Margate Caves
Margate Caves
5
Points of Interest & LandmarksCaverns & CavesMysterious Sites
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
A subterranean adventure awaits at the Margate Caves. The Caves have a varied past; from chalk mine to rich mans folly and Victorian tourist attraction. What will you discover at the Caves?
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Will S
    London, United Kingdom1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great cave and even greater guide!
    My husband and I visited the Margate cave and were amazed by this unique bit of history and mystery in the heart of the town! Beyond the striking paintings and eery wells and coves, the cave was truly brought to life by a WONDERFUL volunteer guide, Lee. He was engaging, knowledgeable, and witty. Can’t wait to visit again and say hi to our friend!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 September 2023
  • Shannon W
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic!
    We had an incredibly enjoyable visit to Margate Caves. The weather was extremely hot, so they were a lovely cool haven and really fun to explore. Lee, one of the volunteers, was extremely knowledgeable and helpful and told us everything we wanted to know about the history of the caves. The entrance fee is very affordable and the caves can be hired out for a variety of events and activities. There is a cafe and a lovely gift shop. If you're visiting Margate I strongly recommend you visit the caves!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 12 September 2023
  • David B
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience, great value for money. Well worth the visit just to see it.
    The caves/mine is worth the visit. Inexpensive entry and a good amount to see with lots of information about the history. Make sure you ask the volunteers as they are encyclopaedias of knowledge about the caves especially Angela who knows lots and lots of interesting details.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 18 September 2023
  • NordicInKent
    West Malling, United Kingdom7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fab experience
    We, my teen son and I visited the caves in early July and really enjoyed the experience. The caves are stunning and not to mention a nice, cool place during a heatwave! Extra thank you to Lee The Volunteer who had the gift of the gab and very generously shared his knowledge about the place, history and the Thanet Giant. We learnt a lot! Make sure you grab him if he happens to be on duty!
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 September 2023
  • Andy J
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic cave visit
    I had a brilliant time visiting the caves yesterday. I was fortunate in that I went at a very quiet time, so had the caves to myself. My guide Angela was brilliant. Left me to wander around and explore by myself, and was there at the end to answer my questions and gave me lots of really interesting information about the caves. She really knew her stuff and delivered everything with great keenness and humor. A top guide who loves her job, many many thanks!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 30 September 2023
  • poppyfarmer
    London, United Kingdom11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unusual tourist attraction
    I have visited many caves but none were like Margate. The history is really interesting, especially as they are under houses and were forgotten about and rediscovered many years later. We talked to Angela, who was full of knowledge and interesting facts about the caves.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 October 2023
  • Lily
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun & photogenic education
    Learnt its unique history from the little exhibition and the lovely guide in the cave. Lots of stairs and uneven ground but safe with enough light. Had a great afternoon taking awesome photos there. Thank you!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 October 2023
  • janetawatts
    Milton Keynes, United Kingdom104 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great visit on a rainy or sunny day!
    Thoroughly enjoyed a visit here on a rainy October day. Angela the volunteer guide was very interesting. She told us numerous facts about the caves. £4.50 per adult is a bargain for the time spent there, under an hour. Lovely shop to browse around and a cafe there too.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 20 October 2023
  • Guide15245000036
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great little gem
    Had such a great visit - the caves were bigger than I expected and really interesting. Angela was the staff in the cave and her knowledge was amazing - told us the history of how it started through to modern day. Had a coffee and cake afterwards in the cafe which was great. The staff were all really friendly and welcoming and a good selection. Very warm and inviting after the coolness of the caves. Will definitely come back with other family for another visit.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 October 2023
  • Jen M
    Montclair, Virginia47 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Such a great value, learning experience, and fun time!
    I walked in, and the front desk lady was friendly and informative. Once inside? Angela was a wealth of information. I learned SOOOOO much! It was the best 4.5 lbs I’ve spent in a long, long time! Check this place out!
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles339 reviews
Excellent
289
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39
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Pennies-from-Devon
Plymouth, UK449 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
It's called The Margate 'Caves' but it's not really caves at all: it's far more interesting and unique than a mere cave. And you really need to go there and see why.

Our visit just happened to coincide with International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so all the staff were dressed up as pirates. Brilliant!

The entire experience, from when we stepped through the door, was 100% professional and all possible Covid-19 precautions had been made so we felt very safe. The staff were wonderful: friendly, funny, helpful and knowledgeable. We were able to wander at will and take as much time as we needed.
Written 23 September 2020
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.

Charles B
Northampton, UK271 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
The caves are accessed by a purpose built visitor centre. This has a reasonably priced cafe and if we it hadn’t been so early I would have been tempted by the lunch special. There are also immaculately clean toilets.
The staff were very friendly and a concessionary price is available.
You enter the caves down gentle steps and then various caverns with paintings and ice wells. We spoke to two excellent volunteer guides who provided the history and background to what we saw.
Make sure you ask to see the giant viewed with a special torch, and hear his story.
Written 8 October 2021
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.

