St Paul's Cathedral
City of London, London · Last verified Oct 2026
A ramped entrance at the North Transept, a lift to the Crypt and free entry with a companion; the dome galleries are reached by stairs only.
St Paul's is step-free on the levels where most visitors spend their time. The North Transept entrance has ramped access and is the one recommended for wheelchair users; it opens directly onto the Cathedral floor. From there the Crypt and the Quire can both be reached without stairs.
The Crypt is served by a lift with a usable space of 1,400 mm in length by 1,300 mm in width. Smaller mobility scooters are welcome, but the lift cannot take many Class 3 scooters or some larger Class 2 models. The Quire is reached by a small electric stair lift with a platform of 1.0 m by 0.76 m. A number of wheelchairs are available on request.
The dome is a different matter. The Whispering Gallery is 257 steps up, the Stone Gallery a further 119 and the Golden Gallery 152 more, with no lift. The Triforium, visited on a pre-booked tour, is also stairs only: 141 steps and up to ten more short flights. The multimedia guide includes a video fly-through of the galleries and their views.
Wheelchair-accessible unisex toilets, in left-handed and right-handed layouts, are in the Crypt, together with a Changing Places toilet near the café that has a height-adjustable bench, a ceiling hoist and grab rails and opens with a RADAR key. A hearing loop covers the Cathedral floor and the OBE Chapel in the Crypt.
What the measurements mean
The main entrance is step-free.
The lift cabin is 140 × 130 cm, workable for most chairs but tight with a companion.
There is an accessible toilet. Grab bars are fitted.
Sensory and communication support includes hearing loop, audio guide and captioning.
A companion or carer is admitted free. Assistance animals are welcome.
What to expect
- Use the North Transept entrance: it is ramped and leads straight onto the Cathedral floor.
- The lift to the Crypt has a usable space of 140 cm by 130 cm, so check that a scooter fits before you travel.
- A disabled visitor and one carer or assistant can each have a free sightseeing ticket, booked ahead or requested on arrival.
Full accessibility profile
Every attribute below is recorded against the same protocol, so figures are comparable between places. Values are marked Measured or Estimate, and the sources are listed above.Entrance & arrival
Elevators & lifts
Accessible restroom
Sensory & communication
Policies & assistance
Practical tips
- Audio description guides encourage visitors to touch sculptures and carvings, and free guided touch tours can be booked in advance.
- The multimedia guide has a British Sign Language tour with subtitles, and personal induction loops are available with it.
- Guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs are welcome, and staff can bring water for them.
- Minibuses carrying disabled passengers can arrange a drop-off point by phoning the Cathedral in advance.
Practical facilities
Compiled from the venue’s own published accessibility information, not measured by us. Confirm anything critical before you travel.
- Disabled admission
- Free for disabled visitors
- Companion free
- Proof required: Not stated.
During sightseeing hours any disabled visitor can request a free ticket for themselves and an accompanying carer or assistant, in advance or on arrival.
- Accessible toilets
- Count not published
- Changing Places facility
- Left and right-handed wheelchair-accessible unisex toilets in the Crypt.
The Changing Places toilet is in the Crypt, near the café, and opens with a RADAR key; staff in the Crypt can help visitors without one.
- Assistance you can book
- No fixed notice period published
- Contact: admissions@stpaulscathedral.org.uk or 0207 246 8357
The Visitor Experience team is on hand during the visit.
- Arrival & parking
- Drop-off: Minibuses with disabled passengers should call 0207 246 8350 in advance to arrange a drop-off point.
- Accessible parking: Not provided by the Cathedral; it refers to the City of London for disabled parking nearby.
The North Transept entrance has ramped access and leads directly onto the Cathedral floor.
Sources: St Paul's Cathedral: Accessibility at the Cathedral (retrieved October 2, 2026)
St Paul's Cathedral: common accessibility questions
Is St Paul's Cathedral wheelchair accessible?
The Cathedral floor, the Crypt and the Quire are. Entry is by the ramped North Transept entrance, a lift with 140 cm by 130 cm of usable space goes down to the Crypt, and a stair lift serves the Quire. The Whispering, Stone and Golden Galleries and the Triforium are reached by stairs only.
How many steps are there to the dome galleries at St Paul's?
257 steps to the Whispering Gallery, 119 more to the Stone Gallery and a further 152 to the Golden Gallery. There is no lift to any of them.
Do disabled visitors pay to enter St Paul's Cathedral?
No. During sightseeing hours a disabled visitor can request a free ticket for themselves and for an accompanying carer or assistant, either in advance or on arrival. Worship is free for everyone.