At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season
London in February — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
London in February offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for couples & budget seekers. Expect temperatures of 3–9°C, around 10 days of rain, and low crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around £80–140 for mid-range travellers. Rooms are easy to find last-minute and hotel prices stay noticeably softer through the season.
Contents14 sections
#Weather in London in February
London in February averages 3–9°C (37–48°F) with around 10 days of rain, and crowds are low.
| Measure | February in London |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 9°C / 48°F |
| Overnight low | About 3°C / 37°F |
| Wet days | About 10 |
| Sunset | 4:49pm on the 1st, 5:38pm by the 28th |
| Half-term | 15–19 February 2027 for most London schools |
| Crowds | Low, apart from half-term and match days |
Figures are Met Office 1991–2020 averages for central London.
What that actually means for your trip:
- The light comes back. Sunset moves almost fifty minutes later across the month, and by the last week there is daylight until after half past five, which changes how a day out feels.
- It is still winter. Frost on clear nights, fog on still mornings and grey, damp days are all normal; a mild, bright afternoon is a bonus, not the rule.
- The calendar is fuller than January's. Chinese New Year, Pancake Day, Valentine's Day and two England rugby matches at Twickenham all fall in February 2027.
- Half-term changes one week. London schools break from 15 to 19 February, so museums and family attractions are busy that week and quiet either side.
Is February a good time to visit London? Yes, for value and for culture. Hotel rates stay close to January's lows, the museums are calm outside half-term, and the city has more going on than in January. Bring a warm coat and an umbrella, and check the rugby fixtures before you book a hotel in south-west London.
#What to Do in London in February
Chinese New Year (6 February 2027)
The Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat. London's celebrations, one of the city's biggest street events of the year, spread from Chinatown around Gerrard Street to Trafalgar Square, with lion dances, a parade, food stalls and a stage. They are usually held on the Sunday after the New Year, and the organisers announce the date in the new year, so check before you book.
Pancake Day (Tuesday 9 February)
Shrove Tuesday is Pancake Day in Britain: thin pancakes with lemon and sugar, eaten at home, in cafés and in pubs the day before Lent.
In recent years the Great Spitalfields Pancake Race has seen teams in fancy dress run with frying pans by the old market; it is free to watch and over in minutes.
Six Nations rugby at Twickenham
England play two home matches at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in February 2027: France on Sunday 14 February at 3:10pm, and Italy on Saturday 20 February at 4:40pm. Tickets sell out, but every pub in London shows the games, and the atmosphere in a busy pub for England against France is the next best thing. Trains to Twickenham run from Waterloo.
Valentine's Day (Sunday 14 February)
London's restaurants run set menus for the 14th, and the popular ones book out weeks ahead. In 2027 it falls on the rugby Sunday and in the middle of the school holiday weekend, so plan early. For something different, the theatres and concert halls run Valentine's programmes, and an afternoon at the Wallace Collection in Marylebone, free, with Fragonard's The Swing and a courtyard café, makes a romantic, quiet start.
The museums, outside half-term
The national museums are free and quietest in the first and last weeks of February.
The Wallace Collection is a private mansion full of 18th-century French painting and furniture, Old Masters and armour, including Frans Hals's Laughing Cavalier.
The Museum of the Home in Hoxton, also free, walks through London living rooms from 1600 to today.
MimeLondon, the festival of wordless theatre, runs until 6 February.
Greenwich on a clear day
On the first bright day of the month, go to Greenwich. Take the Thames Clipper from the centre, walk through the Old Royal Naval College, whose Painted Hall is one of the great Baroque interiors in England, and climb the hill in Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian. The view from the top looks back over the river to Canary Wharf and the City.
Hampton Court
Henry VIII's palace on the Thames in south-west London is quiet in February, before the spring visitors. The Tudor kitchens, the Great Hall and the maze are the highlights, and the formal gardens show the first spring bulbs at the end of the month. Trains run from Waterloo in about half an hour; avoid the two rugby weekends, when the line is busy.
Solo Travellers
Spend a morning at the National Gallery while it is quiet, then walk to Somerset House and the Courtauld Gallery.
In the evening, Ronnie Scott's in Soho is London's most famous jazz club, and the Southbank Centre runs concerts most nights.
Couples
Walk the South Bank at dusk as the lights come on across the river, then go to the theatre: February is a good month for West End tickets, and the TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells same-day discounts. In late February, the first crocuses and snowdrops appear in the royal parks.
Families
Half-term, 15 to 19 February, brings activity programmes to the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A; book free sessions online.
In most recent years Kew Gardens has run its orchid festival in the warm Princess of Wales Conservatory through February and March, a tropical escape on a cold day.
Groups
A rugby match in a pub is the group outing of the month. For something quieter, a long Sunday roast in a pub with a fire, or a night of stand-up at the Comedy Store off Leicester Square, suits a group.
#Getting Around
From Heathrow, the Elizabeth line runs straight through central London, the Piccadilly line is slower and cheaper, and the Heathrow Express is fastest to Paddington.
Gatwick has the Gatwick Express and Thameslink, Stansted the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, and Luton a shuttle and Thameslink to St Pancras.
Tap a contactless card or phone, or an Oyster card, on every Tube, bus, train and tram; daily caps stop you paying more than about £8.90 a day in Zones 1 and 2.
