Parks are one of the distinctive elements of London.
Many, vast, varied, they are real lungs in the heart of the city, and a welcome rural break for city dwellers.
With the good weather finally back, the perfect opportunity to (re)discover these green spaces.
From the well-known Hyde Park to the charming Victoria Park in the East, there is plenty to do.
If you have time, also join the other parks of the capital: St James' Park, Green Park (on which overlooks the Ritz London), Hampstead Heath to the north, Primrose Hill or Battersea Park will pleasantly extend this list.
Read alsoGreater London on foot: six walks in the fresh air
Regent's Park
The Queen Mary's Rose Gardens and their 12,000 roses, seen from above.
Adobe Stock / aerial-drone
A vast park located in central London, between Marylebone, Camden Town and St John's Wood, Regent's Park covers 160 hectares of greenery, offering a real place to live for Londoners.
Between a tennis club with 12 courts, a football pitch, a rugby pitch and playgrounds for children, it is perfectly equipped for outdoor recreation.
In summer, you can also rent a boat or a pedal boat and sail on Boating Lake.
The park is also home to an urban zoo (the ZSL London Zoo), an open-air theater (which hosts plays, concerts and film screenings from May to September), and a garden of 12,000 roses, the Queen Mary's Rose Gardens – which borders the delicious Japanese Garden Island.
Last but not least
, the Regent's Canal borders one of the sides of the park for a substantial length, offering one of the most bucolic walks in London.
London NW1 4NR.
Underground: Regent's Park, Baker St, St John's Wood, Camden Town.
Greenwich Park
Regent's Park offers one of the most bucolic walks in London.
Adobe Stock / Kasia
Known worldwide for the famous meridian of Greenwich, the eponymous park also provides a breathtaking vantage point over the business district of Canary Wharf, which unfolds below on the opposite bank.
We love this park for the meridian and the Royal Observatory of course, but also for its Flower Garden, manicured and sheltering century-old fir trees and a small lake;
for the National Maritime Museum, located along the main entrance, and whose content is both sharp and accessible for a young audience (the
must
of the visit: paintings by Turner and Hogarth, as well as models of period ships).
Finally, Greenwich Park is located a few steps from the famous Cutty Sark, the museum ship.
To eat, head to downtown Greenwich, abounding in food options and dapper streets full of character.
London SE10 8EJ.
10 stops from Tower Bridge by DLR.
The journey can be done on foot from Canary Wharf, via the quay of the Thames – count 45 min.
Read alsoLondon with the family, what to do with the children
Kew Gardens
At Kew Gardens, the Treetop Walkway is an aerial course set in the treetops.
Adobe Stock/num
An exceptional heritage in terms of plants and flowers, Kew Gardens (full name “Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew”) is an authentic paradise of nature.
The immensity of the place guarantees varied and almost endless walks, and a remarkable immersion in the plant world.
The spectacular greenhouses of this historic reserve are home to abundant and diverse species.
Further on, thrill seekers can climb to the top of the Treetop Walkway, an aerial course fixed to the tops of the trees – but beware of vertigo!
Don't miss the Great Pagoda, the Japanese garden, or King William's Temple and its Mediterranean garden.
Plan the day there.
Note, you can picnic in the grass;
otherwise, we recommend the Botanical Brasserie, whose view embraces a vast room of
water overlooking the main greenhouse (Palm House).
At sunset, the view is idyllic.
Kew Gardens.
London TW9 3AF.
Underground: Kew Gardens.
Tickets: adult from 17.5 euros, child from 6 euros.
Victoria Park
The Chinese Pagoda in Victoria Park is located on a small island.
Adobe Stock / CK Travels
London's oldest public park, created after a petition to Queen Victoria, this sprawling park between Bow and Bethnal Green is the rallying point for all of East London.
We love its pretty lake, where you can row in rhythm “on the wave and under the skies”, like at Lamartine, in the summer;
we love its little island, on which a Chinese pagoda sets the tone, and where a few herons live;
and we like that it offers different activities (tennis, pétanque court,
skatepark
, table tennis, etc.).
Do not miss a trip to the Old English Garden, located in the center of the park;
nor to admire the many swans, ducks and geese that populate the place with their winged grace.
On the edge of the park, we advise you to eat at The Emperess pub, on Lauriston Road – where a small London village with intact charm stands.
London E9 7DE.
Transport: Bethnal Green, Mile End, Hackney Wick and London Fields.
Hyde Park
The Serpentine Lake, in Hyde Park, is ideal for boat trips.
Adobe Stock / I-Wei Huang
If there is one park that needs no introduction, it is Hyde Park.
Located at the confluence of several wealthy areas of London (Kensington, South Kensington, Belgravia, Mayfair and Paddington), this park also has its share of mandatory stops: the famous Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Palace and its gardens, the sculpture “The Arch” by Henry Moore, the Diana Memorial, the Serpentine Lake on which to go rowing or pedaloing, or even the
Italian Gardens
– where the winged fauna of the place is found.
Hyde Park is also surrounded by a plethora of luxury hotels, suitable for high tea.
You can also go horseback riding along its sandy fairways.
Finally, many historical monuments border this park, such as the Royal Albert Hall (Victorian building where concerts take place), the Wellington Arch, the Marble Arch…
London W2 2UH.
Underground stations: Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Lancaster Gate.
