Attractions in Canterbury & Kent

62 places from our Canterbury & Kent guide, from Canterbury to Whitstable. Each links to its area guide and, where we have one, its official site.

Saved on this device only.

Attractions

Attractions in Canterbury & Kent

62 places · showing 60

Black Mill, WhitstableOther sight
Windmill

Black Mill

Smock mill built in 1815, now part of a private home: it can be seen only from outside.

Outdoor
  • Whitstable, Canterbury & Kent
Bleak House, Margate and BroadstairsHistoric house
Historic house

Bleak House

Clifftop house above Viking Bay, built around 1801, linked with Charles Dickens's holidays in the town.

  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Botany Bay, Margate and BroadstairsPark or nature
Beach

Botany Bay

The most northerly of the Broadstairs bays, with chalk stacks on the beach.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Canterbury Castle, CanterburyCastle
Castle

Canterbury Castle

Ruined Norman keep beside the city walls, one of the royal castles built after the conquest, rebuilt in stone in the early 12th century.

  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Canterbury Cathedral, CanterburyCathedral or church
Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

Seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury and part of the World Heritage Site; Romanesque and early Gothic, partly rebuilt after a fire in 1174.

Indoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Canterbury city walls, CanterburyOther sight
Town wall

Canterbury city walls

Medieval walls on Roman foundations that still circle much of the centre; a wall walk runs above Dane John Gardens.

Outdoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Canterbury Roman Museum, CanterburyMuseum
Museum

Canterbury Roman Museum

Museum built around the remains of a Roman town house and its mosaics, below the modern street level.

Indoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Christ Church Gate, CanterburyCathedral or church
Historic building

Christ Church Gate

Grade I listed gateway leading from the city centre into the cathedral precincts.

  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Church of All Saints, WhitstableCathedral or church
Church

Church of All Saints

Church of England church, one of five in the Whitstable Team Ministry.

Indoor
  • Whitstable, Canterbury & Kent
Church of St Mildred, CanterburyCathedral or church
Church

Church of St Mildred

Partly Anglo-Saxon church near the castle, the only pre-Norman church left inside the walls.

Indoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Crab Museum, Margate and BroadstairsMuseum
Museum

Crab Museum

Small independent museum about crabs, a few doors from Turner Contemporary.

Indoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Crampton Tower Museum, Margate and BroadstairsMuseum
Museum

Crampton Tower Museum

Small museum about the engineer Thomas Crampton and his connections with Broadstairs.

Indoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Dane John Gardens, CanterburyPark or nature
Park

Dane John Gardens

Gardens laid out between 1790 and 1803 in the south-east corner of the walls, around the Dane John mound.

Outdoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Deal Castle, DealCastle
Castle

Deal Castle

Artillery fort built by Henry VIII in 1539-40, with six inner and outer bastions, now run by English Heritage.

  • Deal, Canterbury & Kent
Deal Pier, DealOther sight
Pier

Deal Pier

Opened in 1957, the last fully intact leisure pier in Kent, in the middle of the seafront.

  • Deal, Canterbury & Kent
Dickens House Museum, Margate and BroadstairsMuseum
Museum

Dickens House Museum

Museum in a late-Georgian cottage on Victoria Parade about Dickens and his time in Broadstairs, run by Thanet District Council.

Indoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Dover Castle, DoverCastle
Castle

Dover Castle

Grade I listed castle founded in the 11th century on the cliffs above the port, run by English Heritage.

  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Dover Museum, DoverMuseum
Museum

Dover Museum

Town museum in the Market Square, home of the 3,000-year-old Bronze Age Boat and the visitor information centre.

Indoor
  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Dreamland Margate, Margate and BroadstairsOther sight
Attraction

Dreamland Margate

Seafront amusement park whose Grade II* listed Scenic Railway wooden roller coaster opened in 1920; rides run in season.

  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Drop Redoubt, DoverOther sight
Fort

Drop Redoubt

One of the forts of the Western Heights, defences built in the 18th and 19th centuries; a preservation society runs tours.

  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Eastbridge Hospital, CanterburyOther sight
Historic building

Eastbridge Hospital

Founded in the 12th century to give poor pilgrims a night's lodging, on the High Street.

