What to do in London in March

By Ian Packham
March is a good time to head to London's parks

London in March welcomes the spring – announcing itself with a flurry of flowerheads and chirruping of bird song. Brighter, sunnier skies begin to hint at the months ahead and the return of British Summer Time means evenings are lighter for longer. All the better for enjoying London’s many attractions and events, including the St Patrick’s Day celebrations and the University Boat Race.

What is the weather like in London in March?

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Don’t be fooled by the sudden addition of color to the streets of London in March, the start of the month can still be chilly. March 1 will usually see daytime temperatures of around 8°C, before they begin to steadily increase as the month goes on. By its end, they’ve jumped by roughly a third to about 13°C. Putting this into context, it’s just 3°C below temperatures frequently recorded at the height of summer. On occasion they can jump still further – the March all-time record stands at no less than 23°C.

Given this fact, snow is – perhaps unbelievably – still an outside possibility. However, your main concern will be rain showers, which can sweep in at any time to break up the growing periods of sun. On the plus side, dusk creeps back day after day, providing visitors to London with longer daylight hours to spend amidst the treasures of the British capital.

Enjoy London’s parks

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The grass turns a fresh shade of green, the flower beds erupt in blooms and the sun – hopefully – shines. This makes March in London a good month for getting outside and exploring the city’s many parks, gardens and green spaces.

A visit to the gates of Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard ceremony can easily be combined with time in the capital’s Royal Parks. St James’s, Green and Hyde Parks form a near-continuous expanse of greenery from the River Thames to Notting Hill. More than just parklands, they contain various monuments, lakes and even an art gallery – The Serpentine.

Not all that far away in Lambeth is the Garden Museum. The only museum of its kind in the country, it uses its base of a converted church dated to the Norman Conquest to record the history of the garden in the UK psyche.

Get ready to party

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The color green is also an integral part of one of March’s main events. He may not be the capital’s patron saint (that’s Saint Paul) but this doesn’t stop Londoners from celebrating St Patrick’s Day on March 17. The main festivities generally take place on the weekend nearest the date, and kick off on Piccadilly Circus.

It’s from here a parade of floats, performers and marching bands take over the streets on route to Trafalgar Square. But the festivities don’t stop there. The statue of Nelson atop its column looks down on a specially-constructed stage that sees performances from a wealth of acts with a connection to the Emerald Isle. Pall Mall hosts a range of family zone activities suitable for younger visitors.

It’s the banks of the Thames that are the location for The University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge. First fought in 1829, somewhere in the region of a quarter of a million people line the winding 4.2 mile west London course each year to cheer on the rowing eights. The finish line at Chiswick Bridge is a favored vantage point for obvious reasons.

Refresh your wardrobe

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Browsing the new season trends is on many people’s lists of things to do in London in March, and for good reason. The British capital’s range of retail opportunities is well-known, offering everything from off the peg items to department stores holding royal warrants to supply the Queen and Prince of Wales.

Whilst it’s Oxford Street where you’ll find many household names, neighboring Regent’s Street blends high-end couture with an independent streak sometimes missing from the streets of the capital. Children’s eyes will bulge wide at the very sight of Hamleys’, whose seven stories make it the biggest toyshop in the world. Meanwhile, adults are sure to find something that delights at Liberty’s, whose mock-Tudor edifice stretches from Kingly Street to the boutique stores of Carnaby Street, and has championed designers from William Morris to Manolo Blahnik.

The seven streets that together form, surprise-surprise, Seven Dials, between Soho and Covent Garden is perhaps easier on the wallet but certainly doesn’t hold back on the cool. Playing host to almost 150 stores and places to eat, it’s a good place to head whether you’re looking for a new pair of jeans or a block of locally-produced cheese. If there’s a bookworm in the family, a trip to the secondhand bookshops of Charing Cross Road will be in order.

Explore the wider world

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Amid the splendor of the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House, Greenwich, stand the masts of the last remaining tea clipper, the Cutty Sark. A simply stunning addition to the east London skyline under the clear skies of March, she was built in 1869 and moored at the Thames as a museum ship in 1954.

Visitors are able to discover the cramped conditions crew sailing between China and England had to endure below deck. Since a major restoration project, it’s now also possible to walk beneath the hull to view its original planking and ironwork, before admiring the world’s largest collection of ship’s figureheads.

Containing one of the largest collections of living creatures in the UK, ZSL London Zoo has been educating the public and conserving the world’s wildlife for nearly two centuries. Amongst its 20,000 individual animals are 650 species including lions, lemurs and Komodo dragons. Each live in enclosures attempting to mimic their natural habitats as closely as possible, to the extent that many include other species from the same region.