A bus ride is £1.85 from 1 November 2026, and the Hopper fare gives you free changes within an hour. TfL's next annual fare change is due at the start of March 2027.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | £60–80 | Hostel dorm, free museums, pub meals, daily transport cap |
| Mid-range | £140–200 | 3-star hotel, two meals out, a theatre ticket or a paid sight |
| Luxury | £400+ | 5-star hotels near their winter rates, fine dining |
February is one of the cheapest months for a London hotel, except on the rugby weekends, around Valentine's Day and in half-term.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Bus ride | £1.85 from 1 November 2026 |
| Daily cap, Zones 1–2 | About £8.90 |
| National museums, Wallace Collection | Free |
| Service charge | Often 12.5%, added to the bill |
| Pint in a central pub | £6–8 |
- Avoid the rugby weekends if price matters: 13–14 and 20–21 February.
- Same-day theatre tickets at TKTS are often cheaper than advance prices in February.
- TfL fares change at the start of March; a February trip pays the current fares.
#Food & Dining
February is comfort food weather:
- Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, with lemon and sugar.
- A Sunday roast in a pub by the fire.
- Chinese New Year banquets in Chinatown, where restaurants such as Four Seasons on Gerrard Street are known for their roast duck; book for the New Year weekend.
- Dishoom, the Bombay-café restaurants, for black dal and chai on a cold evening; the queues are shorter than in summer.
Borough Market is best on a weekday morning, when you can taste your way round before the lunch crowds.
#Nightlife
February is a good month for jazz, comedy and theatre.
Ronnie Scott's books up at weekends, so reserve.
The 99 Club and the Comedy Store run stand-up through the week.
Fabric in Farringdon runs its club nights year-round. On rugby weekends, the pubs of Covent Garden, Soho and Richmond are full from lunchtime.
#Shopping
Winter sales run into early February.
Liberty, with its Tudor-style building off Regent Street, is a warm, absorbing place to spend a cold afternoon, especially its fabric floor.
The markets carry on through the winter: Portobello Road on a Saturday and Spitalfields and Brick Lane on a Sunday.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Check for a service charge on the bill; many restaurants add 12.5%, and you need not tip again.
- Stand on the right on Tube escalators.
- Pancake Day is not a holiday, but cafés and pubs make the most of it.
- Wear your team's colours with good grace on rugby weekends; the banter is part of it.
#Essential Local Phrases
British English has a few words American visitors will not recognise at once.
| What you want to say | What Londoners say |
|---|---|
| The subway / metro | The Tube |
| An umbrella | A brolly |
| Standing in line | Queueing |
| The restroom | The loo |
| A sweater | A jumper |
| Sneakers | Trainers |
| A cookie | A biscuit |
| Dessert | Pudding |
| The school break | Half-term |
| A cup of tea | A cuppa |
#Packing List
- A warm, waterproof coat
- Scarf, gloves and a hat
- Waterproof shoes with grip for frosty or wet pavements
- A compact umbrella
- Layers for warm museums and cold streets
- One smarter outfit for Valentine's dinner or the theatre
- A contactless card or phone for transport
- A foldable bag for market shopping
#Backup Plans
If it rains all day: the Wallace Collection, the Museum of the Home and the British Museum are free and under cover; the BFI Southbank shows films all day.
If half-term crowds fill the big museums: go to the smaller ones, Sir John Soane's Museum in Lincoln's Inn Fields and the Wallace Collection, which children's programmes rarely reach.
If you cannot get a rugby ticket: watch in a big pub near Covent Garden or Waterloo, and arrive an hour early for a seat.
#Safety & Health
London is safe in February. Frosty pavements and wet steps are the main hazards on cold mornings. Pickpockets work the crowds at Chinese New Year and the busiest Tube stations, so keep bags closed.
NHS 111 gives medical advice by phone or online, and A&E treatment is free in an emergency. Tap water is safe.
Emergency: 999; for non-urgent police matters, 101.
#What's New for February 2027
- Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February, the Year of the Goat
- Pancake Day is Tuesday 9 February
- England v France at Twickenham is on Valentine's Day, Sunday 14 February; England v Italy on Saturday 20 February
- London half-term runs from 15 to 19 February
- The bus fare is £1.85 from 1 November 2026
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated October 2026 for February 2027. Climate figures are Met Office 1991–2020 averages. Dates and prices verified against:
- Allianz Stadium Twickenham for England's 2027 Six Nations matches
- Royal Borough of Greenwich for the 2027 half-term dates
- MimeLondon for the festival dates
- Transport for London for fares and caps
- The Wallace Collection for opening and free entry
For the rest of the season, see London in winter, and for the year as a whole, the best time to visit London.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is February the cheapest time to visit London?
February and January compete for cheapest — hotel rates are at their annual low, flights are well-priced, and major attractions have minimal queues. If you can handle cold, grey weather, February delivers exceptional value for one of Europe's most expensive cities.
What is Chinese New Year like in London?
Lively and free. In 2027 the Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February, and London usually celebrates on the following Sunday, with lion dances, a parade and food stalls from Chinatown to a stage in Trafalgar Square. The organisers announce the date in the new year. Arrive early; it draws big crowds.
What is Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday)?
Shrove Tuesday (date varies, usually February) is when British households traditionally eat pancakes before Lent. Pub menus and café specials feature pancakes all day. Some churches and charities hold pavement pancake races — a charmingly eccentric British tradition.
What should I do in London in February?
The West End is in full swing with productions that were nominated for the Olivier Awards (announced in April). Six Nations rugby at Twickenham or in the pub. Valentine's Day dining at any level from street food to Michelin. Major museums are delightfully uncrowded.
What’s the weather like in London in February?
London in February typically sees temperatures of 3–9°C with around 10 days of rain across the period. Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, and sturdy shoes — days stay chilly.