Where To Smoke Inside London Heathrow Airport

Despite strict prohibitions against smoking in the United Kingdom, you can still smoke at two locations inside London Heathrow Airport. I’ve updated this guide for 2024.

A few years ago, I wrote a post entitled, The Secret Place to Smoke Airside at LHR. That story pointed out “secret” locations in Terminals 2 and 5 where smoking is technically possible. But Heathrow also has two officially designated smoking areas, one in Terminal 2, the other in Terminal 4. Both are intended for departing passengers.

Let’s start with Terminal 4. Once you are past security, follow the smoking signs. You’ll walk toward the end of the terminal, head downstairs via two sets of escalators, exit via double doors, and come out in an enclosed outdoor cage:

Terminal 2 offers a similar smoking lounge. You can locate it in the A Gate area near gate A1. Head downstairs to the smoking area, just like in Terminal 4.

Once you reach the ground floor, turn right and you’ll see the entrance to the smoking area, which will take you around the corner inside a caged-off area and into the actual smoking room.

Terminal 3 used to have a cage in the transit area, but no longer does.

Terminal 5 does not have a smoking area on the secure side.

There are also outdoor smoking areas at each terminal located on the ground level (arrivals level).

A smoking area outside LHR T2
A smoking area at LHR outside T3

Smoking Still Officially “Prohibited” at London Heathrow

I’m not sure why the Heathrow website does not list these two smoking areas. On the contrary, it explicitly states that smoking is prohibited in all areas of Heathrow Airport. It’s not. The map images above with the smoking symbols are official airport maps.

Heathrow is a smoke-free airport, in line with British law on smoking in enclosed public spaces.

Smoking is permitted in designated areas outside the terminal building.

However, please be aware that once you have passed through security control, you will not be able to smoke anywhere in the departure lounge.

If you are catching a connecting flight at Heathrow, please note that smoking is not permitted during the connection process. It’s only possible to access the outdoor smoking areas by entering the UK (via passport control), and you would then have to pass through security control to return to the departure lounge.

Again, don’t be confused by this website. Smoking is officially permitted in at least two parts of the airport. I have no idea why LHR has not updated that website language in over six years.

CONCLUSION

I receive a fair number of questions about smoking at London Heathrow and I understand why. LHR is one of the most difficult airports to travel through and enjoying a smoke between connecting flights is extremely burdensome. But facilities do in fact exist for smokers, even if the official website suggests otherwise.