London in July
July is a month of real tradeoffs in London. Everything is open and buzzing, but lines at the Tower and the Eye are at their worst and airfare peaks.
Weather
Warmest month, highs near 74F (23C), occasional hot spells
Crowds
Prices
What's on in July
Roughly the last week of June into the first half of July
Wimbledon. The tennis fortnight. The famous queue still offers day-of grounds passes for the committed.
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 July: quick answers
Is July a good time to visit London?
July is a month of real tradeoffs in London. Everything is open and buzzing, but lines at the Tower and the Eye are at their worst and airfare peaks.
What is the weather like in London in July?
Warmest month, highs near 74F (23C), occasional hot spells.
Is London crowded in July?
July is peak crowd season in London; expect lines at the headline sights.
What is happening in London in July?
Wimbledon (roughly the last week of june into the first half of july).