Dover Cruise Terminal → Dover Market Square (Town Center)
At the shuttle stop outside Terminal 1 or 2, take the shuttle bus to Market Square in downtown Dover.
Cruise port in England
Dover
Allow about 10 min each way from the terminal to the city center. Average time in port: 9 hours. 23 places to explore.
- Ships calling here
- 9 ships
- Upcoming sailings
- 155 sailings
- Average time in port
- About 9 hours
- Lowest fare
- From USD 1,049
After disembarking
Cruise ships dock at Dover Cruise Terminals 1 & 2 (Western Docks). Allow about 10 min each way from the terminal to the city center.
- Where the ship docks
Cruise ships dock at Dover Cruise Terminals 1 & 2 (Western Docks).
- Dover Town and Castle Shuttle
On cruise ship call days, a sightseeing shuttle runs regularly between the pier, Market Square in central Dover, and Dover Castle on the hill.
- Direct Train Connection to Canterbury
Southeastern trains run directly from Dover Priory station to Canterbury East station in about 28 minutes.
- Contactless Card Payments Are Widely Accepted
Across Kent, contactless credit cards and Apple Pay are accepted on all trains and buses, and at restaurants and traditional pubs; you do not need cash in British pounds.
About 9 hours in port: where can you go?
Time available at the destination after subtracting return travel.
- Dover city centreAbout 10 min each wayTime at destinationAbout 8 hr 30 min
- CanterburyAbout 30 min each wayTime at destinationAbout 8 hr
Return travel Time at destination
Calculated from the average time in port. Return deadlines vary by sailing; check the daily programme on board.
Between the terminal, city and airport
Travel between the terminal, city center, railway station and airport.
Dover Cruise Terminal → Dover Priory Railway Station
Take an official taxi waiting in front of the terminal to Dover Priory railway station. Card payments are accepted.
Dover Priory Station → Canterbury East Station
At Dover Priory station, take a direct Southeastern train toward Canterbury East.
Dover Cruise Terminal → Dover Castle
Take the direct shuttle to Dover Castle from in front of the terminal, or a taxi outside the pier, to reach the fortress entrance on the hill.
Dover places to explore
Explore 14 checked places. Select a pin to see its card, or choose View on map from a card.
White Cliffs of Dover
Bright white Cretaceous chalk cliffs rising up to 110 m above the English Channel. Walk the coastal cliff trail toward South Foreland Lighthouse for views of the French coast on a clear day.
- Visit
- about 1 hr 30 min
- Admission
- Free
Dover Castle
An impregnable Norman fortress built by Henry II in the 12th century and known as the 'Key to England,' with a grand Great Tower and medieval palace interiors to explore.
- Visit
- about 2 hr
- Admission
- GBP 24~GBP 27
Roman Lighthouse
A Roman lighthouse from around AD 43, preserved within the grounds of Dover Castle from the Roman invasion of Britannia. It is the oldest Roman stone building in Britain to survive intact.
- Visit
- about 30 min
- Admission
- Free
It is located on the grounds of Dover Castle and is visited with a combined Dover Castle admission ticket.
South Foreland Lighthouse
A Victorian lighthouse on the chalk cliffs, a landmark in communications history where Marconi achieved the world's first wireless telegraph communication between a ship and a lighthouse.
- Visit
- about 45 min
- Admission
- GBP 6
Dover Museum & Bronze Age Boat
Located on Market Square, it displays an original wooden seagoing vessel hand-carved around 3,500 years ago in the Bronze Age, considered the world's oldest.
- Visit
- about 50 min
- Admission
- Free
Dover Western Heights
A military fortification with huge trenches and the Grand Shaft, a triple spiral staircase, built across the hill west of Dover harbor to defend against the threat of Napoleon's invasion.
- Visit
- about 1 hr
- Admission
- Free
Trips nearby
With enough time in port, you can explore beyond the city. One-way times are approximate.
Canterbury
About 30 min each wayTime at destination About 8 hr
SightsCanterbury CathedralThe worldwide center of the Anglican Communion and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned as the site of Archbishop Thomas Becket's martyrdom in 1170, its brilliant medieval stained glass, and grand Perpendicular Gothic cloisters.
Access to some of the cathedral’s interior cloisters may be restricted during special services or religious events.
SightsSt Augustine's AbbeyThe historic ruins of an abbey founded by St Augustine in AD 597 as he brought Christianity to England, with burial sites of Anglo-Saxon kings and archbishops.
SightsWestgate GardensA historic city park along the River Great Stour, with a picturesque setting of a 200-year-old plane tree, seasonal flowers, and swans.
