Quirky London – Visiting Highgate Cemetery in London

Last updated: 29 July 2023

Updated June 2023. Highgate Cemetery, established in 1839 and is one of the Magnificent Seven.  The Magnificent Seven, were private cemeteries created on the outskirts of the city to cope with the demand of the dead and the dying, as traditional burials of small parish churchyards were becoming severely overcrowded and dangerous.

Highgate cemetery was the third to be built and the concept of burial grounds appealed to the emerging middle class, who were keen to form their own identity and distance themselves from the working class.  They considered being buried in Highgate Cemetery as an indication of social status. 

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Why Visit Highgate Cemetery? 

Highgate Cemetery is arguably the most famous cemetery in London, the final resting place for approx. 150,000 people, has become a destination for people looking to pay their respects to well-known individuals at their final destination, curious visitors who want to visit to see what all the fuss is about, and the fact that it still a working cemetery there will be mourners visiting their loved ones. 

We can appreciate that the idea of visiting a cemetery isn’t for everyone however if the concept of visiting one doesn’t creep you then there is much to appreciate, admire, and learn during a visit. Highgate cemetery is located in North London in the leafy residential village of Highgate which is Zone 3 on the Tube map and serviced by the Northern Line. The cemetery is about a 20 min walk from Highgate tube station.

One point to be aware of,  Highgate Cemetery website and many reviewers advise the closest tube station isn’t Highgate but actually Archway. However, most fail to mention the substantial hill you’ll need to hike.  Consider jumping on a bus if you’d like to avoid the hill.

Highgate Cemetery is divided in two parts separated by a road in the middle and visitors can choose between visiting the East Cemetery and the West Cemetery, or both. 

The Victorian attitude towards death produced some stunning architecture which is on display in the west side of the cemetery. During this era, status mattered.  Families wanted to be remembered and did so by making grandiose statuary displays and the creation of Gothic tombs, gravestones and mausoleums. As a listed property, Highgate is protected and one of the best places to view such displays.

How to visit Highgate Cemetery

Before you arrive at Highgate Cemetery ready to explore, you first need to decide HOW you plan on visiting because your answer will result in a different price. As mentioned earlier, Highgate Cemetery is split into two parts, the East and the West Cemetery.

Visiting the East Cemetery Only

If you’re planning on visiting the East Cemetery only then you’ll need to purchase a East Side Only Entrance ticket for £4.50 per adult and £0.50 per child (8-17). If you want to visit the East Side Cemetery with a volunteer guide for a 75 min tour then that will increase the ticket price to $9.50 per adult and £2.50 per child. 

Visiting BOTH the East AND West Cemetery

However, if you plan on visiting BOTH the East and West sides of the cemetery then you will need to purchase a Highgate Cemetery Entrance ticket which provides entry to both sides of the cemetery. The price of the combined ticket is £10 per adult and £6 per child (8-17). If you’re planning your first visit to Highgate Cemetery then we suggest buying this ticket to get the most of your time at London’s most famous cemetery. One thing to keep in mind is that the catacombs can only be visited on the guided tour so if the catacombs are one of the main reasons for your visit then we suggest upgrading your ticket to the tour. 

If you’d like to combine your visit with a 70 min tour with a volunteer guide then you can purchase a Highgate Cemetery Highlights Guided Tour, which will cost a total of £15 per adult and £8 per child. This ticket will provide access to both the East and West sides of the cemetery and a guided tour, it should be noted that the tour content may vary so if you’re interested in a particular gravesite then it is recommended to speak to the onsite team before purchasing the ticket. 

Highgate Cemetery Transport Map

The below map is available on the Highgate Cemetery website which is really helpful in understanding the various available to get to Highgate Cemetery via public transport, driving, and cycling. 

Highgate Cemetery – East

The most famous resident of Highgate Cemetery is Karl Marx, you may know his name. He was a philosopher but more commonly known as the father of Socialism.  In fact he has two graves.  His newer grave dominates a key corner of real estate within the necropolis.  It’s a well trodden path as Socialists, historians, curious travellers and the like, stroll past to pay their respects.  

