Durham Castle - Guided Tours

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Durham Castle will be closed to visits:

• Between Tuesday 23rd December 2025 and Monday 5th January 2026 included.
• On the 8th and 9th January due to Durham University Graduation Ceremonies using the space

Take a tour around one Durham's most significant historic buildings, designated a World Heritage Site since 1986.

Our knowledgeable and friendly tour guides will take you through the gatehouse and into the heart of the historic building, where you will experience stories and tales from 950 years of living history. Find out about the early days of the Castle, built in the 1070s as a Norman fortress by William the Conqueror, and learn about the powerful Prince-Bishops of Durham, whose seat of power was based for hundreds of years at Durham Castle. Discover how the building became the first college of Durham University and how today it is the home of University College students, who live and learn in Durham Castle.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

• Dates are released for booking one month at a time - if dates are not available yet for your visit please check back at a later date.
• Tours last approx. 45-50 minutes.
• You must check in and collect a lanyard from Palace Green Library (in between the Castle and Cathedral) prior to the tour start time.
• Due to the residential nature of the building entrance is by guided tour only. The following tour times are a general guide as it is sometimes necessary to cancel tours at short notice due to University or commercial activities.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

• Tour times are released one month at a time - if times for the next month are not available for viewing yet please check at a later date.
• Due to Durham Castle being a college of Durham University we are unable to run tours every day as the building hosts a variety of academic and commercial events. If your selected date in the current month shows as not available for booking, it means tours are not running on that day.
• Durham Castle is closed to visitors every Sunday.
• Walk-in spaces may be available to purchase from reception - if your selected tour time is sold out ring us on 0191 334 2932 or email [email protected] to enquire about availability.

About your visit

• Please arrive on time for your tour - unfortunately we won't be able to accommodate arrivals outside of the chosen tour start time. The time you have booked is the start time of your tour.
• The historic nature and layout of the Castle means that the majority of the building is inaccessible to wheelchair users. The tour route involves many steps and staircases, some of which are uneven. Accessibility within the Castle is limited due to access to areas via steps only. Any visitors with accessibility needs please contact 0191 334 2932 to discuss. For a full access statement to the venue, please visit our FAQs at the bottom of this page.
• All children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Please consult our FAQs for more information - if you have any other question not covered on this page, please call us at 0191 334 2932 or email us at [email protected].

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Host or Publisher Durham Castle Museum and Tours