Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Dover Castle

    4.4 (54 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Dover Castle Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Dover Castle

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Good site for learning history and geography but it's too big and expensive. Bring at least £15 and prepare to walk at least 2km or more. Recommended for tourists and hikers/walkers

    Angie O.

    Who DOESN'T love a castle that dates back to 1100 AD? Located near the White Cliffs of Dover, this magnificent castles looks over the English Channel and the town of Dover. I love British history and could have easily spent 4 hours exploring and learning. Besides it's impressive size, I think what is most fascinating about this castle is that is has survived through countless battles and both World Wars. There are two tours of the underground tunnels, and I was told the hospital annex is fascinating. Unfortunately, I was with a tour group and should have gone on this tour prior to exploring on my own. Ensure you have comfortable footwear as there are A LOT of stairs and a lot of walking, some of it is pretty steep. Also be prepared for high winds and rain! It was by far the windiest place I have been during my two trips to Southern England. I also recommend spending the £3 for the National Heritage book on the castle. It has great photos and also summarizes the history presented across the grounds.

    Susan C.

    This British national treasure is located nearby the White Cliffs of Dover, and is a great visit to get in touch with the history of the area and of England. The castle's beginnings start with it's establishment as hillside fortifications around 500BC, continuing through the ages as use for various functions by varied rulers with construction demolitions/additions leading to it's current blueprint established around 1180AD by Henry II. Dover Castle held notable roles in both World Wars I and II, as a strategic defense base and garrison by the British Royal Navy to protect against German subs, airborne missile strikes, and with WWII, a hospital annex and naval headquarters for Operation Dynamo which rescued over 300K troops from Dunkirk. Tickets to the castle are currently £23 for regular adult admission with discounts for seniors, students, and members. There are two well-organized tours of the secret wartime tunnels (one focusing on the hospital annex, the other on Operation Dunkirk headquarters,) with regularly scheduled start times that you need to queue up for since there is a limit of about 25-35 people per tour. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and answered everyone's questions, even staying afterwards with a few people who had additional follow up questions post-tour. After our tour, outside on the lawns overlooking the Dover Strait, there happened to be an insightful live display of anti-missile artillery guns (no ammunition of course) with local performers in costume, to show what responsibilities of soldiers would have been during WWI and II to shoot down any incoming threats. The Great Tower with medieval displays are a fun and colorful look at what life in the castle may have looked like, in addition they have some family friendly activities posted daily. And the gorgeous panoramic views atop the tower are not to be missed! Note for accessibility: for those needing assistance walking the paths, there are small accessibility vans that can be called or flagged down to bring visitors between some areas of the castle.

    The reconstructed banquet hall in the castle
    Gabriel B.

    This castle was one of my favorites in the country the combination of original elements as well as reconstructed sections shows not only what the castle looks like today but also what it would have looked like in the past. There were many people wearing period outfits and reenacting scenes, making the castle feel much more alive. I recommend this castle to anyone passing through the area not only for the castle but also for the stunning views of the white cliffs.

    Chapel
    Ardis B.

    We really enjoyed Dover Castle! I enjoyed the medieval history and the WW2 history in one place. The castle was very well preserved and had a lot of interactive exhibits. We got to see a parade of actors in military uniform playing fife and drums also! There is definitely something for every member of your family. We had some scones with cream and jam and tea at the cafe. They were good and the cafe had a lot of other options available as well. We took the guided tour through the WW2 tunnels and it was very informative and definitely held our interest. There were also several nice gift shops available.

    Moat
    Dave C.

    The castle and grounds date back over 800 years and one could easily spend 5 hours here. As such, arrive early. Our challenge is that we took the train to Dover and got off at the train station. Our app said it was a 1 mile walk. Well... that would include twisty roads, with a steep incline - so fortunately we found a bus. The bus takes you close to the rear entrance. The front entrance has a visitor center, instructions, and from reading the other reviews, access to guided tours. We got brief instructions and a map from the rear entrance. Having said that, we saw the history of England as relative to the castle. We saw a war museum. We saw the castle itself with bedroom, play area, dining, storage, kitchen, and fantastic views of the countryside from the top. We also saw the medieval tunnels, a medieval church, an ancient Roman lighthouse - and the last thing we saw was the actual visitor center. Took us 4 hours for all that. Very well preserved.

    Look off in the distance, middle of photo is Dover castle from in the town of Dover :)
    Erica C.

    Wear good shoes, if the weather hints at rain or cold wear warm clothes, if it's a hot day take a hat, it's waaaaaaaay up there and such a neat view from just about every area you walk to and from. There are a couple areas that are super steep to walk down and then remember you have to go back up. There is a set of stairs that's not for the faint of heart or those that are claustrophobic, but even if you are, there's still plenty to see and enjoy. If you like watching movies with castle scenes this helps bring it all to life and in perspective.