Food and cafésCafé des AmisA lively Mexican-style bistro by the riverside at Westgate Towers, serving handmade tacos, fajitas, fresh guacamole, and cocktails in a friendly atmosphere.
Food and cafésThe Goods ShedA farmers' market and restaurant in a Victorian railway goods shed beside Canterbury West Station, serving seasonal dishes made with quality organic ingredients brought in that day by Kent farmers.
Food and cafésTiny Tim's TearoomIn a traditional timber-framed building in central Canterbury, enjoy 1930s jazz, classic English clotted-cream scones, homemade cakes, and afternoon tea served on silverware.
Food and cafésThe ParrotCanterbury's oldest historic pub, built in 1370 and retaining its oak beams and fireplace. It serves a traditional English Sunday roast and craft ale.
ActivitiesCanterbury Historic River ToursA guided boat tour through central Canterbury on the River Stour in a traditional rowing boat, passing the Dominican priory ruins and beneath a medieval bridge.
SightsWestgate Towers Museum & ViewpointEngland's largest medieval city gate, 18 m high and built in 1380 during the Hundred Years' War. Its rooftop viewpoint offers 360-degree views of old Canterbury and the cathedral towers.
Cruises calling at Dover
155 sailings are grouped into 89 cruises by ship and route.
Holland America LineSailing 2026.11Mediterranean cruises · 29 nights · Long cruise
29-Day Atlantic Treasures & Cultural Crossing
Rotterdam → Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Per person, double occupancyCheck with the booking provider
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2026.12Transatlantic cruises · 15 nights · Long cruise
15-Day Cultural Crossing With England & Normandy
Rotterdam → Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 1,049
Holland America LineSailing 2027.01World Cruise · 129 nights · Long cruise
129-Day Grand World Voyage
Fort Lauderdale, Florida departure · round trip
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 28,009
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2027.03World Cruise · 54 nights · Long cruise
54-Day Grand World Voyage
Cape Town → Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 11,999
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2027.04Africa cruises · 27 nights · Long cruise
27-Day Canary Island Crossing With Morocco & Madeira
Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Rotterdam
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 5,389
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2027.04Europe cruises · 12 nights · Long cruise
12-Day Cultural Crossing With Bermuda & London
Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Dover
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 1,679
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2027.04Africa cruises · 26 nights · Long cruise
26-Day Canary Island Crossing With Morocco & Madeira
Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Dover
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 4,999
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2027.04Europe cruises · 13 nights · Long cruise
13-Day Cultural Crossing With Bermuda & London
Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Rotterdam
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 1,879
Holland America Line2 departure datesBook now
Sailing 2027.04Mediterranean cruises · 28 nights · Long cruise
28-Day Canary Islands & British Isles: Madeira & Glasgow
Dover departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 7,019
Holland America Line2 departure datesBook now
Sailing 2027.04Africa cruises · 14 nights · Long cruise
14-Day Canary Island Enchantment With Morocco & Madeira
Dover departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 3,534
Princess CruisesBook now
Sailing 2027.04Northern Europe cruises · 15 nights · Long cruise
Northern Europe Passage
Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Copenhagen
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 1,090
Princess CruisesBook now
Sailing 2027.04Northern Europe cruises · 27 nights · Long cruise
Scandinavia & Baltic Grand Adventure
Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Copenhagen
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 3,616
89 cruises call at this port.
Ships calling at Dover
Explore cabin types, dining and deck facilities for each ship.
Holland America Line · 141 sailings
Nieuw Statendam
13 cabin types · 11 dining venues · 18 entertainment options · 13 decks
Explore the ship
Holland America Line · 3 sailings
Volendam
9 cabin types · 6 dining venues · 19 entertainment options · 10 decks
Explore the ship
Holland America Line · 2 sailings
Rotterdam
16 cabin types · 10 dining venues · 15 entertainment options · 12 decks
Explore the ship
Atlas Ocean Voyages · 2 sailings
World Navigator
13 cabin types · 4 dining venues · 18 entertainment options · 6 decks
Explore the ship
About Dover
Known as the gateway of England, Dover welcomes millions of visitors from all over the globe each year in its role as the ferry capital of the world and the second busiest cruise port in the UK. The White Cliffs Country has a rich heritage. Within the walls of the town’s iconic castle, over 2,000 years of history waits to be explored, whilst the town’s museum is home to the Dover Bronze Age Boat, the world’s oldest known seagoing vessel. The town’s cliffs that are a welcome sight for today's cross-channel travellers also served as the control centre for the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.
Cruise lines calling here: 5 places
Atlas Ocean VoyagesHolland America LineHX ExpeditionsPrincess CruisesRegent Seven Seas Cruises
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