OPEN DAILY 10AM - 5PM march to october. CARD PAYMENTS ONLY.

Visitor information

Immerse yourself in the special atmosphere of the Victorian cemetery. We look forward to welcoming you!

With its sinuous paths winding up a steep wooded hill and ivy-clad monuments, Highgate Cemetery is a secluded funerary landscape at its most evocative.

Opening hours

Check before you travel

Guided tours

Our knowledgeable volunteer guides bring the stories of Highgate Cemetery to life

Tickets

Ticket information and where to buy them


Group tours and visits

Groups must book to visit Highgate Cemetery during the week. We do not allow group tours at weekends

Getting here

Please visit us by walking, cycling, or public transport

While you're here

Highgate Cemetery is still an active burial place and visitors are expected to behave in a quiet and orderly manner


Accessibilty

We want to be open and accessible to all visitors to ensure that the widest number of people can enjoy the Cemetery

Opening hours

March to October

Daily 10am to 5pm. Last entry 4.30pm. 

November to February

Daily 10am to 4pm. Last entry 3.30pm.
Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. 

During funerals and periods of inclement weather access may be restricted. 

 

Guided tours

Dates are added four weeks in advance

Join one of our top-rated volunteer guides as they share the history of the Cemetery and the compelling stories of the people buried here.

Highlights tour

Take in the unmissable highlights of the spectacular West side of Highgate Cemetery, including the iconic Egyptian Avenue, the Circle of Lebanon and the Terrace Catacombs (which are opened exclusively for tour participants). Your ticket price includes admission to the whole Cemetery on the day of your tour leaving you free to explore this remarkable place further at your leisure.

Tickets: Adults £18, Children 8-17 £10.The price includes admission to Highgate Cemetery on the day of the tour, so there's no need to buy separate entrance tickets. 

 

East side tour

While the West side of Highgate Cemetery boasts many dramatic architectural features, the tranquil East side is also well worth a visit to discover the stories of many of the fascinating people laid to rest here, including unsung heroes, names you will know and our most renowned ‘resident’, Karl Marx.

Please note: The Catacombs, Egyptian Avenue and the Circle of Lebanon are in the West side and are not visited on this tour.

Tickets: Adults £14 Members £8 Children 8-17 £6. The price includes entrance to the East side of Highgate Cemetery on the day of the tour. You can upgrade to visit the whole Cemetery on payment of a supplement at the ticket office on the day. 

 

Tour rules

Tours last around 75 minutes and are in English. They take place even if it’s raining. Strong winds or icy conditions may require us to cancel the tour in which case you will receive a full refund. Paths are steep and sometimes muddy so please do wear appropriate footwear. 

Photography is allowed with a hand-held camera for personal use only. No tripods. No filming. No food or drink. Tickets are not refundable or transferable. 

Children are allowed on our tours, but as the content is designed for adults, it’s natural that some may not find it entertaining. If your child becomes distracting to the rest of the tour group, we'll ask that you distance yourselves from the group until they are feeling more receptive.

Tickets

Where to buy tickets

Tickets can be purchased online or at the Cemetery. We accept payment cards only; we do not take cash.

You do not have to buy tickets in advance, but we recommend that you book a guided tour as they often sell out. If you want a guided tour, head back up this page; you don't need to buy separate entrance tickets.

Tickets are not refundable or transferable.

PRICES

Adults £10, Children 8-17 £6, Children 0-7 Free. 

One free carer is permitted per person in need of support. We are sorry, but there are no discounts for seniors or students. 

*Please note: The interior of the Terrace Catacombs may only be visited on a guided tour.

East side only tickets

Only coming to see Marx? Pressed for time? For those who wish only to visit the East side, we offer a reduced price ticket. The East side is newer and, while it does not have the spectacular architecture of the West, there are many interesting monuments.  We do not sell West side only tickets, but if you change your mind you can upgrade to a whole cemetery ticket on the day.

Adults £6, Children 8-17 £2, Children 0-7 Free. 

 

Members

Members of the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust benefit from free entry to the East side of Highgate Cemetery only. An upgrade may be purchased allowing for a visit to the West side. The Trust will be reviewing the membership scheme in the near future. 

Grave Passes

Grave owners are issued with passes allowing entry to the Cemetery and do not need to buy tickets. Friends and relatives may obtain passes directly from the grave owner.  Persons coming to visit a particular grave without a grave pass may be asked to purchase a ticket. 

