Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
About
Explore Durham Cathedral, part of Durham’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the resting places of iconic Northern saints St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede as pilgrims have done for 1000 years, and discover the cathedral’s history as a place of faith, art and remembrance. Look up to see stained glass windows and pause by the County Durham miners and local regiment memorials. Step into the cathedral’s museum to see the treasures of St Cuthbert on display in the spaces previously part of Durham’s medieval Benedictine monastery. No admission charge. If you are able, please consider donating £5 tosupport the cathedral’s future
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- Anne Wren20 contributionsBeautiful placeThis is one of my favourite religious buildings in the world and we took our New Zealand friends when they were over. They agreed with me. The whole building is fascinating but the star of the show must be the amazing columnsVisited September 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 2 October 2023
- wtandyLaunceston, Australia1,237 contributionsAwesome CathedralGorgeous, highly significant, ancient Cathedral. So beautiful to visit and appreciate in person. I've been here twice, and couldn't ever imagine visiting the beautiful City of Durham without stopping here. Free to visit but recommended £5 donation gratefully received. Lovely to share the experience with my adult daughter, and to join in on a prayer on this occasion.Visited October 2023Travelled soloWritten 4 October 2023
- Felixstowe2016Felixstowe, United Kingdom6,961 contributionsWhat a wonderWhat a wonder and a must to visit, Norman cathedral 1093, replacing the city's previous 'White Church. In 1986 the cathedral and Durham Castle were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Durham Cathedral's relics include: Saint Cuthbert's, transported to Durham by Lindisfarne monks in the 800s; Saint Oswald's head and the Venerable Bede's remains.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 9 October 2023
- walljanRamsgate, United Kingdom363 contributionsHighly recommendedNot to be missed worth the uphill walk or take a bus. Very atmospheric and historic, a lovely place to sit and take in the stillness of the venue. Good facilities also with shop, cafe and toilets. Staff very welcoming and helpful.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 12 October 2023
- Climber637052875756 contributionsA piece of history you should NOT missWhat an amazing place. I'm not a religious person, but while in there, I think I became spiritual! I lit a few candles for some loved ones while there. Massive pipe organs, several of them. Someone out of sight was playing one. It was amazing. It made me cry. I don't know why. Gift shop is very nice. Cafeteria style restaurant was good. Everyone friendly.Visited September 2023Travelled with familyWritten 22 October 2023
- Chris TLincoln, United Kingdom388 contributionsFabulous building, must see it.Having visited a number of English cathedrals, we definitely rate Durham as one of the best. A warm welcome from staff, a warm environment (surprisingly so on a cold day) and stunning architecture. St Cuthbert's tomb was a special place and the 9 chapels behind this were hidden gems. Too much to see in one visit and we will definitely return to see more.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 October 2023
- Claire E6 contributionsExceptional Cathedral team memberVisiting with my Uncle, we asked for some advice at the reception desk. Neil made a great effort to find the information we needed. He then went above & beyond, acquiring a key to show us the Chapel of The Cross - absolutely fascinating history & contents. Neil also showed us features of great interest as we approached the chapel. It was a wonderful, surprise addition to our visit. We really appreciated it all. Thank you Neil!Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 28 October 2023
- Lancs.ReviewerChorley, United Kingdom10 contributionsAmazing Cathedral in a Beautiful CityIt's a stunning building. Lots of comments complaining about 'having' to donate in order to enter. Donations are advised, but they won't stop you going in if you do not donate, and when we donated, they were very grateful. I would say it is the best cathedral we've visited in England and thoroughly deserves its UNESCO World Heritage Site Status. The interior is also amazing and would thoroughly recommend going up the tower (adults do have to pay for this, but it is worth it).Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 29 October 2023
