When is the best time to visit London?

Quick answer by priority

• Best weather: June to early September, highs about 21 to 24°C (70 to 75°F).

• Fewest crowds with decent weather: May and September, outside the bank holiday weekends.

• Cheapest: January and February. Hotels are at their lowest after New Year, and the January sales run in the shops.

• Events: Chelsea Flower Show (May), Trooping the Colour (June), Wimbledon (late June to July), the Proms (mid-July to September), Notting Hill Carnival (late August), Christmas lights and markets (mid-November to December), New Year's Eve fireworks.

• Avoid if you can: the week between Christmas and New Year if you dislike crowds and high rates, and late July to August if heat on the Underground bothers you.

London month by month

Temperatures are typical long-term averages for central London; rain falls on roughly 8 to 12 days in most months, usually as showers rather than all-day downpours.

• January: highs about 8°C (46°F), lows about 2°C (36°F). Cheapest month, short days (sunset around 4:15pm). Good for museums, theatre deals and the sales.

• February: similar temperatures, slightly drier. Half-term week brings families to the Natural History and Science Museums.

• March: highs about 11°C (52°F). Easter falls on 28 March in 2027, so the end of the month gets busy. Spring blossom in Regent's Park and Kew.

• April: highs about 15°C (59°F), changeable. Good value outside the Easter holidays; the parks turn green.

• May: highs about 18°C (64°F), evenings light until about 9pm by the end of the month. Our pick for a first visit. Two bank holiday Mondays (3 and 31 May 2027).

• June: highs about 21°C (70°F), the longest days (sunset after 9pm). Trooping the Colour and the start of Wimbledon. Hotels start to climb.

• July: highs about 23 to 24°C (73 to 75°F), the warmest month, with occasional heatwaves above 30°C (86°F). Many Tube lines have no air conditioning. School holidays start in the third week; peak prices.

• August: similar to July, busiest month at the big sights. Notting Hill Carnival runs over the bank holiday weekend, 29 and 30 August 2027.

• September: highs about 20°C (68°F), schools back, crowds thin. Excellent value and still long enough days for Greenwich or Hampstead Heath.

• October: highs about 15°C (59°F), wetter, clocks go back on the last Sunday. Half-term week busy at museums.

• November: highs about 11°C (52°F), grey and damp, sunset around 4pm. When we were here: low rates in the first half, then the Christmas lights on Oxford and Regent Streets and the markets open from mid-month.

• December: highs about 8 to 9°C (46 to 48°F). Festive and busy, rates high from mid-December. Public transport stops on Christmas Day.

How London's seasons change what you do

In summer, plan around the outdoors: the South Bank walk from Westminster to Tower Bridge, a riverboat to Greenwich, Kew Gardens, picnics on Primrose Hill. Book the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey ahead to avoid queues; they are the sights where summer crowds really bite.

In winter, plan around the free museums and markets. Borough Market, Covent Garden and the British Museum all keep you warm, and the theatres in the West End run all year. Our Oyster vs contactless and free museums guide covers getting around cheaply, and how many days in London has the day-by-day plan.

For trips out of the city, May to September give the most daylight: our day trips from London page covers Bath, Oxford and Windsor. In November and December, pick one that works in the rain, like Bath's Roman Baths.

Events and holidays in 2027

• New Year's Day: Friday 1 January 2027. Fireworks the night before are ticketed: see our New Year's Eve fireworks guide.

• Easter: Good Friday 26 March to Easter Monday 29 March 2027.

• May bank holidays: Monday 3 May and Monday 31 May 2027.

• Chelsea Flower Show: late May (the RHS had not published 2027 dates when we checked).

• Trooping the Colour: a Saturday in June.

• Wimbledon: late June to mid-July.

• Notting Hill Carnival: Sunday 29 and Monday 30 August 2027, with the bank holiday on the Monday.

• Christmas: Christmas Day is a Saturday in 2027, with substitute bank holidays on 27 and 28 December. No Tube or buses on 25 December.

Prices and crowds

Hotel rates are lowest in January and February and highest in June, July, August and the second half of December. The difference is large: the same mid-range room can cost noticeably more in July than in early February. Our where to stay in London guide compares areas that hold value better, like South Kensington versus Bloomsbury.

Sweet spots: the first half of May (outside the 3 May weekend), September, and the first two weeks of November, before the Christmas trade starts. Crowds at the Tower of London and the British Museum also follow school holidays, so midweek in term time is the quietest you'll find.

When not to go, honestly

No month in London is bad enough to skip. The real downsides are heat in late July and August on older Tube lines and in hotels without air conditioning, Christmas week with high prices and reduced transport on 25 and 26 December, and short winter days: in December you get only about 8 hours of daylight, so plan museum and theatre time for the afternoons.

Frequently asked questions