The 19 Best Parks in London (2026)

A park between sights. Five places for an hour off your feet in central London, none of them Hyde Park.

The Regent's Park is the one I'd pick if you're only doing one central park. It's 410 acres (166 hectares), with more to find than lawns: Queen Mary's Gardens and its rose beds inside the Inner Circle, the formal Avenue Gardens near the south gate, St John's Lodge Garden, tucked behind a gate on the Inner Circle, and a boating lake at Hanover Gate. London Zoo fills the north edge (a separate, paid ticket), and Primrose Hill's protected skyline view is just across Prince Albert Road.

Boats run to the end of October (£13.45 an adult hour, £9 off-peak), then stop for winter. The roses peak in June and July, so in autumn the reason to come is the copper beeches and the Avenue Gardens. Frieze takes over part of the park from 14 to 18 October.

Size: 410 acres. Allow: two hours. Closes: 7pm in October, 5.30pm from 25 October, 4.30pm in November and December. Tube: Regent's Park, Great Portland Street or Warren Street. The drawback is that it shuts early in winter, and the gardens that make it special are at their best in summer.

The Green Park is 47 acres of trees and grass between Piccadilly and Buckingham Palace, with no flower beds, no café and no playground. That's the appeal: after the crowds at the Palace gates, it's the quiet way to walk up to Piccadilly or across to Hyde Park Corner. Look for the Canada Memorial near the Palace end and the Bomber Command Memorial on the Hyde Park Corner side.

There are coffee kiosks at Ritz Corner and Canada Gate. Deckchairs are for hire in the warmer months.

Size: 47 acres. Allow: half an hour. Open: 5am to midnight, all year. Tube: Green Park, which exits into the park. It's a walk-through, not a destination; don't make a special trip.

Holland Park in Kensington is 54 acres of woodland and formal gardens around what's left of Holland House, a Jacobean mansion badly damaged in the Second World War (one surviving wing is now a youth hostel). It's the prettiest park in west London. The Kyoto Garden is the reason most people come: a Japanese garden given by Kyoto's Chamber of Commerce in 1991, built by a Japanese garden designer and his team for the 1992 Japan Festival. Around it are the formal gardens, woodland paths and an adventure playground.

Opera Holland Park is summer only, so there are no performances in the park in autumn or winter.

Size: 54 acres. Allow: an hour to an hour and a half. Open: 7.30am to dusk. Tube: Holland Park (Central) or High Street Kensington. The Kyoto Garden is small and gets busy at weekends; come early for a quiet look.

Brompton Cemetery is a Royal Park that's also a working Victorian cemetery, and it's the most atmospheric walk in west London. The Central Avenue runs between leaning headstones to a domed chapel and the Great Circle colonnades. The suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and John Snow, the doctor who traced cholera to a Soho water pump, are buried here, and there's a café in the North Lodge.

The Royal Parks runs a free Halloween Nature Roadshow here in the October half-term.

Size: 39 acres. Allow: an hour. Closes: 6pm to 24 October, 5pm from 25 October, 4pm from 2 November. Tube: West Brompton. It isn't a park for picnics or kids running around; burials still happen, and dogs stay on leads.

Postman's Park, a few minutes north of St Paul's, is a pocket garden with benches, named for the post office workers who once ate lunch here. Come for the Watts Memorial, built in 1900 by the painter G.F. Watts: a wall of glazed tiles, each remembering an ordinary person who died saving someone else. The Alice Ayres tablet is the one from the film Closer.

Size: a pocket garden. Allow: 15 minutes. Open: daytime; locked at night. Tube: St Paul's. It's tiny, so pair it with St Paul's Cathedral rather than making the trip for it alone.

Deer and big open space. London's two deer parks, both in the south-west.

Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks at 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares), and it's the one I'd never skip if you have half a day. Red and fallow deer roam free across the grassland. From King Henry's Mound, in the gardens of Pembroke Lodge, there's a protected view through the trees to the dome of St Paul's. In autumn, the Isabella Plantation, a woodland garden fenced off from the deer, is full of red acers.

Autumn is rut season, the most dramatic time to see the stags and the time to keep your distance: at least 50 metres, and The Royal Parks tells dog walkers to give an active stag 100. The deer cull starts on 1 November, and for up to six weeks the pedestrian gates close at night (8pm to 7.30am, except Friday and Saturday nights). Pembroke Lodge, a Georgian house near Richmond Gate, does cream teas with views over the Thames Valley.

Size: 2,500 acres. Allow: half a day. Open: 24 hours on foot (night closures from 1 November). Station: Richmond (District line), then 15 to 25 minutes to Richmond Gate. It's far from central London, and without a plan you can spend an hour just crossing it: go straight to Pembroke Lodge and King Henry's Mound, then the Isabella Plantation.

Bushy Park is Richmond Park's quieter neighbour, 1,100 acres of grassland with its own red and fallow deer, right next to Hampton Court Palace. The Diana Fountain sits in the middle of Christopher Wren's Chestnut Avenue, and the Woodland Gardens (dogs banned) have camellias and a silver birch glade that turns yellow in autumn. The Pheasantry Café is in the Woodland Gardens.

