Best things to do in Dover

Dover Essentials

Dover serves as England's historic gateway, defined by the iconic 350-foot white chalk cliffs and the massive medieval fortress known as the 'Key to England.' This selection spans two millennia of history, featuring one of the world’s oldest Roman lighthouses, well-preserved 2nd-century wall paintings, and a network of Napoleonic-era coastal defenses. These sites highlight the town's strategic military importance and its role as a primary maritime link to continental Europe.

O1ive / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Dover Castle

Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed.

Immanuel Giel / CC BY-SA 3.0

White Cliffs of Dover

These 350-foot chalk faces stretch for eight miles along the Kent coastline. The cliffs contain layers of flint and fossils, serving as a natural defensive barrier and a landmark for cross-channel navigation since ancient times.

Thryduulf / CC BY-SA 4.0

Roman Pharos

Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed.

Stephen McKay / CC BY-SA 2.0

Roman Painted House

Built around AD 200, this Roman hostel features some of the best-preserved wall paintings north of the Alps. The site also displays an intact hypocaust underfloor heating system used by Roman travelers.

Nilfanion / CC BY-SA 4.0

Port of Dover

The Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry, cruise terminal, maritime cargo and marina facility situated in Dover, Kent, south-east England.

Drop Redoubt Fort

A massive 19th-century artillery fort built into the Western Heights to defend against Napoleonic invasion. It features a distinctive pentagonal design, deep defensive ditches, and subterranean barracks.

Gabirro / Public domain

Knights Templar Church

The excavated foundations of a 12th-century circular church on the Western Heights. It marks the site where King John submitted to the Papal Legate in 1213, effectively surrendering his kingdom to the Pope.

Bleriot Memorial

A stone monument in Northfall Meadow marking the spot where Louis Blériot landed his monoplane in 1909, completing the first successful cross-Channel flight in history.

Fort Burgoyne Eastern Redoubt

A Victorian-era polygonal fort designed to protect the northern flank of Dover Castle from land-based attacks. It remains an intact example of 19th-century military engineering with a significant dry ditch.