London in March: what to expect

March is a transition month in London: winter cold eases, but the city does not yet feel like spring. Daytime highs sit near 11 °C and nights near 4 °C, and the gap between a sunny afternoon and a cold evening can be 8 °C or more. Frost is possible early in the month, and snow is rare but not impossible.

Rain is the main planning issue. Expect wet weather on roughly half the days of the month, usually as passing showers rather than steady rain. A single day can move from blue sky to heavy shower and back within an hour, so a waterproof layer beats an umbrella in the wind. Daylight grows quickly: around 11.5 hours at the start of March and about 13 hours by the end, which makes late-afternoon sightseeing and riverside walks realistic again.

The clocks go forward on the last Sunday of March, so evenings suddenly stay light until around 19:30. That single change is the strongest argument for visiting late March rather than early March.

March sits in the middle band for both crowds and prices. Hotel rates are well below the June–August peak and below the Christmas market weeks, but they are no longer at the January low. Midweek nights are the cheapest; Friday and Saturday nights in central zones cost noticeably more.

The main crowd spikes are weekends, any school holiday week, and Easter when it falls in March. On those dates the big free museums, the Tower of London and popular restaurants fill up, and train tickets out of London sell out earlier. Book timed-entry slots for major sights and reserve dinner in popular areas a few days ahead.

If your dates are flexible, aim for a Tuesday to Thursday stay in the first half of the month for the lowest prices, or the last week for the long evenings.

March is a strong month for sport and for the start of the outdoor season. The Six Nations rugby tournament finishes in mid-March, with matches at Twickenham and a heavy pub atmosphere across the city on match days. The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities usually takes place on the Thames in late March or early April, drawing large free crowds along the towpath.

St Patrick's Day on 17 March brings a parade and celebrations in central London, though it is a public holiday only in Northern Ireland. Mothering Sunday, the UK equivalent of Mother's Day, falls in March in most years and fills restaurants for Sunday lunch.

Easter is the biggest variable. In 2027 it falls on 26–29 March, giving a four-day weekend, school holidays around it, and planned engineering works that close some rail lines. If Easter lands in March, expect the busiest and most expensive days of the month.

March weather suits indoor sights and short outdoor stretches rather than long days in the parks. The big free museums — the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum — are ideal for a wet afternoon, and queues are shorter than in summer. Book free timed slots where offered.

For outdoor time, the royal parks are at their best for early spring colour: daffodils in St James's Park and along the Mall, blossom starting in Regent's Park and Kew Gardens. A walk along the South Bank or the Regent's Canal works well on a dry day, and the city's markets — Borough, Columbia Road on Sundays, Broadway — are lively without the summer crush.

Day trips are practical again as days lengthen. Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and Brighton are all within about an hour to 90 minutes by train from central London, and March fares are lower than in the school holidays. Check planned engineering works before booking, especially around Easter.

Pack for four seasons in one day. A waterproof jacket with a hood is more useful than an umbrella in London wind, and layers let you adjust between a cold morning and a mild afternoon. Comfortable waterproof shoes matter more than you expect: pavements are wet for much of the month and you will walk a lot.

Add a warm mid-layer or thin down jacket for evenings, a scarf and gloves for early March, and a small day bag that keeps rain off a camera or phone. If you plan theatre or a nice dinner, one smart-casual outfit is enough; London dress codes are relaxed.

February is colder, darker and cheaper, with half-term week filling family sights. April brings real spring, longer days and Easter holidays that push prices and crowds up. May is one of the best months for London, with two bank-holiday weekends and reliably warmer weather.

If your priority is low prices, come in January or February. If it is weather and long evenings, wait for May or June. March is the compromise: noticeably better days than midwinter, without the summer peak.