10 Best Parks in London

Hyde Park has it all – beautiful walks, activities for all the family and well-worn history. Easily accessible by tube, this popular park can keep you occupied all day. There’s plenty of room for running around, several playgrounds for younger children and sports facilities for the adults. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, stop in at one of the cafes or bring your own picnic.

If you’d prefer to relax, take a wander. You might find the scents of the rose garden, the bank of the Serpentine or the historic Speaker’s Corner. Numerous other statues, sculptures and memorials are there to discover. Check online to learn what events the park is hosting during your visit.

Regent’s Park is a perfect spot for animal lovers. It is the home of ZSL London Zoo, where you can see everything from turtles to tigers and learn about their lives and environments. The wildlife doesn’t stop at the zoo’s borders, though. Regent’s Park boasts over 120 species of birds and a diverse range of plants and scenery, including Queen Mary’s gardens where over 10,000 roses bloom from June to July. They even have a dedicated hedgehog conservation programme.

Nestled in all this nature Regent’s Park has an open-air theatre and sporting facilities and, once a year, hosts the Frieze London contemporary art fair. You can even take a pedalo or boat out onto the lake to enjoy the water.

Home of the Greenwich Observatory, Greenwich Park straddles the east and west hemispheres of the globe. Stand astride the Greenwich meridian with one foot in each half of the earth at the place we all set our clocks by. With the London Planetarium and the largest telescope in the UK, it’s a fascinating place for scientists of all ages. History lovers will be intrigued not only by the observatory, but by the ruined Roman Temple and Anglo-Saxon cemetery.

Remember to relax as you meander through the many gardens and pathways, taking in the gorgeous herbaceous border and its riot of colours. When you’re hungry, there’s a café by the observatory or you can grab a bacon buttie from a kiosk.

St James’ Park isn’t one of the bigger parks in London, but it’s bursting with statues and famous sites. Explore by yourself to see what you can find or book onto one of the monthly guided tours. Bordered by Horse Guard’s Parade, The Mall and Buckingham Palace, St James’ Park is a must-visit for a trip to London. It even contains 2 galleries – the Mall Galleries and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

If you’re planning a picnic, keep an eye on your sandwiches; the lake is home to many pelicans who aren’t afraid to grab a bite to eat if you’re not careful. There are also a host of other water birds that aren’t quite so cheeky but very photogenic.

Richmond Park is the largest of the royal parks. With 2,500 acres, you could spend days exploring, so ride a bike (or a horse) to cover more ground. With so much land, it’s no wonder this park is a wildlife haven for herds of deer, butterflies, birds and even 11 types of bats. To protect the deer, please remember to stay 50 meters away if you’re lucky enough to see them.

Highlights include the view of St Paul’s Cathedral from King Henry’s Mound, the picturesque flowers and streams of the Isabella Plantation and the Pembroke Lodge gardens, surrounding a Georgian mansion complete with tearoom.

For the wanderers, there’s no better place than Hampstead Heath. For over 200 years the heath has played host to walkers, artists and writers, its vistas and hills conjuring up inspiration and peace in the bustle of North London. Meander along in the shade of the trees and climb the rolling hills to stand where Constable once painted his masterpieces.

Hampstead Heath also has much to offer to people living at a faster pace. There are extensive sporting facilities, including a croquet lawn, 3 swimming ponds and, if you have a permit, fishing. When you’re ready for a bite to eat, there are 3 cafes in the park itself and dozens of cafes, bakeries, pubs and restaurants nearby.

Kensington Gardens is a park for the young at heart, as evidenced by the statue of Peter Pan by the Longwater lake and the whimsical carvings of the Elfin Oak. Just across the road from Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens is filled with elegant landscaping and architecture, from the stunning Italian water gardens to Kensington Palace itself – though you’ll need to book tickets to enter the building.

Children will find endless fun in the Diana Memorial playground and can be refreshed with an ice cream from the vintage ice cream van. Adults can just sit and relax or enjoy a walk around one of the Serpentine Galleries to take in the art.

With a children’s zoo and playground facilities for kids, Battersea Park is an excellent place to take the family for a day of fun and relaxation. The zoo features both exotic animals, including a variety of monkeys and reptiles, as well as farmyard favourites from harvest mice to donkeys. There are even creepy crawlies for the braver kids to marvel at.

Adults can enjoy contemporary art at the Pumphouse Gallery or find sculptures by noted artists, including Barbara Hepworth, hidden among the stunning gardens. With many different curated gardens, such as The Winter Garden, the Sub-Tropical Garden and the Rosary Garden, Battersea Park is perfect for photo ops all year ‘round.

The smallest royal park, nestled between Hyde Park and St James’ Park, Green Park is often overlooked. It doesn’t have the highly curated borders and flower displays of the larger parks, but its wildflowers and conservation meadow give it a wild charm that’s the perfect backdrop for relaxation or slipping into a good book.

Take a walk at your leisure to view the black poplar and silver lime trees and follow in the footsteps of royalty. King Charles II, who created the park, would take his ‘constitutional’ walk around this park each day, giving the park’s Constitution Hill its name.

Cradled in the heart of Holland Park, Kyoto Garden is an unexpected gem in the UK’s capital city. Opened in 1991, the gardens were a gift from the Japanese city of Kyoto and as such they embody the traditions of Japanese gardening. The tiered waterfalls and koi carp ponds are a wonderful place to relax, while the Japanese maple trees are a colourful backdrop, perfect for photos.

If you hang around, you may well see one of the park’s peacocks spreading its impressive plumage. When you’re ready, head out to explore Holland Park and grab a bite to eat at one of the cafés there, letting the peace of these tranquil gardens carry you into the rest of your day.