The Best Parks in London

Established in the 16th Century as a royal hunting ground for Henry VIII and his bloodthirsty pals, Hyde Park is now an urban oasis par excellence, chock-full of pretty gardens and scenic picnic spots, and surrounded by major London attractions including Harrods, the Royal Albert Hall and Oxford Street. Go boating on the Serpentine, or catch an exhibition at one of the contemporary art galleries either side of the lake’s photogenic bridge.

Debaters and orators spout forth all manner of views, ideas and theories at Speakers’ Corner in the park’s northwest corner on weekends, while December sees vast swathes of the park transformed into a Winter Wonderland, all Christmas markets, festive street food, mulled wine, and fairground attractions galore.

Read our guide to things to do near Hyde Park here.

What Crystal Palace Park’s crumbling 19th-century model dinosaurs lack in anatomical accuracy, they more than make up for in charm. Take a stroll around this Victorian pleasure garden and say hey to the somewhat camp-looking iguanodons and megalosauruses before going boating on the lake or grabbing a brownie and espresso at the cute park café.

Elsewhere, sphinx-flanked Italian terraces, cursed headless statues, a fun hedgerow maze and the outdoor stage where Bob Marley played his final UK show provide additional eye candy.

The oldest of London’s eight Royal Parks, St James’s is manna for budding photographers. Take to the Blue Bridge for swoonsome views of Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade, and look out for resident waterfowl including ducks, geese, swans, and a pelican colony that has called the park home since the 17th Century.

St James’s Park’s central location places it within easy reach of many top London attractions, including Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and, of course, Buckingham Palace. You can save up to 50% on all of these (plus many more) bucket-listers with The London Pass®. Hit the buttons below to find out more or read on to discover more of our favorite London parks.

The shrieking of bright-green parakeets is a familiar sound to any frequenter of London’s parks. But they’re at perhaps their most ubiquitous in the treetops of bucolic Hampstead Heath, a rough and ready tract of gently undulating parkland in north London. Take a walk on the wild side to discover these chatty birds, as well as kestrels, sparrowhawks and tawny owls, then cool off in the men’s and ladies’ swimming ponds, open year-round on the heath’s Highgate side. 

At a whopping 2,500 acres, Richmond is the largest of London’s Royal Parks. Its biggest and most famous draw is the large population of roaming red and fallow deer, but there’s plenty more to see and do here, including the Isabella Plantation’s vibrant flower gardens and babbling brooks, regal 17th-century Ham House and the fabulous Petersham Nurseries garden centre and café.

Don't miss the iconic view of St Paul’s Cathedral – some 10 miles distant – from atop King Henry’s Mound.

It’s all about the gardens in regal Regent’s Park, where perfectly manicured rosebeds and a secret Japanese garden invite quiet reflection and mindfulness. But there are also plenty of other hot London attractions in and around this 410-acre green space, not least open-air theater in summer, plus Madame Tussauds wax museum on the park’s south side, and the magnificent London Zoo up at the opposite end. Overlooked by pretty Primrose Hill, the world’s oldest scientific zoo is home to some 10,000 critters, including meerkats, Tasmanian tigers and Galápagos giant tortoises.

Pro-tip: entry to both the zoo and Madame Tussauds is included with The London Pass®.

Grab a picnic from buzzy Greenwich Market then claim a spot on the park’s lawns from where to enjoy commanding views of the Royal Observatory and space-age city skyline. Walk off lunch with a stroll around the Greenwich Park Circular Trail and make a detour to visit Queen Elizabeth’s Oak, a myth-shrouded hollow tree that’s been a feature of the park since the 12th Century. Don’t miss your chance to snap a selfie with one foot either side of the prime meridian line at the park’s Royal Observatory, ground zero of Greenwich Mean Time.

We defy Brits of a certain age to take a walk on Wimbledon Common without inadvertently humming the Wombling Song. Follow in the footsteps of everybody’s favorite furry eco-warriors on a Wimbledon Common wander that takes in wild woodlands, duck ponds and even a 200-year-old windmill. There’s post-walk refreshment to be had at a smattering of excellent ye olde pubs on the Common’s eastern edge – try the Crooked Billet or Fox & Grapes for the win.

Set right next to the iconic Battersea Power Station – now a vast entertainment complex with shops, bars, restaurants and a cinema – Battersea Park boasts an embarrassment of riches all of its own. Check out contemporary art exhibitions at the Pump House gallery, go boating on the lake, and meet tamarins, tarantulas, tree frogs and more at the Children’s Zoo. And if all that sounds a little too… strenuous, you can always some time out to revel in splendid Thames views from the park’s pretty Peace Pagoda.

Choosing the best park in London is a near-impossible task, but naming the park with the finest city views? Easy. It has to be the mighty Alexandra Park, home of the iconic Alexandra Palace’ You might know the ‘Ally Pally’ – a Grade II-listed edifice that perches atop the hill – from such events as the annual World Darts Championships and landmark concerts by Björk, The Stone Roses and The Grateful Dead. Take a stroll around this Victorian beauty, then tear your eyes away for what is truly one of London’s most remarkable views: a cityscape panorama that stretches all the way from Canary Wharf westwards to the London Eye and beyond.

Looking for more things to do in and around London’s parks? The London Pass® includes more than 90 top attractions, tours and activities, and can be used for up to 10 consecutive days of London sightseeing. Click here to get yours.