Prices

*Groups in excess of 25 will usually be allocated two or more guides

Tour Companies / Operators: Please contact our Visitors' Officer for trade rates.

Please note that the maximum number permitted entry with an external guide / leader is set at 53 people. To qualify for concessionary rates the minimum number per group is 10.

All prices are inclusive of VAT at the prevailing rate.

Each booked tour will be allocated a time-slot of one hour; this period may be extended at no additional cost upon request.

Cathedral guided tours are usually of 90 minutes duration.

No single tour group will have exclusive use of the Cathedral and there will be occasions when other tours are taking place concurrently. In these circumstances we ask tour guides to follow the directions of Cathedral staff as to the route they should take around the building.

Escorted Walks around the Area

Why not consider combining a visit to the Cathedral with an escorted walk within the area.

Our Visitors’ Officer can arrange these and there is a reduction of £1.00 per person on the prices quoted below if combined with a guided tour of the Cathedral. Morning coffee / lunch / afternoon packages arranged by our in-house caterers can also be pre-booked. A private dining room may also be available for groups of 20 persons or more.

Walks are led by a Cathedral Guide and are at a leisurely pace, stopping at various points of interest.

1        Historic Bankside Walk (This is our most popular walk.)

Your Cathedral guide will uncover the rich and colourful history of this area, sometimes referred to by those on the City side of the Thames as the side of the undesirables. The walk records the time when bishops, bards, and prostitutes lived and worked alongside each other and the docks were adjacent to London Bridge. Stops will be made at various locations including St Mary Overie Dock, The Bishops’ of Winchester’s Palace Ruins, the reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Provost’s Lodging House. The events which took place during the winters when the Thames froze over will be recalled. We will also pass the sites of the original Rose and Globe Theatres, and the former site of what was once one of the biggest breweries in Europe.
(Round trip approx 75/ 90 minutes)  
Cost: Adults £5.00 per person; Senior Citizens £4.00 per person

2         Borough High Street     

With the help of a Cathedral Guide this walk will recall the time when the street was the medieval version of today’s Victoria Coach Station, with the numerous inns, and coaches arriving and departing for various locations throughout the country. This was where the pilgrims set out for Canterbury, as recorded by Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales. The sites of various inns will be visited, including the last surviving galleried inn in London. We will also visit the site of the Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison, where Charles Dickens parents were inmates, and the site of US-University benefactor, John Harvard’s, mothers’ inn, which he inherited and sold before departing for the New World.

The Cathedral’s historic links with two of London’s famous hospitals will also be recalled, and we will see remnants from the Old London Bridge, in the form of a shelter and the coat of arms from the bridge gatehouse, the latter now incorporated into the walls of an inn.
(Round trip approx 75/ 90 minutes)  
Cost: Adults £5.00 per person; Senior Citizens £4.00 per person

 3    Themed Medical Walk with visit to Guy’s Hospital Chapel:

Sections of the above walk can also be combined with a visit to the Georgian Guy’s Hospital Chapel, including the Crypt, where its founder and a person who dissected dead animals from London Zoo are buried.
[Add £1.00 per person which will be given as a donation to Guy’s Hospital Chapel Fund]

To book any of the above contact our Visitors' Officer

Payment methods

Payment for tours can be made in one of three ways:

Cash - payable on the day, for which a receipt will be issued upon request.

Cheque - payable either in advance, on receipt of a VAT invoice, or on the day, for which a receipt will be issued upon request.

Company Voucher System - for which a VAT invoice will subsequently be issued. The Cathedral reserves the right to refuse to operate the voucher system where previous invoices remain outstanding more than 28 days from the date of issue.

Further information

The nearest coach drop off point is in Southwark Street.

The nearest stations are:

Mainline - London Bridge;
Underground - London Bridge and Monument

Accessibility

A leaflet has been produced to assist our disabled and impaired visitors. Copies of Access for people with special needs can be obtained from our Visitors' Officer. They can also be downloaded here.

Familiarisation visits

Group organizers, or external guides, wishing to arrange a familiarisation visit are most welcome. Please contact our Visitors' Officer.

Group Entrance to Cathedral

We request that group entry to the Cathedral be via the North (Riverside) Millennium Courtyard entrance. Unless otherwise advised, this is the assembly point for groups meeting our Cathedral Guides.

By entering the Cathedral complex from this doorway, groups may visit the Archaeological Chamber before proceeding along Lancelot's Link, the glazed internal street, towards the Cathedral church itself.

Hourly Prayers

The Cathedral has established the practice of having hourly prayers throughout the day from 1030 to 1630. These are led by our Day Chaplains and last approximately two minutes. During the prayers, all visitors are requested to remain still and are invited to join in the saying of the Lord's Prayer, in their own language. Tour Guides should be made aware of this and are requested to encourage all within their group to comply, wherever they may be within the Cathedral.

Please also note that the Harvard Chapel is reserved for private prayer. Whilst members of your group may enter, tour guides are not permitted  to speak to their group inside this Chapel.

Photography and filming

The Cathedral permits visitors to take photographs or to film subject to the pre-purchase of permits. The current charges per person are:

Cameras - £2.00
Video Recording - £5.00

Permits may be purchased from a member of our Welcomers Team within the Cathedral or the Cathedral Shop.

Please note that the purchase of a permit does not permit filming during Services or Concerts.

If you are interested in commercial filming within the Cathedral and its precincts, please contact the Business Development manager, Rose Harding on 020 7367 6704 or email: rose.harding@southwark.anglican.org

Other Visitor Facilities

We encourage you to provide time within your itineraries for group members to visit our Cathedral Shop. This is situated on the North (River) side of the Cathedral. The Shop carries a range of Cathedral souvenirs, cards, books and gift items. Open Monday to Saturday 1000 to 1800; Sunday 1200 to 1800. [Closed Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day]

There is also a Cathedral Refectory. This is assisted-service. It is operated by Azure. Set in a courtyard-setting, it is an ideal venue for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon teas before or after your Cathedral tour. These can be individually purchased although the Refectory is willing to accept group bookings for both morning coffee and afternoon tea. (Minimum number 10 / maximum number 40). British breakfasts and lunches are also available. Open Monday to Sunday from 1000 to 1800. (Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day)

For bookings or further enquiries please contact the Refectory Manager: tel: 020 7407 5740; fax: 020 7407 5840.

If you are interested in our Conference facilities please contact our Conference Co-ordinator, Helen Caruth on 020 7367 6722; E-mail: conferences@southwark.anglican.org

Toilets are located at the West End of Lancelot's Link, the glazed internal street. The Ladies toilets are located in an alcove near the upper Shop entrance. The Gents toilets are located down the steps towards the nave of the Cathedral on the right-hand side. There is also an accessible toilet at the West end (RADAR key controlled). This toilet also has a baby changing facility. For those buying food or drink, the Cathedral Refectory also has toilet facilities, which are located through the door on the right-hand side at the far (street) end of the room and then down a flight of stairs.

We look forward to receiving your booking in due course. In the meantime should you wish to discuss any aspect of the above, or require any additional help in arranging or planning group visits to Southwark Cathedral please do not hesitate to contact our Visitors' Officer: david.payne@southwark.anglican.org; tel: 020 7367 6734