Introduction
What to do
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

Canterbury travel guide

Canterbury Tourism | Canterbury Guide

You're Going to Love Canterbury

With a population of 46.978, Canterbury is a must-see destination in England, United Kingdom. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Canterbury deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Canterbury

If you’re looking for affordable options, Chapter One (Farnborough Common) and The Ivy, Canterbury (15 Parade) are great picks.

When to visit Canterbury

Canterbury in January
Estimated hotel price
£71
1 night at 3-star hotel
Canterbury in January
Estimated hotel price
£71
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Canterbury

Plane

Although Canterbury doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), which is located 89 km from Canterbury. The shortest domestic flight to Canterbury departs from Belfast and takes around 1h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Canterbury, followed by Avanti West Coast. The train journey from Canterbury to Birmingham takes 1h 47m and costs around £43 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bournemouth, expect to pay about £40 for a 2h 00m trip. Located 0.6 km from the city centre, Canterbury East is the busiest station in Canterbury. Another popular train station is Canterbury Chartham, located 5 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Canterbury is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 87 km from Canterbury. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Turo, among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Canterbury, including National Express, FlixBus and Megabus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Canterbury takes 209 km and will cost you around £4. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about £10 for a journey of 217 km. The most popular bus station is Canterbury Park and Ride, located 2.4 km from the city centre of Canterbury. Canterbury University of Kent is also a commonly used station, and is 2.0 km from the city centre.

Plane

Although Canterbury doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), which is located 89 km from Canterbury. The shortest domestic flight to Canterbury departs from Belfast and takes around 1h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Canterbury, followed by Avanti West Coast. The train journey from Canterbury to Birmingham takes 1h 47m and costs around £43 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bournemouth, expect to pay about £40 for a 2h 00m trip. Located 0.6 km from the city centre, Canterbury East is the busiest station in Canterbury. Another popular train station is Canterbury Chartham, located 5 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Canterbury is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 87 km from Canterbury. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Turo, among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Canterbury, including National Express, FlixBus and Megabus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Canterbury takes 209 km and will cost you around £4. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about £10 for a journey of 217 km. The most popular bus station is Canterbury Park and Ride, located 2.4 km from the city centre of Canterbury. Canterbury University of Kent is also a commonly used station, and is 2.0 km from the city centre.

Airports near Canterbury

LHRLondon Heathrow
STNLondon Stansted
LGWLondon Gatwick

Airlines serving Canterbury

KLM
Good (1,432 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,626 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,007 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,571 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,090 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,810 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,095 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,045 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,677 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,434 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,504 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,516 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (879 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,331 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,605 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,095 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,334 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,146 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,432 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,412 reviews)
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Find flights to Canterbury

Where to stay in Canterbury

Average rates range from around £88 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £110 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Canterbury, with prices from £39 to £496 per night. Downtown is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Canterbury are about 6% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Canterbury

Most booked hotels in Canterbury

See all
The Crescent Turner Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
£90+
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Hampton by Hilton Canterbury
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
£67+
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The Marine
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
£93+
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Hotel Continental
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
£84+
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The Victoria Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
£64+
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Yha Canterbury
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
£29+
View

Hiring a car in Canterbury

Hiring a car in Canterbury costs £37 per day, on average, or £73 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

Expect to pay £1.36 per litre in Canterbury (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £16.23 and £21.63. Intermediate (Nissan Qashqai or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Canterbury, while also 48% cheaper than other types, on average.

Hiring a car in Canterbury costs £37 per day, on average, or £73 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

Expect to pay £1.36 per litre in Canterbury (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £16.23 and £21.63. Intermediate (Nissan Qashqai or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Canterbury, while also 48% cheaper than other types, on average.

Find car hire in Canterbury