London draws nearly 19 million visitors a year, and each season offers a different experience.
Spring sees gardens and streets bloom with cherry blossoms and wisteria, adding color after the grey winter months. Mild weather and lighter crowds make it a pleasant time for sightseeing and long walks.
Summer in London brings long daylight hours, lively parks, and busy rooftop bars, making it ideal for outdoor exploring. While June through August often delivers warm, sunny spells, brief rain showers are still common (this is still England after all).
Autumn paints the city in warm shades of red and gold, especially in its many green spaces. Cooler temperatures make it perfect for pub lunches, Sunday roasts, and unhurried museum visits.
And Winter transforms London with festive lights, Christmas markets, and a cozy atmosphere from late November through December. The days are shorter and colder, but the seasonal sparkle gives the city a special charm.
Ultimately, the best time to visit depends on whether you prioritize sunshine, scenery, or holiday atmosphere. But no matter which season you visit, there will be crowds and queues to most attractions. Therefore booking early is a necessity.
A note on high and low seasons as you scroll. June through August is considered the high season in London, with September through May making up the less touristy low season.
Museums
Book 2-3 Weeks Ahead
Museum - Bloomsbury, West End
Book a free timed entry ticket for quick entry into the museum. Timed entry tickets will start being booked up around 2 weeks ahead.
If the time you wish to visit has no availability, walk-up visits are available each day for those who arrive at the Montague Place entrance of the Museum, without advance bookings. Queues may be very long however.
Free of charge
Book 1-2 Weeks Ahead
Museum - Kensington and Chelsea
Book a free timed entry ticket for quick entry into the museum. Timed entry tickets will start being booked up around 2 weeks ahead.
If the time you wish to visit has no availability, walk-up visits are available each day, without advance bookings, but queues may be long.
Free of charge
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Museum - Trafalgar Square, Westminster
Book a free timed entry ticket for quick entry into the museum. Most time slots except for early morning are generally available up until day of visit.
Walk-up entry is possible but queues may be long.
Free of charge
Reopens April 10
Museum - Westminster
Timed-entry ticket is required. Morning time slots (most in-demand) will be available until about 1 week ahead of visit.
Reservation at off-peak hours may be available until 1-2 days before visit.
Last-minute tickets may be available at on-site ticket office depending on crowds.
£22 for adults
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Museum - Westminster
Book a timed-entry ticket for quick entry into the museum.
Tickets are usually available on the day at the door but it's recommended to book in advance to guarantee entry.
£25 to £33 for adults
Peak Season:
Book 3 Months Ahead
Off-season:
Book 1 Week Ahead
Museum - Westminster
Guided tours are in high demand and will sell out quickly. There are usually two tours given each morning.
Tickets released at least 4 months in advance, sometimes as far as 1+ year in advance.
£53 for adults
Permanent Collection:
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Special Exhibits:
Book Early, depends on exhibit
Museum - Trafalgar Square, Westminster
Book a free timed entry ticket for quick entry into the museum. Most time slots except for early morning are generally available up until day of visit.
Walk-up entry is possible but queues may be long.
Special exhibits may require earlier booking depending on popularity.
Free of charge
Museum - South Kensington
Pre-booking a free ticket is currently required at The Science Museum.
Most time-slots continue to have availability up until the day of visit.
Free of charge
The Serpentine Galleries
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Museum - Kensington Gardens
Book a free timed entry ticket for quick entry into the museum. Most time slots are generally available up until day of visit (except for Sundays).
Walk-up entry is possible most day but queues may be long. On Sundays, a timed-entry ticket is required; due to high demand, it's recommended to book Sunday visits 2 weeks in advance.
Free of charge
Madame Tussauds
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Museum - Westminster
Book timed-tickets in advance for slightly better prices and to avoid queues.
Walk-up entry is possible but queues may be long during peak times.
£27 - £37 for adults depending on time of day
Permanent Collection:
No Booking Needed
Special Exhibits:
Book Early, depends on exhibit
Museum - South Kensington
There are no timed-tickets - you can enter the permanent collection at any time.
Special exhibitions require a paid ticket. These exhibits may sell out very early so it is recommended to check as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Free of charge
London Museum Docklands
No Booking Needed
Museum
There are no timed-tickets - you can enter the permanent collection at any time. Special exhibitions may require a paid ticket.
The London Museum's Smithfield location is scheduled to open towards the end of 2026.
Free of charge
The Tate Britain (Permanent Collection)
No Booking Needed
Museum - Westminster
There are no timed-tickets - you can enter the permanent collection at any time.
