May is when London finally stops teasing and commits to spring. After months of grey skies and that particular damp chill that seeps through every layer you own, the city wakes up properly — parks explode with wisteria and bluebells, daylight stretches past 9pm, and there's a collective exhale you can almost feel on the streets. Daytime temperatures hover around 17.7°C (64°F), which sounds modest on paper, but after a London winter, locals treat anything above 15°C as an excuse to crowd every south-facing pub garden in Zone 1. Mornings still carry a bite at around 8.9°C (48°F), mind you, so don't pack away the layers just yet.
The month sits in a sweet spot between the raw grey of early spring and the tourist crush of summer. Two bank holidays — the first Monday and the last Monday — give the city a long-weekend rhythm that fills parks and trains but hasn't yet hit the wall-to-wall August intensity. The Chelsea Flower Show lands in the final week and transforms the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds into something genuinely extraordinary if gardens are your thing. That said, May is still London: you'll get days of pale sunshine interrupted by clouds rolling in from nowhere, and the 63mm of rainfall across roughly 12 rainy days means an umbrella earns its place in your bag every single morning.
To be fair, if you're coming from somewhere reliably warm, 18°C might feel underwhelming. But for experiencing London as Londoners actually enjoy it — outside, in green spaces, with evening light that seems to last forever — May is one of the strongest months on the calendar.
Why visit in May
- Daylight lasts over 16 hours — sunrise before 5:15am and sunset past 8:45pm gives you an extraordinary amount of usable time for sightseeing and outdoor dining
- The Royal Parks hit their peak bloom in May: wisteria along Kew Gardens pergola, bluebells carpeting Hampstead Heath woods, and the rhododendrons in Richmond Park are worth a trip alone
- Two bank holiday weekends mean longer opening hours at many attractions and a festive mood across the city without the density of full summer crowds
- Hotel and flight prices sit below the June-August peak — you're getting close to the best weather London offers at shoulder-season rates
- Outdoor theatre season opens at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, and the South Bank comes alive with outdoor events and pop-up food stalls along the Thames
Worth knowing
- Weather remains genuinely unpredictable — you might get 24°C sunshine on Tuesday and 11°C drizzle on Wednesday, which makes planning outdoor activities a gamble
- Pollen counts peak in late May, particularly grass pollen, which can make parks miserable if you suffer from hay fever
- Bank holiday weekends push train fares up and popular day-trip destinations like Brighton and the Cotswolds get noticeably packed
- The Chelsea Flower Show week inflates hotel prices around Chelsea, Belgravia, and South Kensington noticeably, and restaurants in those areas tend to book up
Best for
Think twice if
May in London feels like spring finally holding its nerve. Daytime highs average 17.7°C (64°F) with lows around 8.9°C (48°F), though individual days swing widely — a warm spell might push toward 22-24°C while a cold front can drag things back to 12°C by afternoon. Roughly 63mm of rain falls across about 12 days, typically as passing showers rather than all-day downpours. Humidity sits at 73%, which you'll notice mainly in the mornings when dew still clings to everything in the parks. The real story is the light: sunrise before 5:15am, sunset past 8:45pm, with usable twilight stretching past 9:30pm.
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 |
Headline events
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Late May, typically the Tuesday to Saturday of the penultimate or final week
The world's most prestigious horticultural show takes over the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea for five days. Show gardens designed by leading landscape architects, rare plant stalls, and on the final day a tradition of exhibitors selling off their display plants at reduced prices. It draws around 150,000 visitors and has defined late May in London since 1913.
Best things to do in May
Walk the bluebell woods on Hampstead Heath
natureThe ancient woodland sections of Hampstead Heath carpet themselves in bluebells through the first half of May. The colour is almost unreal — a haze of violet-blue under the canopy, with that faint hyacinth scent hanging in the cool morning air. The Kenwood House end tends to have the densest patches, and the light filtering through the beech canopy makes it feel a world away from the city below.
Bluebells peak in the first two to three weeks of May and fade quickly once the canopy closes over themBooking tipFree and open access — go early morning on a weekday to avoid the dog-walking crowd
Catch opening night at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
cultureThe Open Air Theatre launches its summer season in May, and there's something about watching a play as swallows circle overhead and the light slowly fades that no indoor venue can match. The programme typically opens with a musical or Shakespeare production. Bring a blanket for your legs — the temperature drops once you're sitting still after sunset.
The season premiere is usually in the third week of May, and early performances tend to have better availability than the sold-out July and August runsBooking tipBook as soon as the season is announced — opening week sells steadily, though midweek performances are easier to get
Explore the Chelsea Physic Garden
natureLondon's oldest botanic garden sits tucked behind walls in Chelsea, and May is when it earns its keep. The medicinal herb beds are in full growth, the rock garden's alpine plants are flowering, and there's a warmth trapped inside the walls that makes it feel a few degrees ahead of the rest of the city. The café does good cake, too.
