Staggering rise in cost to enter UK’s most popular tourist attractions revealed
The most expensive church in the country now costs more to visit than Alton Towers
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A new study comparing the entry prices to some of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions over the past three years has uncovered increases of over 50 per cent.
New research conducted by the consumer group Which? revealed alarming ticket price hikes for some of the UK’s most historic attractions between 2022 and 2025
York Minster topped the list, with prices rising from £13 per person in 2022 to a staggering £20 in 2025, an increase of 54 per cent.
Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace and residence of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, increased prices from £25 to £30.
Major London attractions including Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London also increased admission by £5, with entry now costing £30, £26 and £34.80 respectively.
Elsewhere, a ticket to Winchester Cathedral costs £14 in 2025, compared with £10 in 2022.
For comparison, the cheapest tickets to theme parks such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park or Chessington World of Adventures are all £29.
Westminster Abbey told Which? that it receives no funding from the Church of England, the UK government or the Crown, unlike most other English cathedrals or churches. It added that entry remains free for those visiting to pray.
Which? noted that of the UK’s 10 biggest cathedrals, four of them are still voluntary contribution only, including Liverpool, Bristol and Durham, although donations are encouraged.
In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for York Minster said: “Entrance to York Minster is free for those attending all acts of worship or to pray; for carers, accompanied children aged 17 and younger; and for York residents and York university students. Nor is there any additional cost for visitors who have purchased a York Pass.
“We receive no regular government funding, or church funding beyond clergy stipends. We rely on the generosity of our visitors to raise a significant proportion of the more than £33,000 a day needed to ensure that we can open York Minster 365 days a year and care for its unique history and heritage.”
Visitors can save money on entry fees by using public transport to reach an attraction.
National Rail offers two-for-one tickets to a range of UK attractions, including Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Cardiff Castle and Tower Bridge.
A full list of participating attractions can be found here.
It’s worth noting that some attractions require a printed copy of the accompanying voucher before permitting entry.
Elsewhere, visitors who travel to Blenheim Palace by train, bus or bike can enjoy 20 per cent off admission prices.
Research by the trade body the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) in 2024 found that the British Museum was the most popular tourist attraction in the UK in 2023.
This was followed by the Natural History Museum, Windsor Great Park and Tate Modern.
The most popular attraction in Scotland was Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland (2.2 million visits) while the number one spot in Wales was taken by St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff (600,000 visits).
Titanic Belfast had the most visits in Northern Ireland, with 800,000 visitors.
