Best time to travel to London

There's no single wrong time to visit London; it's a city that works in the rain as much as in the sun, with enough indoor culture to fill a wet week and enough parks to fill a sunny one. But when you go changes a lot about what the trip actually feels like: what you'll pay, how busy the Tube and the big attractions are, and which events line up with your dates. Get to know the best tips to travel to the UK.

Here's how London's seasons actually compare and which months are worth building a trip around.

London has a temperate oceanic climate: mild, cloudy, and rainy for most of the year, without the extremes of a continental climate. Rainfall is fairly evenly spread across the year rather than concentrated in a "wet season," expecting roughly 690mm annually, with March the driest month (around 48mm) and November the wettest (around 68mm). In practice, that means it's worth packing a compact umbrella whichever month you visit.

Temperatures climb steadily through spring, from around 6-12°C in March to 13-18°C by May. It's a good shoulder season: parks are in bloom, crowds are lighter than summer, and prices haven't hit their peak yet. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show usually runs in late May, and the London Marathon takes over the streets in April if you want to catch (or avoid) the road closures.

This is peak season, and the weather backs it up: daytime highs typically reach 23-24°C in July and August, with long daylight hours that make evenings in beer gardens and parks part of the experience. It's also when the big-ticket events land. Wimbledon usually runs from late June into early July, and Notting Hill Carnival takes over west London on the August bank holiday weekend. Expect the busiest crowds and highest prices of the year, especially for flights and hotels booked late.

Temperatures fall from around 19°C in early September down to single digits by November. September and early October are a genuine sweet spot, still mild, with the summer crowds thinning out and prices coming down from their peak. By November, it's noticeably colder and wetter, though Bonfire Night on the 5th and the run-up to Christmas lights switch-ons on Oxford Street and Regent Street add some sparkle to the shorter days.

The coldest months, with January averaging around 5.5°C and occasional snow, though rarely heavy or long-lasting in the city itself. Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park typically runs from mid-November through to early January, and the Christmas lights and markets make December worth the cold if you don't mind bundling up. January and February are the quietest and cheapest months to visit; flights and hotels are at their lowest, and major attractions are noticeably less crowded. Now, if you’re planning to spend Christmas in London, don’t forget the Top 10 Christmas Markets to Visit in the UK

June through August, plus the run-up to Christmas in December, are London's peak seasons, with the best weather and biggest events but also the highest prices and the longest queues at attractions like the London Eye or the Tower of London. We also recommend that you look for the best itineraries so that you don’t miss a thing.

January to March and most of November (outside the Christmas lights period) are off-peak: the cheapest flights and hotel rates of the year, shorter lines, and plenty to do that doesn't depend on the weather. London's major museums, including the British Museum, Tate Modern, and National Gallery, are free to enter year-round.

• May and June: the overall sweet spot with mild temperatures, long daylight hours, blooming parks, and prices that haven't hit full summer peak yet.
• September: still warm, noticeably quieter than summer, and often better value on flights and hotels.
• December: cold, but the Christmas lights, markets, and Winter Wonderland make it worth it if atmosphere matters more than budget.
• January to March: the best value by far if your priority is a cheap trip and you don't mind shorter days and a higher chance of rain.

• Book flights and hotels 2-3 months ahead for June-August and December prices climb fast as those dates approach.
• Pack layers and a compact umbrella regardless of the month; London's weather can shift within a single day at any time of year.
• Get an Oyster card or use contactless payment on the Tube and buses it's cheaper than single paper tickets and works across the whole network.
• Keep a rainy-day backup plan on hand London's free museums and covered markets make weather less of a dealbreaker than in most cities.

Whichever month you land, it's worth sorting your UK eSIM before you fly, too so you can check train times, book last-minute tickets, and navigate the Tube the moment you land, whatever the weather's doing.

Get to know our plans