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How to Skip the Line at St Paul's Cathedral

By the BeatTheCrowd team · Updated 20 October 2026 · 3 min read

Quick answer

Book online before you go to skip the ticket desk (about £27 for adults). Go at the 8:30 am opening on a weekday (10 am on Wednesdays), and climb to the dome galleries as soon as they open at 9:30 am, before the queue on the stairs builds. Sightseeing is Monday to Saturday; Sundays are usually for worship only.

At a glance

Ticket: About £27 adults, about £24 concessions, about £10.50 children
Includes: Cathedral floor, crypt and dome galleries
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8:30 am (10 am Wednesdays), last entry 4 pm
Dome galleries

How long are the lines at St Paul's?

With an online ticket, you'll mainly wait for the bag check. The ticket desk queue can be long from late morning in summer and the school holidays. Inside, the busiest spot is the narrow staircase to the Whispering Gallery, Stone Gallery and Golden Gallery, 528 steps up.

🔑 The free skip-the-line hack

Before you go, check how busy St Paul's Cathedral is likely to be. BeatTheCrowd shows the live crowd level and an hourly forecast for any date, adjusted for UK school holidays, bank holidays and weather.

Check today’s crowds at St. Paul's Cathedral →

Who	Price (approx.)
Adults	£27
Concessions	£24
Children	£10.50
Worship	Free (not for sightseeing)

Who

Price (approx.)

Adults

£27

Concessions

£24

Children

£10.50

Worship

Free (not for sightseeing)

Best (and worst) times to go

At opening on a weekday: a calm cathedral floor.

9:30 am: the first climbers up the dome.

Worst: late morning to mid-afternoon, summer and school holidays.

Evensong: free and beautiful, but for worship rather than sightseeing.

🔑 The free skip-the-line hack

Our hourly forecast for St Paul's Cathedral shows how busy each hour is expected to be on your date.

Check today’s crowds at St. Paul's Cathedral →

FAQs

How much is St Paul's Cathedral?

About £27 for adults, £24 for concessions and £10.50 for children.

Is St Paul's Cathedral open for sightseeing on Sundays?

Usually not. Sundays are for worship. A Dome Sundays scheme ran from March to October, so check whether it runs this year.

How many steps is the St Paul's dome climb?

528 steps to the Golden Gallery.

What is the best time to visit St Paul's?

At opening on a weekday. Check our live crowd tracker for your date.

Sources

How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other, and dated so you know how fresh it is. Last checked 20 October 2026. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.

Getting there	Tube to St Paul's (Central line), a 2-minute walk, or Mansion House and Blackfriars.
Dome	528 steps to the Golden Gallery, no lift.
How long to allow	2-2.5 hours.

How to Skip the Line at St Paul's Cathedral

How long are the lines at St Paul's?

Tickets

Best (and worst) times to go

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Practical info

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Is skip-the-line worth paying extra for?