The combination of spring warmth and long daylight means the widest variety of plants are actively flowering — the garden looks sparse in winter by comparisonBooking tipOpen certain days of the week only — check the schedule before heading over, and visit before midday for the quietest experience
Cycle along the Regent's Canal from Little Venice to Limehouse
outdoorThe towpath route stretches roughly 14 kilometres from the houseboats at Little Venice through Camden Lock, past the gas holders at King's Cross, through Victoria Park, and down to Limehouse Basin. In May the canal banks are thick with cow parsley and nettles, narrowboats have their roof gardens out, and you'll pass through pockets of birdsong that seem impossible this close to central London.
The towpath is dry enough to ride comfortably, the vegetation along the banks is lush without being overgrown, and the light lasts long enough for a late-afternoon rideBooking tipHire bikes from docking stations near Paddington or Camden — the route is flat and easy, just mind the pedestrians near Camden Lock
Wander the Columbia Road Flower Market on a Sunday morning
marketEvery Sunday, this narrow street in Bethnal Green fills with flower sellers shouting prices over each other, and in May the selection is staggering — peonies, ranunculus, potted herbs, lavender bushes. The noise, the colour, the smell of cut stems and coffee from the surrounding shops. It's sensory overload in the best way. The independent shops lining the street open their doors only on Sundays, selling ceramics, vintage furniture, and bread.
May is peak peony and ranunculus season, and the market has the widest, most colourful selection of the yearBooking tipArrive before 9am if you want to browse comfortably — by 10:30 it's shoulder-to-shoulder. Prices drop in the last hour before close if you're flexible on variety
Picnic in Kew Gardens during wisteria season
natureThe Great Pagoda end of Kew has a wisteria walk that peaks in early-to-mid May, and when it's in full bloom the clusters of purple flowers hang in curtains along the pergola. Pack a proper picnic — cheese, bread, something cold to drink — and find a spot on the lawn near the Palm House. The warmth of the glasshouses on a cool morning is a bonus.
The wisteria blooms for roughly two to three weeks in May; by June it's finished, and you'll have missed one of Kew's most photogenic momentsBooking tipBook timed entry online in advance — May weekends can reach capacity, though weekday mornings are rarely an issue
Evening drinks on the South Bank
food_and_drinkThe stretch between the National Theatre and the Tate Modern comes alive on warm May evenings. Skateboarders at the Undercroft, buskers near the Golden Jubilee footbridges, and that slow-moving crowd of people just walking and looking at the river. Grab something from one of the street food stalls and sit on the steps watching the light change over the Thames. The water goes from grey to gold to deep blue over about an hour.
The sunset-past-9pm light makes the South Bank genuinely beautiful in the evening, and the temperature is warm enough to sit outside comfortably without needing a heavy coatBooking tipNo booking needed — just turn up and wander. The BFI bar terrace and the rooftop at the Tate Modern are good alternatives if you want somewhere to sit properly
What to eat in May
In season: fruit
English strawberries
The first proper English strawberries start appearing toward the end of May, and they're a different thing entirely from the imported ones that fill supermarket shelves in winter. Smaller, darker red, with that almost jammy sweetness and a fragrance you can smell before you bite. Market stalls at Borough and Broadway start stacking punnets, and they tend to sell out by midday.
On menus now
Wild garlic pesto
The tail end of wild garlic season overlaps with early May. Foragers bring it to London markets, and restaurants fold it into pasta, spread it on sourdough, or stir it through scrambled eggs. The scent is somewhere between chives and proper garlic but gentler — you might catch a whiff of it walking through woodland edges on Hampstead Heath.
What to drink
Elderflower cordial and pressé
Elderflower season starts in late May when the creamy-white blossoms appear on hedgerows across southern England. London bars and restaurants start serving elderflower cocktails, cordials, and pressés. The taste is floral without being cloying — it works with gin, with sparkling water, even drizzled over strawberries. You'll find bottles at most farmers' markets by the last week of the month.
In markets
English asparagus
The domestic asparagus season runs roughly late April through late June, and May is when it peaks. You'll see it on menus across London — grilled with hollandaise, shaved raw in salads, or folded into risotto. Borough Market vendors sell bundles from farms in the Vale of Evesham and East Anglia. The flavour difference from imported spears is noticeable: grassy, slightly sweet, with a snap when you bite through.
