As a long-time resident of south-west England, the south-east of the country is still a bit of a mystery to me. Even when I lived nearby in London I’d usually head west for my weekends. So I thought it was time to check out what I’d missed, starting with the city of Canterbury in Kent. Its UNESCO World Heritage historic centre and cathedral attract visitors from around the world. But as well as the traditional pilgrims, thanks to new high-speed Javelin trains which speed visitors from London in under an hour, it’s attracting a different kind of visitor – weekend breakers. So here’s my 48-hour itinerary for spending a weekend in Canterbury.
Read more: 10 Great British weekend break ideas
How to spend a weekend in Canterbury

The crooked Sir John Boys House near the Cathedral
Friday evening
Check in to The Falstaff, a traditional 15th-century coaching near to the Westgate Tower. It’s recently been redeveloped with a smart bar and restaurant, and has a mix of historic wood-panelled rooms and more modern ones in separate buildings. Rooms from £70 a night.
Or you can stay right in the grounds of the cathedral at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, which has 35 rooms, many of which have cathedral views. Rooms start from £95 a night, including entry to the cathedral and discounts at local restaurants. Have an early dinner at Café des Amis, which mixes up Mexican and Mediterranean styles to create dishes like confit duck fajitas and pulled pork enchiladas, with homemade salsas made using 10 types of chilli.
Then join the 8pm Canterbury Ghost Tour (£10 adults, £9 children or £9.50 concessions). The tour lasts for 90 minutes and is led by local author John Hippisley – he’s easy to spot in his black top hat and cloak. With a mix of history, haunting stories and a few jokes, you’re taken through the dark city streets in search of Canterbury’s spooky side. Then call into The Shakespeare for a post-tour drink, with a choice between a spot in the pub or the adjoining wine bar.

Exploring Canterbury
Saturday morning
Start the day with a visit to Canterbury’s most famous building – the Cathedral (open from 9am, £12.50 for adults, £10.50 for students or £8.50 for under 18s). If you get there early in the morning you’ll miss the worst of the day-trip crowds who travel down from London. England’s largest cathedral is the heart of the Church of England. It was founded in 597 AD by missionary St Augustine, and has been rebuilt by the Saxons and Normans over the years.

Canterbury’s Cathedral
You can stand on the spot where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170 as well as checking out the crypt, tombs of Henry IV and the Black Prince, and the impressive medieval stained glass windows. From the cathedral head to Kings Bridge for a boat trip along the River Stour with Canterbury Historic River Tours (£11 adults, £9.50 concessions and £7 for under 17s).
The tours last 40 minutes at a leisurely rowing boat pace. Your guide does all the hard work so you just need to soak up the views along the waterside, with gardens, the Cathedral and Greyfriars Chapel. After the tour head to The Refectory Kitchen in St Dunstan’s Street, a family-run café serving dishes like soups and sandwiches using fresh local ingredients.

Inside the Cathedral
Saturday afternoon
Spend the afternoon at Canterbury’s Roman Museum (£9 for adults or £7 for concessions). It takes you back to the days when the city was known as Durovernum Cantiacorum. The museum is built around the remains of a Roman townhouse complete with original mosaics that were uncovered after the city was bombed in the Second World War.
Have dinner at the Café du Soleil, in a converted 18th-century wool mill. The food is Provençal style with dishes like chicken saltimbocca and cassoulet, as well as pizzas cooked in their wood-burning oven. Then finish off with cocktails at The Pound bar. Canterbury’s former police station and jail has been turned into a cocktail bar, with plenty of design quirky touches to reflect its former life. You can reserve a private cell in winter or try the riverside terrace in summer.

The black and white Old Weavers’ House
Sunday morning
After a leisurely breakfast, head to the Canterbury Tales exhibition when it opens at 10am (£10.95 for adults, £9.95 for students and £8.95 for children under 15). Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th-century book The Canterbury Tales tells the stories of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury Cathedral. The exhibition’s costumed guides take you through a recreation of the sights, sounds and smells from five different pilgrims stories. It’s a bit on the cheesy side but is an interesting glimpse back in time (and a lot easier to get through than the book itself).
When you’re hungry, move on to the Goods Shed farmers’ market. Set in an old Victorian railway shed, the market sells fruit and vegetables from around the ‘Garden of England’ as well as organic meat, dairy and homemade baking. Have lunch at the restaurant above the market, which uses produce from the stalls to make seasonal dishes like roast venison and bouillabaisse.

Inside the Goods Shed – photo credit VisitEngland/VisitKent
Sunday afternoon
Burn off your lunch with a walk through the riverside Westgate Gardens and a climb up the Westgate Tower (£4 for adults, £3 for students/concessions or £2 for children under 15 – you can also get a joint ticket including the Canterbury Tales). It’s the only one of Canterbury’s original seven city gates still standing and the largest surviving city gate in England.
Look out over the city and across to the Cathedral from 60 feet up at the top of the tower. There’s also an original 1830s prison cell in the attached museum which you can take a look around. Then finish off your weekend in Canterbury with afternoon tea at Kitch (closes 5pm), a café with great homemade cakes including gluten- and dairy-free options.

