London · Month comparison

April vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs April at #3. Chelsea Flower Show, warm parks, 18°C — London at its most seductive before summer prices arrive.

London April — yellow daffodils in full bloom against a blue spring sky at Kew Gardens

April

#3 of 12 months

Best match

London's great value window — warm enough for parks, light until 8pm, before summer prices hit.

  • ↑Blossom season in the Royal Parks: Greenwich, Kew Gardens, and Richmond Park at their most beautiful
  • ↑London Marathon (late April) transforms the city — street festival atmosphere along the 26.2-mile route
London May — sunlight filtering through tall trees in Hyde Park on a warm spring afternoon

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Chelsea Flower Show, warm parks, 18°C — London at its most seductive before summer prices arrive.

  • ↑Chelsea Flower Show (third week of May): world-famous garden event with real local excitement around it
  • ↑Royal Parks in full green: Londoners picnic in Hyde Park, Regent's Park, and Hampstead Heath in earnest
FactorAprilMay
Weather score
7
8
Value score
7
6
Crowd score
7
6
Events score
6
8
Atmosphere
7
8
Avg high temp15°C18°C
Monthly rain43mm49mm
Daily sunshine5.3hrs6.4hrs

April trade-offs

  • ↓Easter holiday timing (if in April) can spike crowds at major attractions and push up hotel rates
  • ↓Spring rain can arrive without warning — the 43mm average is spread across many short, unpredictable showers
  • ↓Not yet warm enough for al fresco dining without a jumper — evenings cool quickly after sunset

May trade-offs

  • ↓Prices climbing toward summer — a week at a 3-star central hotel costs noticeably more than March
  • ↓Chelsea Flower Show week sees south-west London traffic disruption and accommodation pressure
  • ↓Half-term (late May bank holiday) briefly crowding family attractions across the city
See all 12 months for London →April in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within London. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →