# When is the best time to visit England? > Best time to visit England: May, June and September for long days, gardens and fewer crowds than August. Month-by-month weather, 2027 bank holidays and cheap months. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-time-to-visit-england - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-09-05 **May, June and September are the best months to visit England:** long days (sunset after 9pm in June), gardens and countryside at their best, and fewer families than the July and August school holidays, when prices and crowds in Cornwall, the Lake District and the Cotswolds peak. The honest trade-off is that England has no reliably dry month: rain falls in every season, so you pick for daylight and crowds, not for guaranteed sun. We spent about 2.5 weeks in England from 14 November to 3 December 2023: London, Bath, the Cotswolds edge around Castle Combe, Leamington Spa, the Peak District at Castleton, Shrewsbury and the Mendips above Cheddar. This page is about the whole country; London has [its own month-by-month page](https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-time-to-visit-london). ## Quick answer by priority • **Best weather:** late May to early September. Southern England typically reaches about 22 to 24°C (72 to 75°F) by day in July and August. • **Fewest crowds with decent weather:** May, June (outside the half-term week) and September. • **Cheapest:** January to early March and November, outside Christmas markets weekends. Countryside cottages and city hotels drop sharply. • **Festivals:** May (Chelsea Flower Show in London, gardens everywhere), late June (Glastonbury in Somerset in its festival years), late November to December (Christmas markets in Bath, Winchester and York). • **Avoid if you can:** the August bank holiday weekend in coastal and national-park areas, and late December to early January if you want sights open: many stately homes and National Trust houses close their interiors over winter. ## England month by month Figures are typical for southern England (London to Bath); the north and the hills run 2 to 4°C cooler and wetter. • **January and February:** highs about 7 to 9°C (45 to 48°F), lows near 2°C (36°F), short days with sunset around 4 to 5pm. Cheapest time to fly and stay. Good for cities and museums, poor for gardens and coast. • **March and April:** highs about 11 to 15°C (52 to 59°F). Daffodils and lambs in the countryside, Easter school holidays in April push prices up for two weeks. Many National Trust houses reopen their interiors in March. • **May:** highs around 18°C (64°F), long evenings, bluebell woods early in the month, gardens peaking. Two bank holiday weekends (early and late May) fill the Lake District and coast. • **June:** highs around 21°C (70°F), the longest days of the year. Our first pick for walking in the Peak District, the Cotswolds or the Lakes. • **July and August:** highs about 22 to 24°C (72 to 75°F) in the south, occasional heatwaves above 30°C (86°F). School holidays run from late July to early September: the busiest and most expensive time for seaside towns, Cornwall and Devon. • **September:** highs around 19 to 20°C (66 to 68°F), schools back, coast still warm enough for walking and swimming in a wetsuit. The best value of the warm months. • **October:** highs around 15°C (59°F), autumn colour in the woods, wetter and windier, half-term in the last week. • **November and December:** highs about 8 to 11°C (46 to 52°F), rain and grey days common, sunset before 4pm by late December. This is when we were here. Christmas markets and lights open from mid-November; it suits towns like Bath, Shrewsbury and Leamington Spa better than open hills. ## By region: where the weather actually differs • **London and the south-east:** the driest and warmest part of England. See our [London page](https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-time-to-visit-london) for city detail. • **Bath, the Cotswolds and Somerset:** mild, greener and a bit wetter than London. Bath works year-round because the Roman Baths and the Georgian streets don't depend on weather; the Cotswold villages around Castle Combe are at their best from May to September. Our [Bath guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/bath) and [Castle Combe day trip](https://clevertourists.com/resources/castle-combe-cotswolds-day-trip-from-bath-guide) cover the area. • **Peak District and the Pennines:** higher ground, noticeably colder and wetter, and paths get muddy from October to April. We stayed at Castleton in late November; for long ridge walks like Mam Tor, aim for May to September. • **Lake District and the north-west:** the wettest part of England; Cumbria's fells get far more rain than London. May, June and September give the best balance of dry spells and thinner crowds. • **Cornwall and Devon:** mildest winters in England, but in July and August narrow roads and small harbour villages are packed. Go in June or September. • **York and the north-east:** cooler and often drier than the north-west. York's Christmas market and walls make it a good November and December pick. ## Holidays and events in 2027 England's 2027 bank holidays, when domestic travel and prices spike: • **Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027.** • **Early May bank holiday: Monday 3 May 2027.** • **Spring bank holiday: Monday 31 May 2027**, usually alongside a school half-term week. • **Summer bank holiday: Monday 30 August 2027**, the same weekend as Notting Hill Carnival in London. • **Christmas: 25 December 2027 falls on a Saturday**, with substitute bank holidays on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. Most public transport stops on Christmas Day. School summer holidays in England usually run from about the third week of July to the first days of September, plus half-term weeks in February, late May and late October. Christmas markets generally run from mid or late November to just before Christmas: see our [Bath Christmas market guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/bath-christmas-market-2026-dates-opening-hours-guide) and [Europe Christmas markets guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/europe-christmas-markets-2026-dates-planning-guide). ## Prices and crowds Flights from North America and hotel prices peak from June to August and again over Christmas and New Year in London. The countryside follows school holidays rather than the weather: a Cotswolds or Lake District cottage in the first week of August can cost far more than the same one in the second week of September. The shoulder sweet spots are **the first half of May** (avoiding the bank holiday weekends), **the middle two weeks of June** and **September**. In winter, January and February are the cheapest months of the year for both London hotels and countryside stays, as long as you accept short days. ## When not to go, honestly There is no month in England that is a disaster. The real drawbacks are: • **Late December to early January:** reduced transport on 25 and 26 December, and many historic houses closed. Fine for London, frustrating for a countryside trip. • **August bank holiday weekend:** traffic jams to the coast and full car parks in the Peak District and Lake District. • **November to February for hill walking:** daylight runs out by about 4pm and high paths are wet and cold. Our [England itinerary](https://clevertourists.com/resources/england-itinerary-our-2-5-week-route-london-bath-cotswolds-peak-district) was a November route and worked because it leaned on towns, not long hikes. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the cheapest month to visit England? January and February are the cheapest months, followed by November outside Christmas market weekends. Hotels and countryside cottages drop sharply, but days are short and many historic houses close their interiors. ### What is the rainy season in England? England has no dry season: rain falls in every month. Autumn and winter are wetter and windier, and the north-west, including the Lake District, gets the most rain. ### Is November a good time to visit England? It works for cities and towns like London, Bath and York, with Christmas markets and lights opening from mid-November and low prices. It is poor for hill walking because highs are around 8 to 11°C and sunset is before 4:30pm. ### When are the bank holidays in England in 2027? Good Friday 26 March, Easter Monday 29 March, 3 May, 31 May, 30 August, and Christmas substitute days on 27 and 28 December 2027. ### Is September a good time to visit England? Yes. It is the best value of the warm months: highs around 19 to 20°C, schools back from the start of the month, and quieter coast and national parks than August.