Season guide · London · United Kingdom
London in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold, short days but lively Christmas markets and lights, January sales and quieter museums; hotel prices dip after New Year. Expect highs up to 9°C (48°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 30 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 9°C (48°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 30
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C (48°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 11 | 8.3 h | 2/5 |
| February | 9°C (48°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 9 | 9.9 h | 2/5 |
| December | 9°C (48°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 10 | 7.9 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 9°C (48°F) against a yearly 16°C (61°F), and 30 of the year's roughly 109 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: London New Year's Day Parade through the West End (1 January)
- January: Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown and Trafalgar Square (late January or February)
- February: London Fashion Week (usually mid-February)
- December: Christmas markets and ice rinks in Hyde Park, on the South Bank and elsewhere (December)
- December: New Year's Eve fireworks over the Thames (ticketed viewing areas)
Good choices for winter
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Museum · Holborn
Sir John Soane's Museum
Stay for a demonstration in the Picture Room, where staff open hinged wall panels to reveal more paintings behind.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
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
Day trips in winter
- Cambridge (About 50 minutes by train) — King's College Chapel with its fan-vaulted ceiling, the riverside college lawns known as the Backs and the free Fitzwilliam Museum are the highlights.
- Brighton (About 1 hour by train) — The seaside city's attractions are the onion-domed Royal Pavilion, the Victorian Palace Pier with its funfair rides, a long pebble beach and The Lanes, a warren of narrow alleys full of independent shops and cafés.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit London?
It is a trade-off: Cold, short days but lively Christmas markets and lights, January sales and quieter museums; hotel prices dip after New Year. The best months overall are May–June and September.
+What is the weather like in London in winter?
Highs of up to 9°C (48°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 30 rainy days over the season.