museum with medieval architectural remains and engaging multimedia displays. It forms part of the same UNESCO World Heritage inscription as the Cathedral.

Best time Between 1 and 4 pm — the afternoon light catches the stonework well, and visitor numbers are lower than the morning.

How to get there A 10-minute walk east from Canterbury Cathedral, following the brown heritage signs.

Travel tips

• Admission is <strong>£10</strong>; free audio guides in English are available — they help enormously in visualising what the complex once looked like.
• A combined ticket covering the Abbey and the Cathedral is available at a saving.
• The abbey grounds are a good spot for a quiet picnic before continuing on to St Martin's Church.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for St Augustine's Abbey on Klook →

#3

📍 North Holmes Road area, around 500 m from St Augustine's Abbey

St Martin's Church, Canterbury

The oldest working church in the English-speaking world — in continuous use since the late 6th century, and possibly earlier in the Roman period. Queen Bertha of Kent worshipped here before St Augustine even arrived. The interior is small and surprisingly plain, but the quiet and the awareness that people have come here to pray for more than <strong>1,400 years</strong> is genuinely arresting.

Best time Between 2 and 4 pm on weekdays, when visitors are few and the atmosphere is at its most peaceful.

How to get there A 5–7-minute walk from St Augustine's Abbey, or take bus 14 and alight near North Holmes Road.

Travel tips

• Entry is free during set opening hours — check the schedule before visiting, as the church closes during services.
• The churchyard headstones are worth reading; some are several hundred years old.
• This is the quietest of the three UNESCO sites in Canterbury — set aside at least 30 minutes for it.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for St Martin's Church, Canterbury on Klook →

#4

📍 End of St Peter's Street, western edge of the old city

Westgate, Canterbury

The largest and most intact medieval city gate remaining in England, built in <strong>1380</strong>. It served as a prison through the medieval period and now operates as a small museum holding armour, historic weapons, and records of notable inmates. Climb to the tower roof for a 360-degree view of the old city — the Cathedral spires and the Roman walls both come into clear sight from up there. It is one of Canterbury's most photographed landmarks.

Best time Between 9 and 10 am — good light and few crowds.

How to get there Around a 5-minute walk west from Canterbury Cathedral along High Street.

Travel tips

• Museum entry is <strong>£4.50</strong>, roof access included — strong value for the city views.
• The gate itself can be photographed for free from outside at any time; the best angle is looking up from St Peter's Street in morning light.
• Westgate Gardens next door is a good riverside rest stop along the small River Stour as it passes through the city.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Westgate, Canterbury on Klook →

#5

📍 Walls encircle the old city; the Museum is on Stour Street

Canterbury Roman Walls and Museum

Canterbury — <em>Durovernum Cantiacorum</em> in Roman times — retains stretches of Roman wall visible across the old city, all walkable for free. The Canterbury Museum on Stour Street displays Roman mosaics and thousands of locally excavated objects, including skeletons and household items spanning the Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman periods. History-minded visitors will find it absorbs at least <strong>1.5 hours</strong>.

Best time Afternoon or on a rainy day; the museum is one of Canterbury's best wet-weather options.

How to get there The Museum is on Stour Street, a 5-minute walk from the Cathedral. Roman wall sections appear throughout the old city — no special detour needed.

Travel tips

• Walking the Roman walls around the city is free; allow half a day if you want to cover every surviving section.
• Museum admission is <strong>£8</strong> — a Canterbury Heritage Pass, which bundles several sites, saves money if you're visiting more than two.
• The Roman floor mosaics are displayed <em>in situ</em> — exactly where they were unearthed under the old city — which is the museum's standout exhibit.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Canterbury Roman Walls and Museum on Klook →

🛏️ Halfway through the list — pick a great-value hotel in Canterbury before rooms sell out →

#6

📍 Centre of the old city, between the Cathedral and Burgate Lane

Burgate and Canterbury City Centre

The core of the old city has kept its medieval character to a remarkable degree. Narrow cobbled streets, leaning Tudor half-timbered houses, second-hand bookshops, a chocolate shop, independent boutiques, and proper cafés run the full length of the lanes. The small <strong>Great Stour river</strong> threads through the centre, and punting tours operate along it in summer. The whole area is compact enough to cover on foot — plan the last half-day for wandering and a meal in the old town.

Best time Between 2 and 5 pm — all the shops are open and the streets have a pleasant energy.

How to get there Under a 5-minute walk north from Canterbury Cathedral. Everything in the old city connects on foot.

Travel tips

• <strong>The Old Weavers House</strong> on the River Stour is one of the most striking Tudor buildings in the city — worth a photograph and a possible lunch stop.
• Punting on the river launches from the Westgate Gardens area in summer; prices run around <strong>£12–15 per person</strong>.
• An open-air market runs every Wednesday and Friday morning in the old market area, selling local Kent fruit, cheese, and crafts.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Burgate and Canterbury City Centre on Klook →

🏨 That's all 6 spots! Next step — book a top-rated stay in Canterbury →