Best time to visit the British Isles
The best time to visit the British Isles is June to August, judged across 40 places; November to January are its low season.
Updated September 2026 · Europe · 40 places, each judged for what it is · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
The British Isles month by month
| Month | Season | Why | Best places |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | low season | 8 h daylight · 8°C highs · best May–Aug | Aviemore, Killarney, Clifden |
| February | not its best | 9°C highs · best May–Aug | Aviemore, Killarney, Canterbury |
| March | not its best | 11°C highs · best May–Aug | Killarney, Keswick, Windermere |
| April | good | 13°C highs · 9 h sun | Clifden, Killarney, Fort William |
| May | good | 16°C highs · 11 h sun | Keswick, Killarney, Fort William |
| June | in season | 19°C highs · 10 h sun | London, Bath, Bristol |
| July | in season | 20°C highs · 10 h sun | Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury |
| August | in season | 20°C highs · 9 h sun | London, Cambridge, Canterbury |
| September | good | 18°C highs | Canterbury, Saint Peter Port, Cambridge |
| October | not its best | 15 wet days · best May–Aug | Killarney, Canterbury, London |
| November | low season | 9 h daylight · best May–Aug | Killarney, Cambridge, Clifden |
| December | low season | 8 h daylight · 9°C highs · best May–Aug | Aviemore, Killarney, Canterbury |
In season: one of the region's three best months, and good in its own right. Low season: one of its three worst, and well below its best. The reasons compare each month with the region's own year and name the seasons on the ground — monsoon, autumn colour, hurricanes — where most of its places share them.
All 40 places in the British Isles
- AviemoreUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- BathUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- BelfastUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- BirminghamUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- BournemouthUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- BrightonUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- BristolUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- CambridgeUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- CanterburyUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- CardiffUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- ClifdenIrelandweather by month →
- CorkIrelandweather by month →
- DingleIrelandweather by month →
- DouglasIsle of Manweather by month →
- DublinIrelandweather by month →
- EdinburghUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- Fort WilliamUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- GalwayIrelandweather by month →
- GlasgowUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- InvernessUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- Isle of SkyeUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- Isle of WightUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- KeswickUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- KilkennyIrelandweather by month →
- KillarneyIrelandweather by month →
- LiverpoolUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- LondonUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- ManchesterUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- NewquayUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- ObanUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- OxfordUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- PortreeUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- Saint HelierJerseyweather by month →
- Saint Peter PortGuernseyweather by month →
- St AndrewsUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- St IvesUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- Stratford-upon-AvonUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- WhitbyUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- WindermereUnited Kingdomweather by month →
- YorkUnited Kingdomweather by month →
The British Isles — FAQ
- When is the best time to visit the British Isles?
- June to August. In July: 20°C highs · 10 h sun.
- When is the low season in the British Isles?
- November to January. In January: 8 h daylight · 8°C highs · best May–Aug.
- Which months are in season in the British Isles?
- June to August — the months among its best that are also good in their own right.