Canterbury’s Westgate
Have you visited Canterbury? Do you have any tips to add on what to see, do and eat?
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35 Comments
Nick
January 25, 2016 at 8:02 pmSave money on the admission fee and visit the cathedral on Sunday morning for a service when it’s free.
Lucy
January 25, 2016 at 10:28 pmGood tip – thanks, will remember that for next time.
Darlene
January 25, 2016 at 10:05 pmThat would be a fun weekend and just my thing. I would especially love the Canterbury Tales museum.
Lucy
January 25, 2016 at 10:31 pmI really enjoyed Canterbury – my husband was at university there so has been telling me about it for years so it was great to see it for myself!
Thailand Everyday
January 26, 2016 at 12:13 amGreat pictures
Lucy
January 26, 2016 at 10:32 amThanks!
Melanie Fontaine
January 26, 2016 at 10:47 amI think Canterbury was the first place I visited in England, back when I was no older than 12 – it must have left an impression, because I keep on going back to the UK! 😉 I would love to visit again now that I’m older – it looks beautiful!
Lucy
January 26, 2016 at 5:25 pmHow funny – and glad to bring back some good memories! It almost seems that Canterbury is more famous for international visitors as a lot of people come down from London but it took me a long while to get around to visiting.
Rachel
January 27, 2016 at 11:19 amCanterbury looks really pretty Lucy! This is a corner of England I know so little about too. This post reminds me there is so much to see in my own country!
Lucy
January 27, 2016 at 6:24 pmIt was lovely – I’m keen to go and explore some more of the south-east now, I think Whitstable is going to be next on my hit list for when the weather gets a bit warmer!
kashacapetown
January 27, 2016 at 11:57 pmI visited Canterbury shortly after I arrived in the UK, and your post is reminding me that I need to revisit this special spot. Your photos capture it so beautifully!
Lucy
January 30, 2016 at 4:29 pmI can’t believe it took me so long to get there (especially as it’s an hour from London and I lived there for 10 years!) – reminded me how much of the UK I still have to see.
Noelle Hall
February 27, 2021 at 7:18 amWhen the lockdown is over visit St. Martin’s Church on Saturday or Sunday (website http://www.martinpaul.org). St. Martin’s predates the Cathedral and still contains the Roman walls of the building given by pagan King Ethekbert to his Christian Queen Bertha c580. Augustine who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury arrived on 597 and based his mission there later building the now ruined Abbey and the saxon cathedral. The top of the churchyard gives a fine view over the city. St. Martin’s and the Abbey and cathedral together form Canterbury’s world heritage site.
Lucy Dodsworth
March 8, 2021 at 5:01 pmThanks for the tip, I will definitely check it out when I’m back in Canterbury!
atravelingb
January 28, 2016 at 3:21 pmWhat beautiful pictures! It is nice that it was a sunny weekend for you in January. I’m hoping to get back to England at some point this year and would love to break away from London to explore more of the country. I remember reading The Canterbury Tales in high school and would love to see the exhibition. Seems like the perfect place for a weekend trip.
Lucy
January 30, 2016 at 4:32 pmWe’ve had a real lack of cold, sunny winter days in England this winter so have to make the most of any tiny bit! With the new trains it’s a really easy trip from London now so you could easily combine them.
Ayla
January 29, 2016 at 9:00 amI visited Canterbury years ago on a day trip and I’ve wanted to go back ever since. This has definitely made me want to return even more now!
Lucy
January 30, 2016 at 4:30 pmI don’t know how I manage to miss it until now! It’d be a good one in the summer when you can combine it with a trip to the coast as well.
Valeriia
January 29, 2016 at 10:15 pmNow I won’t sleep before I see the crooked house with my own eyes! Canteburry goes to our “to-visit-while-living-in-Engand-list”. 🙂
Lucy
January 30, 2016 at 4:28 pmI do love these quirky old buildings, though it’s amazing how some of them manage to stay up!
Lynsey - One More Slice
February 9, 2016 at 1:55 pmI live here and you’ve made Canterbury look so beautiful! If you ever come back I’d recommend:
-A La Turka an amazing Turkish Restaurant
-A visit to Elsie Mo’s Diner for great milkshakes (family run newly opened business)
-Try a sample from the fudge kitchen
-Cocktails at ballroom
-Hot chocolate at the Chocolate Cafe!
L x
Lucy
February 10, 2016 at 1:49 pmGreat thanks – sounds like some tasty places to try out, hopefully I’ll be back soon!
Lucy
February 11, 2016 at 4:55 pmAhhhhh Luce I feel a little nostalgic at your blog post about my home town (I’ve been in London since I was 18)…..great post, and a great itinerary 🙂
Lucy
February 15, 2016 at 3:15 pmThanks – and glad to get the local seal of approval!
Jassica
April 7, 2016 at 10:59 amAmazing photographs. Looks like you had great time there. thank you so much for sharing this.
Lucy
April 8, 2016 at 1:47 pmThanks, yes it was a great city!
Hayley Martin
April 29, 2017 at 1:14 pmI live close to Canterbury, your photos are gorgeous! I have followed your blog, looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Lucy
May 1, 2017 at 1:03 pmThanks so much – great to hear that you liked it!
Juby John
December 22, 2017 at 12:56 pmHi Lucy, Your writing style is great. I went to Canterbury few time back and I was simply in love with the city. Your amazing photographs took me back there. Thanks for sharing.
Lucy
December 24, 2017 at 11:31 pmThank you so much! Such a lovely city – I’m going back in January next year and really looking forward to it.
Momo
May 24, 2018 at 10:33 amTHank you, interesting!
Lucy
May 30, 2018 at 5:20 pmYou’re welcome!
The Humble P
November 23, 2018 at 3:53 pmAhhhh so glad you loved Canterbury. I’ve lived her for 10 years and just love the City. It’s gorgeous <3
Love // The Humble P
http://www.thehumblepescatarian.co.uk
Hubert
January 31, 2020 at 10:10 amBeginning my postgraduate studies in Canterbury soon. And this, Lucy, gives me a great sense of what I could do when I am not studying or teaching. Thank you.
Lucy
January 31, 2020 at 5:57 pmGood luck with your studies – I was considering a Master’s course in Canterbury last year but ended up going to Glasgow instead, but it looks like a great uni, and a fab city.