Special exhibitions require a paid ticket. Tickets are usually available for exhibitions on the day but it's recommended to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Free of charge
The Tate Modern (Permanent Collection)
No Booking Needed
Museum - Bankside, Southwark
There are no timed-entry tickets - you can enter the permanent collection at any time.
Special exhibitions require a paid ticket. Tickets are usually available for exhibitions on the day but it's recommended to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Free of charge
Courtauld Gallery (Permanent Collection)
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Museum - Somerset House
Book a timed-entry ticket for quick entry into the museum. Most time slots except for early morning are generally available up until day of visit.
Special exhibitions require a separate timed-entry ticket, which will sell out very quickly. Recommended to book 2+ weeks ahead for special exhibits.
£12 for adults
Postal Museum
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Museum - Clerkenwell
Museum entry includes a ride on the "Mail Rail" underground train at a specified time. To guarantee a ride on the train, pre-booking a timed-ticket is highly recommended.
Walk-up tickets to the museum are usually attainable but not guaranteed during peak Summer months.
£18.50 for adults
National Maritime Museum
No Booking Needed
Museum - Greenwich
Timed-entry tickets for the National Maritime Museum in London do not sell out and do not need to be purchased in advance.
Pre-booking a timed-entry ticket online is possible on the Museum website.
Free of charge, special exhibits may be an additional cost
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Museum - Marylebone. Westminster
It's recommended to book a timed-entry ticket for the Sherlock Holmes Museum, as the space is somewhat small and does not accommodate a large number of visitors at one time.
Most time-slots will remain available up until a couple days before visit.
£19.75 for adults
Landmarks
Book 3 Months Ahead
Landmark - Westminster
Early advance booking needed due to limited tour times and very high demand.
Tickets are released three months in advance, on the second Wednesday of every month at 10am (London time).
£35 for adults
Book 1 Week Ahead
Landmark - Tower Hamlets
Book timed-tickets in advance to guarantee entrance at desired time and to avoid long queues.
Last-minute tickets may be available at on-site ticket office depending on crowds.
£35.80 for adults
Ceremony of the Keys
Book 1-2 Months Ahead
Landmark - Tower Hamlets
The Ceremony of the Keys must be pre-booked in advance, online only.
Tickets are generally booked up immediately after they are released during peak season.
Tickets are released on a rolling monthly basis. For example, April’s tickets will be released at the beginning of March at 16:00 on the first working day of the month, unless it is a Friday, when they be will released on the following Monday.
£5 for adults
Book 2-3 Weeks Ahead
Landmark - River Thames
Pre-booking is required. Tours are not offered every day, so checking dates ahead of time is crucial.
Tickets released about 2 months in advance of date. Weekend dates will sell out first.
£35 for adults
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Landmark - River Thames
Pre-booking is recommended to guarantee entry. Most times remain available until the day of the visit.
Tickets released 8 weeks in advance of date.
£16 for adults
Book 1-2 days ahead
Landmark - South Bank
Pre-booking strongly recommended to avoid long queues. Most timeslots, except for sunset slots, do not become fully booked until 1-2 days ahead.
Pre-booking online is marginally less expensive than buying in-person.
£29 - £39 for adults depending on advance booking and time of day
Book 1-2 Months Ahead
Landmark - Westminster
Tour availability varies widely depending on parliament's schedule. When parliament is in session, fewer tours are given, and availability may be sparse.
Self-guided tours are generally available closer to the date of visit.
£27 for self guided audio tour, £34 for guided tours
Book 1-2 Weeks Ahead
Landmark - Westminster
Pre-booking is highly recommended to guarantee entry.
There may also be a limited number of tickets available on the door.
£31 for adults for sightseeing. Worshipping is free of charge.
Book Same Day
Landmark - Westminster
A verger is a church official who hosts informational tours of the Abbey. A verger tour can only be booked when you arrive at the Abbey.
When booking your tickets to the Abbey, try to book your entry slot 30 minutes or so before the tour is due to start.
Contact the Abbey 24 hours in advance to find out what times tours will take place.
£41 for adults (includes Abbey entry)
Book 3 Weeks Ahead
Landmark - City of London
Pre-booking is highly recommended to guarantee entry. Timeslots become booked shortly after ticket release.
A limited number of walk-in slots are available but there is no guaranteed entrance.
Free tickets are released every Monday morning (excluding bank holidays) three weeks in advance for the full week. Reservations for restaurants and bars booked separately.
Free of charge
State Apartments of Speaker's House Tour
Paused Until April
Landmark - Westminster
Tours given from April through August only. Tickets usually released in January.
Early advance booking needed due to limited tour times and very high demand.
£21 for adults
Paused Until July
Landmark - Westminster
Tours are given during Summer months only, from July 11, 2026 through September 27, 2026.
