March is London's great unsettled month — the one where winter hasn't quite packed up but spring keeps sending advance parties. Daffodils push through across Hyde Park and St. James's Park from mid-month, and the days stretch from about 11 hours of light at the start to nearly 13 by the end. But the mornings still bite. Expect highs around 12°C (53°F) and lows near 4°C (40°F), which feels colder than it reads when a damp wind comes off the Thames. You'll want a real coat, not a hoodie.
The honest upside of March is that London belongs more to Londoners than to tourists. The British Museum on a Wednesday afternoon is actually walkable. The Tate Modern doesn't require strategic queuing. Hotel rates sit comfortably below summer peaks, and you can book a decent restaurant in Soho or Bermondsey without planning three weeks out. The West End launches its spring programme, so there's often something new on stage that the review pages are still arguing about. The tradeoff? Grey skies outnumber blue ones, rain visits roughly every third day — typically as that fine, persistent drizzle the city is famous for — and you'll spend more time in pubs and cafés than you might have planned. Which, to be fair, is not the worst way to experience London.
The month has a mood worth knowing about. There's a collective exhale after the long winter dark — the first café tables appear on sheltered pavements in Covent Garden, dog walkers linger a little longer on Hampstead Heath, and the clocks spring forward on the last Sunday, which feels like a psychological turning point for the whole city. March in London won't make the postcards, but it rewards people who like watching a place wake up rather than performing at full volume.
Why visit in March
- Shorter queues at major attractions — the British Museum, Tower of London, and National Gallery are noticeably less packed than they'll be from May onward
- Days lengthen dramatically, reaching nearly 13 hours of daylight by month's end — a real shift from January's 4pm darkness
- Daffodils and early crocuses carpet the royal parks from mid-March, especially along the Mall in St. James's Park and through the Broadwalk at Kew Gardens
- Hotel rates typically run 15-25% below summer peaks, with better room selection and occasional mid-week deals
- The West End's spring season launches new productions, and you can often get same-week tickets for shows that will sell out by June
Worth knowing
- The cold is genuine — 4°C (40°F) mornings with 79% humidity and Thames-side wind can cut through anything lighter than a proper winter coat
- Rain falls on roughly 12 days of the month, mostly as persistent drizzle rather than dramatic storms — the kind that slowly soaks through a light layer before you notice
- Grey, overcast skies dominate more days than not, which limits rooftop bar appeal and can flatten photography
- If Easter falls in late March, expect a sudden price spike and heavier crowds around the South Bank, museums, and transport hubs during the bank holiday weekend
Best for
Think twice if
March in London tends to catch visitors off guard. Twelve degrees during the day sounds manageable on paper, but pair it with 79% humidity and a wind funnelling along the river and it goes right through a thin jacket. Mornings hover around 4°C — cold enough that your breath still clouds on the walk to the Tube. Rain visits on roughly 12 of the 31 days, though it's usually that fine, insistent drizzle the city specialises in rather than heavy downpours. Total rainfall sits around 54mm for the month. The grey skies break more often as March progresses, and by the last week there's genuine warmth in the afternoon sun when it appears — fleeting, but enough to draw Londoners onto park benches and pub garden chairs with an optimism that might seem premature.
Seasonal caution
- Late cold snaps are uncommon but not unheard of — March 2018 brought heavy snow across London from a Siberian weather system. On rare occasions temperatures can dip to or just below 0°C (32°F) overnight, so keep one warm layer beyond what the averages suggest.
