Ramsgate Tunnels image

Ramsgate Tunnels

Tourist attraction Historical landmark Heritage building

One of the Top rated Historical landmarks in Thanet


Address

Marina Esplanade, Ramsgate CT11 8FH, United Kingdom

Website

www.ramsgatetunnels.org

Contact

+44 1843 588123

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (2.1K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 9:30 am to 4 pm
  • Thursday: 9:30 am to 4 pm
  • Friday: 9:30 am to 4 pm
  • Saturday: 9:30 am to 4 pm
  • Sunday: (Christmas Eve), 9:30 am to 4 pm, Hours might differ
  • Monday: (Christmas Day), 9:30 am to 4 pm, Hours might differ
  • Tuesday: (Boxing Day), 9:30 am to 4 pm, Hours might differ

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: tour (38) tunnels (21) guide (19) visit (16) Ramsgate (15) history (14) tunnel (14) experience (13) recommend (11) informative (11)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Alison R. 2 years ago on Google
    This was a very pleasant surprise. Very friendly staff to greet you and the guide was great speaker. He made everything interesting and accessible without dumbing down. We had a guide at the back for safety and he too was knowledgeable and really friendly. I would highly recommend this.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sophie C. 2 years ago on Google
    Fabulous local history. All staff were so nice. Delicious cake from cafe. Our guide Colin was very informative. Highly recommended. Wear sensible shoes!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 John Michael De V. 2 years ago on Google
    Its been a good experience, especially learning about the history of the Ramsgate Tunnel. Tour guides were very informative and helpful. Recommended to family and friends! I got more photos inside the tunnel but its up for you to see and experience as well!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Philip B. 4 months ago on Google
    An absolute MUST-DO whilst you're in East Kent. So much history is here and to get a guided tour in the air-raid tunnels is fantastic. Plenty of contemporary exhibitions from the tunnels construction and from wartime too. They do two tours; evacuation tunnels and rail tunnels. I'm going to do both!!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mark B. 7 months ago on Google
    If you only do one thing in Ramsgate, then do this guided Tunnels tour. What a truly wonderful visitor experience it is too and well worth the poultry admission charge. The whole experience was made extra special by our Guide, local historian Bruce and his wife Lois, it's very clear how passionate Bruce is about this network of tunnels. His passion is real and captivating as he unfolds the history and human stories behind this fascinating labyrinth of tunnels that literally saved the lives of thousands of Ramsgate residents that horrific day in 1940. The 1hr30min tour was the highlight of our three day stay in Ramsgate. For all you who don't find history interesting I challenge you to take this tour with Bruce... I guarantee that you will find it utterly engaging.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Pavan Kumar K. 11 months ago on Google
    When we went we weren't able to go inside the tunnel. It was blocked due to some beer festivals. However it's a must visit tunnel. Next to the tunnel there is a stairs where you can climb up and see the amazing view of the sea from the top. It looks beautiful.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Saffron W. 1 year ago on Google
    Have wanted to visit here for so long and it was definitely worth the wait! We booked online to save time on entry and to make sure we didn't have a wasted trip as I know some tours sell out pretty quick. We were greeted by very friendly staff who directed us to the area we needed to meet our guide. We were guided by Brian, who could not have been anymore friendly and helpful! Such a lovely man with a very clear passion for the history of the Tunnels. It was also great to hear his lived experiences and some of the other stories about the Tunnels. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would definitely recommend.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Elle A. 5 months ago on Google
    What a great way to spend a wet and windy day, inside the tunnels keeping dry . .Very informative and interesting facts given. Interesting for both adults and children, I'd recommend this experience to all and especially home ed kids. I took my teenage son to learn more about the war times. An outside class room experience to really get an understanding of some of our English history
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Steve M. 9 months ago on Google
    If your in Ramsgate, then one of your must see experiences is to take a guided tour of the Ramsgate wartime Tunnels. Our two hour tour took us deep into the tunnels. Our volunteer guide told us the story of why the tunnels were built and used during the war period. For all ages even my grandsons loved it as well.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mia S. 8 months ago on Google
    Absolutely astonishing place. Had amazing guide, so informative and knowledgeable. I found this place absolutely breath taking with all the stories and information. Very worthy to visit. Highly recommended And very nice cafe with beautiful coffee and carrot cake
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lee M. 1 year ago on Google
    Absolutely brilliant place to visit👍the museum part, free, is excellent...but the tour, well worth the £8, is unbelievable...the story's bring everything to life and highlight the struggles our parents/grandparents went through....highly recommend...don't miss it👍👍👍
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Albena S. 1 year ago on Google
    We visited Ramsgate Tunnels for the evening 'Railway Tour' in August 2022. The evening started with a quick H&S brief and then an information film in an underground hut. The tour was guided through the old Victorian railway tunnel. The tour guides (three) were all friendly and knowledgeable in terms of the tunnel system and local history. One tour guide assistant, Georgie, was excellent. Deep into the tour, some visitors were spooked and wanted to get out of there, so Georgie guided them all the way back to the entrance and out to the esplanade, then she came all the way back alone through the dark tunnel system. Very impressive! Overall, it was a very enjoyable and informative evening. I would recommend it to everyone, but probably not for children under ten years old because it's dark in the tunnels and the terrain is quite uneven.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Zoe H. 1 year ago on Google
    Such a great place to visit! We came with a group of various ages and everyone found it so interesting and a unique experience. Our tour guide was excellent, very informative, entertaining and dealt with our questions brilliantly. Fully recommend!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Darren B. 1 year ago on Google
    Superb local attraction detailing the use of the deep tunnels during the war to protect the townspeople. We opted for a guided tour which was really informative and our guide Steve was very knowledgeable and engaging with the group, particularly with my son, testing him on and old money question. The tour was over two hours long and thoroughly enjoyable with a real world experience of how life was for the townsfolk under ground during the raids. Really well worth a visit and a must for any ww2 enthusiasts.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Lee A. 1 year ago on Google
    Very interesting and informative tour of the tunnels, both the old railway tunnel and the tunnels built as a shelter for the people of Ramsgate. Interesting exhibits at the entrance. Well worth a visit and great for all the family.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Alyson F. 1 year ago on Google
    Good experience and very informative. Lived in Kent all my life and only heard about the tunnels last year. Hard hats to be warned as a health and safety precaution. Our tour guide was quiet fast paced with approx 25 ppl on the tour but a lot of ground was covered. 6 children were on the tour and appeared engaged. Worth a visit. Family ticket is cheaper than 2 adults and 1 child making it affordable. There is a small museum worth visiting whilst waiting for tour but equally accessible after tour if you don't have time. There is a small cafe serving drinks and cakes, although we didn't stay for this. Looks nice.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Florin D. 10 months ago on Google
    Very nice place to visit. Car park next to it, coffee shop . Tour takes 1.30 h, with guid . Get ready to walk and have proper shoes as the floor is uneven. Colin was guiding us thru the tunel with stops for stories . He was very knowledgeable. 🙂