Save on March London attraction admission

The start of spring ensures there are a huge array of things to do in London in March. But seeing so many attractions can soon get expensive. Go City helps ease the burden by including reduced admission to many of London’s top attractions, whilst doing away with paper ticketing but not the flexibility you’ll want on a visit to the British capital.

Ian Packham
Go City Travel Expert

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Southbank London
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Best walks in London

“To walk alone in London is the greatest rest,” proclaimed Virginia Woolf in her 1927 essay Street Haunting. It’s hard to disagree: a stroll through London’s streets nourishes the soul. Here you’ll find all the familiar landmarks, and there unexpected marvels: parks that materialize as if from nowhere, quirky museums, hidden alleyways that lead... where? Ask a local to recommend the best walk in London and you’ll get a different answer every time, such are the endless possibilities of this great city. Here, though, are four of our favorites. Soho stroll It doesn’t get much more London than a saunter through the streets of Soho. Once the epicenter of London’s – shall we say – seamier entertainments, the district has shaken off much of its reputation to re-emerge as a bohemian mini metropolis, awash with cute cafés, independent stores and sizzling street food. Arriving at Leicester Square station, take the Charing Cross Road East exit to emerge opposite this thoroughfare’s venerable second-hand bookstores, their Harry Potter-esque shopfronts stacked high with dusty leather-bound tomes, colorful pulp novels and weighty reference books. Pause for a selfie, then follow your nose to Chinatown. Here, red-and-gold lanterns sway above the street and tantalizing aromas of hoi-sin duck, plump dim sum and crispy chili beef provide a feast for the senses. One block north of Chinatown brings you to Shaftesbury Avenue, a broad and bustling boulevard at the very heart of London’s west end, where acting legends tread the boards at theaters including (deep breath) the Lyric, the Gielgud, the Sondheim, the Apollo and the Palace. Wander up Dean Street to enter Soho proper and pause for un petit verre at The French House. This diminutive gallic stalwart has been here since the late 19th-century, lubricating art-and-literature aristocracy including Dylan Thomas, Salvador Dali and Francis Bacon down the years. Swing right onto Old Compton Street then left at the Prince Edward Theatre to join Greek Street. Keep your eyes peeled for blue plaques that commemorate some of the street’s most celebrated former residents, from Thomas de Quincy to Peter Cook. Greek Street is also home to Maison Bertaux – at over 150 years old, quite probably the longest-established French patisserie in London – as well as whisky store Milroy’s. Intrepid visitors to this Scotch specialist should seek out the cocktail bar in the cellar, its entrance cunningly concealed behind a bookcase at the back of the shop. Take the weight off for a moment in Soho Square, a small public garden with a statue of Charles II and an eye-catching mini mock-tudor building at its center, before heading a couple of blocks west to Berwick Street. Packed with vinyl record stores, clothes boutiques, haberdashers and traditional London boozers, it’s perhaps most famous for its centuries-old street market (now a foodie mecca) and for featuring on an Oasis record sleeve in the 90s. Linger awhile to soak up the boho atmosphere then disappear into the surrounding streets... Regent’s Park With pristine white stucco terraces, manicured gardens galore, an ornamental lake and much more spread across its 400 acres, Regent’s Park has plenty to keep even the most seasoned stroller happy for hours. Enter by Regent’s Park station, and bear left towards the superb boating lake, where you can hire small row boats and pedalos from spring through fall. The banks make an ideal spot for picnicking, but expect some attention from the resident ducks, swans and geese. Look out for the vast copper dome of the Central London Mosque on the opposite bank. Follow the path to the bandstand and into the Inner Circle to seek out Queen Mary’s Gardens, the park’s finest. Pause to smell the roses (take your time: there are thousands!) and linger in the tranquility of the Japanese-style garden with its babbling brooks, miniature waterfalls and weeping willows. At the top of the circle, you’ll find an open-air theater