Time-slots will be booked up very early so it's important to reserve early.
£48 for adults
Buckingham Palace: State Rooms
Paused Until July
Landmark - Westminster
Tours are given during Summer months only, from July 9, 2026 through September 27, 2026.
Most time-slots are available up until 1-2 days ahead. Last-minute tickets may be available at on-site ticket office depending on crowds.
£33 for adults in advance, + £37 for same-day
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Landmark - City of London
Pre-booking is recommended to avoid long queues. Tickets generally are available up until day of visit.
Last-minute tickets may be available at on-site ticket office depending on crowds. Note that the cathedral is closed to tourists on Sundays.
£27 per adult for sightseeing. Worshipping is free of charge.
Book 3-4 Days Ahead
Landmark - Kensington
Pre-booking a timed entry ticket online is required for entry into the main palace and gardens. There is not an onsite ticket office for same-day tickets.
A wide variety of time-slots are generally available online until about 3-4 days ahead.
£24.70 during peak season, £20.60 otherwise
Book 1 Week Ahead
Landmark - Richmond upon Thames
Pre-booking is recommended to avoid long queues. Tickets generally are available up until 4-5 days before visit.
Last-minute tickets will be available at on-site ticket office but queues may be long.
£29 to £32 for adults depending on day
Globe Theatre - Guided Tour
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Landmark - Bankside, Southwark
Pre-booking a tour online is encouraged to secure a spot on a guided tour of the Globe Theatre.
A wide variety of time-slots are generally available online until a day ahead.
£27 for adults plus £2.50 transaction fee per order for online bookings
The View from The Shard
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Landmark - Southwark
Pre-booking is recommended to guarantee entry during peak times, especially weekends and sunset hours, which will be booked up first.
Walk up tickets can be purchased same-day, subject to availability. Same day bookings can be made online but it's recommended to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
£19 - £32 for adults depending on time of day
London Zoo
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Attraction - Regent's Park
Pre-booking an entry ticket online is less expensive than buying a ticket at the gate. Ticket is valid for entry at any time from the time on the ticket, up to one hour before closing time.
Tickets are also sold same-day at the gate, but will be slightly more expensive and queues may be long.
£35 for adults during peak days, £30.50 off-peak weekdays
Excursions
Book 1-2 Weeks Ahead
Excursion - Berkshire, England
£32 for adults when booked in advance, otherwise £36
Book 4 Months Ahead
Excursion - Hertfordshire, England
Timed-tickets must be purchased in advance online; same-day tickets cannot be purchased at the ticket office.
For the standard Self-Guided Tour, book 4+ months in advance for wide timeslot availability. Last minute time-slots at off-peak hours (late afternoons) may be available up until about 2 weeks ahead.
For the Deluxe Guided tour, book 4+ months in advance for wide timeslot availability. Last tours may be available up until about 1 month ahead.
Tickets for all tour types are released more than a year in advance.
£58.50 for adults for self-guided, £250 pp for the deluxe guided tour
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Excursion - Wiltshire, England
Pre-booking is recommended to skip queues, guarantee entry, and saves 15% off ticket price.
Same-day tickets are also available for purchase on the day of visit but queues may be long. You can also book same-day online up until 8:45am.
£25.90 to £30.90 for adults depending on day
Book 4 Months Ahead
Excursion - Wiltshire, England
Pre-booking is required for the Stone Circle experience, which will take you into the heart of the Stone Circle during either sunrise or sunset.
Tours last for an hour and take place in the early morning or evening, outside normal visiting hours.
Starting at £70 for adults depending on day
Book 2-3 Weeks Ahead
Excursion - Wiltshire, England
Pre-booking is required for the explorer tour, which will take you into the heart of the Stone Circle.
The tour runs 3 hours long and includes locally sourced food and drink during the experience.
£295 for adults
Book 1 Week Ahead
Excursion - Oxford, England
Pre-booking a time-slot is recommended to guarantee entry and to avoid queues. Same-day tickets may also be purchased at visitor centre if availability permits.
Tickets are released around 10am each Friday for the following week.
£20.50 to £22.50 for adults depending on day and season
Book 1 Week Ahead
Excursion - Oxford, England
Pre-booking a tour is recommended to guarantee a spot. Same-day bookings may also be made at visitor centre if availability permits.
Tickets are released around 10am each Friday for the following week.
£20-£22 for adults depending on tour
Cruise on the Thames
Book 1-2 Days Ahead
Excursion - London
Pre-booking usually not required, but will depend on the cruise operator.
Last minute tickets are often available.
Tourists often wait to see weather forecast before booking.
Price depends on operator