Year-round climate
Averages from the last 5 years.
| Month | Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 2 | 69 |
| Feb | 10 | 3 | 54 |
| Mar | 12 | 4 | 54 |
| Apr | 14 | 5 | 39 |
| May | 18 | 9 | 63 |
| Jun | 22 | 12 | 53 |
| Jul | 23 | 14 | 70 |
| Aug | 23 | 14 | 40 |
| Sep | 20 | 12 | 77 |
| Oct | 16 | 10 | 87 |
| Nov | 11 | 6 | 76 |
| Dec | 9 | 5 | 63 |
Best things to do in March
Walk the daffodil displays in the Royal Parks
natureFrom mid-March, hundreds of thousands of daffodils bloom across St. James's Park, Hyde Park, and Green Park. The display along the Mall leading toward Buckingham Palace is particularly striking — sheets of yellow against bare-branched plane trees. Regent's Park fills out a little later in the month. It costs nothing and pairs well with a thermos of tea.
Daffodil season peaks in the second and third weeks of March — too early in February, largely finished by mid-April.Booking tipNo booking needed. Early morning on weekdays gives you the parks nearly to yourself.
Explore Kew Gardens' early spring collection
natureKew Gardens in Richmond comes alive in March with crocuses, early magnolias, and the tail end of the winter-flowering cherry collection. The Princess of Wales Conservatory is warm and humid — a welcome break from the cold outside — and houses orchids and tropical plants year-round. The Rock Garden and Woodland Garden start their spring transition in the second half of March.
March catches the overlap between late-winter specimens and early spring blooms that you won't see in summer visits. The gardens are also far quieter than the May-July peak.Booking tipBook online in advance — Kew uses timed entry and weekend slots fill up, especially during school half-term if it falls in late March.
Catch a new West End production
cultureMarch is when the spring theatre season opens properly. New plays, transfers from the Donmar Warehouse or the Young Vic to larger stages, and sometimes pre-Broadway runs land across Shaftesbury Avenue and the surrounding streets. The quality tends to be high because spring openings compete for Olivier Award attention. Check what's on at the National Theatre on the South Bank — their programme refreshes heavily in March.
Spring season openings cluster in March and early April, offering the chance to see productions before word-of-mouth sells them out for the rest of the year.Booking tipBook at least a week ahead for new openings. Day seats at the National Theatre go on sale each morning — arrive by 9am for the best pick.
Watch the Head of the River Race on the Thames
sportOver 400 rowing crews race the 6.8km (4.25-mile) course from Mortlake to Putney in a processional time-trial format. The riverbank fills with spectators, and the pubs along the towpath in Barnes and Putney do a roaring trade. It's a very London event — competitive, slightly eccentric, and free to watch from the bank.
The Head of the River Race is held on a Saturday in mid-to-late March every year. It's the largest processional rowing race in the world.Booking tipNo tickets needed — just find a spot along the Putney to Mortlake stretch. The Duke's Head in Putney and the Sun Inn in Barnes are popular viewing pubs.
Browse Columbia Road Flower Market on a Sunday morning
marketThis East London street market in Shoreditch has been running since the 1860s, and in March the stalls shift from winter evergreens to spring bulbs — potted daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, and early herbs. The calling and bartering from vendors is part of the atmosphere. The surrounding shops and cafés along the street open only on Sundays.
March is when the spring stock arrives in volume. The market has a different energy and colour palette than its winter or summer versions.Booking tipArrive by 9am for the best selection or after 2pm for end-of-day discounts when vendors slash prices rather than carry stock home.
Sample seasonal British produce at Borough Market
foodBorough Market in Southwark runs year-round, but March is when the stall mix shifts toward spring — purple sprouting broccoli, forced rhubarb, wild garlic, English watercress, and early-season lamb. The covered section keeps you dry on wet days, and the hot food stalls do a strong trade in pies and stews that suit the weather.
March is the turning point in British produce seasons — the last of the winter root vegetables overlapping with the first spring greens. The variety is wider than any other shoulder month.Booking tipThursday and Friday mornings are less crowded than Saturday. Some stalls close Monday through Wednesday.
Afternoon tea for Mothering Sunday
foodMothering Sunday — the British version of Mother's Day — falls in March most years, on the fourth Sunday of Lent. London hotels and restaurants put on special afternoon tea services with seasonal twists: simnel cake, rhubarb tarts, violet creams. It's a thoroughly English tradition and worth experiencing even if you're not celebrating with your own family.
