Things to do near Hyde Park, London

Established by Henry VIII as a royal hunting ground in 1536, Hyde Park opened to the public in 1637 and has been one of London’s most beloved public green spaces ever since. Between its boundaries at Kensington Gardens and Park Lane lies a treasure trove of attractions. Follow your nose to the regal Rose Garden in the park’s southeast corner, take a rowboat out onto the Serpentine, or go for a refreshing dip in the lake’s lovely lido, open daily through summer. Then there’s the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, and historic Speakers’ Corner, where debaters, orators and agitators have been sharing their views on Sunday mornings since the 19th Century.

As the largest Royal park in Central London, Hyde Park also plays host to major summer concerts, with previous performers including Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion and Paul McCartney. And, in November, Winter Wonderland rolls in, with dozens of thrilling fairground rides, plus festive street food (and mulled wine), Christmas markets, ice-skating and more.

But what other London attractions can you visit near Hyde Park? Let’s take a look…

Just the other side of the Serpentine lie the more formal Kensington Gardens, once the private grounds of Kensington Palace. Snap a selfie on the Serpentine Bridge en route to the palace, and pause to take in eye-popping contemporary art exhibitions at the Serpentine Galleries. There’s a century-old bronze statue of Peter Pan in the northeast corner, commissioned by JM Barrie himself, no less, and as featured in Downtown Abbey. But it’s Kensington Palace, with its fairytale ornamental swan pond and opulent State Rooms, that’s the main event here. An official royal residence since the 17th Century, this one is not to be missed.

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The area just south of Hyde Park is home to some of London’s swankiest addresses. We’re talking playgrounds of the rich and famous like Belgravia, South Kensington, and ultra-posh Knightsbridge, where you’ll find the famous Harrods department store. Well, we say department store, but let’s be honest: Harrods is a sightseeing attraction in its own right. Step inside to ogle its mind-bending mix of architectural features, from Art Nouveau windows to Egyptian statuary, and to eyeball seven floors of luxury designer goods with price tags that would make an heiress’s eyes water. For the quintessential English experience, head to the tea rooms for a lavish afternoon tea, but be prepared to pay for the privilege!

Prepare to have your mind well and truly blown by the trio of world-class museums in South Kensington. Kids (and grown-ups) will thrill to the dinosaur fossils, taxidermy beasts and chunks of moon rock at the epic Natural History Museum while, just next door, the Science Museum offers many more mind-expanding exhibits, including steam engines, space modules and war planes. Last but not least, the stylish V&A museum charts the finest eye candy from the worlds of fashion, design and art through the ages, and boasts perhaps London’s most opulent tea room: a grand Victorian confection designed by William Morris, James Gamble and Edward Poynter.

This one requires little introduction. The official residence of the British monarch (currently big Chaz) is just a short walk from Hyde Park Corner through leafy Green Park, or via the more direct route alongside the palace’s garden walls on Constitution Hill. Arrive in time for the pomp and ceremony of the Changing of the Guard, which takes place at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Wellington Barracks most mornings at 11AM, and daily during June and July.

Insta addicts flock to Notting Hill and its Portobello Road Market, just west of Hyde Park, for #humblebrag selfies in front of candy-colored houses, ye olde red telephone boxes and traditional shopfronts that seem frozen in time since the Victorian era. If you like a rummage you’ll be in for a treat at the market, where stallholders hawk everything from retro fashions and vintage vinyl to Edwardian silverware, antiquarian books, maps and coins and, inevitably, those most ubiquitous of London souvenirs: replica street signs, Big Ben fridge magnets, and Union Jack undies. Afterwards, retreat to one of the neighborhood’s old-school cafés or hipper-than-thou cocktail bars to survey the spoils of your Portobello trolley dash.

If you get the chance it’s well worth catching a show at the Royal Albert Hall, the iconic elliptical Victorian concert hall just south of Hyde Park. Countless household names have graced the stage here beneath the hall’s immense dome, from major talents like Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli to politicians including Charles de Gaulle and Winston Churchill; even Albert Einstein! The hall stands in view of Queen Victoria’s (other) famous memorial to her beloved Prince Albert, a super-lavish monument/statue at the southern edge of Kensington Gardens. All gilded bronze, glittering gemstones and Gothic Revival flourishes, it’s a memorial that’s, well, fit for a prince.

Shopping itch not completely scratched by Harrods and Portobello Road Market? You’re in luck: London’s famous Oxford Street starts from Marble Arch at the top north-east corner of Hyde Park. This two-kilometer shrine to capitalism is home to the legendary Selfridges department store, as well as flagship outlets for the likes of Primark, John Lewis and Adidas. And that ain’t all. Other Monopoly-board tributaries that connect with Oxford Street include Regent Street (for more high-street monsters like Hamleys and Apple), Bond Street (for luxury designers including Bulgari, Cartier, and Jimmy Choo) and Carnaby Street (for the Liberty department store and indie fashion boutiques). Shop, as they say, until your credit card screams ‘STOP!’

Looking for more things to do near London’s Hyde Park (and beyond)? The London Pass is your friend! It includes nearly 100 top London attractions, tours and activities, and can be used for up to 10 consecutive days of London sightseeing. Hit the buttons below to find out more and to bag your pass!