A bit further ahead, along an indiscriminate muddy track, hidden under overgrown weeds and squeezed between many other cracked concrete horizontal gravestones stones is his original resting place, which was the gravesite of his wife., Jenny Von Westphalen. Nowadays it’s hard to find the well worn stone, but possible with help of the map you’re provided upon entry.

Did you know that Karl Marx was based in London he often spent much of his time in the Reading Room at the British Museum? For more information about British Museum and other London museums, here’s our post on our 9 favourite museums in London. 

Other famous names call Highgate cemetery home. Claudia Jones, political activist and founder of the Notting Hill Carnival, artist Patrick Caulfield with his distinctive memorial that dispels any doubt of his current mortality.  

Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy also rests here. A fan left a pen holder and some paper for the author, just on the off chance he felt like scribbling some words of wisdom from the grave. Feel free to bring a pen to add to his collection.

Highgate Cemetery – West

When we visited in Highgate Cemetery in 2016, the West Cemetery was only accessible via a guided tour unlike today where you have a choice of the self-guided experience or with a guided tour. If you choose to take the guided tour then the below should be helpful in understanding what to expect on your 70 min guided tour.

We met our guide, Niall, a long serving volunteer at Highgate cemetery in the main courtyard.  Niall carried a binder with images and assorted references which he used throughout our tour.

One question you might be asking yourself is whether the West Cemetery is worth visiting with a guide? The short answer is yes, this is because there are advantages to going with a guide, such as the receiving an explanation of how burial methods have changed over the years, personal and poignant stories like Julius Beer whose daughter tragically died and her tomb lies within the family mausoleum which is quite remarkable. 

The grave of George Wombwell, a self proclaimed entrepreneur and menagerist, is guarded by a sleeping lion.  His claim to fame was a successful business, Wombwell’s Travelling Menagerie. Showcasing exotic animals to the high society and royals in his lifetime.

The Egyptian Avenue at Highgate Cemetery, London.

A photo posted by Roma (& Russell) (@roamingrequired) on Mar 7, 2016 at 2:00pm PST

We’re led up the Egyptian Avenue. It’s a grade 1 listed building, a portal with flanking columns with lotus buds.  The Avenue has eight chambers to each side, each holding up to 12 coffins.  It leads up to the Cedar of Lebanon tree that pre-dates the cemetery.  The catacombs are further along the path, our lighting was by the flash lights on our phones and nothing else. It was eerie being so close to death.  Coffins placed in the walls of the catacombs have long rotted leaving a little between the living and the dead.

Our time is almost up and we loop back on ourselves and head back to the Chapel but not before seeing some of the newer graves.  We stop at a modest headstone stone. Modern blocky granite style. There’s no sculpted weeping angels at this grave. It belongs to Alexander Litvinenko, he is one of the newer residents of Highgate Cemetery. His name might sound familiar, he was the former Russian secret service agent who sought asylum in London in 2000 and died as a result of radioactive polonium.  Not everyone at Highgate has a story or a headline catching name and today remains a working cemetery serving the people of North London. 

So if you’re looking for something a bit different and unique to London, perhaps consider adding Highgate cemetery to the itinerary for your next visit.

The Essentials | Highgate cemetery

Cemetery East

• Opening Time: 10am to 5pm (4pm close between Nov-Feb)
• Cost:
  • £4.50 adults (self-guided) / £9.50 adults (guided tour)
  • £0.50 child (ages 8-17) / £2.50 (guided tour) 
• Tour Duration: approx 70 mins

Cemetery West

• Opening Time: 10am to 5pm (4pm close between Nov-Feb)
• Cost includes access to East Cemetery
  • £10 adults (self-guided) / £15 adults (guided tour)
  • £6 child (ages 8-17) / £8 child (guided tour)
• Tour Duration: approx tours last 70 mins

Insider tip: if you’re visiting on a weekend, head straight to the Cemetery West when you arrive at Highgate cemetery. Find out when the next tour is, and if you have to come back later you can explore Highgate cemetery East while you wait.  We got lucky, a tour was leaving in 15 mins as we arrived,  I hear that’s often the case. Remember, Cemetery West tour tickets give you access to both sides of the cemetery so ensure you don’t pay twice. 

Have you visited Highgate Cemetery? What did you think?

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