Typical timings
Our typical visiting times for groups of young people are:
10am – 2.15pm
Visiting hours
Cathedral visiting hours are generally Monday to Saturday:
9.30 – 4.30pm
On Sundays the church is open for worship and prayer; general visiting hours are:
12 noon - 3pm
Bigger groups
If you are bringing 60 or more young people and are visiting another site in Durham on the same day, please ask about our split day rates on our enquiry form.
Each of our topics has three possible guided sessions:
Explore
An interactive tour of Durham Cathedral, tailored to your chosen topic. This session is included when you book one or more guided sessions.
Discover
A hands-on workshop to study your chosen topic. This session is included when you book two or more guided sessions.
Challenge
A hands-on workshop that involves either creativity, or collaboration, or both! This session is included when you book three guided sessions.
Topics best suited to Key Stage 3 (11 - 14 years old)
Why is Durham Cathedral Significant?
Explore Durham Cathedral’s significance as a place of faith, pilgrimage, architecture and history.
Included in days with 1 or more guided sessions.
Discover key Christian artworks in the Church and how they express Christian stories.
Included in days with 2 or more guided sessions.
Challenge your group to uncover Durham Cathedral’s significance over time and space through a carousel of hands-on activities.
Included in days with 3 guided sessions.
Designed to support the locally agreed RE syllabus.
Monk Life: Normans to the Reformation
Explore why the Normans built Durham Cathedral, spot medieval decoration and investigate the impact of the Reformation.
Included in days with 1 or more guided sessions.
Discover how medieval monks lived at Durham Cathedral in original monastic spaces, including the Great Kitchen.
Included in days with 2 or more guided sessions.
Challenge yourself with quill and ink to create a bookmark inspired by the collections of the monastic library at Durham.
Included in days with 3 guided sessions.
Designed to support the national curriculum for History.
Topics best suited to Key Stage 4 and over (15–18 years old)
Christianity at Durham Cathedral
Explore how the sacred spaces of Durham Cathedral express diverse Christian beliefs and practices, and serve its communities.
Included in days with 1 or more guided sessions.
Discover more about Holy Communion and Baptism in Durham Cathedral with locations and objects used in worship.
Included in days with 2 or more guided sessions.
Challenge yourself to see how faith is lived out with a Q&A session with a member of clergy (subject to availability).
Included in days with 3 guided sessions.
Designed to support GCSE RE.
Norman England and Durham Cathedral
Explore Durham Cathedral’s Romanesque architecture and learn how the Normans wrestled with political and spiritual power in the North.
Included in days with 1 or more guided sessions.
Discover more about how Benedictine monks brought changes with them to Durham as part of Lanfranc’s wider reforms.
Included in days with 2 or more guided sessions.
Challenge yourself to a guided walk on the riverbanks surrounding the cathedral to examine the impact of Durham’s geography on its story.
Included in days with 3 guided sessions.
Designed to support GCSE History.
Chosen your topic? Here are the next steps:
Step 3: Confirmation
Once a date has been agreed and you have confirmed you wish to go ahead with the visit, we send you a confirmation form.
Step 4: Safeguarding
With your confirmation form, you receive a link to our safeguarding pledge. You need to complete this before your visit.
Step 5: Arrival and payment
On the day, check in at the Visitor Desk. If you have booked one of our guides, they will greet you. If you have chosen to pay in cash, please pay at the Visitor Desk on arrival
After your visit, we send you an invoice, unless you have already paid at the Visitor Desk.
