October is when London settles into autumn properly — the plane trees along the Embankment turn gold, the parks fill with that damp-leaf smell, and the cultural calendar shifts into high gear. Expect daytime temperatures around 16°C (61°F) dropping to about 9.5°C (49°F) at night, which feels comfortable for walking but cool enough that you'll want a proper jacket by late afternoon. The single most important thing to know: this is one of London's rainier months, with roughly 87mm of rainfall spread across about 13 days. That tends to mean grey skies and intermittent drizzle rather than dramatic downpours, but you'll want to make peace with it.
What makes October genuinely appealing is the timing. The summer tourist crush has eased, the BFI London Film Festival takes over cinemas across the city, Frieze London brings the international art world to Regent's Park, and the West End is deep into its new season with fresh productions. Hotel prices sit comfortably below summer peaks. The trade-off is daylight — you lose about 90 minutes over the course of the month, and the clocks go back on the last Sunday, so late October evenings arrive fast.
To be fair, October in London requires a certain temperament. If you need guaranteed sunshine, this isn't your month. But if you're the sort of traveler who likes wrapping your hands around a flat white while watching rain streak a café window in Bermondsey, or catching an early screening at BFI Southbank before the crowds arrive, October rewards that slower pace. The city smells different in autumn — roasting chestnuts from street vendors, wet stone, the woody tang of leaves underfoot in Hampstead Heath.
Why visit in October
- Shoulder season pricing on hotels and flights — rates tend to drop 20-30% from the July-August peak, and you'll find availability at places that were booked solid all summer
- The cultural calendar is stacked: BFI London Film Festival, Frieze art fair, and a fresh crop of West End openings all land in October, giving the city a real creative energy
- Autumn foliage in London's parks is genuinely striking — Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, and Hampstead Heath all turn copper and russet, and the lower sun angle makes for warm, photogenic light
- Crowds thin noticeably from summer levels, especially at major museums and galleries — you can actually stand in front of a painting at the National Gallery without someone's selfie stick in your peripheral vision
- The food scene shifts to proper autumn cooking — game season opens, native oysters return, and Borough Market fills with English apples, wild mushrooms, and squash from the home counties
Worth knowing
- Rain is a near-constant companion — expect about 13 wet days, which means roughly every other day involves at least some drizzle or grey skies
- Daylight shrinks noticeably through the month, from about 11.5 hours in early October to under 10 hours by the 31st, so outdoor sightseeing time gets compressed
- The last week of October is half-term for English schools, which means a noticeable spike in families at attractions, museums, and on the Tube — the Natural History Museum and the Tower of London get particularly busy
- Temperatures can feel colder than the numbers suggest when wind funnels down the Thames or through the City's glass corridors — 12°C with a damp river breeze has a bite to it
Best for
Think twice if
October is proper autumn in London. Days tend to start cool and misty, warming to a mild afternoon if the sun breaks through, then cooling quickly once it sets — which happens earlier each week. The air has that particular damp quality London does well: not soaking rain, usually, but a persistent moisture that gets into your coat collar. You might get a run of crisp, sunny days in early October that feel like a gift, then a week of solid grey drizzle mid-month. The wind picks up compared to summer, especially along the river and in exposed spots like Primrose Hill. By late October, there's a genuine chill in the evenings — the kind that makes stepping into a warm pub feel like exactly the right decision.
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 October
Watch the red deer rut in Richmond Park
natureOctober is peak rutting season for Richmond Park's 600-plus red and fallow deer. The stags bellow, clash antlers, and round up harems of hinds in displays that feel surprisingly primal for a park you can reach by District line. The sound carries — a deep, resonant roar that doesn't sound like it belongs in suburban London. Best viewing is early morning when mist hangs over the bracken. Keep your distance; the stags are unpredictable and genuinely large.
Red deer rutting peaks in the first three weeks of October — this is the one month you'll hear the stags bellowing at dawn.Booking tipNo booking needed. Arrive at Richmond Gate or Pembroke Lodge car park before 7am for the best light and fewest people. The Isabella Plantation within the park is quieter if the main areas feel crowded.
Catch the BFI London Film Festival
cultureOne of Europe's major film festivals, screening around 200 films across venues including BFI Southbank, Leicester Square cinemas, and Curzon venues. The programme mixes world premieres, international cinema, documentaries, and experimental work. The atmosphere around BFI Southbank during the festival is good — filmgoers spilling out between screenings, directors doing post-screening talks, and the riverside bar getting lively after dark.
