Published 2026-09-21 by the Rushxo team. More guides.
Short answer: September is the month London locals would pick for you. The August crowds have gone, the weather is still mild (highs around 19 to 20°C), the museums open their autumn blockbusters, and the calendar is full of free festivals. Book your airport transfer and your hardest-to-get tickets early; everything else can wait until you land.
Expect daytime highs of 19 to 20°C and nights of 12 to 13°C. Daylight shrinks quickly through the month, from about 13.5 hours at the start to 11.5 hours by the 30th, so plan outdoor sightseeing for the first half of your day. Rain is possible on any day; a light waterproof and layers beat a heavy coat.
| Event | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum | from late September | The most in-demand exhibition of the year; timed tickets sold out within days of release. Members get priority booking. |
| Totally Thames | all month | Free river-themed events along the whole Thames; most visitors never hear about it. |
| Open House Festival | mid September | Hundreds of buildings that are normally closed to the public open free. |
| Buckingham Palace State Rooms | until end of September | Last chance this year to see the State Rooms on the summer opening. |
| Sheep Drive, Southwark Bridge | Sunday 27 September | The Freemen of the City of London exercising an ancient right, in fancy dress. |
| Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style | extended to April 2027 | Popular exhibition, no rush. |
| Autumn theatre season | September onwards | Time Out lists new West End openings including Thelma & Louise (to 24 Oct) and Golden Boy (to 31 Oct). |
The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London (£5, nightly) is worth mentioning because tickets go the moment they are released; if you want it, set an alarm for the release date rather than hoping on the day.
London Tickets' seasonal comparison puts September in the "moderate crowds, mid-range prices" band, between the peak of summer and the cheap, cold months from November. In practice that means walk-up entry to most museums, restaurant tables without a fortnight's notice, and hotel rates 15 to 30% below August. The exception is the last week of the month, when the Bayeux Tapestry opening and the start of the university year fill hotels near Bloomsbury and South Kensington.
One of the best. Daytime highs of 19 to 20°C, 11.5 to 13.5 hours of daylight, and far smaller queues at the big attractions than in August. Hotel rates are lower than July and August but higher than November.
Totally Thames (all month), the Open House Festival (hundreds of normally closed buildings open free), the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum, the last weeks of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms summer opening, the Sheep Drive across Southwark Bridge on Sunday 27 September, and the start of the autumn theatre and exhibition season.
Rushxo quotes a fixed price per car before you book. There is no seasonal surcharge for September; the only supplements are the weekday peak-hour uplift and the airport pick-up charge, both already included in the quote.
Most visitors who do not need a visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before they travel. Apply on the official GOV.UK site only; third-party sites charge more for the same thing.
Fixed-price airport transfer, meet and greet, flight tracked. Quote in seconds.
Get a fixed price →Rushxo runs fixed-price transfers to events and venues, every major airport and cruise terminal, and towns and cities right across London and the South East. Every journey is a fixed price agreed before you book.
O2 Arena · Wembley Stadium · Twickenham Stadium · Emirates Stadium · Ascot Racecourse · Epsom Derby · Download Festival · Brands Hatch
Gatwick Airport · Heathrow Airport · Stansted Airport · Luton Airport · London City Airport · Southend Airport · Cruise transfers
London · Brighton · Canterbury · Chelmsford · Cambridge · Oxford · Guildford
Airport transfers · Events & venues · Event airport transfers
Planning the whole holiday? The Christmas and New Year transfers page covers airport runs on the days with no trains, New Year's Eve pickups around the fireworks closures and party transport, all at fixed fares with no seasonal uplift.