  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Fan Bay Deep Shelter, DoverOther sight
Underground tour

Fan Bay Deep Shelter

Second World War tunnels under the white cliffs, opened by the National Trust on guided tours on set days.

Indoor
  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Grand Shaft, DoverOther sight
Historic building

Grand Shaft

Staircase shaft cut down through the cliff from the Western Heights to the town below.

  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Greyfriars Chapel, CanterburyCathedral or church
Chapel

Greyfriars Chapel

Surviving building of Greyfriars, the first Franciscan friary in England.

Indoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Joss Bay, Margate and BroadstairsPark or nature
Beach

Joss Bay

Sandy bay north of the town, with a surf school according to Visit Thanet.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Kent Museum of Freemasonry, CanterburyMuseum
Museum

Kent Museum of Freemasonry

Local history and masonic museum in St Peter's Place, between the two railway stations.

Indoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Maison Dieu, DoverOther sight
Historic building

Maison Dieu

Medieval pilgrims' hospital founded in 1203, now the oldest part of Dover Town Hall, restored and open to visitors.

  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Margate Caves, Margate and BroadstairsOther sight
Underground tour

Margate Caves

Caves first dug as a chalk mine and opened as a Victorian seaside attraction in 1863.

Indoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Margate Harbour Arm, Margate and BroadstairsOther sight
Harbour

Margate Harbour Arm

The old stone pier enclosing the harbour, with cafés and bars along it and views back to the town.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Margate Main Sands, Margate and BroadstairsPark or nature
Beach

Margate Main Sands

Sandy beach in front of the town, between the Harbour Arm and Dreamland.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Middle Street, DealOther sight
Street

Middle Street

The heart of the old town, lined with Georgian houses; the conservation area here was the first in Kent, in 1968.

Outdoor
  • Deal, Canterbury & Kent
North Foreland Lighthouse, Margate and BroadstairsOther sight
Lighthouse

North Foreland Lighthouse

Lighthouse on North Foreland, the chalk headland at the north end of Broadstairs.

  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Old Palace, CanterburyOther sight
Historic building

Old Palace

The Archbishop of Canterbury's residence in the city, a Grade I listed building in the cathedral precincts.

  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Pierremont Park, Margate and BroadstairsPark or nature
Park

Pierremont Park

Public park in the centre of the town, near the station.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Roman lighthouse, DoverOther sight
Roman site

Roman lighthouse

Remains of a Roman lighthouse in the castle grounds, used as the bell tower of St Mary in Castro.

Outdoor
  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Samphire Hoe, DoverPark or nature
Park

Samphire Hoe

Country park at the foot of the cliffs west of Dover, made from chalk dug out for the Channel Tunnel.

Outdoor
  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Sandown Castle, DealOther sight
Ruins

Sandown Castle

Remains of the northernmost of Henry VIII's three Downs forts, at the end of the seafront.

Outdoor
  • Deal, Canterbury & Kent
Shell Grotto, Margate and BroadstairsOther sight
Attraction

Shell Grotto

Underground passage and chamber lined with about 4.6 million shells, rediscovered around 1835; nobody knows who made it or when.

  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
South Foreland Lighthouse, DoverOther sight
Lighthouse

South Foreland Lighthouse

Grade II listed lighthouse at St Margaret's Bay, run by the National Trust, about a 2-mile walk from the white cliffs car park.

  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
St Mary in Castro, DoverCathedral or church
Church

St Mary in Castro

Anglo-Saxon church inside the castle grounds, beside the Roman lighthouse.

Indoor
  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Stone Bay, Margate and BroadstairsPark or nature
Beach

Stone Bay

Sandy bay below the cliffs, just north of Viking Bay.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Tankerton Slopes, WhitstableViewpoint
Viewpoint

Tankerton Slopes

Grassy slopes above the beach huts at Tankerton, a protected wildlife site with views over the Street.

Outdoor
  • Whitstable, Canterbury & Kent
The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, CanterburyMuseum
Museum

The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge

Museum, art gallery and library on the High Street; it also houses the Canterbury visitor information centre.

Indoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
The Westgate, CanterburyOther sight
Historic building

The Westgate

The largest surviving medieval city gate in England, built of Kentish ragstone around 1379; the road still runs between its drum towers.