Mothering Sunday is a March-specific occasion. The afternoon teas offered around this date feature seasonal menus you won't find the rest of the year.Booking tipBook at least two weeks ahead for popular venues — Mothering Sunday afternoon tea sells out fast at the well-known spots.
Walk Hampstead Heath for panoramic city views
natureOn a clear March day — and they do happen — the views from Parliament Hill across the London skyline are as good as anything the city offers. The heath is still bare enough in early March that sightlines are longer than in leafy summer months. The ponds are too cold for swimming (unless you're a committed year-round swimmer), but the mixed bathing pond reopens to casual visitors in the warmer weeks of late March.
Clear late-winter skies and bare trees give the best long-distance views from the heath. The crowds are a fraction of summer levels.What to eat in March
On menus now
Roast spring lamb
The first British spring lamb arrives in March, and London's gastropubs and proper Sunday roast spots lean into it heavily. Tender, milder than later-season lamb, and usually served with mint sauce, roasted root vegetables, and whatever greens the season provides. The Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden and pubs across Hampstead tend to run spring lamb specials through March and April.
In markets
Purple sprouting broccoli
This is peak season for the genuinely good stuff — tender, slightly sweet stems that bear little resemblance to the year-round supermarket version. You'll find it at Borough Market and farmers' markets across the city, often grilled or charred as a side in restaurants around Bermondsey and Shoreditch. The season runs from late February through March and then it's gone.
Forced rhubarb
From the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle — grown in dark sheds, harvested by candlelight, and available at its electric-pink best through March. London restaurants tend to feature it in crumbles, fools, and alongside custard or ginger. It has a sharper, more delicate flavour than the outdoor-grown rhubarb that comes later in spring. Look for it at Neal's Yard and Borough Market stalls.
Wild garlic
By late March, the first bunches of ramsons start appearing at Borough Market and Broadway Market — broad green leaves with a sharp, clean garlic scent that's nothing like the dried version. Restaurants across Shoreditch and Hackney fold it into risottos, pestos, and spring soups. The season is short, running late March through May, and early-season leaves have the most bite.
Festival food
Hot cross buns
The Lenten version appears across every London bakery from late February onward — warm, spiced, studded with dried fruit, and best eaten split and toasted with a thick layer of salted butter. March is when the competition between bakeries peaks, and you'll find variations with chocolate, apple, or sourdough bases alongside the traditional. The smell of them toasting is one of the specific scent markers of London in pre-Easter weeks.
Simnel cake
The traditional Mothering Sunday cake — a light fruit cake layered and topped with marzipan, with eleven marzipan balls representing the apostles (minus Judas). It's one of those seasonal items most London bakeries carry for a few weeks in March and then retire until next year. Worth trying at least once if you've never had it.
Regular events in March
St. Patrick's Day Parade and FestivalFree
London's St. Patrick's Day celebrations typically include a parade through central London and a festival in Trafalgar Square with live music, dance performances, and food stalls. The parade usually falls on the Sunday nearest to March 17. Trafalgar Square fills up quickly, but it's a free, good-natured afternoon with a genuine carnival atmosphere — Irish and non-Irish alike.
Sunday nearest to March 17Head of the River RaceFree
The world's largest processional rowing race — over 400 crews racing a 6.8km course from Mortlake to Putney on the Thames. Free to watch from the riverbank in Barnes, Hammersmith, or Putney. A properly atmospheric event, with crowds lining the towpath and pubs along the route doing their busiest Saturday of the spring.
A Saturday in mid-to-late MarchThe Boat Race (Oxford vs Cambridge)Free
The annual rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge universities on the Thames between Putney and Mortlake. Dates vary — some years it falls in late March, others in early April. When it's in March, the riverbank pubs fill hours before the race, and the atmosphere along the Putney Embankment is reliably good. A free, city-wide event that temporarily makes everyone pick a side.
