One of London’s most iconic landmarks, St. Paul’s Cathedral draws millions of visitors a year with its awe-inspiring architecture and historical significance. It also has one of the best views of London! Read on for your complete guide to visiting St. Paul’s.
History of St. Paul’s
The original Church, dedicated to the apostle, Paul, was built in AD 604. The famous dome, one of the most recognised sights in the London skyline was actually built in 1710, designed by Sir Christopher Wren as part of the major rebuilding programme after the Great Fire of London. It was the tallest building in London until 1963 and is still one of the highest domes in the world. In area, it is the second largest church building in the UK after Liverpool Cathedral.
Visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral
From feeding the birds on the steps outside as in Mary Poppins (actually please don’t as it is a great place to have a picnic lunch), to viewing the Dean’s spiral staircase featured in Harry Potter as the way to get to Professor Trelawney’s room, there are many secular reasons to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral. None the least, the amazing view if you are fit enough to climb up the 528 steps to reach the Golden Balcony. You do not need to be religious to appreciate the splendour of the architecture and relish the history of the people who have walked here before.
Tours of St. Paul’s.
Regular tours happen throughout the day which are included in your ticket. When you enter the Cathedral, there is a tour desk to your right where you can sign up to one of the tours. Just ask the guides wearing the red sashes. The two main ones on offer are the Highlights tour which takes around 30 minutes and the Crypt tour, again about 30 minutes. When I visited, the first tour to start was to the Crypt which takes you downstairs and gives you an in-depth look at some of the tombs of people buried there.
The Triforium tour is the only paid tour which takes you to the Triforium (space above the arches), Dean’s Staircase and library. There are quite a few stairs to reach the Triforium so please don’t book this tour if you will struggle. You will need to book this tour separately to an entrance ticket.
Free Touch tours are on offer for people with visual impairments. It is an interactive tour of the Cathedral floor and Crypt taking approximately 2 hours. Please contact the Cathedral to book one of these tours.
If you would like to tour the Cathedral in your own time, then to the left of the Guide desk is the Self-guided multimedia guide desk. Here, you can pick up a multimedia guide which hangs around your neck and gives you a tour of the cathedral floor and crypt. It even gives you a video of the gallery levels if you are not able to climb the steps.
Read more: Guided and Self-guided tours of the Cathedral
How to get Tickets for St. Paul’s Cathedral
The easiest way to get tickets to visit is to buy them online from the Cathedral’s website. It is not cheap but as they state on the website, it costs about £10 million to run it and they get almost no funding from anywhere else.
If you will travel to the Cathedral by train, then you can apply for a 2 for 1 ticket on the National Rail discount scheme.
Read more: 2 for 1 ticket offers by rail.
How to visit the cathedral for free
It is an active, working Cathedral so if you want to visit St. Paul’s for a service or to pray, then you do not need to pay for a ticket. Arrive at the cathedral in plenty of time for a service and you will be shown to the seating area. You will still get to see the main area of the cathedral and will have to walk through the crypt to exit. If you would like to visit to sit quietly and pray, then enter at the visitor entrance and just ask. You will be escorted to a quiet area for your own prayer and contemplation.
To access the sightseeing areas like the dome and galleries, you have to show a ticket so do not even bother trying. There are different services throughout the day so just check out the website for further information.
Read more: Service times at St. Paul’s Cathedral
My Mum is rather taken with the famous painting, Light of the World, by William Holman Hunt. She has walked in and asked to just see the painting and has been escorted to see the painting and left to pray and meditate. So, if there is a genuine reason for your visit, to pray, light a candle etc. Then ask politely and respectfully and you’ll be shown where to go.
The Dome
The famous dome, reaches high up above the Cathedral floor. Standing in the centre of the floor, you can look up to see the Whispering Gallery and the people walking around. To access the dome and it’s galleries, you need to show your ticket at the entrance to the steps on the right hand side of the main floor almost half way down. You can just visit the Whispering Gallery without going all the way to the top.
