10 things to do in London in autumn

Autumn is a perfect season to visit the British capital. Find out here the best plans for a trip full of ocher and orange colors.

María Cano

María Cano

8 min read

10 things to do in London in autumn

Birds Flying Over the Bridge | ©Mitchell Henderson

The autumn season is an ideal time to travel to London. The city and its parks have a special color and the thermometer does not register excessively low temperatures.

Also, prices are not as high as at other times of the year and certain important dates of the calendar such as Halloween or Guy Fawkes night are celebrated. Here are all the proposals that you can not miss during your trip to the British capital between September and December.

1. Immerse yourself in the life of the Thames at Thames Festival Trust

Activities at the Thames Festival Trust| ©Christopher Emonds
Activities at the Thames Festival Trust| ©Christopher Emonds

Since 1997 the Thames Festival Trust has been held in the city of London, an event in which the River Thames takes center stage. A full program of artistic, educational and heritage activities is organized such as:

  • Regatta or swimming competitions.
  • Live music shows.
  • Digital exhibitions.
  • Workshops.

In addition, you can take advantage of being in the area and book tickets for the London Eye to see the activities from above.

Details of interest

Book tickets to the London Eye

2. Taste the food at the London Restaurant Festival

Tasting the food| ©David Ellis
Tasting the food| ©David Ellis

And if you are a good eater and your trip coincides with the month of October, you are in luck. For more than a decade the London Restaurant Festival has been held, a festival during which the most popular restaurants in the city design and offer different tasting menus.

It is the perfect occasion to taste dishes from all over the world. In addition, you will have the possibility of wine and beer tastings, master classes led by famous chefs, enjoy gastronomic events of very different types and live different culinary experiences. A delight for all the senses!

Other gastronomic recommendations

Book a menu for the Hard Rock Cafe London

3. Feel the autumn in the city's parks

Chiswick House and Gardens| ©jacquemart
Chiswick House and Gardens| ©jacquemart

The prime plan on your trip to London throughout the autumn season, especially from late September to early November, is to stroll through one of the city's major parks or landscaped areas.

London has the same proportion of green space as it does of urban space. In fact, it is said that if every one of the millions of Londoners living in the city wanted to hug a tree, there would be one for every one of them. Do you dare to look for your tree? Here are some suggestions for your trip:

  • St John's Lodge Gardens: located in Regent's Park is one of the quietest green spaces in the city.
  • Hyde Park: in the heart of London, is one of the favorite parks for both residents and those who are passing through the city.
  • Richmond Park: is one of my favorite choices. It is the largest nature reserve in London and is the habitat of several deer that live in the wild.
  • St. James's Park: located next to Buckingham Palace, it is one of the most historic parks in the city.
  • Victoria Park: it is a perfect option if you go with children, because it has different playgrounds and swimming pools.
  • Chiswick Gardens: noted for its classical temples, monuments, lakes and its conservatory, which houses an important collection of camellias.
  • Royal Botanic Kew Gardens: you will have to pay to enter, but it is a visit that is really worth it, as it has more than half a thousand acres of forest and 50,000 plants.

Book a ticket to Kew Gardens

4. Visit the Harry Potter Studios

Harry Potter Studios Park in London| ©Karen Roe
Harry Potter Studios Park in London| ©Karen Roe

A fun proposal for both children and adults is to book a visit to the Harry Potter Studios Park, where you can immerse yourself in the original sets of the blockbuster films:

  • Hogwarts Great Dining Hall.
  • Platform 9¾.
  • The teacher's office.
  • Diagon Alley.
  • Or the Forbidden Forest.

In the following post you can learn all the details of how to get to the Harry Potter Studios. And I recommend that you choose the month of November to visit them in autumn because it is the month of this season in which you can find fewer visitors.

Buy tickets for Harry Potter Park

5. Spend a terrifying day in London Dungeon

Adults at London Dungeon| ©Derren Hodson
Adults at London Dungeon| ©Derren Hodson

To book tickets to the London Dungeon is to tour 17 interactive shows with terrifying sets, special effects and commentary by a variety of performers that bring visitors closer to some of the darkest events in London's history such as:

  • The Great Fire of London of 1666.
  • The Gunpowder Plot.
  • Or the Black Death plague. In addition.

You will know in detail the history of Guy Fawkes, Sweeney Todd or Jack the Ripper. For Halloween, usually during the second half of October, they do some specials, so I recommend you to go if you are in London in October.