The festival runs for about 12 days in October, typically from early to mid-month, with red-carpet premieres and public screenings.Booking tipPublic tickets go on sale in late September and the big premieres sell out within hours. Weekday matinees and documentary screenings are much easier to get into. Check the BFI website rather than third-party sellers.
Visit Frieze London at Regent's Park
cultureOne of the world's top contemporary art fairs, held under a temporary structure in the English Gardens section of Regent's Park. Major galleries from 30-plus countries show new work, and the park setting gives it a different feel from most art fairs. Even if you're not buying, the people-watching alone is worth the ticket. Satellite exhibitions and openings pop up across Mayfair and the East End during Frieze week.
Frieze London runs for five days in mid-October, and the surrounding gallery openings and events turn the whole city into an art circuit for the week.Booking tipBuy tickets online in advance — the Saturday is the busiest day by far. Thursday or Friday morning sessions are noticeably calmer.
Walk Hampstead Heath for autumn colour
natureThe Heath is 320 hectares of semi-wild parkland on a ridge above the city, and in October the mix of oak, beech, and birch turns the slopes into layers of amber and rust. The walk from the South End Green entrance up to Parliament Hill gives you one of London's best panoramic views with autumn colour in the foreground. The swimming ponds are still open for the committed — the water temperature hovers around 14°C (57°F), which qualifies as bracing.
Mid-to-late October is when the deciduous canopy hits peak colour, and the lower sun angle means warm light across the Heath through the afternoon.Booking tipNo booking needed. Go on a weekday morning to avoid the weekend dog-walker crowds. The café at Kenwood House on the north side of the Heath is a good refuelling stop.
Explore Kew Gardens' autumn displays
natureKew runs a specific autumn festival with over 14,000 trees showing their seasonal colours. The Treetop Walkway gives an elevated perspective through the canopy, and the temperate glasshouses are a good retreat when the drizzle sets in. The Japanese Gateway area and the lake edge are particularly photogenic in October light. Late October usually brings a half-term trail for families.
The combination of rare specimen trees from around the world means Kew's autumn colour is more varied than any London park — maples, sweetgums, and tulip trees peak at different points through October.Booking tipBook online to save a few pounds on the gate price. Weekday mornings are substantially quieter than weekends, especially during half-term week.
Catch a new West End production
cultureSeptember and October are when the West End's new season properly launches. Theatres that went dark over summer reopen with new productions, transfers from the Fringe and regional theatres land, and there's a genuine energy around the theatre district. The smaller houses — Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden, the Almeida in Islington, the Young Vic near Waterloo — tend to have the most interesting programming.
October is deep into the autumn theatre season, with new productions settling in and preview-period discounts still available for recent openings.Booking tipCheck the TKTS booth in Leicester Square for same-day discounted tickets. For specific shows, booking 2-3 weeks ahead gives the best seat selection without paying premium prices.
Tour the Borough Market autumn produce stalls
foodBorough Market shifts noticeably in October — the stone fruit and berries of summer give way to game, mushrooms, squash, English apples, and cheeses. The stallholders know their suppliers personally, and most are happy to talk about what's at its peak this week. The smell of the market changes too: roasting chestnuts, melting raclette, and warm spiced cider replace the summer fruit sweetness. Saturday morning is the full experience, though it's busy.
The autumn produce transition peaks in October — game, wild mushrooms, new-season apples, and English truffle all appear at once.Booking tipNo booking needed. Arrive before 10am on Saturday to browse comfortably. Weekday lunchtimes (Tuesday through Friday) are less crowded but some stalls close earlier.
Evening walks along the South Bank
sightseeingThe stretch from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge is about 3km and comes into its own on crisp October evenings. The London Eye and the National Theatre are lit up, buskers play under the bridges, and the scent of street food mixes with the damp-stone smell of the river path. Stop at the BFI Southbank bar, or grab food from the vendors near Gabriel's Wharf. The cooler air makes the walk more pleasant than sweaty summer evenings.
The autumn light and early sunsets create dramatic skies over the Thames, and the cooler temperatures make river walking comfortable rather than sweltering.Booking tipNo booking needed. Start at Westminster Bridge heading east to finish near Borough Market or Tower Bridge for dinner options.