Group tours and visits

Group tours

Private group tours last around 75 minutes and take in the unmissable highlights of the West side of Highgate Cemetery with our excellent volunteer guides. The price includes admission to the whole Cemetery on the day of the tour leaving your party free to explore this remarkable place further at their leisure.

Please complete this form to request to book your private group tour. We require a minimum of two weeks' notice, and dates and times are subject to availability. We do not offer private group tours at weekends. Once your request has been received, we will contact you to confirm your booking. 

Tours: Adult £18, Children 8-17 £10, Students* £9.50.  Minimum fee based on 10 participants. Payment must be made in advance. 

Group visits (without a tour)

All self-guided groups of 10 or more people must book their visit. 

Please complete this form to request to book your self-guided group visit. We require a minimum of two weeks' notice, and dates and times are subject to availability. Please note that as only Highgate Cemetery guides are permitted to conduct tours of the Cemetery, this is not a suitable option if you wish to take a tour. 

Once your request has been received, we will contact you to confirm your booking. 

Prices: Adult £10, Children 8-17 £6, Students* £8. Minimum fee £100. Students* East side only £4.80. Payment must be made in advance. 

* Student prices available for booked and prepaid group visits organised by or on behalf of accredited academic institutions only. They are not available to buy on site. Check on the OfS Register (UK) or DPAIP (USA) or similar to see if your group is eligible.

School groups - East side admission only

The maximum group size is 25. All pupils under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult, with a minimum ratio of 1 adult to 10 pupils.

Prices:  £1 per pupil under 18

Information

Please email info@highgatecemetery.org or telephone 020 8347 2475 for further information.

Getting here

Our address is Highgate Cemetery, Swain’s Lane, London N6 6PJ. Download our handy map.

Our what3words location is window.pouch.career. Plan how to get here at www.tfl.gov.uk or citymapper.com/london. Public transport may be affected by engineering works and station closures. Please check your journey in advance.

There is a bicycle rack outside the West side gates. If that's full, there are other racks further down the hill.  There are no Santander bike docking stations nearby. 

Parking

As there is no visitor parking, we encourage you to leave your car at home. Parking restrictions are in place on the surrounding streets between 10am and 12 noon Monday to Friday. After those times and at weekends, on-street parking is free. We have a small number of parking spaces for grave owners. We are happy to reserve a spot for visitors with a Blue Badge; see the Accessibility section below.

While you're here

Safety first!

Visitors must not leave the paths or climb on or under any monument. Monuments may be unstable. The cemetery can get muddy underfoot, so do wear sensible shoes.

Vehicles

Grave owners are discouraged from bringing their cars into the Cemetery except for Blue Badge holders, those less able to walk or when delivering heavy or bulky items to their grave. The Cemetery speed limit is 5mph and pedestrians have priority at all times. 

Photography

Photography is allowed for personal use only. Whether for personal use or otherwise, a permit must always be obtained for projects involving:
* special equipment such as lighting or screens. Tripods are allowed, but must not be used on tours.
* posed subjects, fashion shoots, music videos or subjects with a supernatural element (but permission is most unlikely to be granted)
* funerals or people visiting graves (but permission is unlikely to be granted)
* guided tours or other events
* commercial photography
* making films or videos. 

As a rule of thumb, if the photographs are more about you than the Cemetery, they are unlikely to be considered appropriate. 

Requests for a permit must be submitted at least two weeks in advance.  

Appropriate behaviour

Most visitors understand that they must behave with respect in a working cemetery. Inappropriate conduct, which is prohibited, includes but is not limited to:
a) creating any disturbance or committing any nuisance
b) interfering with any burial taking place
c) drinking alcohol, holding picnics or barbeques
d) smoking
e) distributing literature or other advertisements or undertaking any business activity without permission
f) sunbathing, jogging, rollerblading, skating or playing any sport or games
g) bringing in a bike, moped, or bicycle or using a scooter, skateboard, or skates
h) damaging, destroying, climbing any tree or plant, headstone, monument, memorial, grave, wall, fence or any other property within the Cemetery
i) picking flowers or foliage
j) littering or leaving any refuse apart from in the bins provided
k) the playing of any musical instrument or any device used to generate or amplify sound, except as permitted at funeral services
l) obstructing any member of staff or volunteer. 

We may exclude or remove from the Cemetery any person whose behaviour we consider inappropriate.

