London in February
February is a quiet, good-value month to visit London. Still quiet and cheap. Half-term school break in mid-February bumps family attractions for a week.
Weather
Chilly, highs near 48F (9C), days lengthening
Crowds
Prices
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 February: quick answers
Is February a good time to visit London?
February is a quiet, good-value month to visit London. Still quiet and cheap. Half-term school break in mid-February bumps family attractions for a week.
What is the weather like in London in February?
Chilly, highs near 48F (9C), days lengthening.
Is London crowded in February?
February is one of the quieter months in London; most sights can be done without long waits.