What to eat in October
In season: fruit
Cox's Orange Pippin apples
Peak English apple season, and Cox's Orange Pippin is the one locals actually get excited about — a complex sweetness with a slight honeyed sharpness that supermarket imports can't touch. You'll find them at Borough Market, at farmers' markets in Marylebone and Bermondsey, and increasingly in seasonal desserts across London restaurants (tarte Tatin, apple crumble, pressed apple juice).
On menus now
Native oysters
The old rule about only eating oysters in months with an R still roughly holds, and October is when the native oyster season feels properly established. Rock oysters are available year-round, but natives — smaller, flatter, with a more complex briny-metallic finish — are the seasonal prize. Wright Brothers in Borough Market and the oyster bar at Bentley's in Swallow Street have been doing this for years.
Butternut squash soup
It shows up everywhere in October — café lunch specials, pub menus, market stalls. A good one has a velvety texture with a slight sweetness, often finished with toasted seeds or a swirl of crème fraîche. It's the kind of thing you eat standing at a Borough Market stall with cold hands and feel genuinely grateful for.
Street food peaks
Toffee apples
They start appearing in late October as Halloween approaches and the run-up to Bonfire Night begins. Sticky, glossy, slightly tooth-threatening — a proper toffee apple from a street vendor or market stall is one of those distinctly British autumn experiences. You'll spot them at Halloween markets and increasingly at Borough Market and the Southbank Centre food stalls.
In markets
English game birds
Pheasant season opens October 1st, joining partridge which started in September. London restaurants from gastropubs in Clerkenwell to dining rooms in Mayfair put game on the menu — expect pan-roasted pheasant breast with root vegetables, or game pie with a proper suet crust. The flavour is richer and more mineral than chicken, and October birds are young and tender. Worth trying if you haven't had properly sourced British game.
Wild mushrooms
Chanterelles, ceps, and girolles appear at Borough Market and in restaurant kitchens through October as the foraging season peaks. The earthy, almost nutty smell at the mushroom stalls is one of those specific October sensory moments in London. Restaurants in Shoreditch and Bermondsey tend to run wild mushroom specials — on toast, folded into risotto, or simply sautéed with butter and thyme.
Regular events in October
BFI London Film Festival
One of Europe's leading film festivals, screening around 200 films across multiple London venues including BFI Southbank and West End cinemas. Public screenings, red-carpet premieres, and director Q&As run throughout.
Early to mid-October, running approximately 12 daysFrieze London
A major international contemporary art fair held in a temporary pavilion in the English Gardens of Regent's Park. Around 160 galleries from over 30 countries exhibit. Satellite events and gallery openings across the city during Frieze Week.
Mid-October, running 5 days (typically Wednesday to Sunday)Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest FestivalFree
A distinctly London tradition — the elected Pearly Kings and Queens of each London borough parade in their button-covered suits for the annual Harvest Festival. Morris dancing, maypole dancing, marching bands, and a church service at the Guildhall Yard. It's wonderfully eccentric and deeply local.
First Sunday of OctoberLondon Cocktail Week
A week-long festival where bars across the city offer special menus, pop-up events, and cocktail experiences. Concentrated around Shoreditch, Soho, and Bermondsey, with wristband access to discounted drinks at participating venues.
Early October, running approximately 10 daysDance Umbrella
London's international dance festival, presenting contemporary dance performances across venues including Sadler's Wells, the Barbican, and Southbank Centre. The programme ranges from established companies to experimental choreographers.
Throughout October, approximately 3 weeksLondon Literature Festival
The Southbank Centre's annual literary festival brings together authors, poets, and thinkers for talks, readings, and debates. Events range from big-name author appearances in the Royal Festival Hall to intimate poetry readings.
Mid to late October, running approximately 10 daysBest places this October
Richmond Park
parkAt 1,000 hectares, it's London's largest royal park and in October it becomes a stage for the red deer rut. The ancient oaks are turning gold, the bracken goes russet-brown, and the early morning mist gives the whole place a quality that feels more Scottish Highlands than Zone 4. The view from the top of King Henry's Mound — a clear sightline to St Paul's Cathedral, 19 kilometres away — is worth the walk.
RichmondHampstead Heath
parkThree hundred hectares of semi-wild parkland with panoramic views from Parliament Hill. The mix of ancient woodland and open meadow means the autumn colour has real depth — not just one shade of yellow but layers of copper, amber, and rust. The swimming ponds are still open for the bold. The path from South End Green up through the wooded sections to Kenwood House is one of the best autumn walks in the city.