- MikeGlossop, United Kingdom1,397 contributionsClimb the tower for a stunning viewThe cathedral itself is a must-see when in the area, but I would also highly recommend the tower tour and the museum tours which are a very modest £7.50 each. I was lucky as I arrived at the perfect time to do both at 1pm and 2pm respectively. The museum is only open for tours and the 14th century monks dormitory where it is housed is worth seeing in its own right, but there’s also an amazing collection of Celtic crosses and relics of St Cuthbert including some rare surviving Saxon lace and some early books. The cathedral is closed to visitors during services so plan your visit beforehand.Visited November 2023Travelled soloWritten 19 November 2023
- AledwardCounty Durham, United Kingdom6 contributionsCathedral Secret Spaces Tour - ExcellentJust returned from the excellent Durham Cathedral Secret Spaces Tour. Our guide Neil was friendly , enthusiastic and had a great knowledge of the Cathedral and its history. We ended the tour with a lovely afternoon tea inside the rooms of this amazing Cathedral. This tour is real value for money and would certainly recommend to others. Many thanks.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
7,158 reviews
Excellent
5,561
Very good
1,299
Average
179
Poor
60
Terrible
59
karen m
Sheffield, UK26 contributions
Aug 2020
Obviously a stunning building which should have 5 stars but the cloisters, tower, treasure etc are closed so now is not the best time to visit, so 3 stars. I'm not sure why Covid would make a visit to the cloisters outside any more dangerous than being in the entrance vestibule but it is shut off, and in such a way that it's not possible even to view the space.
I would recommend delaying visiting till another month/year. That's said, as they ask for donations rather than charging an entrance fee you can revisit for free another safer time which is great if that is an option.
The staff were helpful and friendly. There isn't much information displayed in the cathedral so a guide is helpful.
I would recommend delaying visiting till another month/year. That's said, as they ask for donations rather than charging an entrance fee you can revisit for free another safer time which is great if that is an option.
The staff were helpful and friendly. There isn't much information displayed in the cathedral so a guide is helpful.
Written 22 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lesley h
Retford, UK664 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
What an incredible place. Before paying to get in we were treated to a fascinating chat from one of the many ‘helpers ‘ in the cathedral, who outlined a brief history of the cathedral & information about St Cuthbert & the Venerable Bead. We decided to do the tower (£5 each), the ‘Open Treasure ‘ exhibition (£7.50) & pay £3 each for the Cathedral. It was all worth it. You need to be fit & healthy to climb the tower but the views are spectacular from the top. I cannot emphasise enough the beauty of the cathedral; every part of it is stunning
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynne1153
Edinburgh, UK1,051 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Our family visited here yesterday. It is a beautiful cathedral with lots of staff on hand to answer questions. We happily paid the money for the entrance fee, we then visited the special exhibition which was another £17.50. No photos were allowed which was a shame. We were then going to climb the tower but were told this was extra too and you had to walk back to reception to get tickets? This made it a rather expensive visit for a family of 4.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard W
Poole, UK84 contributions
Jun 2021
Our visit to the cathedral was hampered by the fact that a concert was being performed that evening and the place was in chaos with singers practising, sound engineers setting up microphones, and television cameras being placed and checked. This involved dozens of people and a large amount of equipment so restricted areas we could visit. The stain glassed windows are beautiful, and the history of the building is explained all around. The gift shop was well stocked and the pot of tea in the cafe was nice and reasonably priced. It's a shame that we live on the south coast and probably our only visit was spoilt by the setting up of the evening concert. Considering it is free to enter the cathedral, so they were not losing any entrance fees, it would have been nice for the people acting as meet and greet agents at the entrance to explain what was going on inside allowing us to decide if we wanted to enter or leave it for another day.
Written 29 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan
Newport, UK65 contributions
Jan 2020
After a short uphill walk along the River wear is the Cathedral, a place to visit when in the city of Durham. A voluntary donation of £3 per person is asked for. Staff are friendly and pictures are allowed. Interesting artwork, architecture and artifacts including the Rose Window. Lovely gift shop and cafe.
