St Paul's Cathedral

Many who go to England go to Westminster Abbey and Canterbery Cathedral but they forget or overlook one of the best religious sites in Britian. St. Paul's is well known to many children because of Mary Poppins and so there are many tourists who travel there to "feed the birds" but fair warning I have be lectured by Londoners and policemen to NOT feed the pigeons but sometimes people sell bird seed. Once inside you should of course climb to the Whispering Gallery and try to discover the auditory tricks! You can of course continue up and out for a panoramic view of London both breathtaking for its beauty but also for the tiring climb-Do Not try unless your in decent shape. You can climb to the very top but don't forget to take great pictures of the view! When you get back to ground do not forget to go below and see the sights. Above all make sure to find the painting, "The Light of the World"; a beautiful work by William Hollman Hunt. Three versions were painted and the largest is the one in St. Paul's Cathedral. The brillant architect Sir Christopher Wren is buried down in the crypt. One of my favorite stops in London make sure you take the time to visit!

I visited St. Paul's twice during my trip to London. The first was a self-guided/audio tour of the cathedral proper, the second was as part of "The Blitz" tour from London Walks. As a first time visitor to London I was aware that this is one of the many "must-sees" during the trip. My thoughts:

History: Anyone interested in history will find plenty of it here. This was the site of Churchill's funeral and Charles and Diana's wedding. The cathedral also plays an almost spiritual role in WWII. The crypt below contains a virtual "who's-who" of British history, among them Lord Nelson, Lawrence of Arabia, and Florence Nightengale.

Whispering Gallery: Anyone traveling with children might find this of interest, you can hear whispers across the dome due to its unusual acoustics. It might be the highlight of the trip for an 8-year-old!

Climb to the Top: Worth it for spectacular views of London. If I recall correctly they do charge a bit extra for this but it's worth it.

Cost: Sure it may be a little more than others in London (~20$), but you're visiting one of the world's most famous places of worship in one of the world's most interesting cities. (I would imagine the heating bill is a little on the pricey side as well ;)

Worth a visit even for the most cursory of travellers.

Etc.: As an aside, I would agree with the no-camera policy which allows visitors to enjoy the cathedral while not being interrupted.

Christopher Wren's masterpiece. Every bit of the cathedral has a wonderful history - take a tour or rent an audio guide. Must climb to the whispering gallery (if you are as claustrophobic as I am, it is difficult as it is a tight and dark stairwell) - simply wonderful - and a much better place to see the artwork in the dome. I wasn't adventurous enough to go higher - but based on others comments I wish I would have! I would return here everytime I'm in London!