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St Paul's Cathedral: Wren's dome over the City

The old St Paul's burned in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Christopher Wren spent thirty-five years building its successor, and lived to see his son lay the last stone on top of the dome in 1708.

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Tickets
From £27
Open
Mon to Sat from 8:30, last entry 16:00
Closed
Sundays, for sightseeing
Allow
1½ to 2½ hours

London this week

    What to see at St Paul's Cathedral

    1. The Whispering Gallery

      A walkway round the inside of the dome, 257 steps up. A word spoken against the wall can be heard on the far side, more than thirty metres away.

    2. The Stone and Golden Galleries

      Two more climbs lead outside: the Stone Gallery at 376 steps, a broad terrace round the base of the dome, and the Golden Gallery at 528, a narrow one at the very top with the whole of London below.

    3. Under the dome

      Stand on the brass grille in the centre of the floor and look straight up. The paintings in grey and gold show the life of St Paul and are by James Thornhill.

    4. The crypt

      Nelson lies directly under the dome in a black marble sarcophagus first made for Cardinal Wolsey. Wellington is near him, under a block of Cornish stone.

    5. Wren's tomb

      A plain slab in a corner of the crypt. The Latin on the wall above it ends: if you seek his monument, look around you.

    6. The quire

      The carved stalls and organ case are by Grinling Gibbons, the finest woodcarver England has had. The glittering mosaics above were added in the 1890s.

    Tickets and tours for St Paul's Cathedral

    • Sold by GetYourGuide

      London: St Paul's Cathedral Entry Ticket

      Entry to the cathedral floor, the crypt and the three galleries of the dome, with a multimedia guide.

      Included

      • Entry to the cathedral floor and the crypt
      • The three galleries of the dome
      • A multimedia guide

      From

      £27

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    Visiting St Paul's Cathedral: hours and admission

    Opening hours

    Monday to Saturday
    8:30 to about 16:30, last entry usually 16:00
    Sunday
    Open for services only
    • The dome galleries open at 9:30, with last entry at 16:15.
    • The hours can change for services and events. The cathedral's calendar gives the day.

    Who gets in free

    • Anyone who comes to a service. Services are free and need no ticket.
    • Disabled visitors, who may also bring a carer or companion free of charge.

    Getting there

    Tube
    St Paul's (Central), two minutes on foot.
    Tube
    Mansion House or Blackfriars (District, Circle), each about seven minutes on foot.
    On foot
    Seven minutes from Tate Modern over the Millennium Bridge.

    Address

    St Paul's Cathedral
    St Paul's Churchyard
    London EC4M 8AD, United Kingdom

    Entrances

    Sightseers go in at the west front, up the broad steps that face Ludgate Hill. Bags are checked at the door. The crypt café has a door of its own on the north-west side and needs no ticket.

    On the map

    Before you go

    • Climb the dome first, before the stairs fill. They are narrow, there is no lift, and the last part is an iron spiral.
    • Sightseeing is from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays the cathedral is open for services only.
    • A multimedia guide is included in the ticket.
    • Evensong, late in the afternoon on most days, is free and is sung under the dome.
    • Cross the Millennium Bridge afterwards: Tate Modern is ten minutes away on the other bank, and the view back is the best one of the cathedral.

    The cathedral that rose from the Great Fire

    There has been a cathedral on this hill since the year 604. Wren's was built between 1675 and 1710 and paid for by a tax on the coal that came into London. It was the first cathedral in England built for the Protestant church, and the first to be finished within the lifetime of its architect.

    The dome is 111 metres high and was the tallest thing in London for two and a half centuries. It is in fact three domes, one inside another: the painted one you see from the floor, a brick cone that carries the weight, and the lead-covered one that the city sees.

    It became the country's church for great occasions: the funerals of Nelson, Wellington and Churchill, and the wedding of Charles and Diana. In the Blitz it stood in a ring of burning streets and survived, and the photograph of it above the smoke is the best-known picture of London at war.

    St Paul's Cathedral: common questions

    What are the opening hours of St Paul's Cathedral?
    Monday to Saturday: 8:30 to about 16:30, last entry usually 16:00. Sunday: Open for services only. The dome galleries open at 9:30, with last entry at 16:15. The hours can change for services and events. The cathedral's calendar gives the day.
    Is St Paul's Cathedral ever free?
    Anyone who comes to a service. Services are free and need no ticket. Disabled visitors, who may also bring a carer or companion free of charge.
    What does the ticket include?
    Entry to the cathedral floor and the crypt. The three galleries of the dome. A multimedia guide. It is sold by GetYourGuide.
    How many steps are there to the top of St Paul's?
    There are 528 steps to the Golden Gallery at the top of the dome. The Whispering Gallery is 257 steps up and the Stone Gallery 376. There is no lift.
    Who is buried in St Paul's Cathedral?
    Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and the cathedral's architect, Sir Christopher Wren, all lie in the crypt, with painters such as Turner and Reynolds.
    Can you visit St Paul's on a Sunday?
    Only for a service. Sightseeing, with the climb of the dome, is from Monday to Saturday.

    What visitors say about St Paul's Cathedral

    Rating from Google

    4.7

    58,028 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 8 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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