HampsteadKew Gardens
gardenOver 14,000 trees from around the world, which means October colour here is more varied than any other London park. The Treetop Walkway puts you at canopy level, and the Japanese Gateway area reflects beautifully in the lake. When the rain comes, the Palm House and Temperate House are warm, humid refuges full of tropical plants — the temperature contrast when you step inside is a sensory jolt.
KewBorough Market
marketLondon's oldest food market shifts fully into autumn mode in October. The mushroom stalls pile up with foraged chanterelles and ceps, the game counters display pheasant and partridge, and new-season apple varieties from Kent orchards appear. The raclette stands do a brisk trade on cold days. Saturday is the full market; weekdays are calmer but some stalls keep shorter hours.
SouthwarkBFI Southbank
cinemaThe British Film Institute's home on the Thames becomes the heart of the London Film Festival in October. Even outside festival screenings, the programme of repertory cinema, director retrospectives, and themed seasons runs year-round. The Riverfront bar underneath Waterloo Bridge is a good spot for a drink with a view of the river, sheltered from rain by the bridge itself.
South BankGreenwich Park
parkThe hilltop view from the Royal Observatory takes in Canary Wharf, the Thames, and the Queen's House — in October, with autumn colour in the foreground and the low sun catching the glass towers, it's one of the best viewpoints in the city. The park's sweet chestnut avenue is particularly photogenic. The nearby Greenwich Market has good street food for warming up afterwards.
GreenwichColumbia Road Flower Market
marketThis Sunday-morning flower market in Shoreditch runs year-round, but October brings a shift to autumnal plants — chrysanthemums, dahlias in deep reds and oranges, ornamental cabbages, and the first Christmas bulbs. The narrow street fills with colour and the shouting of vendors. Surrounding shops and cafés open their doors for the morning. Go early; by noon it's shoulder-to-shoulder.
ShoreditchSomerset House
cultural venueThe neoclassical courtyard off the Strand hosts exhibitions and installations year-round, and October often brings a new major exhibition opening at the Courtauld Gallery inside. The courtyard itself — paved in Portland stone with its famous fountain grid — has a different quality in autumn light, especially on those rare clear October mornings when the sun sits low enough to warm the stonework.
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Insider tips
The Tube gets warm even when it's cold outside — October is actually one of the worst months for this, because people board in heavy coats and the deep lines (Central, Bakerloo, Northern) have no air conditioning. Dress in layers you can peel off underground, or you'll be sweating by the second stop.
If you're here during Frieze week, skip the fair itself and hit the free gallery openings across Mayfair and the East End instead. Every gallery worth its walls opens a new show during Frieze week to catch the collectors in town. The White Cube on Mason's Yard, Hauser & Wirth on Savile Row, and the cluster of smaller galleries around Vyner Street in Hackney all host openings with free wine and genuinely good work.
Sunday mornings in October have a particular rhythm: Columbia Road Flower Market opens at 8am and winds down by 2pm, and you can walk from there through Shoreditch to Brick Lane for a late breakfast. The route takes you past street art, through the vintage shops on Cheshire Street, and into the Brick Lane bagel stretch. The whole loop takes about three hours.
Borough Market is a different experience on weekday lunchtimes versus Saturday mornings. Saturday is the full market — all stalls open, crowds thick, the whole sensory experience. But Tuesday through Friday lunchtimes are when local workers come for lunch, the queues are shorter, and you can actually talk to the stallholders about what's good this week without holding up a queue of twenty people behind you.
The members' bar at the Barbican Centre is technically members-only, but the ground-floor café and the conservatory (open select Sundays) are public and underused. The conservatory is a tropical glasshouse hidden on the third floor of a brutalist arts centre — one of those London spaces that seems designed to confuse tourists into never finding it. Check the Barbican website for conservatory opening dates before you go.
Avoid these mistakes
- Packing for a single temperature and getting caught out by October's swings — the same week can serve you a 18°C (64°F) sunny afternoon and a 7°C (45°F) grey morning. Tourists in shorts and a t-shirt on an October morning in Hyde Park are easy to spot, and they look cold.
