Dover Castle entry ticket

An entry ticket to Dover Castle, on the cliffs above the port. On the site are Henry II's Great Tower, with its furnished medieval rooms, the Secret Wartime Tunnels dug into the cliff, a Roman lighthouse and an old church.

There is enough here to fill most of a day, and the tunnel tours, which are timed and guided, are the highlight for many visitors.

The castle is spread over a large site. The Underground Hospital is not accessible by wheelchair, and one section of the tunnels is closed for maintenance at present, so check what is open before you go. Opening hours are shorter in winter.

Best for: history lovers and families who want a full day at one of England's great castles.

Dover Castle is cared for by English Heritage. It opens daily in summer, from 10am, but only at weekends in the depths of winter, roughly from November to mid-February apart from the Christmas holidays and half terms, so check the date before you go. English Heritage members get in free.

The site is large: the Great Tower built for Henry II, the Secret Wartime Tunnels in the cliff, the Roman lighthouse, which English Heritage calls the oldest surviving lighthouse in the country, and the Anglo-Saxon church of St Mary in Castro. The tunnels are seen on guided tours that leave through the day, so ask the staff when you arrive for the best time to go in. Allow at least half a day.

Dover Priory station is a mile from the castle, uphill; the 81 bus runs from the station. By car there is free parking for up to 200 cars. English Heritage gives a discount on a walk-up ticket if you show a bus or train ticket.

The site has steep slopes, gravel and cobbles, and the upper floors of the Great Tower are reached by spiral stairs. Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds but not in the buildings. For a vineyard nearby, Terlingham at Hawkinge and Elham Valley are on our map of the North Downs and Canterbury vineyards.