The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Canterbury. Give it roughly ~60 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Canterbury Canterbury guide
About The Canterbury Tales
A walk-through attraction in a medieval church bringing Chaucer's Canterbury Tales to life, following his company of pilgrims on their storytelling journey from London to Becket's shrine.
The Canterbury Tales is a visitor attraction on St Margaret's Street that dramatises Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century collection of stories, in which a company of pilgrims journey from London to Becket's shrine at Canterbury, each telling a tale on the way. It occupies the former Church of St Margaret, a medieval parish church founded in the 12th century and largely rebuilt in the 14th, which became redundant in 1942 and was converted into the attraction in 1986.
The original attraction drew an estimated four million visitors over 33 years before closing at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. New operators took on the Grade II* listed former church from the Diocese of Canterbury in 2021 and relaunched it in spring 2026 after a major refurbishment, using holograms made from real actors, animatronics and puppetry alongside live performers.
Did you know? Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in English rather than the French or Latin of the court, helping to establish English as a literary language. Its pilgrims are bound for Becket's shrine in Canterbury.
How long is a visit to The Canterbury Tales?
Set aside roughly ~60 min for The Canterbury Tales. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is The Canterbury Tales worth your time?
The Canterbury Tales is among the 13 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Canterbury, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Canterbury
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about The Canterbury Tales and read more:
Day 1 of the Canterbury in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of The Canterbury Tales
Preview the Canterbury tour free in the Gingerguide app.