Book tickets to the London Dungeon

6. See the city from the London Eye

Big Ben next to the Palace of Westminster from the London Eye| ©TheeErin
Big Ben next to the Palace of Westminster from the London Eye| ©TheeErin

Another ideal plan in autumn is to book tickets to the London Eye. Having the opportunity to see London just in this season of the year when the city is dyed in ocher and orange colors as if it were a postcard is incomparable.

And what better place to do it than from the highest Ferris wheel in Europe, which has a 360º panoramic view and you can take some fantastic pictures.

Read the post views from the London Eye and you will have an idea of what you can see in this attraction.

Buy tickets for the London Eye

7. Enjoy the seventh art in BFI London Film Festival

Inside the BFI London Film Festival| ©Bex Walton
Inside the BFI London Film Festival| ©Bex Walton

With over 60 years of history, the London Film Festival is a first class film event that takes place every year for more than ten days in October.

If you are a lover of the seventh art and your trip coincides with the weeks in which it takes place, I recommend you to come as you will have the chance to enjoy some of the best and most recognized titles of films and series in the world.

In addition, there are also premiere galas, special presentations or immersive art experiences, among other proposals.

8. Participate in Santa Run London

Participating in the Santa Run London| ©Hazel Nicholson
Participating in the Santa Run London| ©Hazel Nicholson

At the beginning of December Santa Run London is held, a charity race in which contestants dress up as Santa Claus.

It is an ideal plan if you are visiting London with children, since all participants are given a Santa Claus and there is a symbolic race for children under eight years old.

Adults and children from that age can participate in two races, one of 5 kilometers and another of 10 kilometers. And after the kilometers run, they can recover with a snack while listening to Christmas carols.

9. Delve into art at Frieze London

Regent's Park where the Festival is held| ©ed g2s
Regent's Park where the Festival is held| ©ed g2s

October also sees Frieze London, an international fair featuring a range of carefully selected contemporary art galleries, held in Regent's Park.

In addition, talks and different activities are organized throughout the five days of this event. This international fair is also organized in New York and Los Angeles.

10. Get a head start on Christmas on your trip to London

Visiting Winter Wonderland| ©Wayne Varney
Visiting Winter Wonderland| ©Wayne Varney

From mid-November to early December you can live and feel Christmas in London. At this time of the year you can:

  • See the first Christmas markets.
  • Witness the lighting of the lights.
  • Enjoy the Christmas decorations and Christmas trees.
  • Listen to Christmas carols.
  • And ice skate on one of the ice rinks like Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.

London temperatures in autumn

Autumn in Waterloo Gardens| ©carlfbagge
Autumn in Waterloo Gardens| ©carlfbagge

If your trip to London coincides with the autumn season, you have to keep in mind that temperatures start to drop gradually and considerably from the end of September.

They average 16ºC in September, 13ºC in October, 9ºC in November and an average minimum of 5ºC in December. It is also a very rainy season. In fact, October and November are the months with the highest rainfall.

Book the London sightseeing bus

London's tourist flow in Autumn

At nightfall| ©duncanh
At nightfall| ©duncanh

The influx of tourists in London in autumn is very low compared to other times of the year, such as summer, Christmas, Easter ... Therefore, I recommend that if you have the opportunity to travel from September to December do not hesitate to do so.

You will have a greater choice of flights and hotels. In addition, the attractions will not be as crowded as at other times of the year. Even so, you have to keep in mind that in London there is always tourism, just that there are times when it is a little lower.

London prices in autumn

Paying for shopping| ©David Dvořáček
Paying for shopping| ©David Dvořáček

London prices in the autumn months are relatively inexpensive compared to other times of the year, especially in the months of October and November.

Even so, there are key dates in which these prices are higher as is the case of Halloween or the month of December in which Christmas is already felt.

What to pack in your suitcase if you travel to London in autumn

Preparing your luggage| ©Vlada Karpovich
Preparing your luggage| ©Vlada Karpovich

Whatever the month of autumn you go, it is advisable that you go warm with sweaters and sweatshirts.

It is also advisable to bring a raincoat to protect you from the rain, as well as waterproof footwear.

In addition, from November, temperatures begin to drop considerably with an average of between 5ºC and 9ºC, so it is essential that you bring a coat.

Book the London sightseeing bus