Whispering Gallery
30 metres and 257 steps above the Cathedral floor sits the Whispering Gallery. So called because you can talk to someone across the dome from you. I remember doing this on a school trip when I was at school and decided to put it to the test with my son. We sat almost half way around from each other and cupping our mouth and ears respectively talked to one another. At first, we couldn’t hear each other at all. It was quite busy and people were sitting on the bench seats around the wall. We then moved and still sat about 15 meters away from each other but without anyone sitting in the way. This time it worked!
There is now a metal ‘cage’ for safety around the balcony edge and no photography is allowed. Unfortunately, there have been fatalities from people leaning over the balcony and falling so strict security measures are now in place.
The steps leading up to the Whispering Gallery are shallow and wide so makes the 257 steps very doable. Take it slow and steady and you will be fine. The steps are very different to reach the next two galleries so if in doubt, just stay here as once you start going up, due to the one way system, you cannot stop until you reach the Stone Gallery.
Stone Gallery
To keep going higher from the Whispering Gallery, you now need to walk up another 119 steeper, deeper, stone steps in a tighter spiral. There are bench seats occasionally so you can take a breath on the way up. When you reach the Stone Gallery you are taken outside to a wide balcony wrapping around the base of the dome. You can get a fantastic view of London peeking through the stone balustrades. It is very safe and you can walk around as long as you like taking photographs. The next and last level, the Golden Gallery has even better views but you need to prepare yourself for a climb. You can go back down to the ground from here if you prefer.
Golden Gallery
The Golden Gallery is right at the top of the dome. Another 152 steps, but this time, the majority are climbing up metal spiral staircases. In some places, I was touching both sides of the wall with my shoulders and had to duck my head quite a lot so be careful. Architecturally, it is stunning and physically tough but very much worth the effort. At the top of the dome, you are rewarded with the most amazing view of London. The gallery is tight but with passing places with seats. You can spend as long as you want up here and take photographs and videos. You can now congratulate yourself for walking up 528 steps to reach 85 metres above the ground floor. Now to walk down all those steps!
Location
Situated on Ludgate Hill, consider making a day trip out of your visit by walking across the pedestrianised Millennium Bridge and going to see the Art at Tate Modern.
Read more: How to visit Tate Modern
Getting to St. Paul’s Cathedral
The nearest train station is City Thameslink, just 300 metres away. Walk towards the Ludgate Hill exit, turn right and you will get your first glimpse of the Cathedral.
The nearest tube station is St. Paul’s about a 3 minute walk.
Read more: Best apps to plan your journey around London.
Opening Hours
For sightseeing, the Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 4.30pm. On Wednesdays it opens at 10am.
On Sundays, you can attend a service only.
Read more: Service times at St. Paul’s Cathedral
Toilets
There are toilets in the Crypt only, next to the café.
Eating and Drinking
There is a café in the crypt with plenty of seating. You can take a bottle of water in with you and can drink anywhere.
Car Parking
No local car parks, best to use public transport.
Top Tips for Visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral
- The best view of the Cathedral is in my opinion at the Tate Modern. The best way to see it is to either visit the restaurant on the sixth floor, or the café on the tenth floor. If you go up to the café, there is a balcony (weather permitting) where you can get a fabulous view of not only the Cathedral but of the Thames and Millennium Bridge.
- Visit the Cathedral for a service to see (most of it) for free.
- Wear comfortable shoes if you are walking up to the top of the Dome. Beyond the Whispering Gallery, there are narrow, steep staircases and iron, spiral staircases right at the top.
Accessibility
There is a step-free entrance at the North side of the Cathedral (on the left side as you’re looking at the Steps). Inside, there is a ramp on the north side of the Quire (at the end of the Cathedral) and a lift down to the Crypt right by the stairs up to the dome.
The main floor of the cathedral is flat and very accessible. Unfortunately, there is no step-free access to the Dome or any of the galleries. The spiral staircases leave no room for lift access!
FAQ
- What should I wear to visit the cathedral?
There is no strict dress code but I would dress respectfully as you are visiting a Place of Worship.
- How many steps are there up to the Galleries?
There are 528 steps to the top of the Golden Gallery. If you can’t make it that far, then you could walk up the 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery or compromise and visit the Stone Gallery at 376 steps.
- Is it suitable for children?
Yes! I saw several families with different age children on both the guided tours and the multimedia tour. There was even a child approximately 5 years old who made it all the way up to the Golden Gallery.