- Planning a full day of outdoor sightseeing without a rain contingency. October's 13 rain days mean you've got roughly a coin-flip chance of getting wet on any given day. Have at least one indoor option (a museum, a gallery, a long lunch) ready to swap in. The major museums — British Museum, Tate Modern, V&A, National Gallery — are all free, which makes them excellent wet-weather pivots.
- Booking an open-top bus tour for late October. The combination of wind, drizzle, and 10°C temperatures on the upper deck of a bus crossing Westminster Bridge is genuinely unpleasant. If you want the bus tour experience, the covered lower deck is fine, or save it for a rare sunny morning.
- Forgetting that the clocks go back on the last Sunday of October — visitors who don't notice suddenly find it getting dark at 4:30pm instead of 5:30pm, and the shift can throw off dinner plans and evening sightseeing. It also means you gain an hour, so if you have a Sunday morning booking, double-check whether your phone has auto-adjusted.
Practical tips for October
Book West End theatre tickets 2-3 weeks ahead for the best selection on new autumn productions; the TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells same-day discounted tickets but choice is limited. Most major museums (British Museum, Tate Modern, National Gallery, V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum) are free, making them reliable rain-day options without advance planning. An Oyster card or contactless bank card covers all Tube, bus, and Overground travel — daily spending is automatically capped. If you're visiting during half-term (last week of October), book any ticketed attractions well in advance, especially the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, and the London Eye. The Tube runs until roughly midnight on most lines (later on Fridays and Saturdays on some lines via the Night Tube). Restaurant reservations for weekend dinners in popular areas like Soho, Bermondsey, or Shoreditch should be made at least a few days ahead — walk-ins are easier midweek. Tipping is not obligatory but 10-12.5% is standard at restaurants; check whether service is already included on the bill before adding more.
FAQ
Is October a good time to visit London?
October is a solid month for London — not the best, not the worst. You get autumn colour in the parks, a strong cultural calendar with the BFI London Film Festival and Frieze London, manageable crowd levels (except during half-term in the last week), and shoulder-season hotel prices. The honest trade-off is weather: expect grey skies and rain about every other day, with temperatures around 16°C (61°F) in the daytime dropping to 9.5°C (49°F) at night. If you're comfortable with layers, an umbrella, and flexible plans, October rewards you with a version of London that feels more local than the summer tourist season. It ranks roughly 7th out of 12 months — good, but May, June, and September are objectively better for weather and daylight.
What is the weather like in London in October?
The average high is 16.2°C (61°F) and the average low is 9.5°C (49°F), with about 87mm of rain spread across roughly 13 days. Humidity sits around 83%, which makes the cooler temperatures feel a bit more penetrating than the numbers suggest. Expect a mix: some days are crisp and sunny with that lovely low autumn light, others are solid grey with intermittent drizzle. Proper downpours happen but aren't the norm. Wind picks up compared to summer, especially along the river. Daylight hours shrink from about 11.5 at the start of the month to under 10 by the end, and the clocks go back on the last Sunday.
Is London crowded in October?
Noticeably less crowded than July and August, which is one of October's genuine advantages. The major museums and galleries are comfortable to visit without the summer queues. The exception is the last week of October — English school half-term — when family-oriented attractions like the Natural History Museum, Tower of London, and the London Zoo get busy with domestic visitors. The Tube is always crowded during commuter hours (roughly 7:30-9:30am and 5-7pm) regardless of the month.
What should I wear in London in October?
Layers, layers, layers. A typical October day might start at 9°C (48°F), warm to 16°C (61°F) by early afternoon, then drop back as the sun sets. A waterproof jacket with a hood is non-negotiable — the rain is often light but persistent, and wind makes umbrellas unreliable on exposed stretches. Wear waterproof shoes or boots, as pavements stay damp much of the time. A warm mid-layer (wool jumper or fleece) and a scarf for evenings round out the essentials. Avoid heavy winter coats — you'll overheat on the Tube and in shops.
What events happen in London in October?
The two biggest cultural draws are the BFI London Film Festival (about 12 days in early-to-mid October, screening roughly 200 films across venues citywide) and Frieze London (a major international contemporary art fair in Regent's Park, mid-October). The Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival happens on the first Sunday at Guildhall Yard — a free, distinctly London tradition. London Cocktail Week runs in early October with events across bars in Shoreditch, Soho, and Bermondsey. The Southbank Centre's London Literature Festival typically falls in mid-to-late October. Halloween events appear in the last week, particularly at family attractions.
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