Visiting London in September 2026: What’s On, What to Book and What to Know

Welcome to the first episode of a brand new monthly bonus series from the UK Travel Planning Podcast, brought to you by our sister brand London Travel Planning. Each month we look ahead at what is happening in the capital, what is worth booking and what will sell out before you get there. This month I am joined by Charley Sullivan from WalksDevour to talk through September 2026 in London.

This episode is sponsored by WalksDevour. Charley lived in London for nearly 18 years and runs WalksDevour’s London tour programme. We cover the weather and the packing decisions it forces, the Bayeux Tapestry arriving at the British Museum after nearly 1,000 years, the last month of the year to see inside Buckingham Palace, and the events many visitors never hear about.

This post may contain compensated links. Please refer to my disclosure here for more information.

What you will learn in this episode

• Why September feels like a different city to August, and what the drop in crowds means at the Tower and Westminster Abbey
• What September weather actually does, with daytime highs around 19 to 20°C (66°F) and nights dropping to 12 to 13°C (53°F)
• Where to check a long range forecast, and why a second look the week before you pack is worth it
• How much daylight you get to play with, from 13.5 hours at the start of the month down to 11.5 hours by the end
• Why layers beat everything else when packing for London in September, and Charley’s rule about dressing like an onion
• The single scheduling mistake that ruins a first tour, and what to do with your arrival day instead
• Why the Bayeux Tapestry tickets vanished in days, when the next release waves open, and how British Museum membership gets you priority booking
• What it costs to join the British Museum, and whether it is worth it for a 2027 trip
• Why Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style has been extended to April 2027, and what surprised Tracy most about the late Queen’s clothes
• Why September is your last chance this year to walk through the Buckingham Palace State Rooms
• How to get into the Ceremony of the Keys when the £5 public tickets sell out the moment they are released
• What actually happens inside the Tower after dark, and why you will not find footage of it anywhere online
• The free September events most visitors miss, including Totally Thames, the Open House Festival and hundreds of buildings normally closed to the public
• Where to find the quirkiest tradition of the month, when the Freemen of the City of London drive their sheep across Southwark Bridge
• Why the ETA now matters before you board, what it should cost, and how to avoid the sites charging ten times the real fee
• What a full day of London looks like on the London in a Day tour, including skip-the-line access at Westminster Abbey and the Tower
• How the Borough Market food tour handles cobbles, crowds and slower walkers, answering Laura’s accessibility question
• The exclusive WalksDevour offer for UKTP and LTP listeners, and the date it closes

* Correction Note

A quick correction: in the episode Tracy says the Sheep Drive takes place on Sunday 27 October. That was a slip of the tongue. The Sheep Drive is on Sunday 27 September 2026 at Southwark Bridge. Apologies for the confusion.

Links mentioned in the episode

• WalksDevour — small group and private cultural, historical and food tours in London, Europe and North America. Tours mentioned in this episode: London in a Day, Buckingham Palace State Rooms, Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and afternoon tea, and the Borough Market food tour.
• Use code UKTP5 for 5% off WalksDevour tours; book before midnight UK time on 10 September 2026.
• UK ETA official UK gov site
• Visiting London in September
• Events in London in September 2026

Related Content

Podcasts

• Episode #150 – Essential Guide to Visiting Buckingham Palace: Tours, Tickets, Tips, and Must-See Highlights
• Episode #142 – Exploring the Tower of London: History, Highlights, and Helpful Tips
• Episode #192 – Visiting London’s Top Museums: How to Choose + Plan Your Visit

Articles

• Visiting London in September (All you need to know)
• Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London
• Visiting Buckingham Palace – Tickets, tours + FAQs
• WalksDevour Tours in London: Small Group Experiences You’ll Love

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