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, Oscar & Bentleys (10 Guildhall Street) and The Granville (Street End Lower Hardres) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Chapmans of Canterbury Ltd. (89-90 St. Dunstans Street) and Côte Brasserie - Canterbury (2 Longmarket) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Canterbury.

When to visit Canterbury

Canterbury in January
Estimated hotel price
£68
1 night at 3-star hotel
Canterbury in January
Estimated hotel price
£68
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 55 miles 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 Great Western Railway. The train journey from Canterbury to Oxford takes 0h 54m and costs around £31 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bristol, expect to pay about £26 for a 1h 36m trip. Located 0.4 miles from the city centre, Canterbury East is the busiest station in Canterbury. Another popular train station is Canterbury Chartham, located 3 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Canterbury is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 54 miles from Canterbury. You’ll find branches of Turo and U-Save, 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 130 miles and will cost you around £5. From Coventry, the ticket costs about £6 for a journey of 140 miles. The most popular bus station is Canterbury Park and Ride, located 1.5 miles from the city centre of Canterbury. Canterbury University of Kent is also a commonly used station, and is 1.2 miles from the city centre.

Plane

Although Canterbury doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), which is located 55 miles 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 Great Western Railway. The train journey from Canterbury to Oxford takes 0h 54m and costs around £31 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bristol, expect to pay about £26 for a 1h 36m trip. Located 0.4 miles from the city centre, Canterbury East is the busiest station in Canterbury. Another popular train station is Canterbury Chartham, located 3 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Canterbury is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 54 miles from Canterbury. You’ll find branches of Turo and U-Save, 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 130 miles and will cost you around £5. From Coventry, the ticket costs about £6 for a journey of 140 miles. The most popular bus station is Canterbury Park and Ride, located 1.5 miles from the city centre of Canterbury. Canterbury University of Kent is also a commonly used station, and is 1.2 miles from the city centre.

Airports near Canterbury

LHRLondon Heathrow
STNLondon Stansted
LGWLondon Gatwick

Airlines serving Canterbury

KLM
Good (1,406 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,541 reviews)
Delta
Good (7,992 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,485 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,031 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,776 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,001 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,999 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,482 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,394 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,659 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (862 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,372 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,545 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,283 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,135 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,210 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,043 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,333 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,388 reviews)
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Find flights to Canterbury

Where to stay in Canterbury

Average rates range from around £106 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £163 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Canterbury, with prices from £50 to £499 per night. Downtown is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Canterbury are about 19% 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)
£84+
View
The Marine
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
£116+
View
Hotel Continental
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
£93+
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Hampton by Hilton Canterbury
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
£72+
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The Victoria Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
£68+
View
Yha Canterbury
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
£30+
View

Hiring a car in Canterbury

Hiring a car in Canterbury costs £40 per day, on average, or £80 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 £21.64. The most frequently booked car type in Canterbury is Economy (Opel Corsa or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Ford Puma or similar) is, on average, 74% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Canterbury costs £40 per day, on average, or £80 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 £21.64. The most frequently booked car type in Canterbury is Economy (Opel Corsa or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Ford Puma or similar) is, on average, 74% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Canterbury

Canterbury Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Canterbury city guide for the best Canterbury travel tips. To help you organise your Canterbury trip ideas, this Canterbury visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.