---
title: "How many steps up Washington National Cathedral central tower?"
description: "333 steps up Washington National Cathedral central tower in Washington DC, United States. Restricted — events or permit only."
url: https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/washington-national-cathedral/
site: "At One Place"
---

# How many steps to the top of Washington National Cathedral central tower?

**Steps to the top of Washington National Cathedral central tower: 333**

Reaching the top of the Gloria in Excelsis tower, the highest point in the city · restricted — events or permit only

The 333 steps are open only on guided tower climb tours, run a few times a month and booked ahead. Because the cathedral sits on Mount Saint Alban, the top of the tower is the highest point in Washington DC. The building was finished in 1990, 83 years after the foundation stone, and its gargoyles include one carved as Darth Vader, added after a children's design competition in the 1980s. The 2011 Virginia earthquake damaged the pinnacles and closed the tower for years.

## The numbers

- **Steps:** 333
- **Reaches:** the top of the Gloria in Excelsis tower, the highest point in the city
- **Public access:** Restricted — events or permit only
- **Where:** Washington DC, United States
- **Height climbed:** 91 m — 299 ft
- **Average rise per step:** 273 mm

## What the climb is like

Guided tours only, about 90 minutes. Steep, narrow and not step-free at any point.

> These steps are not open on an ordinary visit. Access is limited to organised events, races or permit holders.

> Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches.

## How it compares

*Only the ones marked open to climb can actually be walked.*

- Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey: 350 steps
- Wat Saket (the Golden Mount): 344 steps
- Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben): 334 steps
- Washington National Cathedral central tower: 333 steps
- Strasbourg Cathedral: 332 steps
- The Monument to the Great Fire of London: 311 steps
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep: 306 steps

*Washington National Cathedral central tower ranks 38 of 56 here by step count.*

| Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey | 350 | the abbey church and the west terrace, from the village entrance | Open to climb |
| Wat Saket (the Golden Mount) | 344 | the golden chedi at the top of the artificial hill, at 58 m | Open to climb |
| Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) | 334 | the belfry, where the Great Bell hangs | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Washington National Cathedral central tower | 333 | the top of the Gloria in Excelsis tower, the highest point in the city | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Strasbourg Cathedral | 332 | the platform at 66 m, at the base of the spire | Open to climb |
| The Monument to the Great Fire of London | 311 | the viewing platform below the gilded urn, at 48 m | Open to climb |
| Wat Phra That Doi Suthep | 306 | the temple terrace, from the car park on the mountain road | Open to climb |

## Common questions

### How many steps to the top of Washington National Cathedral central tower?

333, reaching the top of the Gloria in Excelsis tower, the highest point in the city.

### Can the public climb Washington National Cathedral central tower?

Restricted — events or permit only. Guided tours only, about 90 minutes. Steep, narrow and not step-free at any point.

### How high is that climb?

91 m, about 299 ft, which averages 273 mm per step.

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## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)