Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Owned by the serving monarch, HM Queen Elizabeth II, through the Duchy of Lancaster, Lancaster Castle is a wealth of English history. Since being established by the Romans the castle has been a home to monarchs, a place of trial and execution, and a working prison right up until 2012. Still a crown court, the majority of the castle is now open to the public for the first time in over 1,000 years.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
2,794 reviews
Excellent
1,896
Very good
619
Average
167
Poor
65
Terrible
47
ZN
26 contributions
Feb 2025 • Family
Excellent tour! Helen (our historian guide) was full of fascinating stories and facts that brought the history to life. 75 mins flew by! You get to see the old prisons (very old as well as those used up to 2011) as well as criminal courts that are still in use today. The tour starts outdoors then moves indoors. Many families were on the tour, and the over-nines clearly had a great time. It's understandable, though, that the little ones found the extended periods of quiet a bit hard. Well worth the entry fee £9 adults £7 children (family rates available) and you purchase tickets in the small shop when you arrive. Paid parking for 2 hours on the road outside, steep walk from there. Quite a few steps on the tour. Tip: call before you go to check the tour times as they are subject to change 01524 64998. Highly recommend this tour!
Written 17 February 2025
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.
Amanda B
2 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
Trip advisor really needs an option for 'family - adults'... We visited as a family of three with our young adult son, and we all really enjoyed our visit.
Having some mobility limitations, I had checked out the access statement online and parking options, given there is no public car park at the castle. As a Blue Badge holder, I followed their suggestion of phoning ahead to arrange a space in the private car park. I should mention that spaces cannot be guaranteed as there is very limited space, but you can also call them in advance to ask for permission to drop-off disabled visitors at the entrance.
When we arrived, the security guard signposted us to the car park, where a cone clearly identified our reserved spot. We then walked around to the entrance. Having this parking concession enabled me to start our visit with the minimum amount of discomfort, so I booked on to a tour with my hubby and son. While waiting for our tour to start, we wandered around the courtyard and visited the small but very informative Pendle Witch exhibit before popping in to the cafe for a drink and bit of a pre-tour rest for me (these areas are free to visit without booking a tour).
We booked one of the later afternoon tours, which worked out well as there was only one other couple with us. Tours can be with 40+ visitors, so this little group of 5 was a real gem of an opportunity.
'King' David was a delight - so friendly and personable. He really brought the tour to life, sharing information whilst showing respect, compassion and sensitivity around historical events. He also shared his personal thoughts and lots of good humour. Patience came as standard when I was a little slower on the stairs, and David thoughtfully pointed out opportunities to take a seat when suitable chairs were in the vicinity.
We had a fabulous time, we thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the castle with our perfect guide. The access statement made it possible for me to make an informed decision on whether to take the tour, the parking arrangement made it so that I could definitely go ahead, starting at my best. By the time the tour ended, I was far from my best, but the parking space we had been allocated was thoughtfully right next to the tour exit, which could not have been better!
Massive thanks to everyone at Lancaster Castle... Take a bow King David, you were tremendous. 🙂
Having some mobility limitations, I had checked out the access statement online and parking options, given there is no public car park at the castle. As a Blue Badge holder, I followed their suggestion of phoning ahead to arrange a space in the private car park. I should mention that spaces cannot be guaranteed as there is very limited space, but you can also call them in advance to ask for permission to drop-off disabled visitors at the entrance.
When we arrived, the security guard signposted us to the car park, where a cone clearly identified our reserved spot. We then walked around to the entrance. Having this parking concession enabled me to start our visit with the minimum amount of discomfort, so I booked on to a tour with my hubby and son. While waiting for our tour to start, we wandered around the courtyard and visited the small but very informative Pendle Witch exhibit before popping in to the cafe for a drink and bit of a pre-tour rest for me (these areas are free to visit without booking a tour).
We booked one of the later afternoon tours, which worked out well as there was only one other couple with us. Tours can be with 40+ visitors, so this little group of 5 was a real gem of an opportunity.
