London in January: Sales, Weather and Indoor Plans

London in January is quieter, cheaper and darker than December. The Christmas markets have packed up, hotel prices usually drop after the first week, and the big museums are calmer than at any other time of year. The trade-off is short days, cold rain and a few closures around New Year. This guide covers the weather you can expect, what is on during the month, how the sales work, and a simple way to plan your days so the early sunsets do not catch you out.

What the weather is like in London in January

The Met Office long-term averages for Heathrow (1991 to 2020) give a typical January day a high of about 8°C and a low of about 3°C. Rain falls on roughly 11 or 12 days in the month, usually as light drizzle or showers rather than all-day downpours, and the total is around 59 mm. Sunshine is limited: about 60 hours across the whole month, so two hours a day on average.

Snow does happen, but it rarely settles in central London for more than a day. Frost on clear mornings is more common. The bigger issue is the wind and damp, which make 6°C feel colder than the number suggests.

Daylight is the real constraint. Sunset is around 4pm at the start of January and about 4:45pm by the end of the month. Sunrise is close to 8am. If you want photos of the river, parks or street views, plan them for late morning and early afternoon.

What to pack

• A waterproof jacket with a hood. Umbrellas are fine, but the wind along the river turns them inside out.
• Shoes that can handle wet pavements. Waterproof trainers or boots work better than canvas.
• Layers you can remove. Museums, shops and the Tube are warm, so you will be taking things off and putting them back on all day.
• Gloves and a hat for evening walks or the Winter Lights trail.

Our winter packing list for city breaks has a fuller checklist that also works for Paris, Seoul and Tokyo.

What is on in January 2027

New Year's Day: the London Parade

The London Parade (the event long known as the New Year's Day Parade) takes place on Friday 1 January 2027 from 1pm to about 4:30pm. The route starts near the Ritz on Piccadilly and runs through Regent Street St James's, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall, finishing near Parliament Square. Watching from the pavement is free; there are paid grandstand seats if you want a guaranteed view. Arrive early if you want a spot at the front, especially around Trafalgar Square.

Photo: Roy Katzenberg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Remember that 1 January is a public holiday. Many shops open later, some restaurants close, and transport runs a holiday service. Check the hours of anything you have booked.

The tail end of Winter Wonderland

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland runs until Sunday 3 January 2027. If your trip starts on the first weekend of January, you can still catch it, but expect it to be busy with families on the last days.

Canary Wharf Winter Lights, 19 to 30 January

Canary Wharf's Winter Lights festival returns from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 30 January 2027, open from 5pm to 10pm each evening. It is free and you do not need to book. The 2027 theme is RE(IMAGINE), with light installations spread across the squares, parks and waterside paths of the district. The walk takes one to two hours at an easy pace, and the Elizabeth line and Jubilee line both stop at Canary Wharf, so it is easy to add after a day elsewhere in the city. Weekday evenings are usually less crowded than Fridays and Saturdays.

Burns Night and a look ahead to Lunar New Year

Burns Night on 25 January is marked in Scottish pubs and some restaurants with haggis suppers, poetry readings and ceilidh dances. It is easy to find if you are interested, and easy to skip if not.

Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027, so the large Chinatown and Trafalgar Square celebrations will be in February, not January. If you are staying into February, check the official listings when they are published.

The January sales: how they actually work

The sales start in shops on Boxing Day (26 December), and many online sales start even earlier. By early January, most of the department stores and high-street chains on Oxford Street, Regent Street and in Westfield (both the White City and Stratford centres) are still discounting, but the best sizes and items go in the first few days.

A few practical points:

• Weekday mornings are calmest. Saturday afternoons on Oxford Street are crowded even in January.
• Check the returns policy. Sale items are often final sale or have shorter return windows.
• VAT refunds. Great Britain withdrew tax-free shopping for visitors in 2021, so the price on the tag is what you pay, unless a shop ships your purchase directly to an address outside the UK.
• Outlet villages. Bicester Village (about an hour by train from London Marylebone) has its own sales, but it is a day trip in itself.

