London
A river, a thousand villages, and a city that never quite decided what it wanted to be.
London is a set of towns that grew into one another and kept their own characters: a financial district on Roman foundations, a royal quarter of parks and palaces, a West End of theatres, and an East End that reinvents itself every decade. The Thames ties it together, and the bridges are as good a way as any to read it.
Why go
Few cities offer this much in walking distance of a single riverbank: Parliament and the Abbey on one bend, the Tate and the Globe on the next, the Tower and its bridge a little further down. The museums are vast, and most of the great ones ask nothing at the door.
It is also a city of neighbourhoods. A morning in Notting Hill, an afternoon in Greenwich and an evening in Soho are three different places with three different tempos, joined by an underground railway that has been running since the age of steam.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Westminster and the river
The Palace of Westminster, Big Ben and the Abbey face the Thames across Westminster Bridge. Cross to the south bank for the classic view, then walk east past the London Eye towards the Tate Modern.
02Tower Bridge and the Tower
The bascule bridge and the Norman fortress beside it sit at the old edge of the city. The walkways across the top of the bridge give a view down the river towards the Shard and Canary Wharf.
03The museums
The British Museum, the National Gallery, the V&A and the Natural History Museum hold collections that take repeat visits. Most are free to enter, which changes how you use them: an hour with one gallery, then out into the city.
04The parks
Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St James's run almost continuously from Notting Hill to Westminster. Regent's Park has the zoo and the rose garden; Hampstead Heath has the view.
05The West End
Theatreland runs from Shaftesbury Avenue to the Strand. Soho and Covent Garden fill in the streets between with restaurants, bars and the old market hall.
06The markets
Borough Market for food under the railway arches, Portobello Road for antiques on a Saturday, Columbia Road for flowers on a Sunday morning, Camden for everything else.
07Greenwich and the river east
A boat downriver to Greenwich passes the whole of the old docklands. At the top of the park the observatory sits on the meridian, with the Naval College and the Cutty Sark below.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Westminster and St James's
Government, palaces and parks. Quiet in the evening, central to everything by day, and the closest base to the river's great set pieces.
Soho, Covent Garden and the West End
Theatres, restaurants and late nights. The most walkable base for a first visit, and the noisiest.
Kensington and Chelsea
Museums, garden squares and the parks. Grand, calm, and a short underground ride from the centre.
Shoreditch and the East End
Street art, independent shops, markets and the city's newer restaurants. Younger in feel, with the City's towers a few streets away.
Southwark and the South Bank
The Tate Modern, Borough Market and the riverside walk. Well placed for the river and for the trains south.
When to go: London
- SpringMarch – May
- The parks come into blossom and the days stretch out. Showers come and go; a light coat is enough.
- SummerJune – August
- Long evenings, outdoor theatre and the river at its liveliest. Also the fullest hotels and the warmest underground carriages.
- AutumnSeptember and October
- Often the steadiest weather of the year, with the plane trees turning along the embankments and the galleries opening their winter shows.
- WinterNovember – February
- Short, grey days and lit-up streets. December is festive and crowded; January and February are quiet and good for museums.
Getting there
Airports
Three airports in our search serve London. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- LHRHeathrow
- LGWGatwick
- STNStansted
Distance from
- CDGParis340 km
- DXBDubai5,480 km
- JFKNew York5,560 km
- BOMMumbai7,190 km
- JNBJohannesburg9,070 km
- SINSingapore10,860 km
- SYDSydney17,000 km
Getting around: London
The Underground and the buses cover almost everything; a contactless bank card or phone taps in and out on the Underground and taps in once on the buses, and the fare is capped for the day. The Elizabeth line runs across the city and out to Heathrow.
The centre is smaller than it looks and the river walk from Westminster to Tower Bridge is one of the city's pleasures. Black cabs can be hailed in the street; the riverboats are a slower, better way east to Greenwich.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Currency
- GBP · British Pound Sterling
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- United Kingdom Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +44
The atlas
London in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in London, month by month
- Jan7°
- Feb7°
- Mar10°
- Apr14°
- May17°
- Jun20°
- Jul23°
- Aug22°
- Sept20°
- Oct15°
- Nov10°
- Dec7°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: June to September.
Mean highs run from 7°C in January to 23°C in July, with about 710 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for LondonModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBLondon
5,480 km
7 hrs 10 mins · Estimate
From AUHLondon
5,490 km
7 hrs 15 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near London
From the journal
Related reading
When to go
The best time to visit London, month by month
May, June and September suit most London trips. Met Office averages for Heathrow, official visitor counts, and London's school and bank holidays for 2026–27.
Updated 29 September 2026 · 9 min read
How it works
Jet lag: how to adjust faster, according to the CDC and the NHS
What jet lag is, why flying east is harder, how many days it takes to adjust, and what the CDC and the NHS advise before, during and after a long flight from the UAE.
Updated 29 September 2026 · 6 min read
How it works
Lost or delayed luggage: what to do, and the deadlines that matter
Report it before you leave the airport, keep the reference, and claim in writing in time: 7 days for damage, 21 for delay. What airlines and regulators say.
Updated 29 September 2026 · 7 min read
In pictures: London
Plan this trip: London
Open the trip builder with London already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
