//
Town in Kent, England
Photo: Roger Jeffries, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Whitstable is a town on the north coast of Kent in southeast England. It's famous for its oysters, and grew up in the 18th and 19th centuries as a fishing port, general harbour and seaside resort. It's nowadays governed as part of the city of Canterbury, and in 2011 had a population of 32,100 in its constituent communities. They extend from Seasalter to the west through Herne Bay to the east.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Arts and community centre with exhibitions, talks, film and classes. They don't do theatre.
Mansion built in 1790 then added to and added to. It was refurbished in 2010 and is not open for sightseeing, but is used for exhibitions and events such as weddings. But you can enjoy the grounds, play area and Orangery Tearoom.
Museum in 18th-century building shows local history, seafaring, and local celebrity Peter Cushing.
Rep theatre, the Lindley Players are the resident troupe.
Live music, oyster-eating competitions. The festival has moved from July to mid-September.
Charming long-established oyster parlour, serves other seafood.
Cosy gastropub, the bar food downstairs is fine but it's the upstairs restaurant that scores.
Spacious cafe has shellfish starters and fish mains.
A rustic 19th-century pub with fine ales, classic British grub and live music at weekends. It truly is on the beach not the prom, teetering on wooden piles, and the original Neppy was washed away in 1897. They rebuilt Neppy 2 from the timber strewn around.
JD Wetherspoon pub in a former Art Deco cinema. Good selection of bar food.
A 17th-century pub with a contemporary vibe serving Kentish ales, lagers, wines, spirits, soft drinks, and mixed drinks including cocktails. The pub also serves a decent selection of bar food including vegetarian options. Coach & Horses provides Wi-Fi access, wheelchair accessibility, an outdoor area, occasional live music, and is dog friendly.
Good local pub with 8 rooms. Serves Shepherd Neame beers, and live music F Sa until 00:30 is audible in rooms. No parking.
Art Deco hotel on the seafront, clean and comfy. Also rents eight beach huts.
Smart seafront hotel, slick and welcoming with good restaurant.
Reliable budget chain hotel, on the retail park at junction with Thanet Way a mile south of town centre.
Bright modern hotel above town. No dogs, though you'll hear them yowling in the adjacent kennels.
By train
Trains from London Victoria run every 30-60 min, taking 80 min via Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Sittingbourne and Faversham, where the train may divide.
By bus
There are no direct buses from London. National Express runs from London Victoria to Canterbury, change there; those buses continue to Ramsgate or Dover.
By road
From London get onto M2. From west of the city that will involve cutting across from M25 via M26 to M20, then near Maidstone use A229 to reach M2.
The Triangle Bus is the best option along the coast between Whitstable, Tankerton, Swalecliffe, Hampton and Herne Bay. It doesn't reach Reculver.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Southend-on-Sea, Essex · Regional · SEN
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Whitstable and United Kingdom.
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Check eligibility, the £20 fee, application steps, and transit rules.
7 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsA complete guide to taking the Eurostar from London to Paris. Learn about check-in times, border controls, baggage limits, ticket tiers, and booking tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.