Free entry with English Heritage membership
Adult: standard-day walk-up, without donation. EH members enter free; online advance booking saves up to 15%. Under-5s free. Walk-up range: £29.00 off-peak to £34.50 peak.
Child (5-17): standard-day walk-up, without donation. Walk-up range: £14.50 off-peak to £17.20 peak.
Concession: standard-day walk-up, without donation. Walk-up range: £26.30 off-peak to £31.80 peak.
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children): standard-day walk-up, without donation. Walk-up range: £72.70 off-peak to £86.30 peak.
Family (1 adult, up to 3 children): standard-day walk-up, without donation. Walk-up range: £43.60 off-peak to £51.80 peak.
No charge for anyone.
Free parking for castle visitors only. Opens with the site; up to 200 cars with peak-time overflow at Broadlees CT16 1HW. Blue Badge parking is near the Great Tower.
Dover Castle brings together medieval royal life and the military history of a fortress overlooking the Channel. Henry II's Great Tower contains recreated courtly interiors, while the Dover Castle Under Siege exhibition explains the struggle for the stronghold in 1216 and 1217. Families can try the siege-themed play area, and the Spur viewpoint gives a different perspective on the castle's defences. The grounds also contain a Roman lighthouse and later wartime structures, making the visit much broader than a single tower. Reviewers particularly enjoy the variety of periods represented and the views across Dover. Allow for walking between attractions and for stairs if you want to explore the upper tower rooms. The Operation Dynamo tunnels are currently closed for maintenance; check the visitor update before planning around a tunnel tour. Dogs on leads can explore the grounds, while assistance dogs are welcome across the site.
Later dates are in the calendar.
Off-peak days are £2.80 cheaper for an adult.
Off-peak prices, non-members
| Ticket | On the day | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £29.00 | £24.65 |
| Child | £14.50 | £12.32 |
| Concession | £26.30 | £22.35 |
| Family | £72.70 | £61.79 |
| Family (one adult) | £43.60 | £37.06 |
Arrival pin: the Castle Hill entrance gate and ticket hut, identified by the National Trust trail endpoint (51.126961, 1.320701), rather than the Great Tower. Follow castle staff and signs to visitor parking.
Operation Dynamo in the Secret Wartime Tunnels is closed for essential maintenance, with no reopening date confirmed. The Underground Hospital remains open.
Last admission is one hour before closing. Parking opens with the castle and is for castle visitors only; peak-time overflow is at Broadlees CT16 1HW.
Check the official date calendar for holiday openings, seasonal price bands and event exceptions. Later dates may differ from this snapshot.
Grounds and several exhibitions have wheelchair access. The Great Tower offers ground-floor access only; upper rooms and some tunnels require stairs. The Underground Hospital is not accessible to wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
English Heritage membership covers standard admission. National Trust membership alone does not cover entry. Special events may be charged separately.
Hero photograph: Chensiyuan. CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=60956709
Photo licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Dogs: Pet dogs on leads are permitted in the grounds only, not inside the castle buildings or tunnels. Assistance dogs are welcome across the site. The National Trust publishes a dog-friendly walking trail between its White Cliffs visitor centre and Dover Castle. Use that signed route, not the narrow road without a footway. Castle admission and the White Cliffs car park are separate; an EH card is not an NT parking entitlement.
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Dogs, with restrictions
The National Trust publishes a dog-friendly walking trail between its White Cliffs visitor centre and Dover Castle. Use that signed route, not the narrow road without a footway. Castle admission and the White Cliffs car park are separate; an EH card is not an NT parking entitlement.