Written 10 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joanne n
Darlington, UK278 contributions
Feb 2020
We have visited a numerous of times, this time was for the ice trail that was on as there was a sculpture inside the building again..
We donated a fee at reception and the lady asked if my daughter would like to do a trail, we received a trail to find birds hidden around the cathedral which my daughter loved looking for. The staff were friendly and it was lovely to take photos inside the building as previously you were not allowed.
It’s a magnificent building and one day would be lovely to explore it in more detail.
We tried the onsite cafe which was lovely. Plenty of space and delicious fruit scones.
I would recommend a visit if in this area. It has appeared in a few movies from Hardy Potter to the Avengers.
We donated a fee at reception and the lady asked if my daughter would like to do a trail, we received a trail to find birds hidden around the cathedral which my daughter loved looking for. The staff were friendly and it was lovely to take photos inside the building as previously you were not allowed.
It’s a magnificent building and one day would be lovely to explore it in more detail.
We tried the onsite cafe which was lovely. Plenty of space and delicious fruit scones.
I would recommend a visit if in this area. It has appeared in a few movies from Hardy Potter to the Avengers.
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
martinmolloy72
Manchester, UK801 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
This grand old lady has towered over the city of Durham for centuries. It is as splendid on the inside as the outside.
Admission is free and you are able to wander around at your leisure or for the nominal fee of £5 attend a guided tour.
High points of the cathedral include the tomb of St Cuthbert, the Venerable Bede, the Rose window, an antique clock and a modern day stained glass window of the last supper.
There is a gift shop and cafe that serves hot and cold food plus local Durham ales (give it try).
Admission is free and you are able to wander around at your leisure or for the nominal fee of £5 attend a guided tour.
High points of the cathedral include the tomb of St Cuthbert, the Venerable Bede, the Rose window, an antique clock and a modern day stained glass window of the last supper.
There is a gift shop and cafe that serves hot and cold food plus local Durham ales (give it try).
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hari Seldon
Cumbria, UK175 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
Although I have to admit to not being religious my wife, who is, wanted to see the shrine of St Cuthbert so off we went to the Cathedral. They have a one way system in operation which works well. Entry is free but they do ask for donations which I gave in full. On asking for a paper guide we were told we had to give another donation! Finally, we got into the building and my wife asked an attendant where the shrine was only to be told it was closed and wouldn’t be open until 1:00pm! No signs anywhere to inform you of this that we had noticed. So a little bit disappointed we set off and couldn’t believe that two minutes later an announcement was made that the cathedral was closing in five minutes for some kind of service. Whereupon we were ushered out. Again, no notices to warn you. When we left, we decided to walk around the building to at least get a view of the outside and it is very apparent that little or no grounds maintenance has been done. To be honest the grounds are disgraceful. Not easy to see where they are spending all the money they say it takes to run the place.
Written 15 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TrishYorkUK
York UK425 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
Never before have I entered a church/ cathedral advertising free entry and yet forces its visitors to join a queue to what is basically a ticket box office to then pressure them into handing over a ‘voluntary’ £5 entrance fee. I didn’t see one person refuse to pay as I think most people would have been embarrassed to do so.I am practising Christian and act as a welcomer at our Abbey which is free entry - money is never mentioned. There are boxes with gift aid envelopes at both the west and the south door entrances but that is as far as it goes. I have to say that many of our visitors do seem to leave something. Durham is a wonderful cathedral but its staff do need to think very carefully about how they intend to present and then carry out an entrance policy.
Written 24 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WoodlandsHall
Durham, UK152 contributions
Feb 2020
I recently took my family for a special Harry Potter afternoon tea in the Chapter House and a guided tour of Durham Cathedral, priced a5 £39 per person.