'King' David was a delight - so friendly and personable. He really brought the tour to life, sharing information whilst showing respect, compassion and sensitivity around historical events. He also shared his personal thoughts and lots of good humour. Patience came as standard when I was a little slower on the stairs, and David thoughtfully pointed out opportunities to take a seat when suitable chairs were in the vicinity.
We had a fabulous time, we thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the castle with our perfect guide. The access statement made it possible for me to make an informed decision on whether to take the tour, the parking arrangement made it so that I could definitely go ahead, starting at my best. By the time the tour ended, I was far from my best, but the parking space we had been allocated was thoughtfully right next to the tour exit, which could not have been better!
Massive thanks to everyone at Lancaster Castle... Take a bow King David, you were tremendous. 🙂
Written 7 September 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.
NormanD
10 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
Visited Lancaster Castle today, gorgeous weather and from the moment I passed through the gatehouse very helpful staff.
I was directed towards the ticket office under the clocktower as whilst entry into the courtyards is free, entry into the buildings is by guided tour as its working court inside.
Our tour guide was David The Sinister - very professional, knowledgeable and funny tour guide who explained a fascinating history and kept our attention with his quick whitted humour.
Thoroughly enjoyed being locked into their cells and have now escaped an 800 Yr old prison! Thank-you David!
I was directed towards the ticket office under the clocktower as whilst entry into the courtyards is free, entry into the buildings is by guided tour as its working court inside.
Our tour guide was David The Sinister - very professional, knowledgeable and funny tour guide who explained a fascinating history and kept our attention with his quick whitted humour.
Thoroughly enjoyed being locked into their cells and have now escaped an 800 Yr old prison! Thank-you David!
Written 3 May 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.
wiggypig
Hastings, UK31 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Thoroughly recommended to see and learn about not only the castle but centuries of the prison and courts. Good value at £9 and our guide Christopher was very knowledgeable and kept a good balance between sharing information and letting us look around. He tailored the tour to his audience's historical interests and background - today there were lots of toilet roll references, as a party was in from the local factory!
Good coffee and cake at the cafe too.
Good coffee and cake at the cafe too.
Written 7 July 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.
Gillcoz
wigan22 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
Came to Lancaster for a day out and to visit the castle. Was with my partner, daughter and family including my grandson who is autistic and non verbal. Arrived just as a tour was ready to start but it was made quite plain by the guide Wendy that she didn’t want us on her tour, stating there was no facility for a wheelchair even after we explained he could walk for the length of the tour. She then tried to put us off by saying there was nowhere we could leave his chair and it wasn’t a tour for children and did we want to wait for the next tour. We were just debating to leave when another tour guide called Victoria said we was very welcome to join her on the next tour. What a difference in guides, she couldn’t have been more helpful. Didn’t charge us for my grandson and his dad incase they didn’t do the full tour. As it turned out my grandson got very unsettled and was getting quite noisy so it was decided that he wouldn’t do the tour with his parents as we didn’t want to spoil the tour for everyone else. The three of us left went on the tour. It was really good. Victoria was very informative and made it so interesting as well as funny. Every question asked she knew the answer to. My youngest grandson loved it and commented how nice the lady was. Victoria was brilliant with the children and made sure they understood it all before moving on so how the other lady said it wasn’t for children eludes me. At the end of the tour I was stopped by Victoria and was told they wanted to give me a full refund because my autistic grandson couldn’t go on it and she hoped it hadn’t spoilt our visit. I can’t recommend this visit highly enough as long as you get Victoria and not Wendy.
Written 7 April 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.
Ellie S
2 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
David was our tour guide and was welcoming from the moment we bought our tickets. A very entertaining and informative tour of the castle from him. Student and over 65s discounts made it very worthwhile, would very much recommend for any ages as kids and adults in our group were involved from start to finish.
Written 5 April 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.