  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
Timeball Tower, DealMuseum
Museum

Timeball Tower

Waterfront tower whose rooftop timeball, set up in 1855, gave Greenwich Mean Time to ships offshore; now a museum.

Indoor
  • Deal, Canterbury & Kent
Tudor House, Margate and BroadstairsHistoric house
Historic house

Tudor House

Timber-framed Tudor house in Margate Old Town.

  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Turner Contemporary, Margate and BroadstairsGallery
Gallery

Turner Contemporary

Contemporary art gallery on the harbour, named after J. M. W. Turner, who went to school in Margate and returned throughout his life.

Indoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Viking Bay, Margate and BroadstairsPark or nature
Beach

Viking Bay

Broadstairs' central sandy bay, with beach huts and children's rides, overlooked by Bleak House.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Walmer Castle, DealCastle
Castle

Walmer Castle

Henry VIII artillery fort with four round bastions and gardens, run by English Heritage, south of Deal on the seafront.

  • Deal, Canterbury & Kent
Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Margate and BroadstairsPark or nature
Beach

Walpole Bay Tidal Pool

Large sea-water bathing pool on the foreshore at Cliftonville.

Outdoor
  • Margate and Broadstairs, Canterbury & Kent
Westgate Gardens, CanterburyPark or nature
Park

Westgate Gardens

Riverside gardens on the Stour next to the Westgate.

Outdoor
  • Canterbury, Canterbury & Kent
White Cliffs of Dover, DoverPark or nature
Cliffs

White Cliffs of Dover

Chalk cliffs up to 110 metres high on both sides of the town; the National Trust looks after the stretch east of the port.

Outdoor
  • Dover, Canterbury & Kent
Whitstable Castle, WhitstableHistoric house
Historic house

Whitstable Castle

Castellated manor house, also called Tankerton Castle, between the harbour and Tankerton; Visit Canterbury suggests it for afternoon tea.

  • Whitstable, Canterbury & Kent
Whitstable Harbour, WhitstableOther sight
Harbour

Whitstable Harbour

Working harbour with fishing boats, food and gift huts, the South Quay Shed and boat trips.

Outdoor
  • Whitstable, Canterbury & Kent

By area

Things to do by area in Canterbury & Kent

Each link opens the area guide with the full descriptions, photos and directions.

More about Canterbury & Kent: the Canterbury & Kent guide, free things to do and UK museums and galleries.

How the flags work

What we show, and what we leave out

Every flag below comes from a source you can open. Where we hold no report, the list says "not stated" or shows nothing: it does not guess. Check the venue before you travel, because prices, hours and booking rules change.

  • Type. Our own grouping of each place's kind in our destination guides (for example museum, castle or garden). It is a filter, not a rating.
  • Entry (free or paid). Shown only where the venue's own website says so in plain words, read on 25 Oct 2026. 0 places here are marked free and 0 paid; the other 62 are not stated. "Free" means general admission: special exhibitions, events and facilities can still be charged. The words we relied on are on the sources page.
  • Booking. We have not yet read a venue page that advises booking for these places, so there is no booking filter. Check each official site.
  • Step-free. Reported status only, from OpenStreetMap contributors or the venue's own access page: 0 places have a step-free or partly step-free report. The step-free filter hides places with no report; that does not mean they are not accessible. Contact the venue.
  • Indoor or outdoor. Our rules for the kind of place (21 indoor, 0 partly covered, 21 outdoor; the rest are not classed). It says nothing about opening hours or shelter on the day.
  • Family-friendly. Places marked family-friendly in our guides (0 so far).
  • Nearest to me. Straight-line distance from the position your device reports when you choose it. The position stays in your browser.
  • Saved on this device. Places you have saved with the heart. They are kept in this browser only, and appear in My trip.

Sources

  1. Our destination guides: the places, descriptions and positions come from their "Things to do" pages, which link each venue's official site.
  2. Venue websites, read on 25 Oct 2026 for free-entry, admission-price and booking wording. Each flag and the words behind it: flag sources.
  3. OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), for reported step-free tags.
  4. Our free things guide, which lists places whose own websites say entry is free.