Canterbury Christmas Market
Canterbury city centre and Cathedral Precincts, Canterbury · 12 November to 24 December 2026
Image: Visit CanterburyCanterbury's Christmas market fills the city's streets with wooden huts selling gifts, decorations and seasonal food, with stalls reaching into the Cathedral Precincts. Families can book a Santa's Grotto, breakfast with Santa or VR experiences, and live music runs through the season. The city's lights are switched on across four stages on Friday 13 November.
Highlights
- Wooden chalets along St Georges Street, Rose Lane, Whitefriars and in the Cathedral Precincts
- Bookable Santa's Grotto with a talking letterbox
- Breakfast with Santa and Santa Paws photo sessions for dogs
- Light switch-on on 13 November at the Marlowe, Burgate, Westgate Hall and Westgate Square
Good to know
- No tickets needed to browse; only the activities are bookable
- Candlelit carol services take place at the cathedral on 23 and 24 December
Getting there
Canterbury city centre and Cathedral Precincts, St Georges Street, Rose Lane, Whitefriars and the Canterbury Cathedral Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2EH
Get directionsChecked on 15 October 2026 against canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk, canterbury.co.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the organiser before you travel. How we check
Nearby
Image: Canterbury CathedralCanterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral is the historic heart of the city, a vast medieval cathedral with centuries of stories to uncover. Explore the nave, crypt and stained glass at your own pace with a media guide, or join a guided tour or mini talk, then wander the precincts. Your ticket works as an annual pass, so you can come back within the year.
Image: Canterbury Roman MuseumCanterbury Roman Museum
Canterbury's Roman Museum sits below street level around the excavated remains of a Roman town house, a scheduled ancient monument in the city centre. The star is a Roman floor mosaic still in its original position, one of very few left in the UK. It is a compact, family-friendly look at life in Roman Britain and an easy wet-weather stop near the cathedral.
Image: Canterbury Guided ToursCanterbury Guided Tours
Canterbury Guided Tours runs the city's official walking tour, a 90-minute stroll through medieval lanes past old pilgrim inns and into the Cathedral Precincts. Qualified Green Badge guides share the city's history and hidden corners along the way. It suits first-time visitors, couples and families who want the highlights in a short time.