OPEN DAILY 10AM - 4PM. CARD PAYMENTS ONLY.

Highgate Cemetery

Tickets including entrance to both sides of Highgate Cemetery

With its sinuous paths winding up a steep wooded hill and ivy-clad monuments, Highgate Cemetery West is a secluded funerary landscape at its most evocative. It is home to the most impressive architectural features of Highgate Cemetery — the Chapel, Colonnade, Egyptian Avenue, Circle of Lebanon, Terrace Catacombs and the mausoleum of Julius Beer. If you've not been before, you really need to get the full Highgate Cemetery ticket!

Highgate Cemetery self-guided visit

An exciting opportunity to see the splendours of Highgate Cemetery on your own, without a guide... the price includes access to both sides

Events

No events are scheduled. Please subscribe to our mailing list if you would like to be notified of new events.

Guided tours: Highlights

Experience the captivating atmosphere of the West side by taking a tour with one of our knowledgeable volunteer guides. Dates are added four weeks in advance.

Egyptian Avenue

One of the most stunning sights of the Cemetery, a bit of ancient Egypt has found its way to north London

Circle of Lebanon

An ancient cedar tree was here long before the cemetery, and a circle of tombs was built around it. Unfortunately it succumbed to fungus, but a new one has been planted!

Terrace Catacombs

From the terrace at the top of the Cemetery there were views across London. But visitors were standing on the roof of the catacombs beneath...

Mausoleum of Julius Beer

The finest monument in the Cemetery, evidence of the grief occasioned by the loss of a daughter

Highgate Cemetery self-guided visit

THE WHOLE CEMETERY, both East and West sides

This is a working cemetery. Please keep things tranquil and respectful by observing the following rules. Please walk quietly and

* leave your dog at home
* don’t run or jog or do any strenuous exercise
* park your cycle or scooter outside
* don’t leave the paths or touch any monument.

Timed tickets help us keep things tranquil. You can arrive 15 minutes before or up to 30 minutes after your booked time to avoid the queues. We lock the gates at 5pm each day from March to October, and at 4pm from November to February.

You don't need to buy a separate Highgate Cemetery East ticket as it is included in the price. 

*Please note: The catacombs are not open for self-guided visits. To see the catacombs you must go on a guided tour.

Tickets are not refundable.

Guided tours: Highlights

The Highlights Tour features the captivating landscape of the West side of Highgate Cemetery. The ticket includes entrance to both sides all day on the day of your tour. 

Our wonderful volunteer guides bring the Cemetery alive with fascinating stories of its history and occupants. The tour lasts around 70 minutes and is in English. Tours take place even if it’s raining. Paths are steep and sometimes muddy so please do wear appropriate footwear. 

Strong winds or icy conditions may require us to cancel the tour for safety reasons. If we are forced to cancel you will receive a full refund.

Tickets 
The ticket price includes entrance to Highgate Cemetery East on the day of your tour. Tickets are not refundable or exchangeable. 

Note: Tour content varies. If you are interested in a particular grave, please ask before buying your ticket.

Tours are limited to 16 people. Larger parties will need to split themselves in smaller groups to book. 

Egyptian Avenue

The main path suddenly opens out in front of the Egyptian gateway, flanked by a pair of massive obelisks. 

When the Cemetery was founded, interest in ancient Egypt was still very strong, encouraged by Napoleon's campaigns. 

The association of the Egyptian style of architecture with the memorialization of the dead was a natural one. 

An avenue, lined with tombs, leads up to the Circle of Lebanon

Circle of Lebanon

At the heart of the Circle of Lebanon was a massive ancient cedar tree which long predated the Cemetery. It was part of the grounds of Ashurst House, sold in 1830 and demolished to provide a site for the present St Michael's Church. 

The cemetery designers kept the great cedar as a key feature in the landscape. It was like a huge bonsai, its base surrounded by a circle of tombs.

