Name: Durham Cathedral
Rating: 5.0

Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral, Durham, UK

1-90 Years

Paid

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Description

Durham Cathedral is one of the UK’s most iconic historic landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With over 1,000 years of history, it stands proudly above the River Wear at the heart of Durham city. The cathedral offers a peaceful, inspiring space for visitors of all ages.

Visitors can enjoy guided cathedral tours, explore the museum, or climb the central tower for breathtaking city views. Highlights include St Cuthbert’s relics, medieval monastic buildings, the cloisters, and family-friendly activities. The surrounding riverbanks and woodlands provide scenic walking routes and wildlife spotting opportunities.

Entry to Durham Cathedral is free. The Cathedral Museum costs £7.50 per adult (under 18s free), while guided tours are £8.50 with Gift Aid / £7.50 without, and the Central Tower climb is £11.00 with Gift Aid / £10.00 without, with free access for accompanied children.

Overall, Durham Cathedral offers a rich mix of history, architecture, and natural beauty. It is welcoming, well maintained, and suitable for quiet reflection or active exploration. Whether you love history, views, or peaceful walks, this landmark is a must-visit in Durham.

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Host birthday parties: No

Features

Tours and Experiences

Take a Cathedral Tour: With over 1000 years of history at Durham Cathedral, it would be impossible to discover it all on your own. Book a place on a 1 hour tour and explore the cathedral with one of our expert volunteer guides. Hear about how Durham Cathedral was founded by wandering monks, how it was rebuilt into a symbol of Norman power, and how it faced the ravages of history to survive to today.
Climb the Central Tower: The central tower you see today was extensively rebuilt after two lightning strikes in 1429 and 1459. Standing 218ft or 66m tall, there are 325 steps on a narrow winding spiral staircase that take you to the top to experience breath-taking views of the city below. You can see and feel the contrast between the older stones spotted with 100 year old graffiti, and the fresher hand-chiselled stones made by our in-house stonemasons.

Durham Cathedral Museum

Monks Dormitory: Dating back to 1404, the medieval Monks Dormitory still has the original oak roof. Today, the dormitory holds our collection of early Christian stonework, including an impressive collection of Anglo-Scandinavian hogback grave markers, created as symbols of strength to protect the graves of those on the way to Valhalla. These are shown alongside other stone monuments, telling the story of the development of Christianity in the region.
Great Kitchen: Built in the 1370s, this room served as the cathedral kitchen until the 1940s. The treasures of St Cuthbert are on display here housed under the impressive stone octagonal ceiling. Many relics were uncovered during the opening of St Cuthberts shrine in 1827. The Great Kitchen displays his decorated, hand carved coffin made in 698, the Pectoral cross and silk textiles gifted to his body in 938 by King Athelstan. Alongside the treasures, you will find the original Sanctuary Ring and the dragon slaying sword, the Conyers Falchion.

Family adventures

Light a candle: Some people like to light a candle as a sign of prayer, which continues to burn after they have left the cathedral. If you like, you can write your prayer on a piece of paper and leave it in the basket. We will then read out your prayer at a service.
Borrow an activity backpack: Borrow a backpack filled with fun activities and challenges to explore the cathedral in a new and different way. Use the binoculars to spot hidden details high up, roll a die and find the object it lands on, plus get crafty with colouring sheets. To borrow a backpack for free on your next visit head to the Visitor Desk.
See Durham Cathedral in LEGO: After a few years in storage, the LEGO® version of Durham Cathedral has been re-built and is back on permanent display inside the museum. You can see the giant model for free, if you wish to explore the Museum further tickets are available (£7.50 per adult and free under 18's).
Calling all wizarding fans: Don your wizarding house colours and robes to explore some of Durham Cathedral's famous filming locations. Get a selfie in the cloisters and see if you can position yourself where the magic took place.
Junior Church: Join Junior Church to learn about the values of faith through activities, crafts and story readings, Sundays at 10am

Riverbanks and Woodlands

The woodlands and wildlife: The river Wear is one of the major rivers of North East England, starting in the Pennine hills and joining the sea at Wearmouth in Sunderland. In Durham, the river meanders round the cathedral, castle, and medieval city creating a loop known as the peninsula. The river is home to many species including salmon, eel and lamprey.
Visiting the riverbanks: A short walk from Framwellgate bridge will bring you to the riverbanks, a green space filled with walking routes and paths perfect for exploring in the heart of the city. Any time of year is great to enjoy a walk along one of the public footpaths and there are many benches along the way to stop and take in the views or sit and read a book.
Visiting with four-legged friends: Dogs are very welcome to explore the riverbanks and woodlands surrounding the cathedral. There are plenty of bins along the routes, and we ask that you use these to dispose of any waste to help us maintain the beauty of the surroundings.
Maintaining the landscape: In the 18th Century the wooded riverbanks were transformed into a planned landscape for leisure activities commissioned by the Dean and Chapter as part of a national trend to create Arcadian landscapes.

Facilities

Parking: The narrow, medieval streets mean there is no parking at the cathedral itself or nearby. There is also a congestion charge if you drive onto the Durham City peninsula. We recommend using public transport to reach the city centre, such as the Cathedral Bus or Park and Ride schemes.
Food & Drinks: Located just off the west side of the Cloister, the Undercroft Cafe is known for its delicious range of scones, cakes and biscuits, freshly prepared by our talented staff.
Toilets: There are toilets by the café, which can be reached through the cloister and toilets within the museum. There are also two accessible toilets.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Durham Cathedral Museum

Adult: £7.50
Under 18's: Free
Annual PassL: £15

Cathedral Tour

Adult (with Gift Aid) / Adult (without Gift Aid): £8.50 / £7.50
Under 18's: Free (must be accompanied by someone aged 18 or over)

Central Tower Tour

Adult (with Gift Aid) / Adult (without Gift Aid): £11.00 / £10.00
Child (8-17 years old): Free (Young climbers must be accompanied by someone over 18 years of age)

Pricing URL: https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Normal visitor hours (when all areas of the cathedral site are open):

Monday to Saturday 9.30am - 4.30pm
Sunday 12 noon - 3pm

Address: Durham Cathedral, Durham, UK

Post Code: DH1 3EH

Council: Durham

County: Durham

By Car: Durham lies west of the A1(M) and east of the A167. Durham's narrow, medieval streets mean there is no parking at the Cathedral itself, but there are several car parks a short walk away.
By Bus: The Cathedral Bus connects the Cathedral and Castle to the train station and coach drop-off point at Freeman's Place. It runs throughout the day, Monday to Saturday.
By Train: Durham Station is on the East Coast main railway line, just 15 minutes away from Newcastle. A journey from London takes three hours, and travel from Edinburgh takes about two hours.