Best time to visit Oxford
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Oxford
6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Oxford).
- 1
The Cotswold Tour - 2
Discover the Secrets of the Cotswolds Private Tour Experience - 3
Cotswolds in a Day Tour from Moreton-in-Marsh / Stratford-on-Avon - 4
Oxford University Walking Tour With University Alumni Guide - 5
Inspector Morse, Lewis and Endeavour Oxford Walking Tour - 6
Oxford Audio Guided Walking Tour 2h and 26 audio commentary
Last refreshed 2026-05-27.
Similar climatesLondon96% · Cambridge96% · York95%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Oxford (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Oxford's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2–8 | 4 | 11 | 113 | 10.3 | 83% | 22 | 96 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Feb | 4–10 | 6 | 12 | 137 | 11.4 | 77% | 26 | 104 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Mar | 4–11 | 7 | 14 | 173 | 12.4 | 71% | 23 | 151 | 2 | Quiet | 5 |
| Apr | 4–13 | 10 | 9 | 117 | 13.0 | 61% | 20 | 217 | 3 | Quiet | 6 |
| May | 8–17 | 15 | 12 | 139 | 11.6 | 62% | 19 | 248 | 4 | Quiet | 7 |
| Jun | 11–20 | 19 | 11 | 129 | 11.7 | 59% | 19 | 258 | 5 | Quiet | 8 |
| Jul | 13–22 | 20 | 13 | 161 | 12.4 | 61% | 20 | 252 | 4 | Quiet | 7 |
| Aug | 13–22 | 21 | 9 | 123 | 13.7 | 62% | 20 | 228 | 4 | Peak | 8 |
| Sep | 11–20 | 19 | 11 | 109 | 9.9 | 66% | 19 | 185 | 3 | Busy | 8 |
| Oct | 9–15 | 13 | 15 | 156 | 10.4 | 76% | 21 | 140 | 2 | Moderate | 6 |
| Nov | 5–11 | 8 | 11 | 114 | 10.4 | 83% | 21 | 99 | 1 | Peak | 5 |
| Dec | 4–8 | 5 | 14 | 142 | 10.1 | 87% | 23 | 62 | — | Busy | 4 |
UV Index in Oxford by Month
UV index in Oxford peaks at 5 (moderate) in June, dropping to 0 (low) in December.
Best months in detail
August
8/1013–22°C · 9 rain days (123h) · 228 sun hours · 62% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)
June
8/1011–20°C (feels 19°C) · 11 rain days (129h) · 258 sun hours · 59% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
September
8/1011–20°C (feels 19°C) · 11 rain days (109h) · 185 sun hours · 66% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
4/102–8°C (feels 4°C) · 11 rain days (113h) · 96 sun hours · 83% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
February
4/104–10°C (feels 6°C) · 12 rain days (137h) · 104 sun hours · 77% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
5/104–11°C (feels 7°C) · 14 rain days (173h) · 151 sun hours · 71% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
April
6/104–13°C (feels 10°C) · 9 rain days (117h) · 217 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
May
7/108–17°C (feels 15°C) · 12 rain days (139h) · 248 sun hours · 62% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)
July
7/1013–22°C (feels 20°C) · 13 rain days (161h) · 252 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
October
6/109–15°C (feels 13°C) · 15 rain days (156h) · 140 sun hours · 76% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 2 (low)
November
5/105–11°C (feels 8°C) · 11 rain days (114h) · 99 sun hours · 83% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 1 (low)
December
4/104–8°C (feels 5°C) · 14 rain days (142h) · 62 sun hours · 87% humidity · Busy crowd
Frequently asked questions about visiting Oxford
When is the best time to visit Oxford?
August is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 13–22°C (9 rainy days). The top three months by score are August, June, September.
What is the worst time to visit Oxford?
December is the lowest-scoring month (4/10). Typical conditions: 4–8°C (14 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Oxford?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Oxford have good weather but fewer tourists?
June (climate 8/10, crowd index 7) and May (climate 7/10, crowd index 5) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Oxford by month?
UV peaks at 5 (moderate) in June and is lowest in December at 0 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 1, Mar 2, Apr 3, May 4, Jun 5, Jul 4, Aug 4, Sep 3, Oct 2, Nov 1, Dec —.
What is the UV index in Oxford in June?
June is the peak UV month in Oxford, with a daily-peak UV index of 5 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in Oxford on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 5 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 7 (high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: May, June, July, August. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in Oxford bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 5 months: January, February, March, April, May. The worst month is March with a typical-day mean of 11 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 23 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.