Bag searches and restricted items

For everyone's safety, all bags, rucksacks, packages and personal items may be searched before entry. Please don't leave your bags unattended at any point during your visit or they may be removed.

The following items may not be brought inside the Cemetery:
* large items of luggage
* dangerous chemicals, including herbicides or pesticides
* motorbikes, mopeds, bicycles, adult scooters
* any animal, apart from appropriately-trained assistance dogs
or any items we consider suspicious or likely to cause disruption.

Facilities

Shop

Our shop stocks a range of relevant books and objects such as postcards, candles and soap. It is at the entrance to the East side. Our shop accepts payment cards only; we do not take cash. 

Food and drink

We have very limited food and drink options. The 'Colonnade Cafe' in the West side courtyard is operated by an independent contractor. Please check their website for opening times and menu. 

A wider selection of cafes, restaurants and food stores can be found at the bottom of Swain's Lane or up in Highgate Village. There is also a cafe in Lauderdale House

Visitors may bring their own food to eat in the West side courtyard, but we ask that you take any rubbish away with you. 

Toilets and water points

West side courtyard: Men's and women's / accessible toilet. Water bottle refill station.

East side, near entrance: 2 unisex toilets. Drinking fountain. 

Watering cans are available at the entrance and taps are dotted around the site.  

Wifi

Free wifi is available in the entrance area and Chapel. Please connect to 'Highgate Cemetery' wifi network only. We ask that you do not use it for streaming or downloading large files so that bandwith is available for other visitors. Charging phones or plugging in any other devices is not allowed.

Babies and children

Visitors may bring prams and buggies, but please keep them with you at all times. Baby changing facilities can be found in the Women's / Disabled toilet in the West side courtyard. Parents are welcome to breastfeed or bottle-feed anywhere in the Cemetery. 

Left luggage

Large items of luggage, including all wheeled suitcases, are not permitted. We are happy to keep them for you but our storage area has limited capacity. When it is full, no further items will be accepted until space becomes available again. 

Lost property

If you've lost an item while visiting the Cemetery, please ask a member of staff on the day or email us. We keep anything which is found for a month, after which items will be either disposed of or given to a charity shop. 

Accessibilty

We hope the following information will help you plan your visit.

Terrain

There is generally no queue for entry. There are two steps up from the West entrance into the Courtyard. The stair from the Courtyard into the cemetery has handrails, but those from the Lower to the Upper Circle do not. Some paths are steep. The main routes are predominantly tarmac, but the rest are gravel or grass. The East side is on a gentler slope with no steps and predominantly tarmac paths and is more easily wheelchair accessible.

Seating

There are benches in the West side courtyard, East side entrance, and dotted about the East side. There is very limited seating in the West side. You are welcome to bring folding stools with seat attachments. 

Blue Badge parking

We do not have a dedicated disabled bay, but Blue Badge parking can booked through the office. Please give us at least two working days' notice. Any parking requests for a Monday must be received no later than the previous Friday afternoon. 
When booking, please provide: Your name, telephone number and email address; Vehicle registration number, make and model; The date and time of your visit; and your Blue Badge number.

 Please display your Blue Badge clearly  during your visit.

Accessible toilet

An accessible toilet is available in the West side courtyard.  It has a pull-cord alarm. We don't have a Changing Places toilet on-site. To find the nearest one, visit www.changing-places.org/find.  

Sound enhancements

There is a loop system in the Anglican Chapel. Please ask for a hearing loop receiver. 

Quiet spaces

We want Highgate Cemetery to be a tranquil place of sanctuary and generally it is. The busiest areas are the entrances. Sometimes we have group tours and school groups who may be noisy, and inevitably there may be noise from garden, tree, grave and building maintenance, but this is less likely at weekends. You can usually find a quiet and peaceful space somewhere. 

Service, assistant and emotional support animals

Appropriately-trained assistance dogs are welcome at the Cemetery. The dog should be registered with Assistance Dogs International (ADI), Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) and should be wearing an appropriate tabard or harness which indicates their status. We may ask to see your ID book. Otherwise you should get in touch with us in advance, providing documentary evidence to confirm that your dog has been trained as an assistance dog by a recognised trainer. Unfortunately there is no toileting area for them at the Cemetery. 

No other animals are allowed. If your service, assistant or emotional support animal is not a dog, please email info@highgatecemetery.org prior to your visit to avoid being refused entry on the day.

Improvements

We are working to improve access to Highgate Cemetery. If you have any ideas, queries or feedback please get in touch.