Dover Castle Entrance Ticket

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1. Dover Castle offers one of the best days out in the country. Commanding the gateway to the realm for over nine centuries, the fortress has been at the heart of some of the most significant events in England's history.

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Reviews

Beoordelingen komen uit 286 reviews die onze boekingspartner verzamelt. Het zijn de eigen woorden van reizigers, in de volgorde waarin ze geschreven zijn — nooit herschikt om de ervaring mooier te maken.

Hier staan reviews die in het Engels geschreven zijn.

• 52,000 Years of History, Several Wars and Not a Single Working Lift! 🏰🤣

  Dover Castle is absolutely magnificent! A spectacular fortress perched high above the English Channel, packed with fascinating history, incredible views and enough steps to make your legs consider submitting a formal complaint. And here’s the best bit: I’m an English Heritage member, so admission is included in my membership! Honestly, what a brilliant membership to have. You can explore some of the country’s most extraordinary historical places without paying the usual admission charge every time. I felt positively smug walking in. Not quite medieval royalty, but certainly someone who knows a good deal when she sees one. Dover Castle has been guarding this stretch of coastline for centuries, and the site has an extraordinary history stretching back to Roman times. There’s even a Roman lighthouse, or pharos, dating from around the second century AD. Nearly 2,000 years old! Two thousand years! Meanwhile, I’ve owned household appliances that have given up after eighteen months. The great medieval castle was developed under Henry II in the 12th century, including its magnificent Great Tower. And what a tower it is! Built to demonstrate royal power and prestige, it certainly makes an impression. Henry clearly wasn’t interested in subtlety. Some kings buy an impressive crown. Henry apparently decided he needed an enormous stone building visible from miles away. And I thought I was extravagant when I bought myself a new handbag. The Great Tower is wonderful to explore, with recreated medieval interiors that give a real sense of royal life. You can imagine kings, courtiers and important visitors wandering around looking terribly grand. Although I suspect the servants spent most of their time thinking, “Whose ridiculous idea was it to build all these stairs?” Then there’s the famous siege of 1216, when Prince Louis of France attempted to capture Dover Castle during the First Barons’ War. The defenders, led by Hubert de Burgh, held out against the attackers. Imagine being told your working day involves defending an enormous castle against an invading army. And I thought dealing with a difficult Monday morning was stressful. But the history doesn’t stop with medieval battles. The secret wartime tunnels are absolutely fascinating. During the Second World War, Dover Castle played a vital role in Britain’s defence. Deep beneath the castle, the tunnels became an important military command centre. Most remarkably, they were involved in Operation Dynamo, the extraordinary evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk in 1940. Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay directed the naval evacuation from his headquarters beneath Dover Castle, helping coordinate the rescue of more than 338,000 Allied servicemen. Standing in a place connected to such an extraordinary moment in history really does make you appreciate its significance. And just when you think the castle has revealed all its secrets, there’s more! Parts of the underground complex were later developed for Cold War government use, including plans for a regional seat of government in the event of nuclear war. Honestly, this place has had more careers than most people. Roman lookout, medieval fortress, military headquarters, wartime command centre, Cold War bunker… All it needs now is a coffee franchise and a loyalty card. The views are another enormous highlight. Looking out across the English Channel from such an important defensive position is wonderful. On a clear day, you can even see the French coast. Which is rather convenient, considering how much of the castle’s history involves keeping a very close eye on what was happening over there. I imagine centuries of soldiers standing on the battlements saying, “Anything happening in France?” “No.” “Excellent. Same time tomorrow?” The whole site is fascinating, beautifully presented and full of opportunities to explore. There is so much to see that a quick visit can easily turn into several hours. A word of advice: wear comfortable shoes. Dover Castle was built to resist invading armies, not to accommodate people hoping for a gentle afternoon stroll. There are hills, slopes, steps, towers and more steps. At one point I began to suspect Henry II had invented the medieval equivalent of a gym membership. And unlike my English Heritage membership, that particular membership comes with sore calves. But what a fantastic experience! The history is extraordinary, the surroundings are beautiful, and the opportunity to explore everything from Roman remains to medieval royal chambers and Second World War tunnels makes Dover Castle somewhere genuinely special. And I cannot praise English Heritage membership enough. Having admission included at places like this is fantastic, particularly if you enjoy returning to discover something you missed the first time. With so many historical sites to explore, it’s a wonderful way to enjoy Britain’s heritage. Five enormous, enthusiastic stars for Dover Castle! Nearly 2,000 years of history, spectacular architecture, incredible military stories and views that are worth the climb. My only complaint is that after surviving Roman occupation, medieval sieges, two world wars and the Cold War, the castle has still failed to install an escalator. Come on, English Heritage. Henry II has had over 800 years to sort it out. I’ll definitely be back. Once my legs have forgiven me. 🏰🤣