Jersey Royals
These small, waxy new potatoes from Jersey hit their stride in May and appear on pub menus and in market stalls across London. Boiled with mint and butter, they taste of something distinctly earthy and almost nutty — a world apart from supermarket potatoes. Worth seeking out at farmers' markets in Bermondsey and Marylebone.
Regular events in May
Museums at Night
A nationwide festival where museums, galleries, and heritage sites open after hours with special programming — torchlit tours, live music, themed cocktails, behind-the-scenes access. London institutions like the V&A, Natural History Museum, and smaller galleries across the East End typically participate. The atmosphere is looser than a daytime visit, and you'll see collections in a completely different light. Literally.
Mid-May, usually spanning a long weekendLondon Craft Beer Festival
Held in a rotating venue, this brings together independent breweries from across the UK and Europe. You'll find barrel-aged sours, hazy pale ales, and experimental brews that don't make it to regular distribution. The crowd tends to be knowledgeable without being snobby — people are genuinely excited to talk about what they're drinking.
Late MayCovent Garden May Fayre and Puppet FestivalFree
A quirky annual celebration of Mr Punch held at St Paul's Church in Covent Garden, marking the first recorded Punch and Judy show in 1662. Puppet professors perform throughout the day in the churchyard. It's small, odd, very specifically London, and worth stumbling upon even if puppetry isn't normally your thing.
Second Sunday of MayLondon Marathon (late April spillover)Free
While the marathon itself usually falls in late April, its presence bleeds well into early May — the charity fundraising events, related fun runs, and the general buzz of post-marathon celebrations in pubs across the city carry on. If the marathon date falls very late in April, you might catch the tail end of road closures and the last medals being collected.
Late April into early MayBest places this May
Kew Gardens
gardenA UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest collection of living plants. In May the wisteria pergola, the rhododendron dell, and the wildflower meadows near the Pagoda are all at their peak. The Palm House and Temperate House glasshouses are worth visiting on cooler mornings when the warmth and humidity feel like stepping into another hemisphere.
RichmondHampstead Heath
parkEight hundred acres of ancient woodland, meadows, and swimming ponds perched on a hill overlooking the city. The bluebell woods peak in early May, the bathing ponds open to swimmers, and the view from Parliament Hill on a clear evening — with the Shard and the City skyline catching the last light — is one of the best free views in London.
HampsteadColumbia Road Flower Market
marketA Sunday-only street market in Bethnal Green where flower sellers line both sides of a narrow road, shouting out prices and filling the air with the scent of cut peonies and roses. The surrounding shops — ceramics, vintage furniture, bread, and coffee — open only on market day. May is the best month for variety and colour.
Bethnal GreenChelsea Physic Garden
gardenLondon's oldest botanic garden, founded in 1673 and still operating behind high brick walls on the Chelsea Embankment. In May the medicinal beds, the world woodland garden, and the heritage fruit trees are all in active growth. The walled microclimate keeps it slightly warmer than the surrounding streets.
ChelseaSouth Bank and Bankside
cultural_districtThe riverside walk from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge is at its best on long May evenings. Street performers, food stalls, the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, Shakespeare's Globe, and the National Theatre all sit along this stretch. The golden-hour light on the river around 8pm is the kind of thing that makes you stop walking and just look.
SouthwarkRichmond Park
parkThe largest of London's Royal Parks, home to around 630 free-roaming deer. In May the Isabella Plantation — a woodland garden within the park — fills with azaleas and rhododendrons in colours that seem too saturated to be real. The rest of the park is open grassland where you might see deer grazing against a backdrop of the city skyline in the distance.
RichmondRegent's Park and Primrose Hill
parkThe formal rose gardens aren't quite at peak yet in May, but the Avenue Gardens, the boating lake, and the surrounding flower beds are lush. Climb Primrose Hill for sunset — the panorama across central London with the sky turning pink behind the BT Tower is a proper London moment.
