Canterbury Cathedral and the White Cliffs of Dover in one day, from your hotel door.
Cathedral, cliffs, castle, your pace.
- From £500 · whole car, return
Licence PHOP950A Canterbury and Dover day trip from London with a private driver runs nine to ten hours door to door: hotel pickup, about 100 minutes to Canterbury for the Cathedral, then 35 minutes to the White Cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle, Leeds Castle homeward if you wish. One fixed price for the whole car. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup.
How does the day to Canterbury and Dover run?
Your chauffeur collects you between 8:00am and 12:00 noon and the day follows the timeline below. Every stop can be moved, shortened or skipped on the day.
Canterbury first, then the coast
- 08:30Pickup at your London hotel; the A2 and M2 south-east, about 60 miles.
- 10:15Canterbury Cathedral: the nave, the cloister and Becket’s shrine site, 90 minutes.
- 12:00The King’s Mile and Westgate Towers on foot, then lunch in the old town; the car waits nearby.
- 13:45To Dover, 20 miles, 35 minutes on the A2.
- 14:30White Cliffs of Dover: the National Trust clifftop path towards the South Foreland lighthouse, one hour.
- 15:45Dover Castle: the Great Tower and the wartime tunnels, 90 minutes.
- 17:30Leeds Castle on the way back, 40 minutes from Dover, for the grounds before closing, or straight home.
- 19:30Back at your London hotel.
Skip the castle
Canterbury and the clifftop walk with a longer lunch: eight hours door to door.
Three castles in a day
Leeds Castle in the morning, Canterbury at midday, Dover Castle and the cliffs in the afternoon; a 07:30 pickup.
What is included in the price of the day?
Everything the car and the driver need, so the figure we send is the figure you pay.
Door-to-door pickup
Any London hotel, apartment or airport; on arrival days the driver waits inside arrivals with a name board.
Fuel, parking and tolls
All mileage, Canterbury city parking and the White Cliffs car park (£6 per car, National Trust) are ours.
The driver waits while you visit
Ninety minutes in the Cathedral or an hour on the cliffs: no meter runs, the car is where you left it.
Stops on the way at no charge
Leeds Castle, Whitstable harbour or a vineyard in the Kent Downs add nothing if they fit the day’s hours.
Child seats and luggage
Child seats fitted on request at no charge; the V-Class carries seven passengers with their bags.
Not included
Entry tickets and meals. Canterbury Cathedral and Dover Castle charge admission online; we advise, you book.
What is there to see in Canterbury and at Dover?
A cathedral city, a clifftop and two castles, all within 40 minutes of each other by car.
- Canterbury Cathedral — seat of the Archbishop since 597 and a World Heritage Site, with the site of Thomas Becket’s shrine.
- Westgate Towers and the King’s Mile — the medieval city gate of 1380 and the lane of timbered shops beside it.
- White Cliffs of Dover — chalk cliffs 110 metres high with France 21 miles across the water on a clear day.
- Dover Castle — the largest castle in England, with the Great Tower of Henry II and the Second World War tunnels.
- Leeds Castle — a moated castle on two islands near Maidstone, 40 minutes from Dover on the way home.
- Whitstable — the oyster harbour 20 minutes north of Canterbury, for a seafood lunch instead of the old town.
Which vehicle suits a family day in Kent?
The Mercedes V-Class for families and groups, the E-Class for two travellers. The whole car is yours for the day.
Mercedes E-Class
3 passengers · 3 suitcases
£500
Mercedes V-Class
7 passengers · 7 suitcases · the family choice
£570
Mercedes S-Class
3 passengers · 3 suitcases · rear-seat comfort
£850
Range Rover
3 passengers · 3 suitcases · the coast road
£990
One fixed price per car for the whole day, return — fuel, parking and tolls included; extra hours from £50 each, chosen when you book.
Six people with pushchairs and picnic bags fill a V-Class comfortably; seating and boot details are on the Mercedes V-Class page.
Joining a cruise at Dover instead? Our Heathrow to Dover cruise transfer runs at a fixed price.
When is the best time for the cliffs, and what should we know?
April to October for the clifftop walk; the Cathedral and Dover Castle work in any month.
- Wind on the cliffs:the clifftop path is open and exposed; bring a jacket even in July and stay behind the fences.
- Cathedral services:the nave closes to visitors during services; we check the day’s times and put the cliffs first if needed.
- Dover Castle:the wartime tunnels run as timed tours; book online for a weekend visit.
- Winter:daylight ends before 16:30 from November to January, so the cliffs come before the castle and Leeds Castle waits for a longer day.
Tell us your date and how many of you there are.
The price is fixed and shown in the form below; your confirmation arrives by email as soon as you book. Arriving by air? Add meet and assist at the London airport and the day starts at the terminal door.
How do I book this Kent day trip from London?
Choose your date and time
Pick a date and a departure between 8:00am and 12:00 noon on the form below, and enter your London pickup address.
Pick the car, see the price, pay
Select the vehicle class and the fixed price for the whole car appears before you pay — by card now, or cash to the driver on the day.
Confirm and relax
Your confirmation arrives by email at once, and your driver’s name and number the evening before. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup.
Frequently asked questions about a Canterbury and Dover day trip
Why see Canterbury and Dover with a private driver?
Because the Cathedral, the cliffs and the castle sit 20 to 40 minutes apart with no town linking them, and a car that waits turns three separate visits into one coast day. You leave your hotel at the hour you choose and return door to door in the evening.
How is the price worked out for a family?
One fixed price for the whole car, return — from £500 in the Mercedes E-Class — covering the day’s hours, fuel, parking and tolls. Two travellers or seven pay the same for the same car; only the vehicle class changes it, and extra hours are added on the booking form at a fixed hourly rate. Tickets and meals are not part of it.
Where does the pickup happen?
At any London hotel, apartment or address, or at Heathrow, Gatwick and the other London airports. Pickup runs between 8:00am and 12:00 noon; an early start suits the three-castle day, a later one suits Canterbury and the cliffs alone.
Can we add Leeds Castle or Whitstable?
Yes. Leeds Castle is 40 minutes from Dover on the way back and Whitstable 20 minutes from Canterbury; either fits the day within the agreed hours. Both together need an extra hour, added on the booking form at a fixed hourly rate.
How much walking is involved at the White Cliffs?
As little or as much as you like. The first viewpoint is five minutes from the National Trust car park on a surfaced path; the walk towards the South Foreland lighthouse takes about 45 minutes each way on grass.
Which vehicles are available, and how much luggage fits?
Mercedes E-Class and S-Class for up to three passengers with three suitcases; the Mercedes V-Class for up to seven with seven suitcases; the Range Rover for three. Child seats are fitted on request at no charge.
Is Dover worth a day trip from London?
Yes when it is paired with Canterbury: the cliffs and the castle take three hours, the Cathedral city fills the morning, and the whole loop is 150 miles of driving that your chauffeur does while you look out of the window.
Other day trips to book
Brighton & Seven Sisters day trip
Sea air and the famous Brighton pier on the south coast — a complete change of scene in under two hours.
Private London tour by car
The city’s headline sights in a single day by private car, with photo stops wherever you like.
Cambridge day trip
King’s College, medieval lanes and punting on the Cam — the compact university day out.
Cathedral, cliffs, castle, and a car that waits.
The price is fixed and the confirmation is immediate. More destinations are listed under day trips from London by private car.
Tripyana Ltd is a UK-licensed company — private hire operator licence PHOP950 · Company No. 16308293.