  TawseTerrieroktober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Great day out for everyone

  Whether you are an English heritage member or not Dover Castle is definitely want to visit. You can spend the whole day there there is so much to see and do and it is very interesting and you learn a lot. I particularly like the tour of the underground hospital that made it quite atmospheric. There there are a couple of restaurants on site so you could stop and have a bite to eat for lunch or just a coffee and a cake to climb up to the top of the castle gives great views over Dover and he’s definitely worth climbing those steps. I think anybody of any age would get some enjoyment out of a day spent at Dover Castle.

  NatBow7oktober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5The grand fortress of Kent (and England)

  This was truly an amazing castle, sprawling over so much land...it had perfect photo opps every which way you turned! Awesome displays, especially the large medieval weaponry (with descriptive panels telling you about the principles of physics behind them), and the side-rooms containing multimedia exhibits on past periods of the castle - we loved the 13th century exhibits in particular. Ascending the central tower is a great experience, where you can see King Henry II's throne room (and get photos there too!) While we were somewhat disappointed that the WWII tunnels were suddenly closed, there was still plenty for us to see outside the main castle, including the medieval tunnels, the WWI peripheral exhibits, and St. Mary-in-Castro church. All very well worth it, the perfect day out!!

  Vensure1september 2026via Tripadvisor

• 4This castle is huge and needs time to make the most of the experience

  We went to Dover Castle under our own steam and, unfortunately, in really heavy rain. It didn't dampen the cheerfulness of the staff and we received a warm welcome not just at the entrance to this English Heritage site but also at different points of our self- led tour with the guide map. It is a hilly site with many stairs, so be aware of this if you struggle with mobility. The older part of the site is the highest point of the hillside but it is well-worth it. We are still stunned at the water drop into the well and the explosive sound it made 300ft beneath the mouth of the well! We had great information from the volunteers about furnishings, course and lifestyles - who know that the rich used to sleep sitting up in case the devil got them (and to aid digestion)..... The information films are great...the underground hospital is a great exhibition...the staff are super helpful and well-informed. Had it not be raining so heavily, we would have stayed much longer.

  728bernadettemseptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 1Even a violent political protest will not provide Viator with sufficient reason to cancel

  We sailed into Dover the morning of our tour only to immediately sail away due to a violent anti-immigration protest developing at the Port. We understand from our cruise ship Captain that the local police did not want us disembarking that morning for safety reasons as the protest was becoming violent. Disruption occurred throughout the town. We requested a refund only to be denied because we didn’t provide 24 hours. Quite odd request as the protest was unannounced and prevented us from leaving the ship and enjoying the tour. Very disappointed in Viator’s decision to deny our refund holding true to their 24 hour cancellation policy which was impossible to comply with. We will look to other providers for all future tour needs.

  David_Wseptember 2026via Viator

• 5Absolutely worth the visit

  The castle was awesome to visit. From the tower and posing on the throne, to the tunnels below, it was an amazing place. Purchasing our tickets in advance saved us waiting in a long line. The hop on bus from the port made the visit easy. Highly recommend!

  Freda_Bseptember 2026via Viator

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How it compares in Dover

• Its from-price is 91% below the median of the 64 experiences we list in Dover.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 1 of 64.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Dover

Dover is the Kent port town beneath the white cliffs, with a hilltop castle, ferries to France and a Bronze Age boat in its museum.

Dover lies where the chalk of the North Downs meets the sea, and on a clear day the French coast is visible across the narrowest part of the English Channel. Dover Castle, which crowns the hill, has a twelfth-century keep built for Henry II, a Roman lighthouse in its grounds and tunnels dug into the cliff that served as naval headquarters during the Dunkirk evacuation. Ferries still leave from one of Europe's busiest ports.

See all 64 experiences in Dover