London in November
November is a quiet, good-value month to visit London. The moody bargain month. Christmas lights switch on along Oxford and Regent Streets by mid-month.
Weather
Gray and damp, highs near 52F (11C), dark early
Crowds
Prices
What's on in November
Mid November through early January
Christmas season. Lights on the shopping streets, Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, and skating rinks at Somerset House and the Natural History Museum.
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 November: quick answers
Is November a good time to visit London?
November is a quiet, good-value month to visit London. The moody bargain month. Christmas lights switch on along Oxford and Regent Streets by mid-month.
What is the weather like in London in November?
Gray and damp, highs near 52F (11C), dark early.
Is London crowded in November?
November is one of the quieter months in London; most sights can be done without long waits.
What is happening in London in November?
Christmas season (mid november through early january).