Climate guide for Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom

Best Time to Visit
Buckingham Palace

How to read the score (0–10)
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About Buckingham Palace

Choose May-September for this rhythm: watch Changing the Guard, tour State Rooms in season, and stroll St James's Park. Clear mild mornings make park approaches and ceremony viewing pleasant.

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Travel Tips

Changing of the Guard
The Changing of the Guard schedule varies by season and weather - check the official calendar the morning of. Arrive 45-60 minutes early for a view along the fence; it is standing-room only.
State Rooms Season
Interior State Rooms open mainly in summer and selected dates - book timed tickets online well ahead. Security is airport-style; travel light and leave large bags at the hotel.
St James's Park Combo
Pair the palace exterior with a walk through St James's Park toward Horse Guards. Mornings are quieter for photos of the facade without coach crowds.
Tube & Crowd Flow
Green Park and Victoria stations are closest. After the ceremony, crowds surge - cross at official points and keep wallets secured in the press of people.

Things to do in Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom. Live activities and tours from GetYourGuide, matched to this destination.

When to visit Buckingham Palace: the short answer

The best time to visit Buckingham Palace is June, followed by July, August. Those months combine the most usable temperatures with the fewest lost days to rain: June averages 16°C with 41 mm of rain and about 26 sunny days. The months to avoid unless you have a specific reason are November, December. If budget matters more than perfect weather, October is the strongest of the low-rate months at 5.8/10.

Across the year Buckingham Palace swings from 4°C in January to 19°C in August, a 15-degree spread, while rainfall ranges from 41 mm in June to 100 mm in November. That is the whole planning problem in one sentence: Buckingham Palace is not equally good year-round, and the difference between the best and worst month here is 5.2 points on a 10-point scale.

Warmest month: August (19°C). Coolest: January (4°C). Driest: June (41 mm). Wettest: November (100 mm).

Buckingham Palace month by month

January in Buckingham Palace — the hardest end of the year

Hardest · 4.5/10

January averages 4°C (39°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.

Rainfall runs 52 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 0 sunny days and 8.1 hours of daylight.

It scores 4.5/10 here, 10th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.

Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 4.9 points higher on the same scale.

February in Buckingham Palace — workable with trade-offs

Trade-offs · 5.1/10

February averages 7°C (44°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.

Rainfall runs 58 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 0 sunny days and 9.6 hours of daylight.

It scores 5.1/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.

Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 4.3 points higher on the same scale.

March in Buckingham Palace — workable with trade-offs

Trade-offs · 5.4/10

March averages 7°C (45°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.

Rainfall runs 72 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 3 sunny days and 11.5 hours of daylight.

It scores 5.4/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.

Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 4 points higher on the same scale.

April in Buckingham Palace — reliably good (6th best month)

Good · 7.4/10

April averages 9°C (48°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.

Rainfall runs 48 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 13 sunny days and 13.6 hours of daylight.

It scores 7.4/10 here, 6th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.

Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 2 points higher on the same scale.

May in Buckingham Palace — the year's strongest window

Best window · 8.5/10

May averages 13°C (56°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.

Rainfall runs 55 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 21 sunny days and 15.4 hours of daylight.

On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Buckingham Palace at 8.5/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.

Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.

Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.

June in Buckingham Palace — the year's strongest window

Best window · 9.4/10

June averages 16°C (61°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.

Expect 41 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 26 sunny days and 16.4 daylight hours.

On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Buckingham Palace at 9.4/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.

Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.

Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.

July in Buckingham Palace — the year's strongest window

Best window · 9.2/10

July averages 18°C (65°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.

Rainfall runs 49 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 21 sunny days and 16 hours of daylight.

On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Buckingham Palace at 9.2/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.

Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.

Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.

August in Buckingham Palace — the year's strongest window

Best window · 8.8/10

August averages 19°C (65°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.

Rainfall runs 51 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 17 sunny days and 14.4 hours of daylight.

On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Buckingham Palace at 8.8/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.

Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.

Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.

September in Buckingham Palace — reliably good (5th best month)

Good · 7.5/10

September averages 16°C (61°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.

Rainfall runs 63 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 6 sunny days and 12.4 hours of daylight.

It scores 7.5/10 here, 5th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.

Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 1.9 points higher on the same scale.

October in Buckingham Palace — workable with trade-offs

Trade-offs · 5.8/10

October averages 13°C (55°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.

Rainfall runs 83 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 0 sunny days and 10.4 hours of daylight.

It scores 5.8/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.

Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 3.6 points higher on the same scale.

November in Buckingham Palace — the hardest end of the year

Hardest · 4.2/10

November averages 8°C (46°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.

At 100 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 0 sunny days in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.

It scores 4.2/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.

Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 5.2 points higher on the same scale.

December in Buckingham Palace — the hardest end of the year

Hardest · 4.3/10

December averages 6°C (43°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.

Rainfall runs 69 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 0 sunny days and 7.6 hours of daylight.

It scores 4.3/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.

Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.

Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.

If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Buckingham Palace — 5.1 points higher on the same scale.

Frequently asked

When is the best time to visit Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom?
In Ideal Weather mode, the best months to visit Buckingham Palace are June, July, August, May. June is the single peak month with an Ideal Weather score of 9.4/10 based on temperature, rainfall, humidity, daylight and historical sunny days.
What is the weather like in Buckingham Palace year-round?
Buckingham Palace has a climate profile suited to sightseeing and cultural travel. Average monthly temperatures range from 4°C in January to 19°C in August, with Ideal Weather scores between 4.2 and 9.4 out of 10.
Which months should I avoid in Buckingham Palace?
The lowest Ideal Weather-scoring months in Buckingham Palace are November (4.2/10), December (4.3/10), January (4.5/10). These months typically combine less comfortable temperatures, higher rainfall or fewer sunny days.
When is the rainy season in Buckingham Palace?
November is the wettest month in Buckingham Palace, averaging about 100 mm of rainfall. June is the driest, at roughly 41 mm.
Which is the sunniest month in Buckingham Palace?
June sees the most sun in Buckingham Palace, with about 26 sunny days on average - ideal for outdoor plans.
Is Buckingham Palace a good destination for sightseeing and cultural travel?
Buckingham Palace is well suited to sightseeing and cultural travel. Its highest Ideal Weather window (June, July, August, May) aligns with the conditions travelers usually look for in this style of trip.
How is the bestime.to score for Buckingham Palace calculated?
Each month receives an Ideal Weather score from 0-10 using ERA5 climate normals for Buckingham Palace: temperature comfort, precipitation, humidity, daylight hours, and historical sunny days - weighted for sightseeing and cultural travel.

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