Dover Castle, White Cliffs & Canterbury Tour from London

• Entrance into Dover Castle, the ‘Key to England’

• Visit to view the White Cliffs of Dover, either a walk along the cliff-top or a walk along the beach (weather dependant)

• Visit to Canterbury & entrance into Canterbury Cathedral

• Luxury air-conditioned motor coach and services of a professional guide

Tour details

Runs every Saturday and Sunday. (Wednesdays during summer months)

Departure

7.30 - 9am - 5 pick-up points in central London

Return

7-7.30pm - London Bridge Station

Dover Castle sits strategically upon the famous White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the port and town far below and normally is the first attraction to be visited.

The ground on which Dover Castle stands site was originally an Iron Age hill fort. A Roman lighthouse and Anglo-Saxon church, part of a Saxon fortified settlement, can still be seen within the grounds. 

After the Norman invasion, William the Conqueror raised the first Dover Castle in earth and timber soon after invading England in 1066. From then on the castle was garrisoned uninterruptedly until 1958, a continuous nine-century span equalled only by the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.

During the 18th century, with the threat of Napoleon's invasion, secret tunnels were dug deep beneath the castle, within the 'White Cliffs' themselves, for use as barracks. By the time of the Second World War, they were made use of once again, becoming an extremely valuable asset for the British.

From 1939 they housed the command centre that controlled naval operations in the Channel; including the extraordinary evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk. For many the tunnels are the highlight of a visit.

As well as the Secret Wartime Tunnels, there is so much else to see at Dover Castle including the Great Tower, underground hospital and the Roman Lighthouse.

Dover - more about

For perhaps the majority of first time visitors to Canterbury, the big draw is to visit Canterbury Cathedral.

It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the world-wide Anglican Communion.

The ancient city of Canterbury has been the centre of Christian worship for almost 1,700 years. Its greatest treasure is the cathedral, infamous as the setting for the brutal murder of Thomas Beckett in 1170. His tomb can be seen in St. Thomas’s in Trinity Chapel behind the high altar.

Beckett's martyrdom lead to Canterbury Cathedral becoming the centre of one of the most important medieval pilgrimages in Europe, and inspiration for Geoffrey Chaucer's famous work, The Canterbury Tales.

Your ticket includes entrance to the Cathedral and also allows some free time to explore the atmospheric old town, the historic Westgate and the streets of timber-framed houses in the medieval city centre.

Canterbury - more about

A choice of pick-ups

Unlike most day tours from London you have a choice of pick-up points from Kensington in the west of London to London Bridge in the east (see website for more details).

The tour ends at London Bridge, a major public transport hub where the Underground will quickly get you anywhere in central London.

The touring coach

A professional tour manager is aboard the bus the entire day and will provide commentary and guiding throughout as well as looking after entrance into the various attractions.

The coach may be a full size touring coach or a mini-coach.

Commentary is in English only.