Olivia T
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Had a lovely little visit over the bank holiday weekend, it was busy but the customer service from the girls and volunteers wasn't affected in the slightest. The caves themselves were incredibly interesting to explore. After we had a tea and cake in the cafe, which offered an array of homemade cakes/pennies/sandwiches ect, so there was plenty to choose from. During current times it was reassuring to see a lot of effort had been implemented to maintain safe social distancing and cleaning regularly. There's also a little gift shop that again had something for everyone.
Overall it was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours and worth every penny and will be back again soon! Would recommend a visit to anyone looking for something different to do.
Written 31 August 2020
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.

Martina C
Margate, UK57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Family
Visit to Santa's Grotto
We went to Margate Caves with my daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. I have lived in Margate for approximately 40 years and never visited Margate Caves. They have recently given the Caves a makeover from the outside. Also providing a lovely coffee shop with souvenirs at the entrance.
We were received by very friendly staff. The staff were dressed as elves. Visits to Santa's grotto were very well organised. Tickets were booked in advance so we were allocated our time slots...so no queues for the children to become irritated or impatient. It also made it much easier to walk through the tunnels more freely. Christmas music and fairy lights took us to a clearing. The ceilings were gently lit showing all the wonderful carvings and impurities of the walls and highs and lower areas. Elves were at different points all chatting and adding to the excitement. It the crevices of the Caves were Christmas lighting, a nativity scene, A snowman, Christmas trees and decorations. There was an area where it showed where Santa's sleigh was stationed. Then the grandchildren names were called to see Santa who was very entertaining telling little jokes among asking the serious questions about being good then the giving of presents. Outside the grotto was a table with candy cane pens and paper and a postbox to write your list for the big day. It truly was a magical experience.
Written 15 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.

Goomsu
Birchington, UK358 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Family
These old caves have been given a new lease of life, interest and local knowledge. We had an atmospheric, entertaining visit with a fascinating commentary from our passionate volunteer guide, Angela and our two grandchildren (10 and 12) loved it as much as we did. Above ground there is a very welcoming cafe with gift shop (affordable prices) and an easily-accessed shady garden where we sat to enjoy delicious milkshakes, iced coffee and chai latte. What an asset to the locale.
Written 25 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.

Mary L
Wolverhampton, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
The chalk caves were a real surprise. Cathedral like in height and style with the arches cut into the chalk, and a variety of paintings on the walls.
The lead volunteer guide Angela was very knowledgeable and we did monopolise her! My advice is to look around then return to Angela (who admits she spends far too long in the caves) ask questions, and she will show you extra interesting things that you will probably have missed, like the fading painting of the giant that glows under UV.
The visitor centre cafe is good and not too expensive and there was a vintage market on in one of the rooms while we were there.
Altogether a fascinating morning out on a rainy day.
Written 11 July 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.

Maddie Milner
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Friends
Margate Caves was a great trip out for us. The entry fee was affordable, and the staff could not have been more helpful and friendly. Their knowledge of the caves’ history was excellent and They were all extremely enthusiastic. We also thoroughly enjoyed reading about the history of the caves and looking around the gift shop, and although we didn’t visit the on site cafe, it did look very nice & clean.
Written 9 September 2021
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.

LondonMarion104
Bromley, UK686 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
I was already impressed that NHS staff were given special consideration, with regards to entry. The real thanks to the NHS though, was the effort that went in to trying to ensure people could enjoy the experience socially distanced. It was lovely to have a history of the caves given by the volunteers, who were all friendly and kind, but most of all, I was very grateful for the helpful and quick thinking staff when my husband had a medically urgent situation. They were all so helpful and compassionate and also have first aiders on site. Thank you! Finally, the shop is also very cute with lots of little things to buy, with ethically conscious things to purchase and the cafe that you can go to without visiting the caves. They have a lovely outdoor area and serve vegan hot drinks and hot food, so it was an all round winner. Can not recommend enough. Please support these small local places!
Written 31 August 2020
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.

Ellen Clark
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
The Caves were fascinating much bigger when you got through the tunnel than you thought. The guides were very helpful and knowledgeable and the cafe served fresh food and home made cakes - very yummy.

All in all a very enjoyable visit and recommended if you visit Margate
Written 11 August 2020
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.

Susan h
Spalding, UK6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
We visited the Margate caves this week with my sister who was on holiday from her home in Wiltshire. We had been before and knew my sister would love it when she saw the caves. Angela and her young assistant knew everything about the caves and shared all of that knowledge with us and entertained us with all of the stories of the past owners and history. We had a lovely day, the caves are fascinating, the entrance fee very reasonable and the volunteers are very friendly and knowledgeable, well worth a visit . Thank you Angela.
Written 14 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.

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