BRITAIN’S most expensive tourists attractions have been revealed with some costing more than theme parks.
A new study compared entry prices at the UK’s top attractions over the past three years, with some having increases of more than 50 per cent.
York Minister topped the list as the UK attraction with the highest ticket price increase over the past three years[/caption]
St Paul’s Cathedral also made the list, with prices rising by 25 per cent between 2022 and 2025[/caption]
Tickets at Westminster Abbey have increased by £5 since 2022[/caption]
The research by consumer group Which? unveiled York Minister as the venue with the largest increase over the past three years.
Since 2022, when it cost just £13 per person to visit the magnificent church, prices have risen a whopping 54 per cent, up to a staggering £20 this year.
If prices had instead risen in-line with inflation, £13 tickets in 2022 would cost just £14.48 as of December last year, an increase of just 11 per cent.
A range of other iconic tourist attractions have also seen above-inflation rises to their prices.
Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, raised its prices by 20 per cent from £25 to £30.
This makes it more expensive to visit than some theme parks, such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, or Chessington World of Adventures, which all have their cheapest tickets set to just £29.
Major London attractions have also seen their prices spiral upwards, with tickets increasing by £5 at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London over the three year period.
This means entry will now set you back £30, £26, and £34.80 respectively.
The worst offender here is St Paul’s Cathedral, in percentage terms, as prices rose by 24 per cent.
Visitors to the Tower of London, the most popular paid-for attraction in the UK in 2023, saw prices increase by around 17 per cent.
Outside of the major cities, Winchester Cathedral also saw a 40 per cent rise in ticket prices, up to £14 in 2025 compared to just £10 in 2022.
Westminster Abbey told Which? that it receives no funding from the Church of England, the UK government, or the Crown, unlike most other cathedrals or churches in England.
It added that entry remains free for those visiting to pray at the site.
Of the 10 biggest cathedrals in the UK, four currently operate solely with voluntary contributions, including Liverpool, Bristol, and Durham, although donations are encouraged.
A spokesperson for York Minster told The Independent that it is free for everyone to attend all acts of worship or to pray at the cathedral.
It added that carers, accompanied children under the age of 18, York residents, and York university students can also visit the place of worship for free, as can those who have a York Pass.
The minster highlighted it does not receive regular government funding, nor church funding beyond its clergy stipends, and that it relies on the generosity of visitors.
It reckons £33,000 a day is needed to ensure York Minster can be open throughout the year.
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.
If you are looking to save on your next visit to one of these attractions, using public transport can sometimes make your experience cheaper.
National Rail offers two-for-one tickets to a range of UK attractions including Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Elsewhere, visitors who travel to Blenheim Palace by train, bus or bike can enjoy 20 per cent off admission prices.
This means, tickets would cost just £24, down from the £25 price in 2022.
If you travel by train, bus or bike to Blenheim Palace, you can enjoy a ticket price cheaper than it was in 2022[/caption]
