Looking for churches and cathedrals in London? This page covers 15 churches, cathedrals and cemeteries that tourists should visit, from Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s to Temple Church and Highgate Cemetery. I’ve personally visited and reviewed every place in the list, and given them an honest rating: ★ is okay, ★★ is good and ★★★ is great. To find out what’s on now, browse religious events in London.
All Hallows-by-the-TowerFreeAll Hallows-by-the-Tower is associated with the executions on Tower Hill, and has a piece of Roman pavement in the crypt
Brompton CemeteryFreeBrompton was one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries built in the 1830s and contains over 35,000 monuments and 205,000 burial spaces
Brompton OratoryFreeBrompton Oratory is the second-largest Roman Catholic church after Westminster Cathedral, and has a beautiful Baroque-style interior
Highgate CemeteryUnder £10Most people come to see Karl Marx’s tomb in the eastern half of the cemetery, but it’s the huge monuments in the west that are really worth seeing
St Bartholomew-the-GreatFreeOne of the city’s oldest churches dating back to Norman times. You can feel its incredible age as soon as you walk inside
St Bride’sFreeFamous for its three-tiered spire which inspired a baker to create a tiered wedding cake. It has an interesting museum underneath
St Dunstan-in-the-WestFreeFamous for the Giant’s Clock outside, a 16th-century statue of Elizabeth I in the porch, and its association with Sweeney Todd
St Magnus-the-MartyrFreeThis church used to stand at one end of the legendary London Bridge and has a stone from it outside, plus a model of it inside the door
St Martin-in-the-FieldsFreeThe parish church of Buckingham Palace holds regular classical concerts using its own orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
St Mary-le-BowFreeTrue Cockneys need to be born within earshot of the Bow bells, which were said to have turned back Dick Whittington when on his way to Highgate
St Michael Paternoster RoyalFreeLord Mayor of London Dick Whittington is said to be buried outside, and there’s a stained-glass window of him inside
St Paul’s CathedralFrom £24Christopher Wren’s masterpiece contains the tombs of Wellington and Nelson, and tourists can climb up the dome for a view of London’s skyline
Temple ChurchOnly £5Temple Church is linked with the Knights Templar and contains the stone effigies of eight slumbering knights on the floor of the Round Tower
Westminster AbbeyFrom £31Arguably the most historic building in England. Britain’s kings and queens have been crowned and buried inside here for 1,000 years
Westminster CathedralFreeThis striking Catholic church has a Byzantine exterior. Tourists can climb the bell tower for views across London
My Top 10 historic sites in London
Top 10 London landmarksSt. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey are two of London’s most iconic landmarks – here are eight more of my personal favourites
Top 10 historic sites in LondonIf you enjoy visiting old churches then check out my list of ten favourote historic sites in London, including two World Heritage Sites
Upcoming religious events in London
Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue by Candlelight Hear Viktor Erik Emanuel performing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata by candlelight
A Night at the Opera by Candlelight at St Mary-le-Strand Hear soprano Susan Parkes and the Piccadilly Sinfonietta perform some opera by candlelight
Mozart & Moonlight Sonata by Candlelight on Shaftesbury Avenue Works by Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Ravel and Debussy in a candlelit concert at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Candlelight at St Mary-le-Strand Hear Vivaldi's Four Seasons performed in the beautiful candlelit setting of St Mary-le-Strand
Chopin & Champagne by Candlelight at St Mary-le-Strand Enjoy a glass of champagne and an evening of Chopin performed by a concert pianist
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Candlelight at St James’s Piccadilly Hear the Piccadilly Sinfonietta playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons in a candlelight concert