A Guide to visiting St Paul’s Cathedral

Posted by

·

St Paul’s Cathedral is the mother of churches in London. The original church here was founded as early as 604AD when it was dedicated to Paul the Apostle, though the current structure dates back to the 1690s, designed by famed architect Christopher Wren. A lot of people visiting London only see the cathedral from the outside, or notice it in the city’s skyline, but it really is worth going inside and discovering more if you’re in the capital.


The St Paul’s you see today was designed and built in the 1600-1700s, arguably Christopher Wren’s masterpiece with the creation of the iconic domed roof. Interestingly, the design he produced was rejected twice as the church insisted on having the cathedral built in a cross shape.

Since its original build, the Cathedral has seen so much history. From the burial of military heroes like Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, to Martin Luther King speaking here in the 1960s, to Charles and Diana’s wedding, Churchill’s funeral and peace services after both World Wars. The Cathedral was also bombed during WW2, but has since been restored and cleaned to how it would have been, in all its magnificent glory.

The Cathedral is still very much a working church with services running daily. It costs at least £10 million a year to keep open, and doesn’t receive any government funding, so it’s entirely dependent on its congregation,visitors and donors to keep going.


There is so much to see inside St Paul’s Cathedral. It’s really easy to spend a couple of hours in the spectacular building, though there are a few highlights that can’t be missed.

No visit to St Paul’s can be started without a walk around the outside, taking in its amazing architecture. I think the best approach is across the Millennium Bridge which frames the dome perfectly. Then as you reach the cathedral, take in the beautiful steps at the front, and the gardens around the side to admire the dome in more detail.

Walking across the Millennium Bridge

The first view that visitors see when they enter St Paul’s is the spectacular long central aisle that runs down the full length of the Cathedral. At the very west end of the nave are the Great West Doors, which stand nine metres tall and are used for special services and the arrival of visitors such as The Queen. Also just off the Nave you can find the monument to Wellington, one of Britain’s greatest statesmen and soldiers.

The quire is at the east of the Cathedral’s cross and is where the choir and clergy normally sit during services. The quire was the first part of St Paul’s to be built and the choir stalls on both sides feature delicate carvings by Grinling Gibbons, whose work is seen in many royal palaces and great houses. The Bishop’s throne, or cathedra, sits in the quire. For me, this was the most grand and ornate part of the Cathedral.

The dome is St Paul’s defining feature. Start by seeing it from underneath, by walking up the nave so you’re underneath it. It’s the second largest in Europe (behind St Stephen’s in Rome), and weighs around 65,000 tons! St Paul’s has a three-dome structure, allowing the inner dome to rise in proportion to the internal architecture and the outer dome to be much larger and impressive. It is this outer dome shell that is prominent on the London skyline. Between these two domes is a third; a brick cone which provide strength and supports the stone lantern above. From below you can see the beautiful painted ceiling and amazing light it lets in.

The Cathedral’s crypt is the largest in Western Europe. Its first ‘resident’ was Christoper Wren himself, and it’s now also home to other famous figures such as Wellington, Nelson, Fleming (who invented penicillin), and Florence Nightingale. Also down in the crypt is an exhibition about the Cathedral’s design, history and timeline as well as Oculus, a film that can take you on a tour around all the main sites in the building.

St Paul’s triple dome is made up of 3 galleries. The first is the Whispering Gallery which is famous because of its unique design that if you whisper on one side of the dome, you can hear it perfectly on the other. The Whispering Gallery is currently closed, following a second suicide in 2019 (there was a first in 2017) when a man jumped over the edge. It’s currently not known when it will reopen.

However, you can still visit the Stone and the Golden galleries which are 376 and 528 steps up respectively. The Golden Gallery provides amazing panoramic views out over the London skyline and is well worth the climb.

Views from the top


If you’re staying in central London then St Paul’s will probably be accessible by foot from wherever you’re staying. If you’re staying a bit further out, then the nearest tube station is St Paul’s, which is on the central line.

It’s also really close to an overground station, City Thameslink, so if you’re coming from Cambridge, Luton, Peterborough, Brighton or Kent, you can get a direct train there. You can download the Thameslink map HERE.

Once you’ve arrived at the Cathedral, the entry price is expensive at £20 per person, but that does give you an annual pass so you can revisit if you want to. It also entitles you to an audio guide, or to join a guided tour around the cathedral.

It’s also worth noting that the Stone and Golden Galleries are currently only open on Saturdays or during school holidays, so if you want to climb up in to the dome check the website ahead of visiting to ensure everything is open.

Iconic St Paul’s


Thanks so much for reading. Would you like to visit St Paul’s Cathedral one day? I thought it was an absolutely amazing building, definitely worth a place on anyone’s list when visiting London. If you want to see how it can fit in to a London itinerary, please also check out my London for first timer’s post HERE.

