St Paul's Cathedral Tickets
St Paul's Cathedral entry tickets open Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece in London. A single sightseeing ticket covers the Cathedral Floor, the Crypt, the climb to the three Dome Galleries and a multimedia guide, along with any temporary exhibition on show. The main visitor entrance is at the West Front, beneath the cathedral's twin towers.
Book your ticket to visit St Paul's Cathedral
Do I need to buy St. Paul's Cathedral entrance tickets in advance?
Sightseeing visitors need a ticket to explore St Paul's Cathedral. As the cathedral ranks among London’s top attractions, booking online for a set date secures a place at busy times and guarantees the dome climb, which can pause once the galleries reach capacity. Tickets are also sold on the day at the ticket desk by the entrance, subject to how many remain, so advance booking is the safer choice in peak season and over holidays.
Worshippers attending a service enter free of charge, though a service does not open the galleries or the Crypt for sightseeing.
What can you see inside St Paul's Cathedral?
A single ticket covers the Cathedral Floor, the Crypt, and all three Dome Galleries, plus any temporary exhibition then on show.
The Dome and the Whispering Gallery
St Paul's is crowned by its vast dome, one of the largest in the world and the shape that has defined the London skyline for more than three centuries. From the Cathedral Floor the view climbs to Sir James Thornhill's monochrome scenes from the life of St Paul, ringed by Victorian mosaics far overhead. A climb of 257 steps reaches the Whispering Gallery, which runs around the dome's interior about thirty metres up. The gallery takes its name from a quirk of its curved wall: a few words murmured on one side carry clearly to a listener on the far side.
Plan your visit in advance
Opening Hours
St Paul's Cathedral opens for sightseeing Monday to Saturday from 8.30am, with a later 10am start on Wednesdays. Last admission to the cathedral is 4pm, and the building closes to sightseeing at 4.30pm. The Dome Galleries open at 9.30am, 10am on Wednesdays, and take their final climbers at 4.15pm, so the dome is best tackled earlier in the day. The cathedral does not open for general sightseeing on Sundays.
Is it worth going inside St Paul's Cathedral?
Few London landmarks reward a visit as fully as St Paul's. Sir Christopher Wren's cathedral is the masterpiece of English Baroque, raised from the ashes of the Great Fire of 1666 and completed in 1711, and it remains a working church at the centre of national life, from the funerals of Nelson, Wellington and Churchill to royal weddings and jubilees. The signature experience is the climb through the dome, 528 steps to the Golden Gallery for a panorama few other viewpoints in the City can match, while the Whispering Gallery's strange acoustics and the Crypt's tombs add layers most cathedrals cannot offer. With a multimedia guide and free tours included and around two hours needed to see it properly, the ticket earns its place for anyone drawn to architecture, history or skyline views.
General information for visitors
A few practical pointers help a visit to this busy working cathedral run smoothly:
- Book online for the date and the dome. An online ticket fixes the day and secures the gallery climb, which can pause once the dome reaches capacity at peak times.
- Allow about two hours. Most visitors spend between 90 minutes and two and a half hours, with extra time needed for the full dome climb.
- Climb early. The Dome Galleries stop admitting new climbers at 4.15pm, before the rest of the cathedral closes, so leave time for the ascent.
- Be ready for the stairs. The dome is reached on foot only, 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery and 528 to the Golden Gallery, and is not suited to those with mobility difficulties or a fear of heights and confined spaces.
- Use what is included. A multimedia guide and a range of free guided tours come with the sightseeing ticket.
- Mind the photography rules. Personal photos are welcome in much of the cathedral and on the open-air Stone and Golden Galleries, but not on the internal Whispering Gallery or during services.
- Visit midweek to dodge crowds. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday tend to be quietest, while Wednesday opens later at 10am.
- Dress for a place of worship. Respectful dress suits the setting, and sightseeing pauses for services, which visitors are welcome to attend.
- Plan for access and bags. Step-free entry is at the North Transept and cathedral wheelchairs can be requested, but there is no lift to the dome, no space for large luggage and no parking on site.
