Destination
When should you visit London?
Weather, crowds, prices and events for all twelve months — and one clear recommendation.
By Daan · Last reviewed October 2026
My recommendation
May
May is where all four factors line up: mild, mostly dry weather and daylight until 9pm, a full events calendar, and crowds and hotel rates still well below the June–August peak. June has the same weather but costs more; September is calmer but darker. May wins on the combination, not on any single score.
Least crowded
January
One of the quietest periods of the year.
Best weather
July
Warmest month, longest summer daylight.
Best value
January
Low-season hotel and travel costs.
May scores
Plan around
What to know before you book
- Wimbledon
- One of London's biggest annual sporting events. Demand rises around Wimbledon and southwest London can become particularly busy. Dates shift slightly each year — confirm before booking.
- Notting Hill Carnival
- One of Europe's major street festivals, bringing exceptionally high visitor numbers to west London over the August bank-holiday weekend.
- London Fashion Week
- A major international fashion event that can increase demand and hotel pressure around central London. Exact dates are announced annually.
- Christmas and New Year
- The city becomes significantly busier around Christmas shopping, festive attractions and New Year's Eve. Early December delivers the same atmosphere for less.
- Easter and school holidays
- Easter moves each year and pulls family crowds and rates up with it; February and October half-terms do the same for a single week.
Late June – July
August bank-holiday weekend
February and September
December
March/April, plus half-terms
Month by month
All twelve months, at a glance
Tap any month for full scores, temperatures and planning notes.
- Temperature
- 5–8°C
- Cold and damp, roughly 8 hours of daylight
- Crowds
- Low
- Post-holiday lull — museums, galleries and restaurants are walk-in easy
- Prices
- €€
- Lowest hotel rates of the year after the first week
Build the trip around indoor London and book West End seats last-minute for the best prices.
- Museums
- Theatre
- Sales shopping
- Temperature
- 5–9°C
- Cold, grey, occasional bright dry spells
- Crowds
- Low
- Quiet except the mid-month school half-term week and Fashion Week
- Prices
- €€
- Low, with a short spike around London Fashion Week
Check half-term dates before booking family attractions — they fill quickly for one week only.
- Galleries
- Fashion
- Food halls
- Temperature
- 6–12°C
- Mild but unsettled; clocks go forward late in the month
- Crowds
- Low-Moderate
- Visitor numbers rising slowly ahead of the Easter break
- Prices
- €€€
- Still reasonable before the April climb
Keep plans flexible — a wet day is common, and everything worth doing has an indoor alternative.
- Parks
- Walking
- Markets
- Temperature
- 8–16°C
- Mild with blossom and frequent light showers
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Easter and the London Marathon weekend concentrate demand
- Prices
- €€€
- Moderate, rising sharply over the Easter fortnight
Easter dates move each year — confirm them before committing to April dates.
- Parks
- Gardens
- Running events
- Temperature
- 11–18°C
- Mild and often dry, with daylight until about 9pm
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Busy but not overwhelmed — international summer travel hasn't started
- Prices
- €€€
- Moderate; two bank holidays lift weekend rates
Travel midweek to sidestep the two bank-holiday weekends and their rate jumps.
- Parks
- Rooftops
- Events
- Walking
- Temperature
- 14–22°C
- Warm and bright; light until nearly 10pm around the solstice
- Crowds
- High
- Summer arrivals build through the month, peaking as Wimbledon starts
- Prices
- €€€€
- High, and climbing week by week
Book hotels well ahead if your dates touch the final week — Wimbledon tightens supply.
- Rooftops
- Festivals
- River walks
- Temperature
- 16–24°C
- The warmest month, with the most reliable dry spells
- Crowds
- Very High
- Wimbledon plus school holidays put the city at its fullest
- Prices
- €€€€€
- Peak rates citywide; last-minute booking is expensive
Lock in accommodation two to three months out; central rates rarely soften in July.
- Sport
- Outdoor dining
- Festivals
- Temperature
- 16–23°C
- Warm, humid at times, with the occasional heavy shower
- Crowds
- High
- School holidays continue; west London peaks over the carnival weekend
- Prices
- €€€€
- High, spiking around the late-August bank holiday
If you're not there for Carnival, stay outside Notting Hill over that bank-holiday weekend.
- Carnival
- Parks
- Outdoor dining
- Temperature
- 14–21°C
- Warm, settled and often the driest feel of the late season
- Crowds
- Moderate-High
- Families leave after the first week; business and fashion travel takes over
- Prices
- €€€€
- Easing from summer, apart from the Fashion Week window
Mid-September dates run into Fashion Week — shift a week later for better rates.
- Culture
- Design
- Walking
- Temperature
- 11–16°C
- Cool and wetter; clocks go back at the end of the month
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Quiet apart from the late-October half-term week
- Prices
- €€€
- Moderate and falling towards November
Plan sightseeing for mornings — usable daylight shortens fast after the clocks change.
- Theatre
- Museums
- Park walks
- Temperature
- 8–12°C
- Cold, grey and often wet, with dark afternoons
- Crowds
- Low-Moderate
- The quietest stretch until the Christmas lights switch on
- Prices
- €€€
- Some of the best value of the year in the first three weeks
Travel in the first half of the month — rates start climbing once Christmas markets open.
- Museums
- Theatre
- Pubs
- Temperature
- 5–9°C
- Cold and dark, with the shortest days of the year
- Crowds
- High
- Shopping streets and festive attractions are packed from late November onwards
- Prices
- €€€€
- High through the month, peaking over Christmas and New Year
Early December gives the same lights and markets for meaningfully less than the final fortnight.
- Christmas markets
- Theatre
- Shopping
Climate
London weather by month
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C / 48°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| February | 9°C / 48°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| March | 12°C / 54°F | 6°C / 43°F |
| April | 16°C / 61°F | 8°C / 46°F |
| May | 19°C / 66°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| June | 22°C / 72°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| July | 24°C / 75°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| August | 23°C / 73°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| September | 21°C / 70°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| October | 16°C / 61°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| November | 12°C / 54°F | 8°C / 46°F |
| December | 9°C / 48°F | 5°C / 41°F |
Climate data: Published climate normals. Temperatures are averages of daily highs and lows.
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