Canterbury, the pilgrims' cathedral 55 minutes from London.

Canterbury is the quickest day trip from London: 55 minutes by high-speed train from St Pancras and you are in a small, flat walled city that revolves around a cathedral. Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered here in 1170, and for centuries pilgrims came to his tomb; Chaucer told of their journey in the Canterbury Tales. Today the cathedral, the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey and the little church of St Martin are a World Heritage Site, and between them are alleys of Tudor houses, tea rooms and Roman mosaics beneath the street.

How do you get there from London?

By high-speed train, which is the most convenient. Southeastern leaves London St Pancras International and reaches Canterbury West in about 55 minutes; the fastest take 51. The station is north of the wall, ten minutes' walk from the cathedral, and right next to The Goods Shed market.

By train from Victoria. Southeastern trains from London Victoria go to Canterbury East, south of the centre. They take considerably longer, but the ticket is sometimes cheaper. With a return ticket you can go by one line and come back by the other if you buy it open.

By car, via the A2 and M2, it takes between an hour and a half and two hours from central London, depending on traffic. The centre is almost pedestrianised and parking is expensive: use the park-and-ride sites at the entrances to the city, with a bus to the centre. The cathedral only lets Blue Badge holders park.

What to see in a day

Start at 11:00 with the guided walking tour that leaves from the Buttermarket: an hour and a half through the alleys and the cathedral precincts, with qualified local guides. Then go into the cathedral unhurried: the Romanesque crypt, the site of Becket's martyrdom, the stained glass and the tomb of the Black Prince. Allow two hours.

For lunch, go down to The Goods Shed, next to Canterbury West station, or buy a picnic there and take it to the Westgate Gardens, by the river and beneath the medieval gate. In the afternoon, choose between the Roman Museum, underground and with a mosaic in situ, and the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, five minutes from the cathedral. The Beaney, free, is the plan if it rains. Finish with tea at Tiny Tim's before the train.

A warning: the boat trips on the River Stour, which used to leave beside the high street, are not running in 2026.

Is it worth staying the night?

For the cathedral one day is enough, but a night allows two things the day-tripper doesn't do. The first is to sleep at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, inside the precincts: admission to the cathedral is included and in the morning you can stroll the empty cloister. The second is to link up with the coast: Whitstable, the oyster town, is half an hour away by bus or 12 kilometres along the Crab and Winkle Way greenway, by bike or on foot through woodland.

When to go

Spring and early autumn are the best times: long days and fewer groups. In July and August the cathedral admission goes up at weekends and the city fills with language-course students. In December there is a Christmas market and Advent concerts in the cathedral, although it gets dark early. Bear in mind that on Sundays the cathedral church does not open until 12:30 and the Beaney is closed on Mondays.

How much does it cost?

The cathedral costs £18 from October to March, £19.50 in spring and summer and £21 at weekends in July and August; under-18s go in free with an adult. The guided walking tour, £16; the Roman Museum, £11; the Beaney, nothing. Eating in the market costs £10–15; sitting down, £30–45. The high-speed train is expensive without a reservation: buy in advance for a specific time.