Chester Cathedral Tours

Chester Cathedral Tours

Chester Cathedral Tours
5
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
Chester Cathedral tours allow you to discover this magnificent building like never before. There are a variety of tours to choose from including stained glass, medieval quire stalls, Gothic architecture and the award-winning Tower Tour. The Tower Tour takes you behind the scenes, giving an unparalleled level of public access at Chester Cathedral. See one city, two countries and five counties from the top of the cathedral tower. Climb through nearly 1,000 years of history and discover our hidden spaces.
Chester, Cheshire, England

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles158 reviews
Excellent
155
Very good
4
Average
0
Poor
0
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0

Beth W
Poole, UK13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
We did the tower tour. It was fascinating, and we loved being able to enter parts of the cathedral that we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to. Climbing the spiral staircases and squeezing through gaps to explore the tower was exciting. It would have been worth £14 just to visit the top of the tower and admire the incredible views! As we finished the tour, a full orchestra and choir were rehearsing!
But the best part of the tour was our exceptional tour guide, Emma. She was extremely knowledgeable and funny and brilliant at giving instructions which allowed us to move around the tour safely. She spoke with so much passion about the cathedral; it was lovely to hear. She is such a credit to the cathedral.a
Written 25 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alison S
Chester, UK108 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
We knew the views would be great when we got to the top, but had no idea how fascinating the tour would be. Our guide was really enthusiastic and knowledgeable. At various stages on the way up and down there were stopping places where the guide would tell us about points of interest eg the clock with no face or hands and the curfew bell. My friends and I have all lived near Chester for years, but had never had a guided tour of the cathedral. Why? Probably because it's on our doorstep. On the tour we felt like tourists on holiday and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone local or visiting the city.
Written 7 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alison926
Oxford, UK11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Couples
It was an exciting and interesting tour right to the very top of Chester Cathedral. We stopped at lots of different levels, so not too many steps of the spiral stone staircases in one go! There were good handrails to hold if needed too. The views from the top are very good.
Our guide was wonderful and made the whole experience very engaging. She had excellent knowledge of the history of Chester and the cathedral’s part in this. Her stories and anecdotes were very entertaining with lots of details and interesting facts. There were opportunities to ask questions and she obviously loved sharing the secret places of the building with her audience.
Definitely recommended as it was one of the best tours we have done.
Written 10 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jcl1970
Chester, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Couples
We live in Chester and decided to give this tour a try. If you’re not good at climbing spiral staircases and small spaces it’s not for you but we loved it. Matt our guide was friendly, enthusiastic and very knowledgable. He gave us all the facts on the history of the building, the bells and the bell-tower and the tales of the monks. Once at the top, the views over our lovely city were amazing. The tour takes an hour and is £10 per adult and is well worth a visit.
Written 9 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Search4paradice
Nottingham, UK38 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
My wife and I were in two minds whether to go on the tour at a cost of £10 each,but decided at the very last minute to do it.

Having now been on the tour...guided by the very enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable Emma,we certainly would have missed out on something very special.
The tour,from the very first moment Emma spoke,to the last word she delivered,was brilliant and very interesting.

We really felt a part of history following in the steps of monks,bell ringers and even a King too,using the same behind the scenes narrow passages and staircases to access the roof etc.
The view from the roof was amazing and worth the £10 charge on it's own.

We would certainly recommend that visitors who visit Chester and the cathedral,make this tour your no1 on your list to do,while there. Also, if you get Emma you won't be disappointed and you might learn something.
Thank you Emma and keep up the great work.
Written 28 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
'Dabloomfield' We're delighted that you made the move, and joined us on our Tower Tour! Thank you for such an engaging review, and indeed for your five bubbles. We'll pass on your thanks to Emma (we love her too, by the way!)
Written 28 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Martina K
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Wonderful tour of the ‘behind the scenes’ of the cathedral. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and her passion for bringing the stories of ordinary people connected to the cathedral throughout the centuries to life was extraordinary. Through her amazing storytelling skills, we learned so much about this beautiful building and its history and she had answers to all our curious questions. The views were 10/10, too. Definitely well worth the £14 and a highlight of our visit to Chester!
Written 29 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
'martinakI6142DA' Thank you for taking the time to write your Trip Advisor review - and for giving us five bubbles. It's a wonderful review, and perfectly captures a perfect tour; lots to discover isn't there.
Written 6 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Andrew A
West Yorkshire, UK21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
We took the tower tour at Chester cathedral, led by Matty and I have to say everything about it was excellent. Matty's knowledge was superb and the talks were delivered in a really enjoyable way. Climbing the ancient stone steps, some of which had been used by the early monks to access their dorms, really took you back to that time. There are several stages you stop at, as you climb higher up the 216 spiral steps and at each stage I learned so much.
Once at the top you step out and the view over Chester is fab!
But for me the highlight is on the way back down as you stop and get a view of the main body of the cathedral, it's stunning, spectacular and just awe inspiring to marvel at the human endeavour that built it.
There is also a real sense of peace at this point.
The whole cathedral is well worth a visit and all the staff/volunteers we met were so friendly. An excellent day!!
Written 3 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
'andrewa633' - Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive review of your Tower Tour here at the Cathedral. Thanks too, for your five bubbles!!
Written 26 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

C_Leighton
Nottingham, UK623 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
We visited the Cathedral on our first evening in Chester as it was open late due to an evening concert. There was a lot to see in there and we very much enjoyed looking around. The following morning, we made a last-minute decision to do the Tower Tour to take advantage of the sunny and clear weather. This was a really great experience as we got to go behind the scenes to see various parts of the Cathedral that are not normally open to visitors, culminating in a 360-degree panoramic view from the roof of the Tower. The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, and we learned a lot about the Cathedral’s History. The nature of the tour means that there are lots of steps, heights and narrow spaces, so it may not be suitable for people who are afraid of heights, however I suffer from vertigo myself and managed ok. Another tour participant found it too much though, but the Cathedral staff have procedures in place to deal with this and another staff member swiftly whisked the participant back to ground level. An excellent experience all round!
Written 16 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anthony M
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
We did the Cathedral Tower Tour with our Guide Emma .... quite superb! Emma's knowledge of the Cathedral's history was enormously impressive and we were taken to manu tiny nooks and crannies and roof cavities and hidden corridors and balconies. This tour is a "must do" tour!
Written 11 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MARK W
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Hello, my wife and I have enjoyed your cathedral tour today at 11am, there was another couple from Blackpool. Our tour guide was David, a retired teacher.

David is an absolute credit to your organisation, we have been on tours in the past where the tour guides were ‘going through the motions’, this was not David, he had an amazing knowledge of the cathedrals history but an obvious passion for it also.

We have also experienced tour guides who just talk at you, once again not David, he welcomed input and question’s. He was also quite witty and by the end of our tour it was like five friends chatting.

Please pass on our appreciation to David.

Regards

A couple from Warrington
Written 6 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
'B2830AWmarkw' Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review of your tour of Chester Cathedral; it's a pleasure to read. Thanks too for the five bubbles! We are exceptionally lucky to have such wonderful guides here in Chester, and we'll be sure to pass on your superb review to David.
Written 2 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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