Chislehurst Caves

A top-notch, amazingly good value for money outing. I have visited the caves many times and never had a disappointing tour. Each tour is different as the tour guides all add their own twist and can tailor the tour to whatever you want (I went for my birthday last weekend and asked the guide to bring on all the ghost stories and he did, but I've been with children before and they kept it child-friendly). Wonderful staff and Chislehurst has such beautiful surroundings you can hardly believe there are miles and miles of history right under your feet. Highly recommended!

have been to the caves a few times now and every time ive been there was something new to see, i love learning about the different histories involved with the caves, the guides are friendly welcoming and know there stuff, myself and my family will deffinately be going again and again and when the grandkids are older i will be taking them to, i have only excellent things to say about the staff and the caves.

This gem cannot be rated highliy enough and should be in the top ten of any guide to London.

It’s such an amazing expereince and wouldn’t expect to have somewhere with such a rich history in the middle of the suburbs.

You get to carry a lantern and the guides really make the expereince – and every time I’ve been (about 8 times) I’ve learn’t something new.

Plus Jimmie Hendrix and my uncle dan have played down there.

Went to the caves last week with the family and we all had fun. my mum really enjoyed the world war two stuff. and the kids had a good time as well even though their young. the wife didn’t like the dark much but hasn’t stopped talking about our trip. we have decided to go down again after Christmas but with out mum.have to admit its a long walk. think he said 2 miles. but a really big thanks to our guide (???) he dressed really cool and fit the part and he did a great job entertaining even though there was a lot of noise. other kids. hopefully maybe a smaller group in Jan.

Just to say I went to the caves yesterday, and had a great time. I never thought there could be so much history about one place. Our guide took us around the maze of tunnels and it was dark, but made it more interesting. I loved the stories of world war 2 and even the Druids part, now that’s dark,(I’m not giving anything away). The caves are must for anyone. Oh i will definitely be back with more friends.

We went there with two younger children and asked before purchasing tickets if this was suitable or spooky. Yes suitable, not spooky was the answer – the reality totally different. The guide turned the tour into his personal freak show, making border line comments all the way through and we had to abort the tour when he took all the lamps away to show the crowd some druid crap. The children (and all adults) were screaming, totally scared and we had to abruptly terminate there. Ironically it says on the website suitable from 3 years. What a joke. We live close to the site, but will 100% sure never ever go there again. It could be very interesting, but not the way it’s done…

Spent an enthralling hour in the caves with our guide Jason, who made it very interesting and brought the caves to life. Plenty of humour in the talk combined with facts from the guide book made it a wonderful experience. Thank you!!

I've lost count of the times i've been here. It was the first time my sister has been though. so we took my 2 children there today. It just keeps getting better. My sister jumped on a few occasions but was very impressed, with the tour and the guide! I have learned something new on each visit. I would recommend as it is a very informative outing and the entrance fee is very reasonable!!

Just got back from a tour today and must say I was very impressed. The tour guide was excellent and really created an atmosphere and it was fascinating to learn the full history of the caves. Although I don't live that far away this was my first visit and I will definitely be back again, the entry fee is very reasonable and well worth it. Ample (free) parking and easy to get to by car I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to friends and family.

Eerie, dark, spooky and weird -this place just rocks!!!
A FAB afternoon's trip, nice atmosphere, the guide was very good. We have been in the caves three times now and everytime we have been around them we get a different vibe in the darkness -I have done a charity sleepover in the Tower of London and I thought that was spooky enough.....how wrong I was!!!! Cannot wait to go round the caves again and they certainly cool you down in the summer heat, the caves are definatley worth a visit -nice cup of tea in the cafe too!

Visited the Chislehurst caves this September, with my Wife and Brother. we had a great guide who took us around telling the stories of the history of the caves. Also learnt of the War years and of the ghost that is suppose to haunt the caves. Whilst going thru our photos later we had a couple of cloudy shots that had no explanation. I would recommend the tour to anyone interested in history and beyond. Thanks for a great visit.
Cheers Trevor, Barossa Valley, South Australia

We went round on a tour with a very experienced guide, they told us all the history of the caves from Druids and Romans right through to Saxon times and how they were used in WWII as bomb shelters. Be warned it’s very cold and there’s limited visibility so it’s rough going if you’re disabled or not sure of your footing. Lots of steps, I went when I could still do steps, it’s no good for wheelchair users. Plenty of free parking and a good cafe.

This is a great place to take the children; mine were hanging on to every word the guide said. There is so much history down there and you get sucked into the atmosphere. I would recommend some good walking shoes and a jumper, even in the summer as it is quite cool down here. My daughter once went down the caves at Halloween with some friends, they talked about it for ages afterwards and it still crops up occasionally, which goes to show what an impact the caves had on them. It is something different to do with the kids. There is a green very near and a couple of good pubs so you could make a day of it and have a picnic afterwards. Parking here isn’t easy and if you do take the train it is an uphill walk from the station.

Chislehurst is a small town in kent, located within very close proximty from C London by train and I love it. I visited the caves two months ago, but drove and it took over a nhour - so my advice is if you are coming from London, take the train.
It is a nightmare going down the old kent road, through new cross, etc. So DONT EVEN GO THERE BY CAR…
The caves have been around for thousands of years and are divided between Saxon, Roman and Druid sections…
The tour takes you approximately through one mile of the caves, but it seems longer. It is not possible to enter the caves alone, for the obvious reason that you will get lost…
Tours are on the hour every hour and are very informative and quite scary for first-timers. The caves were actually inhabited during World war II due to the continuous air raids…
There are also ghost stories and scary tales that will igve the children a fright or two….
It is something different and something unforgettable. Myself and my family are all eager to return.
For the very brave, there is a special halloween tour, but this is certainly not for the faint hearted…

The caves are 22 miles of man made mines where chalk and flint were originally excavated and it was last worked in the 1930’s. They are now a tourist attraction and visitors are invited to a guided tour where they are told of the history of the caves and encounter members of staff dressed in costumes intended to give them a fright. In world war 11 the caves were used as air raid shelters accommodating 15,000 inhabitants. It included a chapel and a hospital and had electic lighting. There was only one birth recoded during that time and the baby was christened Rose Cavena Wakeman. I have been told that fairly recently the TV programme Most Haunted was filmed there but I can’t actually confirm that.

About 20 minutes from central london on a train. The caves offer a different perspective on the war years and a visual clue as to how people lived. It is a great day out with children in a lovely area of london. The best part is it not to expensive but inquiring minds will be occupied!

To be properly appreciated Chislehurst Caves should be visited on Halloween after having watched some awful slash horror film and with a mate who thinks it's funny to breathe gently down the back of your neck and then duck! Otherwise be an 8 year old child or a history fan.
This tour inside the 20 mile maze of underground caves is conducted solely by oil lamp.The tour guide tries to ramp up the fear factor by telling stories of spooky occurances but the main draws for adults are that it is absolutely pitch black (which if you are a londoner may be something you haven't experienced for a while!) and has a very rich and interesting history dating back 8000 years.
It is a fun and alternative experience to take you out of the city into a very attractive part of Kent and is open throughout the year. Try the nearby Bickley Arms for post-cave drinks.
Childrens tours are available and there is a restaurant and gift shop. There are good parking facilities and it is right next to Chislehurst train station which is accessable from Charing Cross and London Bridge.