Season guide · London · United Kingdom
London in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Blossom and daffodils in the royal parks, longer evenings after the clocks change and comfortable walking weather, with showers and busy Easter holidays. Expect highs up to 18°C (64°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 26 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 4°C (39°F) to 18°C (64°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 26
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 12°C (54°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 9 | 11.7 h | 3/5 |
| April | 15°C (59°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 9 | 13.8 h | 4/5 |
| May | 18°C (64°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 8 | 15.6 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 15°C (59°F) against a yearly 16°C (61°F), and 26 of the year's roughly 109 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: St Patrick's Day parade and festival (weekend nearest 17 March)
- March: The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge on the Thames (usually late March or early April)
- April: London Marathon (usually late April)
- May: RHS Chelsea Flower Show (usually late May)
Good choices for spring
Museum · Bloomsbury
British Museum
Two million years of human history fill the British Museum, from the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies to the Parthenon sculptures and the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo helmet.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Gallery · Trafalgar Square
National Gallery
Start with the early Italian rooms in the Sainsbury Wing, then finish on the portico steps looking over Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Gallery · Bankside
Tate Modern
Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary art fills the former Bankside Power Station, with its 99-metre chimney and a vast Turbine Hall used for large-scale commissions.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · South Kensington
Natural History Museum
Use the Exhibition Road entrance and visit the Dinosaurs gallery first, as its queue grows through the morning.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Rainy day
- Iconic
- Nature
Museum · South Kensington
Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
The V&A covers 5,000 years of art and design: fashion from the 17th century to today, the Cast Courts with full-size plaster copies of Trajan's Column and Michelangelo's David, Raphael's tapestry cartoons and rooms of jewellery and silver.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Day trips in spring
- Windsor Castle (About 1 hour by train) — Often described as the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, Windsor has been a royal home for more than 900 years.
- Hampton Court Palace (About 35 minutes by train) — Henry VIII's Tudor palace on the Thames combines his vast kitchens and Great Hall with the baroque wing Christopher Wren built for William III and Mary II.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit London?
Yes: May is among the best months. Blossom and daffodils in the royal parks, longer evenings after the clocks change and comfortable walking weather, with showers and busy Easter holidays.
+What is the weather like in London in spring?
Highs of up to 18°C (64°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 26 rainy days over the season.