Yes, you can smoke at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in the marked outdoor smoking areas outside each of the four terminals, before security. Heathrow is a smoke-free airport in line with UK law: the airport states that you cannot smoke or vape inside any terminal, and that after security smoking and vaping are not allowed anywhere. Have your last cigarette on the forecourt before you check in and clear security, whichever terminal you fly from.
Smoking areas at LHR at a glance
Photo: BryceAll terminals · ground level, outside the building
Forecourt areas at every terminal
Yellow Smoking Area signs mark the spots on each forecourt, typically near the arrivals exits; search Smoking Area on the airport's interactive map for the exact spots. Step fully outside to use them.
How to find it ↓Terminal 2 · forecourt, ground level
Terminal 2 outdoor areas
Outside the Queen's Terminal before security. After security Terminal 2 is smoke-free, the enclosure travellers have described near Gate A1 included.
How to find it ↓
Photo: Tony JTerminal 3 · ground level
Terminal 3 outdoor area
Outside the building before security; Terminal 3 has nothing after security.
How to find it ↓Terminal 4 · forecourt, ground level
Terminal 4 outdoor areas
Outside the terminal before security. After security Terminal 4 is smoke-free, the enclosure travellers have described near the Gate 7 exit included.
How to find it ↓Terminal 5 · ground level
Terminal 5 outdoor area
Outside the terminal before security. The free bus to Terminal 4 gains nothing: Terminal 4 is smoke-free after security too.
How to find it ↓Heathrow is a major long-haul gateway, so if you are connecting on, see where to smoke during a Dubai layover or Singapore Changi’s smoking areas.
The Outdoor Smoking Areas (All Terminals)
Every Heathrow terminal has marked outdoor smoking areas at ground level outside the building, typically near the arrivals exits. Look for the yellow “Smoking Area” signs on the forecourt; search for “Smoking Area” on the airport’s interactive terminal map for the exact spots. The areas serve passengers, meeters-and-greeters and staff before entering the terminal or after collecting luggage.
A signposted passenger smoking area on the forecourt outside the terminals — community photo by Bryce
To use these areas, you must step fully outside the terminal building. Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the terminals, including entrance foyers and covered walkways. The outdoor areas are open to the weather, so they are usable year-round and not always comfortable in winter.
After Security: Smoke-Free in Every Terminal
Heathrow’s own smoking page is unambiguous: after security, smoking and vaping are not allowed anywhere. That covers Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, the departure lounges, the gate areas and the airline lounges.
Travellers have described two outdoor airside enclosures at Heathrow: one near Gate A1 on the ground floor of Terminal 2 and a heated one near the Gate 7 exit in Terminal 4. The airport’s rule covers them: smoking and vaping are not allowed anywhere after security. Do not plan a layover around them; smoke on the forecourt before security instead.
Terminal 2 — Before Security Only
Terminal 2 (the Queen’s Terminal) has marked outdoor smoking areas outside the building at ground level, near the arrivals exits on the forecourt. Finish your cigarette there before you go up to check-in and security. After security Terminal 2 is smoke-free, the enclosure travellers have described near Gate A1 included.
Terminal 3 — Before Security Only
Terminal 3’s outdoor smoking areas are outside the building at ground level, before security. After the checkpoint Terminal 3 has nothing: the airport’s all-terminal rule applies.
On the way out to Terminal 3’s outdoor smoking area — community photo by Tony J
Terminal 4 — Before Security Only
Terminal 4’s outdoor smoking areas are on the forecourt at ground level, before security. After security Terminal 4 is smoke-free: the airport’s rule covers the enclosure travellers have described near the Gate 7 exit.
Terminal 5 — Before Security Only
Terminal 5’s marked outdoor smoking areas are outside the terminal at ground level, before security. After security Terminal 5 is smoke-free, vaping included. Riding the free inter-terminal bus to Terminal 4 gains nothing for a smoker: Terminal 4 is smoke-free after security too, and the round trip would cost about 1.5 hours and a second pass through security.
Connecting Passengers
In the airport’s own words, if you have a connecting flight you cannot smoke or vape during your transfer. To smoke, you need to go through passport control, leave the terminal building, use the outdoor smoking areas and then go back through security to the departure lounge. UK entry requirements apply at passport control, and re-screening at Heathrow takes time at peak hours, so this is realistic only on a layover of several hours. On a tight connection, wait for your destination; our guide to smoking during layovers covers how to judge the margin.
Vaping at Heathrow
Vaping follows the smoking rule at Heathrow: use the marked outdoor areas outside the terminal. E-cigarettes are not permitted inside any terminal or anywhere after security. If you carry an e-cigarette, check with your airline first, as rules vary by airline.
How Heathrow Compares
Heathrow is more restrictive than most major European and international hubs. By contrast, the indoor smoking rooms after security at Paris Charles de Gaulle are accessible from all terminals, making it far more convenient for smokers in transit, while Frankfurt Airport’s after-security indoor smoking cabins are dotted throughout both terminals in every concourse. If you are connecting through Heathrow on a long-haul route, it helps to know where to smoke during a Dubai layover, where you will find well-ventilated indoor smoking rooms at every terminal.
Among UK airports, Heathrow follows the common landside-only pattern: outdoor areas outside the terminal and nothing after security. If you are choosing between London airports, the one airside option among the London airports is the airside My Lounge smoking terrace at London Gatwick, which needs paid lounge access. For a UK layover where a cigarette is possible without re-clearing security, see Manchester Airport’s outdoor area after security or our full list of airports with smoking areas after security.
Summary
| Terminal | Smoking Area After Security | Where to Smoke |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 2 | No | Marked outdoor areas outside the terminal at ground level, before security. |
| Terminal 3 | No | Outdoor areas outside the building; nothing after security. |
| Terminal 4 | No | Outdoor areas on the forecourt at ground level, before security. |
| Terminal 5 | No | Outdoor areas outside the terminal; nothing after security, vaping included. |
| Connecting passengers | No | Exit through passport control, smoke outside, re-clear security. |
For United Kingdom airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our United Kingdom smoking guide.