Lizz J
Liverpool, UK24 contributions
Jan 2025 • Couples
This mightn’t be the prettiest castle, but the history behind it is fascinating and well worth a visit. Do the tour - it’s not crazy expensive, and you get to see so many hidden areas. Tours throughout the day and they last just over an hour. Our guide, David, was incredible - he knew so much about the history and delivered it in a really engaging way. Really recommend this for both adults and children
Written 25 January 2025
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.
995caroleanne
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK71 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Certainly very interesting. It is only possible to see 'inside' by taking the guided tour. We just missed one and had to wait an hour for the next. The tour guide was knowledgeable but I had to move around to be able to hear him as we were in a large group. The people I was with (family and friends) weren't able to hear anything. There is a lot of renovation going on but we had expected to see more of the 'inside' of the castle. We were only shown the entrance of the prisons and the debtors' prison area was boarded-off with very little to show. An impressive building but perhaps if they limit the numbers in a group it would be easier to hear the commentary.
Written 15 August 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.
Andrew H
17 contributions
Mar 2025 • Friends
When we visited Lancaster Castle we weren't sure what the tour would be focused on on due to the castle varied history but we were pleasantly surprised by our very knowledgeable guide Simon who covered nearly all the castle history from it origins to its present day use. The castle's role in the witch trials and the various prison and courts that were carried out here. The reception staff are very welcoming and ensure you know where to be to start the tour. The onsite cafe is very nice with a great selection of sandwiches and drinks that are delivered to your table with a smile. The day was great value for money entertaining and educational. Thank you Lancaster Castle and massive thanks to Simon our guide.
Written 3 March 2025
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 D
2 contributions
Jun 2024 • Friends
This was a surprisingly exhilarating and informative experience with our supremely lively and charismatic guide, David Dale. About ninety minutes in length, he brought the subject to life: all the way from Roman settlement to an eyebrow raising modern period when the castle became a state penitentiary. Colourful, humourous and very open to questions, this guide cannot to recommended highly enough!!
Written 15 June 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.
Do they give you a time slot for the tour when you arrive
Written 1 August 2024
Hi. When you arrive you book onto one of the scheduled tours, when we went this week there was a board outside with all of the tour times.
Written 7 September 2024
I had gone through the answers to some of the questions. Some had stated that the tour is free but it says 8 pounds per adult on the website. Can someone clarify this?
Is it open for those who wish to tour the exterior of the castle instead of going for the tour?
Written 12 September 2022
I think it was £6.50 for concessions. We weren't going to go on the tour but so glad we did. You learn alot and presented in a great style. Our guide was Cameron he was brilliant. Worth every penny.
Written 14 September 2022
Do you have to do a tour? If not is there a entrance fee.
Written 17 October 2021
You don't have to do the tour, but as others have said, without the guided tour you won't see the court or prison. The tour is free but you have to add your name to the list, mainly for track and trace and ensure that the groups are not too big. Tour is very informative and our guide was very entertaining.
Written 18 October 2021
Hi. Are tours of any parts of the inside likely to resume anytime soon, or are the free tours of the outside only going to continue for the foreseeable Please?
Written 1 August 2021
Hi Shirley, when I went part of the tour was inside, you got to see the court rooms, but not sure if they usually show you more.
Written 1 September 2021
Outside is fine. A very high hill with cobbles to get in but once inside courtyard you will be fine. Inside the castle you would not be able to manage. Very uneven floors and steps.
Written 13 March 2020
Where is the best place to park?
Written 11 February 2020
We parked in a car park on the main road at the southern end of the town and walked through to the Castle in about ten minutes.
Uphill walk but not difficult.
Written 16 February 2020
Are you able to stroll around the castle grounds without paying admission fees?
Written 30 March 2019
Really no outside space of worth. the castle is in the middle of the city. the reason for going there is the interior and it is by guided tour only for which you have to pay. It is worth it though, but make sure you don't go when the court is in session or you miss the best bits.
Written 31 March 2019
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