Christopher Wren's masterpiece, finished in 1710 after the Great Fire, with one of the largest domes in the world. Climb 528 steps through three galleries for the best view over the river, then go down to the crypt where Nelson and Wellington lie.
The old cathedral burned in the Great Fire of 1666. Wren spent more than thirty years building its replacement, and it has defined the City's skyline ever since.
Inside, the dome rises over the crossing, painted and gilded. The climb starts with 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery, where a whisper against the wall carries round to the far side. It continues outside to the Stone Gallery and finally, after 528 steps in all, to the small Golden Gallery at the top, with the best view of the river in London.
Down below, the crypt holds the tombs of Nelson and Wellington, and Wren himself, whose epitaph says: if you seek his monument, look around you.
The £27 ticket covers the floor, the galleries and the crypt. To hear the building at its best, come for Evensong at 5pm on most days; it is free, and the cathedral floor is free to visitors attending.
About two hours, with the climb in the middle.
Walk the nave to the crossing and look up into Wren's painted dome.
Climb the spiral stairs and try the acoustic trick round the gallery.
Continue up to the open-air gallery around the base of the dome.
The narrow final climb to the highest gallery and the view across the Thames.
Back down to the crypt, Wren's tomb and the café.
St Paul's tube (Central line), or walk over the Millennium Bridge from Tate Modern.
£27, cheaper online; sightseeing is closed on Sundays, when the cathedral is open for services.
The London Museum opens in Smithfield's market halls, ten minutes' walk north.
London practical notes →Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