with performances of Shakespeare plays, kids’ shows and more during the summer months. The distant sound of shrieking gibbons and roaring lions draws you northwards to ZSL London Zoo. Established nearly two centuries ago, it’s the world’s oldest and now houses over 750 species and nearly 20,000 critters, from tigers to tarantulas, okapis to otters. From here, cross the canal footbridge to climb Primrose Hill for far-reaching views of London’s skyline, or follow the meandering towpath west to Little Venice, where cute barges (including the UK’s only floating puppet theater!) bob gently in the lagoon. The East End Perhaps best known for its darker associations with Jack The Ripper, London’s East End has ushered in the modern while retaining the best of its Victorian character. Exit Liverpool Street station, head along Bishopsgate and right onto Folgate Street, where Dennis Severs’ House, a mesmerizing throwback to a bygone era, is worth an hour of anyone's time. Continue to Commercial Street, past sprawling Spitalfields Market, and pause for refreshment at the Ten Bells. This cozy pub stands in the shadow of Christ Church – an imposing 18th-century Hawksmoor masterpiece – and was once frequented by victims of Jack The Ripper. A couple of blocks east is Brick Lane, where Bangladeshi and Jewish influences still happily prevail in spite of the area’s ongoing gentrification. It’s here you’ll find the finest bagels and curries in all of London. Try both: you won’t regret it. Brick Lane is also home to the landmark Truman Brewery building. Once a beer-making powerhouse, now an office block, it retains a convivial cobbled courtyard with a bar and live music in summer. This is also the place to cram shopping bags full of vintage fashions, vinyl records and, of course, fresh spices and exotic fruits – no trip to Brick Lane would be complete without a visit to the legendary Taj Stores. Finish your tour at the bottom of the street where modern art exhibitions and installations are free to enter at the wonderful Whitechapel Gallery. South Bank to the Tower Stretch your legs a little on this three-mile route that takes in bustling markets, Shakespearean theaters, royal palaces, and some of the finest river views you’re likely to encounter in London. Emerging at Embankment station, climb the stairs onto the Hungerford footbridge. Buskers perform for your entertainment as you cross, but they’re fighting a losing battle against the captivating views: St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, Big Ben, the London Eye... to name just a few. Stroll through the South Bank’s cultural heart, home to the Royal Festival Hall and National Film Theatre. Beneath these fantastic examples of brutalist architecture, kids show off their moves in the graffiti’d skatepark and a cavalcade of street entertainers vie for your attention (and cash). Follow the river past the landmark Oxo Tower to the Tate Modern and onwards to the Globe Theater, a stunning replica of the Elizabethan playhouse for which Shakespeare wrote his plays. Completed in the mid-1990s, this authentic timber-framed reconstruction boasts the only thatched roof permitted in London since the Great Fire of 1666. Your walk continues east to the atmospheric cobbled lanes around Southwark and London Bridge, where you’ll encounter the infamous Clink Prison and a faithful reproduction of Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hind galleon. Railway bridges rumble overhead as you follow your nose into Borough Market, where restaurant-quality fast food will fortify you for the final leg of your adventure. Here, every palate is catered for. Grab a halloumi burger or smoked salmon bagel, try melt-in-the-mouth confit duck or make a mess with delicious, oozing cheese raclette. The leafy grounds of medieval Southwark Cathedral, right next to the market, provide a tranquil setting to savor your meal and watch the world go by. We challenge you not to hum the famous nursery rhyme as you cross London Bridge and join the Thames Path east to the Tower of London: awe-inspiring fortress, royal palace, notorious prison, and home of the Crown Jewels. It’s here, among the resident ravens and the Yeoman Guards in their smart red-and navy livery, that your journey concludes. Save on things to do in London Save on admission to London attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Busy street in London with two phone boxes and Christmas lights
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The best Christmas markets in London

