London in August
August is a month to think twice about visiting London. Peak crowds and prices with no weather upside over June. The one big draw: Buckingham Palace state rooms open to visitors in summer.
Weather
Warm, highs near 73F (23C), muggy spells
Crowds
Prices
What's on in August
The late August bank holiday weekend
Notting Hill Carnival. Europe's biggest street festival: steel bands, sound systems, and over a million people in the streets of west London.
Things to do in London
- 1
Tower of London. Book online and arrive at opening; go straight to the Crown Jewels before the queue builds. Yeoman Warder tours are free with entry and worth planning around. official site ↗
- 2
British Museum. Free entry, but book a timed slot in busy months. The Rosetta Stone room is calmest in the first hour. official site ↗
- 3
Westminster Abbey. Closed to tourists on Sundays for services. Verger-led tours are the sleeper upgrade. official site ↗
- 4
Borough Market. Full market runs Wednesday through Saturday; Saturdays are a crush by 11am. Go hungry, early, midweek. official site ↗
- 5
The South Bank walk. Tate Modern to Tower Bridge along the river is the best free afternoon in London, in any weather.
- 6
West End show. The TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells legitimate same-day discounts. Midweek matinees are easiest. official site ↗
- 7
Buckingham Palace. The state rooms open to visitors only in summer, generally July into September. Changing of the Guard runs year-round on scheduled days; check before you build a morning around it. official site ↗
- 8
Greenwich by riverboat. Take the Thames Clipper out and the train back. The Royal Observatory and the prime meridian make it a half-day well spent. official site ↗
Beat the crowds
- →Do the Tower of London at opening or after 3pm; the cruise-excursion and coach-tour wave hits between 10am and 2pm.
- →The free museums are busiest on weekends and rainy afternoons. A sunny weekday morning at the British Museum feels like a different institution.
- →Book Westminster Abbey's first entry and you will have the Poets' Corner nearly alone; by late morning it is a slow shuffle.
Know before you go
- !London has no off-season shutdown. Museums, theatre, and restaurants run at full speed all twelve months; winter changes the light and the price, not the access.
- !December 25 is the one true closure day: nearly everything shuts, including the entire Tube network. December 26 (Boxing Day) still runs reduced hours and transit.
- !Buckingham Palace's state rooms open to the public only in summer, generally July into September. The rest of the year you are looking at the outside.
London in August: quick answers
Is August a good time to visit London?
August is a month to think twice about visiting London. Peak crowds and prices with no weather upside over June. The one big draw: Buckingham Palace state rooms open to visitors in summer.
What is the weather like in London in August?
Warm, highs near 73F (23C), muggy spells.
Is London crowded in August?
August is peak crowd season in London; expect lines at the headline sights.
What is happening in London in August?
Notting Hill Carnival (the late august bank holiday weekend).