Firstly, the guided tour of the cathedral was fantastic and the volunteer guide we had was very friendly and informative. After the tour which lasted around 45 mins to an hour we were taken to The Chapter House where afternoon tea was waiting for us. The general public are not normally allowed into The Chapter House so it was a real privilege to have afternoon tea in a room that played a major part in several of the Harry Potter films. There was approx 45 - 50 guests for afternoon tea which were seated on one very long table ( as seen in the Harry Potter Films ) . I can understand why the tables were set out in this way however for me it simply did not work for several reasons. As my party were seated along one side of the long table it proved difficult to hold a conversation with my party guests. Secondly, the way the food was set out made it extremely difficult to establish what was your food. On the subject of food I personally found the selection made available disappointing and lacked imagination . I certainly did not expect to see Tuna sandwich’s appear on an afternoon tea menu. At the end of the afternoon tea everyone had the opportunity to dress up using some of the props. from the Harry Potter films. All in all, while the tour of the Cathedral and visit to The Chapter House proved to be the highlight of the afternoon the afternoon tea was extremely disappointing and was certainly not worth the price of £39 per person. However , on this occasion it was a lovely thought that our money contributed to a very good cause.
Firstly, the guided tour of the cathedral was fantastic and the volunteer guide we had was very friendly and informative. After the tour which lasted around 45 mins to an hour we were taken to The Chapter House where afternoon tea was waiting for us. The general public are not normally allowed into The Chapter House so it was a real privilege to have afternoon tea in a room that played a major part in several of the Harry Potter films. There was approx 45 - 50 guests for afternoon tea which were seated on one very long table ( as seen in the Harry Potter Films ) . I can understand why the tables were set out in this way however for me it simply did not work for several reasons. As my party were seated along one side of the long table it proved difficult to hold a conversation with my party guests. Secondly, the way the food was set out made it extremely difficult to establish what was your food. On the subject of food I personally found the selection made available disappointing and lacked imagination . I certainly did not expect to see Tuna sandwich’s appear on an afternoon tea menu. At the end of the afternoon tea everyone had the opportunity to dress up using some of the props. from the Harry Potter films. All in all, while the tour of the Cathedral and visit to The Chapter House proved to be the highlight of the afternoon the afternoon tea was extremely disappointing and was certainly not worth the price of £39 per person. However , on this occasion it was a lovely thought that our money contributed to a very good cause.
Written 8 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you drive to cathedral to drop someone off, do you have to pay congestion charge?
Written 25 February 2024
There is space for disabled parking but there are regular buses from the town up to the cathedral
Written 26 February 2024
Hi! I'm considering a visit to the cathedral in a few weeks but several parts are still closed (cloister, central tower, library, quire and side chapels). Do you think it is still worth the visit now or are those parts "essential"? I would only get the chance to go once to Durham. Thanks a lot for your advice!!
Written 10 August 2020
It’s still worth a visit. It’s a fantastic place and when you round the corner you will say out loud “WOW”. But if you want to see it all open you might be better to call and see what’s open to public as it’s well worth the visit. If you have to travel far I would consider waiting. But it’s up to you
Written 11 August 2020
Hi John
Unsure although guide dogs will be fine. Check with the venue
There are some lovely riverside walks and most venues accept dogs with Durham City beautiful and on the up
Thanks
Written 8 March 2020
Can you still light a REAL candle for loved ones? ( not electric).
Thank you
Written 1 October 2018
Indeed you can, with a choice of either traditional or tealight candles.
Written 6 October 2018
It’s a cathedral! Why would you want Wi-fi??
Written 24 July 2018
Is there somewhere to store (camera) bags - I understand photography is not allowed but don't want to leave camera in car/hotel?
Written 1 November 2017
Half the people there are carrying cameras. Most are also taking taking pictures when cathedral personnel are not watching.
Written 22 June 2018
We are a group of 8 and we would like to attend Evensong. Can we get tickets in advance? What time should we arrive to tour the cathedral and go to Evensong or should we go back later?
Written 25 July 2017
I'm not sure I would contact the cathedral directly.
Written 27 July 2017
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