If shopping is not your thing, January is still a good month to be in London for other reasons. You do not need to plan around the sales at all.

Indoor plans for short, wet days

The upside of London in January is that the city's best indoor sights are free and less crowded than usual. The permanent collections of the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum are all free to enter. Some ask you to book a free timed slot online, which is worth doing for the Natural History Museum on weekends and school holidays. Special exhibitions charge separately.

Other indoor ideas that work well in winter:

• Covered markets. Borough Market (closed some days, so check) and Covent Garden's market halls are good for lunch out of the rain. Leadenhall Market is worth a short look if you are near the City.
• Theatre. January is traditionally a good month for theatre deals in the West End, with many shows running winter promotions. Matinees fit neatly into the hours after it gets dark.
• Afternoon tea or a long pub lunch. Not a sight, but a good way to fill the hour between the end of daylight and dinner.
• Kew's glasshouses. Kew Gardens is mostly outdoor, but the Palm House and Temperate House are warm and green even in midwinter.

Our guide to London on a budget in winter has more free museums, walks and low-cost ideas.

How to plan a day around the short daylight

The most useful habit for London in January is to plan each day in two halves: outdoor in the morning and early afternoon, indoor from about 3:30pm.

A sample day might look like this:

1. 9am to 1pm: a walk that needs daylight, such as the South Bank from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, or a morning at the Tower of London. 2. 1pm to 2pm: lunch at Borough Market or a pub near the river. 3. 2pm to 3:30pm: one more outdoor stop while there is still light, such as St Paul's Cathedral from the Millennium Bridge, or a stroll through St James's Park. 4. 3:30pm to 6pm: a museum. Several of the big museums have late openings on certain evenings, which gives you more time. 5. Evening: a show, Winter Lights in the second half of the month, or dinner.

Group sights by area so you are not crossing the city in the dark. Westminster and the South Bank go together, as do the City and the Tower, and South Kensington's three big museums sit next to each other on Exhibition Road.

If you want a ready-made structure, the 4 days in London itinerary groups the main sights by area. You can copy it into RoamerPlanner and move the outdoor stops to the morning slots for a winter trip.

Getting around in January

Contactless bank cards and phone payments work on the Tube, buses, Elizabeth line, Overground and most National Rail services in London, with daily and weekly caps so you do not overpay. An Oyster card does the same job if you prefer a separate card. Check the current fares on the TfL website, as they usually change in early March.

Buses are a good option on rainy days for short hops, and the top deck of a double-decker is a cheap way to see the city when walking is unpleasant. Engineering works on the Tube and rail lines are common at weekends, so check TfL's status page before setting off on a Saturday or Sunday.

Is January a good time to visit London?

It depends on what you want. January suits travellers who:

• Prefer museums, galleries, theatre and food over parks and day trips
• Want lower hotel prices than December or the summer
• Do not mind cold, grey weather and early sunsets

It is a weaker choice if you want long walks, gardens in bloom or day trips to the countryside. For that, look at the spring months instead; our guide to London in spring covers April and May.

Quick FAQ

How cold is London in January? Typical highs are about 8°C and lows about 3°C, based on Met Office averages. Damp and wind make it feel colder.

Does it snow in London in January? Occasionally, but it seldom lasts more than a day in central London.

Are things closed on 1 January? Some shops, restaurants and attractions close or open late on New Year's Day, which is a public holiday. Check opening hours for that day.

When is Winter Lights 2027? From 19 to 30 January 2027, 5pm to 10pm each evening, free and with no booking needed.

Sources: Met Office Heathrow long-term averages 1991 to 2020; London Parade official site (2027 date and route); Hyde Park Winter Wonderland official site (dates); Canary Wharf Group press release of 8 October 2026 (Winter Lights 2027 dates and hours). Checked 28 October 2026.

Cover photo: Jim Osley / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0