St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Diocese of London and the great domed building on Ludgate Hill, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after the medieval cathedral on the site burned in the Great Fire. Wren's cathedral was consecrated on 2 December 1697 by Henry Compton, Bishop of London, and the final stone of the lantern was set on 26 October 1708; Parliament declared the building officially complete on 25 December 1711. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. St Pauls Underground. Yes. Events, ceremonies, maintenance and security can change the ordinary route. No. Special tours, exhibitions and premium products use separate tickets. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. St Pauls Underground. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. St Pauls Underground. Yes. Events, ceremonies, maintenance and security can change the ordinary route. No. Special tours, exhibitions and premium products use separate tickets. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. St Pauls Underground. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. St Pauls Underground. Yes. Events, ceremonies, maintenance and security can change the ordinary route. No. Special tours, exhibitions and premium products use separate tickets. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. Accessible routes serve

A visit to St Paul's has three levels. The cathedral floor holds the nave, the quire and the Great West Doors, and the crypt below it is the largest in Europe, running under the whole building rather than only its eastern end. Above them are the three dome galleries, and the cathedral publishes the climb exactly: the Whispering Gallery is 257 steps, the Stone Gallery a further 119 steps, and the Golden Gallery another 152 steps from the Stone Gallery, all of it stairs only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. St Pauls Underground.

Allow two hours at St Paul's Cathedral, which is the duration this guide records. That splits roughly into 45 minutes on the cathedral floor, 30 minutes in the crypt, and 45 minutes for the dome climb and the time spent on the outdoor galleries at the top. Visitors who skip the 528 steps of the full climb can do the floor and crypt comfortably in an hour and a quarter. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit.

Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Dated closures, ceremonies, performances, weather or security notices from the operator take priority over ordinary hours. Arrive early enough to complete the public route before final admission. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival.

Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. The base ticket excludes transport, tours, premium access, special exhibitions and independently operated activities unless explicitly listed. Carry any required identity or concession document. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival.

St Pauls Underground. Use the named entrance and station because security, separate exits and large complexes can change the practical route. Allow extra time for screening and the final walk. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival.

Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. Monday-Saturday 08:30-16:30; Sunday worship only. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free. Accessible routes serve principal areas, but stairs or historic constraints limit the complete circuit. Historic surfaces, crowds and security remain relevant.

Visitors are welcome to photograph St Paul's during sightseeing hours, Monday to Saturday, and non-flash stills photography for personal, non-commercial use is welcomed across the cathedral floor, in the crypt and on the Stone and Golden Galleries. Cameras, phones and tablet cameras are all fine. The two interior exclusions matter for planning a shot list: nothing may be photographed on the Whispering Gallery, which is the very balcony most people climb for the view down into the dome, and nothing in St Dunstan's Chapel. Adult online sightseeing GBP 26; worship free.