St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's baroque masterpiece, crowning the City of London with one of the highest domes in the world, raised after the Great Fire of 1666 and completed in 1710. Its vast interior, mosaics and monuments give way to the famous Whispering Gallery in the dome and, higher still, the stone galleries with sweeping views over the city.

The main sights

• The dome - Wren's great dome, one of the highest in the world.
• The Whispering Gallery - the gallery where a whisper carries around the dome.
• The galleries and views - the climb to the stone galleries for city views.
• The crypt - the resting place of Wren, Nelson and Wellington.

When to go

Year-round; a fully indoor sight, though it closes to sightseers on Sundays and for services and events. Book a timed ticket ahead, and allow energy for the long climb up into the dome galleries.

Before you go

It is a working cathedral, so it closes to sightseers on Sundays and for services; check ahead. The climb to the galleries is up hundreds of steps and not for everyone. It is ticketed and busy, though attending a free service is a way to see the interior without a ticket.

Nearby

The Millennium Bridge leads to the Tate Modern across the river; the City is all around. The Museum of London that stood close by shut its London Wall site in December 2022 and is moving to Smithfield as the London Museum.

Key facts