Being from the south of England originally, we tend to come down fairly often to visit family. Sometimes when we’re down, we coincide family days with trips into London. This week, we headed into the city to sample the delights of a very famous attraction that we hadn’t been to before: St Paul’s Cathedral.

First up, for a family day out, this isn’t cheap at £18 per adult. South West trains offer a 2 for 1 entry offer if you have your train ticket with you and ‘nuclear families’ can also get discounts (2 adults and 2 children). That said, kids under six get in free, so our little girl didn’t cost us any money.

You can skip the queue and get £2.50 off per person if you book online, but in all honesty this doesn’t compare to the two for one option which is a must if you’re heading in by train.

In terms of introducing a child friendly feel to any visit to St Paul’s, make sure you get hold of the virtual guide. This will keep slightly older kids interested as the level of tech is fairly impressive. For littler ones, the sheer enormity of the structure and amount of things to look at provides them with plenty to take in.

Of course, if your little one is having one of ‘those days’, bear in mind this is still a church as well as a tourist attraction, so loud noises aren’t particularly well received!

The whispering gallery and the journey up to the golden gallery (all included in the cost) seemed, from what we could see, to provide the most excitement. Kids seem to relish the challenge of getting to the top (although be warned it gets narrow and steep and space is limited) and the fun of trying to work out the right way to whisper in the whispering gallery should provide a means for tiny ones to expend some energy!

With our baby (6 months old), I was able to use a Baby Bjorn carrier (with the added warmer/waterproof kit on it) to get right to the top of the golden gallery with her. Although only small, our little one seemed to enjoy the part I disliked most: going up the narrow black steps to the golden gallery, shrieking out in joy at the view ahead of her!

In terms of history, views, and location, this is one of the most accessible and interesting of the London sights. Price-wise, you need to be confident you’re getting something back from the experience. Disappointingly, pictures are not allowed inside (although I doubt this is able to be policed very easily) and those with a disability can’t really make it up to the whispering room.

On-site there are restaurants (pricey) and a gift shop, as well as baby changing facilities.

All in all, we enjoyed the experience and got a great view of London and as a family of two adults, two seniors and a 6 month old, we all got something out of the day.

Handy bits and bobs

Website – https://www.stpauls.co.uk/

Nearest tube – St Paul’s (Central line and a two minute walk away)

Price – Adults £18 each, Concessions £16 and Kids £8. Families of two adults and two kids can get a £44 ticket

Opening times – 8:30 am – last entry 4:30 pm