Late March or early April (varies)Six Nations Rugby at Twickenham
If England has a home fixture in the Six Nations championship in March, Twickenham and the pubs across southwest London — particularly around Richmond and Twickenham town — fill with rugby supporters. Even if you can't get a match ticket, the pub atmosphere on game day is worth seeking out. The final round of fixtures typically falls in mid-March.
Mid-March (final round weekend)Ideal Home Show
A long-running home and interiors exhibition held at Olympia London in Kensington. It's been going since 1908 and draws crowds interested in interior design, home technology, and renovation ideas. Not a tourist destination, exactly, but if you're into that world it's a well-organised show with hundreds of exhibitors.
Mid to late March, runs for roughly two weeksBest places this March
Kew Gardens
parkThe Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are at their most interesting in March when early spring blooms overlap with late winter specimens. The crocus carpet near Victoria Gate, the Princess of Wales Conservatory for orchids, and the Woodland Garden are the highlights this month. Far quieter than the May-August crush.
KewSt. James's Park
parkThe oldest of London's eight Royal Parks and perhaps the best for March daffodils. The views across the lake toward Buckingham Palace, with daffodils in the foreground, are genuinely pretty — especially in the soft, low-angle light of a March afternoon. The resident pelicans are fed daily around 2:30pm near Duck Island.
WestminsterBorough Market
marketLondon's oldest food market, running since the 13th century in some form. March brings the seasonal shift — forced rhubarb from Yorkshire, purple sprouting broccoli, wild garlic starting to appear at the end of the month. The covered halls keep you dry. Thursday and Friday mornings are the sweet spot for fewer crowds and better vendor interaction.
SouthwarkColumbia Road Flower Market
marketA Sunday-only flower market in a narrow Victorian street near Shoreditch. March means spring bulbs — potted daffodils, hyacinths, tulips — alongside herbs and the start of outdoor planting season. The surrounding shops open only on market day, selling vintage homeware, prints, and baked goods. Gets crowded by 11am.
Bethnal GreenSouth Bank and Bankside
cultural districtThe stretch between Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge along the Thames south bank is one of the best walks in London on a dry March day. The National Theatre, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, and the secondhand book stalls under Waterloo Bridge are all here. The BFI Southbank cinema is a reliable wet-weather escape with a strong programme.
South BankHampstead Heath
parkNorth London's wild heath — 320 hectares of woodland, meadow, and ponds with panoramic views of the city skyline from Parliament Hill. In March the trees are still mostly bare, which opens up long sightlines you lose in summer. The Kenwood House café on the northern edge is a good mid-walk stop. Muddy in places after rain, so waterproof shoes earn their keep.
HampsteadGreenwich Park
parkThe Royal Park in southeast London with views across to Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs. Daffodils bloom on the hillside below the Royal Observatory in March. The Cutty Sark and National Maritime Museum are at the bottom of the hill if the weather turns. The park deer are more visible in March before the undergrowth thickens.
Greenwich
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Insider tips
The secondhand book tables under Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank stay open rain or shine — the bridge overhang shelters them completely. On a drizzly March afternoon it's one of the best free browsing spots in the city, and the prices are fair.
Borough Market on a Saturday morning is a tourist exercise. Go Thursday or Friday morning for the same produce, fewer crowds, and stallholders who have time to talk about what's in season and how to cook it.
The clocks spring forward on the last Sunday of March — British Summer Time starts. If you're here that weekend, you lose an hour. It catches people out for morning flights, restaurant bookings, and museum opening times. Set a phone alarm.
The Thames Clipper river bus runs regularly between Greenwich, the South Bank, Westminster, and Putney, and it accepts contactless payment and Travelcards. It's the cheapest way to see London from the water and far less touristy than the cruise boats.