On the inside face the tombs are in the Egyptian style and belong to the 1830s; the tombs on the outer face are later, and mostly in the classical style. 

In August 2019 significant decay was found in the tree, which was declared to be at a high risk of catastrophic collapse. Unfortunately it was necessary to remove it competely and it has been replaced with a new one, but it will be many years before this looks as spectacular as the original.

Terrace Catacombs

Only open for visitors on guided tours

The Terrace Catacombs take the position of the terrace of the gardens of Ashurst House, demolished in 1830. From here there were splendid views of London, now mostly obscured by trees. 

These brick catacombs with a cast-iron traceried terrace balustrade were part of the original buildings of the cemetery in 1838-9. 

Inside, there is a brick-vaulted gallery more than 80 yards long, lit by oculi set in the terrace. It is lined with separate recesses, each large enough to take a single coffin end on, from floor to ceiling down both sides of length, 825 in all.

The catacombs could be used as a permanent resting place or temporarily whilst a plot was chosen. Fans of construction history get excited because the terrace is thought to be the earliest surviving asphalted building in England. 

Mausoleum of Julius Beer

Testament to a father's love for his lost daughter, the mausoleum is a splendid work of art.  Said to be based on the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it dominates the top of the Cemetery. 

Inside (not visited on the tour), Beer's daughter Ada is shown being lifted heavenwards by an angel in a very touching sculpture by H. H. Armstead. 

Have a look at our 360 degree tour!
Start the tour

 

Some West Cemetery memorials…

Opening times

East Cemetery

Open every day from 10am to 5pm. (4pm close from November - February) Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. 

The East Cemetery is where Karl Marx is buried. Visitors may roam freely on this side, but there is an entrance charge.

Admission is by timed ticket which you can purchase here or upon arrival. If you are planning to visit both sides please buy a West Cemetery ticket as access to the East Cemetery is included in the price. 

West Cemetery

Open every day from 10am to 5pm. (4pm close from November - February). Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. 

Admission to the West Cemetery is either by Guided Tour or by a Self-Guided visit. We advise booking in advance (especially Guided Tours), but you can purchase upon arrival. For further information and to book, see Visit > West Cemetery

Please remember to allow sufficient time to visit the East Cemetery (which is included in the price) if your tour is late in the day. 

How to get here

Please visit us by
walking, cycling, or public transport

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

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 Cemetery gates.If that's full, there are other racks further down the hill. 

Parking

As there is no off-street visitor parking, we encourage you to leave your car at home if possible. 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 do keep a small number of parking spaces for grave owners and visitors with disabilities.

Contact us

Email info@highgatecemetery.org

To find out whether someone is buried here, go to Searches

Telephone enquiries

Monday to Friday
General enquiries 020 8340 1834
Burials, memorials, grave ownership 020 8347 2471
Filming or photography requests 020 8347 2472
Group visits 020 8347 2475
Volunteering 020 8347 2474

You should know...

The cemetery can get muddy underfoot, so do wear sensible shoes.
Only Highgate Cemetery guides are permitted to conduct tours of the Cemetery.

Photography

Still photography of graves is allowed for personal use only. We don't allow the cemetery to be used as a backdrop for unrelated subjects such as fashion shoots. No video. You can use a tripod, but not on tours.

Animals

No animals are permitted with the exception of assistance dogs.

Accessibility

Visitors to the West cemetery should be aware that the paths are steep, and the tour route also includes two flights of stairs. The East cemetery is on a gentler slope with no steps and predominantly tarmac paths and is more easily wheelchair accessible. A small amount of disabled parking is available outside the cemetery’s entrance on Swain’s Lane. There is a disabled toilet in the West Cemetery. For further information, please contact the office in advance of your visit. 

More rules

You can download a full set of our rules here. 

© 2023 Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust. Registered Charity No. 1058392. Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No. 3157806. Registered office Swain’s Lane, London N6 6PJ

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