Camden
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Insider tips
The Chelsea Flower Show sells off display plants at reduced prices on the final Saturday afternoon — locals queue early for this, and you can walk away with specimen plants that would normally cost significantly more at nurseries
If you're visiting Kew Gardens for the wisteria, check their social media channels for bloom updates before booking — the peak window shifts by a week or two depending on the spring weather, and arriving a week early means seeing mostly buds
The Hampstead Heath swimming ponds open to general swimmers in May, but the water temperature is still bracing — typically around 12-14°C. The regulars have been in since January. If you're not acclimatised, the mixed pond has the gentlest entry
Borough Market on Saturday mornings in May is heaving by 11am. Go at opening — around 8am — when the vendors are still setting up and you can actually talk to the people selling without shouting over a crowd
The Thames Clipper river bus runs the same route as the tourist river cruises but costs a fraction of the price if you use an Oyster card or contactless payment. The Greenwich-to-Westminster stretch on a clear May evening is quietly one of the best experiences in London
Avoid these mistakes
- Packing only summer clothes — May in London can swing from t-shirt weather to needing-a-proper-coat weather within 24 hours, and the morning chill catches tourists in shorts every year
- Not booking Chelsea Flower Show tickets in advance — they sell out weeks before the event, and showing up hoping for day-of availability usually ends in disappointment
- Underestimating distances between attractions — London is vast, and walking from the Tower of London to Buckingham Palace looks reasonable on a map but takes well over an hour on foot. Use the Tube for longer hops and save your energy for the parks
- Assuming bank holiday Monday means everything is open — while most tourist attractions operate, many independent shops, smaller restaurants, and some markets close or run reduced hours on bank holidays. Check before making a special trip
- Spending the entire trip in Zone 1 — some of May's best experiences (Kew Gardens, Richmond Park, Hampstead Heath, Columbia Road) sit in Zones 2-4, and missing them means missing the London that Londoners actually use
Practical tips for May
May's two bank holidays (first and last Mondays) affect transport — Tube services often run a Sunday schedule, and mainline trains to popular day-trip destinations fill up. Book intercity trains in advance if you're heading out of London. The Oyster card or contactless payment covers all Tube, bus, and Overground travel and caps daily spending automatically — far cheaper than buying individual tickets. Most major museums remain free, though special exhibitions charge separately and timed entry is increasingly common for popular shows. Restaurant bookings for weekend evenings are worth making a few days ahead, particularly in popular areas like Soho and Shoreditch, though weekday dining is usually walk-in friendly. If you're planning to visit the Chelsea Flower Show, book accommodation well ahead for that final week — hotels in the surrounding boroughs fill up and rates climb. Daylight lasting past 9pm means you can fit in a full day of sightseeing and still have a long evening for dinner and riverside walks.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit London?
May is one of the better months to visit London. You're getting long daylight hours — over 16 hours of light — spring flowers at their peak across the parks, and temperatures that are comfortable for walking without being hot. It's shoulder season tipping into busy, so you'll find more availability and generally lower prices than the June-August peak. The trade-off is weather unpredictability: you might get a string of warm sunny days or a wet grey stretch that feels like it wandered in from March. Bring layers and a rain jacket and you'll be fine either way.
What is the weather like in London in May?
Expect daytime highs around 17-18°C (64°F) with overnight lows near 9°C (48°F). Individual days vary quite a bit — warm spells can push into the low 20s, while a cold snap might hold things around 12°C for a few days. Rain falls on roughly 12 days across the month, usually as passing showers rather than all-day downpours. Humidity averages around 73%, which you'll feel mainly in the mornings. The standout feature is the light — sunrise before 5:15am and sunset past 8:45pm, with usable twilight stretching to nearly 10pm.
What should I wear in London in May?
Layers are the answer. A t-shirt or light top for warm afternoons, a jumper or fleece for mornings and evenings, and a packable waterproof jacket that stays in your bag until you need it — which you will. Jeans or chinos work for most situations. Comfortable walking shoes are non-negotiable; the parks involve grass and uneven paths that punish anything impractical. If you're going to evening theatre or a nicer restaurant, smart-casual is the standard — no need for anything formal unless you're specifically attending a dressy event.
Is London crowded in May?
Moderately. It's busier than the winter months but noticeably less intense than the July-August peak. The two bank holiday weekends see a definite uptick — popular parks fill up, train stations get busy, and day-trip destinations like Brighton feel properly packed. Chelsea Flower Show week brings its own concentrated crowds around Chelsea and South Kensington. On regular weekdays, though, you'll find most attractions manageable, especially if you arrive early or visit in the late afternoon.
What events happen in London in May?
The headline event is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in the final week — it's been the defining May event since 1913 and draws around 150,000 visitors over five days. Beyond that, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre launches its summer season, Museums at Night opens galleries and heritage sites after hours, and the Covent Garden May Fayre celebrates Punch and Judy with puppet shows in the churchyard of St Paul's Church. The bank holiday weekends bring food festivals, markets, and outdoor events across the city.
Are London hotels expensive in May?
Less expensive than peak summer but not cheap. Regular weeks in May tend to run below June-August rates, making it a reasonable window if you book a few weeks ahead. The exceptions are bank holiday weekends and Chelsea Flower Show week, when hotels around Chelsea, South Kensington, and Belgravia fill up and rates climb toward peak-season levels. For the best value, look at hotels in well-connected areas slightly outside the centre — places like Bermondsey, Hackney, or King's Cross offer good transport links and tend to hold steadier rates.
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