    Chia B.

    It's a fun spot, very campy. In some ways it's overly touristy and not as focused on being authentic. However I gave it 4 starts instead of 3 because the views from the top are spectacular!

    Vira P.

    I love learning about WWII. And if you're a fan of such history, then a visit must be paid to Dover Castle to see the tunnels they used during the war. I hear that the best tours are the night tours, so inquire about those if you can stay the night in Dover.

    Dover Castle
    Jay T.

    Expect to spend at least four hours here if you really want to see everything. Walking inside and around the 1180s castle, and the added buildings over the centuries, is a fascinating tour through English history. The property has had additions for hundreds of years, right up through its use in the World Wars. The guided tour of the WWI tunnels and how British soldiers used them is interesting and educational. You can freely walk the rest of the grounds and explore at your own pace. There's a train, sometimes, to help get you around the site (when it's running that is; wasn't when we visited). A restaurant is on the property, which we didn't try (so can't review it). Parts of the site are quite hilly, so be prepared to walk and climb. Those who can't walk a lot will need breaks or just won't see everything. Definitely worth the price of admission! And just a few minutes drive away are the white Cliffs of Dover, with a really good restaurant overlooking the water.

    Thomas M.

    This is without a doubt the No.1 visitors' attraction in Dover. A grand, grand area with numerous single attractions that include not the just the Great Tower, but underground WWII tunnels, an underground hospital, an old church and whatnot. I first visited this place in 2010, and i thought it was high time for a revisit. The entrance fee at UKP 25 for an adult is fairly steep, but there are special prices for families, and you can park your car on the lot. The guides are volunteers, and they're knowledgeable and extremely welcoming. I much enjoyed the short trip around the underground WWII hospital, shame one was not allowed to take photos there. But my primary interest has always been the historical castle itself, and there's plenty to see. The Great Tower is the main point of interest, and that's also where the main Café is located. Expect a queue and very, very slow progress! In the end I went to a smaller café on the same grounds where there was no queue. For families this is clearly a full day attraction, my curiosity (and energy) faded after 3 hours of climbing steps. There are several "events" spread throughout the day, included in the ticket, among them a "Ghost Walk", which I think is intriguing, but I didn't have the energy to take. I did meet one of the performers later in the day at a local pub and recognized him immediately even without the whiteface makeup. Access to the Castle is available by car or by walking up the hill from the city centre.

    Bianca W.

    After a long day at the white cliffs, our next destination was Dover Castle. We arrived rather late, so only had a little over an hour to explore, but as there was a special event at the tower after hours, we knew we'd have an opportunity to adventure through that area later in the day. The castle grounds are quite expansive and there are many outlying buildings within the outer walls. We started off by taking the second to last tour of the day through the war tunnels, which is a mostly automated 50 minute experience; I honestly thought the automation was gimmicky and unnecessary, I could have watched a documentary if all I wanted was voice overs and images projected on walls, the short period of time when we had our guide actually talking were much more interesting. The castle grounds stretch between buildings from different time periods and you are free to roam anywhere you like, from the oldest surviving lighthouse in the country, the Roman Pharos built around AD43, which you can actually walk into and touch, over the Anglo-Saxon church right next to it, to the great stone castle itself, which dates back to 1180. With such a strategic location, overlooking the shortest sea crossing between England and the continent, the castle has a vast and varied history, much of which has been preserved and documented. There have been settlements, forts and fortifications in this spot since the iron age! After closing time we headed straight to the great tower, which is beautifully outfitted with furnishings and decorations mimicking it's 12th century use, with royal bed chambers, a throne room, kitchens, church rooms, schools and armories. The staff was stellar and very willing to engage in conversation about the exhibition. The tower alone is worth the entry fee, with a plethora of rooms to explore and a stunning view from the battlements. Sheep are kept as versatile lawnmowers, they were grazing outside the castle walls when we left for dinner. Dover castle is absolutely gorgeous, stuffed to the brim with history and absolutely worth a visit!

    See all

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J H.
    1
    191
    6

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gerry S.
    1520
    376
    12077

    4 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Amazing! Spent 6 hours here exploring the castle with the family. Super worth the stop.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Vira P.
    495
    1629
    2128

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of David H.
    160
    1123
    1191

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Thomas M.
    28
    578
    5069

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Greg S.
    142
    391
    1473

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jay P.
    6
    62
    37

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike R.
    1
    133
    35

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dwain C.
    1100
    1338
    2769

    12 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of SJ F.
    11
    116
    0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan W.
    2
    15
    1

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Dover Castle Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Dover Castle

    I would suggest getting there early as the secret wartime tunnels get very very busy.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Dover Castle - castles - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...