34 responses to “A Guide to visiting St Paul’s Cathedral”

  1. I’ve seen the outside, but your post makes seeing the inside a must now. Thanks for the tour.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed the tour, thank you for reading! I hope you get to visit inside one day 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. It’s so beautiful! When I see ornate enormous buildings like this, I’m always in awe of the amount of work that went into building them.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I totally agree, and also how they built them so long ago…it’s a wonder how stable and sturdy they are without any benefit of modern technology! thanks for reading Diana 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Interesting post. We’ve been there a couple of times when in London and found it a fascinating cathedral. The whispering gallery was quite a highlight so it’s a shame that visiting there in currently not possible. Cheers, Mark

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ah so good you’ve visited already! I totally agree about the Whispering Gallery and hope they are able to open it safely again soon. Thanks so much for reading and have a nice evening 🙂

      Like

  4. I love the history of these sorts of buildings. Was this the one that had volunteer firemen/women stationed on the roof during during WW2 or was that Westminster?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes this was the one that had the firemen during the war on its roof I believe – and I totally agree, the history is always fascinating and you just think ‘if the walls could talk!’ Thanks for reading and have a nice evening.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Interesting post. We have been twice on our visits to London. It’s a shame about the whispering gallery as we thought that was a highlight. Cheers, Mark

    Like

  6. Just spectacular! And fascinating to read the history behind the cathedral. Thank you for showing us the inside as well!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aww so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks so much for reading and have a good evening

      Liked by 1 person

  7. St Paul’s Cathedral definitely looks like a masterpiece. It’s always neat to learn more about the history of such an iconic building. The dome looks beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Linda

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Appreciate your kind words Linda, and glad you enjoyed reading about such an historic building. It really is a beautiful cathedral 🙂 Thanks for reading and have a great day.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. What a wonderful way to start my day reading your post. I love how you talked about the different areas of the church. I always feel a little homesick for London even though Ive never been…maybe more longing to go than homesick. Great post!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aww that is so lovely to say, thank you. And I so hope you get to go to London soon then….and I know what you mean, I feel the same about Berlin despite the fact it isn’t home…sometimes places just connect with us I guess! Thanks for reading and have a nice evening 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. The stunning architecture of St. Paul’s Cathedral always fills me with joy as it comes into view walking across the Millennium Bridge. I didn’t realise that the Whispering Gallery had been closed for so long. I do hope it eventually re-opens. This is an excellent review Hannah and I’m sure it will be very helpful to visitors to London. Enjoy the long weekend! Marion

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much Marion and I’m glad you enjoyed reading it. You’re right, it’s such a shame about the Whispering Gallery as it really is so special. I hope they can reopen it again soon. Thanks for reading and commenting, have a lovely evening 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. What a great sharing, Hannah! Beautiful architecture!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much and glad you enjoyed it 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I am in the process of revising and rewriting my London articles, whilst making mental notes of the places still left to see. Ashamed to say it but I’ve never gone inside St. Paul’s, so that’s on the list. Your article will serve as an excellent guide. I do hope that the Whispering Gallery will reopen by the time of my visit.

    Like

    1. I enjoyed your Tooting Bec post this week 🙂 You really do need to go inside, it’s such a wonderful and historic building. Yes fingers crossed the Whispering Gallery opens again soon!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Next time Han, for sure! Not sure how long we are going to get in London, but this should be high up on the list.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Wow, what a beautiful cathedral. I love visiting cathedrals whenever I travel as they can be quite fascinating inside and out. Looking at your wonderful photos I can easily see why the 300-year-old architectural masterpiece with the vast dome is a London icon. I’d say it would be amazing to hear the cathedral choir. Thanks for sharing and have a nice day 🙂 Aiva

    Like

  13. I haven’t visited St Paul’s Cathedral since I was a school kid. I really should re-visit it as it is such a beautiful building.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It really is an incredible building, I was taken aback by how beautiful it is inside. Thanks for reading 🙂

      Like

  14. I can’t believe that I have never been there, even though I have been to London quite a few times! It looks absolutely stunning, both from inside and outside! Will definitely visit next time I’m there! 😍

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think lots of people walk past and don’t go in, but it’s so worth it if you do get a chance 😍

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Love it. I work a stone’s throw away from St. Paul’s and never go inside it. This has made me want to!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh wow, you’re so lucky to work that close to it – you should definitely go inside one day 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  16. […] 10 minutes from the Globe lies St Paul’s Cathedral, over the Millennium Bridge. St Paul’s is a Grade I listed building and an absolutely stunning stop of the itinerary. Having dominated the London skyline for over 300 years, the Cathedral is an icon of London – the funerals of Churchill and Admiral Nelson, plus the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana were held here. Entrance is super expensive at £20 each, so you may just want to snap the famous domes from outside but if you can spare the pennies and time to go inside, it really is worth it and you can read my guide to visiting HERE. […]

    Like

  17. […] some breakfast and then start the day off at a London Icon – St Paul’s Cathedral. Be sure to spend an hour or so marvelling at the inside of one of England’s most historic […]

    Like

  18. […] some breakfast and then start the day off at a London Icon – St Paul’s Cathedral. Be sure to spend an hour or so marvelling at the inside of one of England’s most historic […]

    Like

Leave a comment

About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

You can also follow me on Instagram!

Type your email…