If you see purple sprouting broccoli or forced rhubarb at a market stall, buy some — the window for genuinely good British seasonal produce is narrow, and March catches the best of both. Any pub with a halfway decent kitchen will have them on the menu too.
Avoid these mistakes
- Packing only a light jacket or hoodie for March — the temperature reads 12°C but the humidity and wind make it feel several degrees colder. A proper waterproof coat with a warm layer underneath is not optional.
- Planning a fully outdoor itinerary without rain alternatives — with rain falling roughly every third day, you need indoor backup options ready. A morning at Kew Gardens can become a morning at the V&A without warning.
- Assuming the clocks don't change until April — British Summer Time starts the last Sunday of March, and missing it by an hour can mean a missed flight, a lost restaurant booking, or arriving at a market as it closes.
- Booking an open-top bus tour in March — the exposed upper deck is cold and often damp. If you want to see London from a moving vehicle, the Route 11 or Route 24 regular buses cover many of the same landmarks for a fraction of the price, with a roof.
Practical tips for March
Book any Mothering Sunday afternoon tea at least two weeks ahead — it sells out quickly at the better venues. Most museums are free but some popular temporary exhibitions (V&A, Natural History Museum, British Museum) require timed-entry tickets that can sell out a week in advance. The Tube runs its normal schedule through March except on the Easter bank holiday weekend if Easter falls late — check TfL for revised timetables. Theatre tickets for new spring openings are best secured a week ahead; the National Theatre's day seats go on sale each morning at 9am. If you're visiting Kew Gardens on a weekend, buy timed-entry tickets online — walk-up queues build after 11am. The last Sunday of March is the clock change, so double-check any early-morning plans. Late March can overlap with school Easter holidays, which slightly increases crowds at family-oriented attractions like the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Tower of London.
FAQ
Is March a good time to visit London?
It's a fair time — not the best, not the worst. You'll deal with cold mornings around 4°C (40°F), regular drizzle, and grey skies on more days than you'd like. But the tradeoff is genuine: shorter museum queues, lower hotel rates, early spring blooms in the parks, and a new West End theatre season. March rewards visitors who like cities at a quieter tempo and don't mind layering up. If you want warmth and long evenings, wait until June. If you want London without the summer crowds, March works.
What is the weather like in London in March?
Expect daytime highs around 12°C (53°F) and overnight lows near 4°C (40°F). Humidity sits at roughly 79%, and rain falls on about 12 days of the month — typically as fine, persistent drizzle rather than heavy downpours. Total March rainfall averages around 54mm. Grey, overcast skies are more common than blue ones, though the second half of the month brings more sunshine as days lengthen. By late March you're getting nearly 13 hours of daylight, a noticeable improvement over the January-February dark.
Is London crowded in March?
Moderately. March is shoulder season, so the extreme queues and packed Tube carriages of July and August are absent. You'll notice the difference at popular museums — the British Museum and Tate Modern are genuinely easier to enjoy. That said, London is never empty. If Easter falls in late March, the bank holiday weekend brings a noticeable bump in both domestic and international visitors. Weekday visits are reliably quieter than weekends.
What should I wear in London in March?
Dress in layers — a thermal base layer, a warm jumper or fleece, and a waterproof outer jacket with a hood. Mornings at 4°C need a scarf and light gloves. Waterproof walking shoes are more practical than heavy boots. London heats its interiors aggressively, so you'll want layers you can peel off indoors and put back on outside. A compact umbrella is worth carrying daily even when the morning looks clear.
Are there cherry blossoms in London in March?
London does have cherry blossom trees, but March is generally too early for the main display. A few early-flowering varieties at Kew Gardens and Greenwich Park might show colour in the last week of March if the weather has been mild, but the peak cherry blossom season in London tends to fall in mid-to-late April. If cherry blossoms are your primary reason for visiting, plan for April instead. March's floral highlight is daffodils, not cherry blossom.
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