  • 5/5 Baz W. 1 year ago on Google
    Well worth a visit. Interesting tour, lots of stories. Quote sobering to think so many people were living in the tunnels during WW2. The staff were brilliant, our tour guide Mick knew his stuff and enjoyed sharing his knowledge and with the other guide made quite the comedy duo. Thanks to all, we will be back to do the tour of the other tunnel soon.

  • 5/5 Cajetan B. 7 months ago on Google
    I highly recommend this trip. It's a fascinating look into the history of wartime Britain. The guides are super helpful and explain everything. It is 2 hours well worth spending and worth a trip. Of course, once you finish the guided tour, there are plenty of things to do in Ramsgate. You get to experience the tunnel system and how it helped save lives during the bombings. The tunnels run deep and cold. Be prepared to walk a fair bit. I got to experience total darkness as the guide Steve demonstrated to us how the people in the tunnel must have felt when the lights went out. Highly recommended.

  • 5/5 Daren K. 7 months ago on Google
    An amazing attraction hidden in Ramsgate near the beach. Fascinating 1.5 hour tour taken by a very knowledgeable guide learning about its history. I would certainly recommend this unique attraction.

  • 5/5 Thomas S. 1 year ago on Google
    I visited the Ramsgate Tunnels yesterday, it's a really interesting place. Learning about the tunnels history was fascinating, well worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Ramsgate. The staff very very friendly and helpful. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny too! Highly recommended!

  • 5/5 Omolola Flora A. 2 years ago on Google
    I didn’t exactly get into the tunnel because I wasn’t aware of the entry fee. But just after the nice staff and entry, there’s a part of the tunnel you can view for free. I had fun viewing with a friend I convinced to go out. We didn’t regret it. I’ll be revisiting soon.

  • 5/5 Andrea s. 11 months ago on Google
    Very educational experience, great for teen kids to visit and learn about time during WW2 Ramsgate bombing. Mick our tour guide was absolutely fantastic and answered any questions very clearly. Recommend 100%

  • 5/5 Daniel L. 8 months ago on Google
    Absolutely stunning. A must visit if you are in the area and definitely worth the trip. Fascinating tour of tunnels built in ww2 and saved a lot of life in Ramsgate, as the 60k population was able to go underground before raids. Some residents that their houses were ruined in the bombing ended up living underground for 4 years. Great guide, super knowledgeable

  • 4/5 How Was I. 1 year ago on Google
    If you ever find yourself near Ramsgate this is definitely something to visit on a wet & windy afternoon! The staff are very informative over the 1.5hrs tour & accommodated to all kinds of needs. We had a foreign school tour & a deaf couple, & our guide was able to adapt the tour so everyone got the benefits of learning about the historical wonders & journey the tunnels have been through! There is a free section of the tour, with artifacts & information boards, along with an extensive gift shop with replicas & nicnacks to choose from! Not to mention the cafe with ample choice & ample seating areas! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The switching on of the tunnel lights was a great feature, & definitely added a wow factor to the tour. I would have liked the end part of the tour to have been at the beginning as I felt it was a bit rushed our tour took 2hrs due to the allowances for the guests (not an issue). But I would have liked to have had longer before the tour 'ended' to view that part. Would definitely recommend! M&C xx

  • 5/5 Deborah M. 6 months ago on Google
    Absolutely great experience. Family day out on 25th October 2023. We had a great time here and would recommend a visit. Very interesting and a great part of our history.

  • 5/5 Tony R. 7 months ago on Google
    Staff very very I formative,pleasant and helpful. Good place to take children to show how they should appreciate the life they have these days.

  • 5/5 Tom C. 5 months ago on Google
    Excellent tour with Mick - a really engaging and informative talk. You can tell he's super passionate about preserving the heritage and memory of the tunnels. A fascinating and moving walk through history!

  • 5/5 Andrew C. 9 months ago on Google
    An absolutely hidden gem! I never even knew these tunnels existed let alone the history of them. The guided tour was fascinating and the guide very passionate and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend!!


Call +44 1843 588123 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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