If you happen to be in this enigmatic city as the days get colder and the nights get longer, you’ll notice a proliferation of twinkly lights that can only mean one thing – Christmas markets have appeared!
Karleen Stevens
A couple walk past Tower Bridge in London in April
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One week in London: your ultimate itinerary

London isn’t just a list of landmarks to tick off but a living entity which has been constantly evolving for over 2000 years. Hugely diverse in origin, Londoners shop, work and worship amidst world-beating attractions. Spend enough time in the capital, and you’ll realize that behind their frosty exterior most of London’s nine million people are also a friendly – if modest – bunch worth taking the time to get to know properly. A week in London it is then! Plan it well and a London 7 day itinerary can provide you with a view of the British capital it’s not possible to get with a two or three day visit. As Samuel Johnson once said, when you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life. Your first day in London With your camera battery fully charged and SD cards empty, ease yourself into the next 7 days in London at Piccadilly Circus. At the junction between the thoroughfare simply known as Piccadilly and Regent Street, it’s a spot that has spun with black cabs, red double decker buses and advertising hoardings for decades, with the Statue of Eros acting as the starting point for countless romances. Piccadilly has its fair share of famous storefronts should you want to start the souvenir shopping early, with Fortnum & Mason as evocative of time in London as afternoon tea at The Ritz a few doors down. Spend the rest of the day taking in the views of Buckingham Palace from the roof of Wellington Arch – once home to London’s smallest police station – and admiring the collections of Apsley House. Also known as No 1 London, it was the home of the Duke of Wellington, victor over Napoleon. A day by the river The views at the Tower of London extend back close to 1000 years. A fortification built by William the Conqueror around 1066 which became a prison to Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes and The Kray twins, the tower is now best known for its ravens, yeomen wardens (beefeaters) and crown jewels. Together they provide an unforgettable morning of heritage, wit and bling. Cross the Thames by Tower Bridge to reach the south side of the river. Opening on average three times a day, with a week in London you can afford to hang around the area for a while just in case, perhaps taking in HMS Belfast at the same time. With nine decks to explore, it’s one of the most detailed displays of life in the navy during peace and war time you’ll encounter. End the day looking down on London from The View from The Shard. Western Europe’s tallest building, The Shard’s observation floors stand 250 meters above the riverside, providing panoramas capable of transporting you 40 miles in any direction. The bar makes an extra-special spot from which to enjoy London’s sunsets too. The rainy day The weather in London is fickle enough that you could experience a rainy day at any time of year. But don’t worry, there’s plenty indoors that will keep you busy without them feeling like second-rate options. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum are located side by side in Kensington, though with such extensive collections you’re better off sticking to the one that interests you most. Whilst the first two museums are relatively self-explanatory, the Victoria and Albert Museum name doesn’t give much away. Funded by the profits of Hyde Park’s 1851 Great Exhibition, it concentrates on the decorative arts, from ceramics to tapestries and jewelry. The site of performances throughout the year, the Royal Albert Hall really comes into its own in August and September, when it welcomes the Proms. But even when there’s no scheduled performance you can still take in its main auditorium with a behind the scenes tour. Span a millennium in a day For a trip beneath the world’s oceans without the price tag to match, start the fourth day of your London week itinerary at SEA LIFE Center London Aquarium. As well as a coral reef and a shark tunnel, visitors are able to watch the antics of a small colony of penguins. Just outside, the steady rotation of the London Eye has become an irresistible part of anyone’s London experience. The world’s first cantilever Ferris wheel – supported on just one side – its location means it provides some of the clearest views of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey beyond. With origins predating the Norman Conquest of 1066, the abbey has witnessed some of the most important events in British history, from the coronation of over 40 kings and queens, to royal marriages, memorials to national treasures and the burial of the unknown soldier at the end of the First World War. Royal brides continue to place their bouquet on its black marble surface in honor of the fallen. Spend a day at Kew The list of public green spaces that were once the private property of the British monarch extends to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. A cherished part of west London, the gardens have gained international recognition through their UNESCO World Heritage status and continuing work to save botany’s rarest plants from extinction. Nor does it matter when you plan to visit London, since Kew provides all-year color and interest. Spring sees tulips, daffodils and cherry blossom take centerstage, before the summer months present its follies – including a ten story Chinese pagoda – in all their glory. Fall sees Kew’s 14,000 trees from around the world turn stunning shades of sunset whilst even the winter isn’t lacking in attractions thanks to its multiple glasshouses and February orchid festival. So slip on a good pair of walking shoes and discover for yourself what Kew is all about! A day in the City of London Begin Day 6 of your odyssey at the northern end of London Bridge. Once the only crossing over the Thames in the city, the current version dates from the 1960s and is a little underwhelming compared to London’s other crossings – but does have clear views towards Tower Bridge and The Shard. Head north from the city of London into the City of London – which has its own police force and ancient ways though not much over two kilometers square – for one of London’s quirkier attractions – The Monument. Located on an easy-to-miss side street, it commemorates the Great Fire of 1666, reputed to have started in Pudding Lane opposite. The ‘new’ St Paul’s Cathedral rose from the ashes of the fire. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, its sightlines are protected by law and its interior considered one of architecture's greatest achievements. End your day in and around the Museum of London, which tells the story of the capital from the time of the mammoths to the latest archeological discoveries. A day of live performances Make sure you haven’t missed anything by spending the morning enjoying the commentary and day ticket opportunities of a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour through the heart of the capital. Follow this up with a matinee performance at one of the West End’s top theaters, where dramas, musicals and comedies switch between coming from and going to New York’s Broadway and attract big names in television and cinema to their stages. On a bright summer night the open-air amphitheater forming Regent’s Park Theater ensures each show is unique, whilst an afternoon at ZSL London Zoo provides another type of entertainment. Its 750 species, from aardvarks to zebra, never fail to charm. A week in London with Go City Capture the essence of the living and breathing British capital with one week in London. Its range of attractions are extensive, but that doesn’t mean you have to watch your bank balance drain. Travel with Go City to take advantage of massive savings on admission to many top attractions!
Ian Packham

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