During the deer culls (to 11 October, then 2 November to 13 December) the gates lock early on Sunday to Thursday nights (10.30pm for walkers, 7pm for cars) and reopen at 8am. Pair it with Hampton Court Palace for a full day out.

Size: 1,100 acres. Allow: two to three hours. Open: 24 hours on foot outside the culls. Station: no Tube; trains to Hampton Wick or Teddington, 5 minutes to the nearest gate. It's a long way out for the park alone; make it a Hampton Court day.

Swimming. London's outdoor swimming carries on through winter, in cold, unheated water. Three places to do it.

Hampstead Heath is 275 hectares (about 680 acres) of hills, woods and meadows in north London, and the reason I'd come in autumn is its bathing ponds. For the walk up Parliament Hill and across to Kenwood, see free things to do in London and London in winter.

The Kenwood Ladies' Pond and the Highgate Men's Pond are open all year; the Mixed Pond runs April to October only. It's £5 a swim (£3 for under-16s), and under-16s and over-60s swim free before 9.30am. Booking is closed until spring 2027, so just turn up and pay by card; cash stopped on 1 October. The ponds are deep, dark and unheated, with lifeguards, changing areas and a hoist, and they're only for confident swimmers aged 8 and up (8 to 15 year olds need an adult and a swim test). The Ladies' Pond has reopened with a blue-green algae warning for vulnerable swimmers.

Size: about 680 acres. Allow: an hour for a swim, half a day with a walk. Open: ponds 7am, last entry 5.45pm to 10 October; last entry 2pm from 25 October and 2.30pm from 22 November. Stations: Hampstead Heath or Gospel Oak (Overground), Belsize Park (Northern line). The drawback in winter is the short day: miss the early-afternoon last entry and you've missed the swim.

Parliament Hill Lido is a 60-metre unheated lido at the foot of Parliament Hill, open every day of the year. From 28 September it's on winter hours: in at 7am, last entry 1pm. An adult swim is £5. The winter sauna (£7 on top of a swim, sessions on the hour from 7am to 12pm) starts in late September or early October. No booking until spring 2027: pay by card at the door.

Pool: 60 metres. Allow: an hour. Open: 7am, last entry 1pm. Station: Gospel Oak (Overground). Water temperatures drop fast from October; if you've never swum in cold water, start with a few minutes, not a length count.

Brockwell Park in Herne Hill is a hilly south London park with a walled flower garden, ponds and a big playground. Its lido, opened in 1937, is the draw: a 50-metre outdoor pool open all year, £9.50 for an adult swim.

The lido changed hands on 1 July 2026 and is now run by Active Lambeth, so book through its app or website (not the old Fusion one), and cancel at least 4 hours ahead to avoid a charge. Juniors can swim only when the water is 15C or warmer.

Pool: 50 metres. Allow: an hour and a half, plus a swim. Open: 7.30am to 15 minutes before sunset. Station: Herne Hill (trains from Victoria), by the park gate. Outside the lido, there's less to see than in the big parks: it's a local's park.

Woods and views in the north. Both are near the Northern and Piccadilly lines, and both work as a pair with Hampstead Heath.

Highgate Wood is 70 acres of ancient woodland, oak and hornbeam, with a café terrace, a big playground and the site of Roman pottery kilns. In late October and November it's the best place in London for autumn leaves without the crowds. A self-guided trail explains the history.

Size: 70 acres. Allow: an hour. Open: daytime; times aren't listed online. Tube: Highgate, 5 minutes. It closes at short notice when high winds are forecast, and Gypsy Gate may still be shut for building work, so New Gate or Archway Gate is the safer way in.

Alexandra Park is 196 acres on the hill below Alexandra Palace, and the terrace in front of the palace has one of the widest views over London: the whole skyline laid out to the south. Come for sunset. There's a boating lake with the Boathouse Café, a playground, pitch and putt, Go Ape and a Sunday farmers' market (10am-3pm).

The park is open day and night, all year. Pedalos are closed for winter. On 7 and 8 November the Fireworks & Drone Festival takes over (from £11.50).

Size: 196 acres. Allow: an hour and a half. Open: always. Station: Alexandra Palace (trains), or the Piccadilly line to Wood Green and a bus up. The palace sits at the top of a steep hill, so if walking is hard, take the bus to the top rather than climbing from the station.

East London. Three very different green spaces, all easy on the Central, Victoria and Overground lines.

Victoria Park, on the Hackney border, is the East End's big park, 86 hectares (about 210 acres) and, the council says, London's oldest public park, opened in 1845. It has two lakes, the Chinese-style pagoda on an island, a skate park and two playgrounds. The Pavilion Café near Crown Gate West is the place for breakfast (8.30am to 4pm in winter).

The splash pool is off until late May, and boat hire hours vary. The Victoria Model Steam Boat Club, founded in 1904, still holds a few Sunday regattas a year on the lake.

Size: about 210 acres. Allow: an hour and a half to two. Open: 7am to dusk. Tube: Mile End, 10 to 15 minutes' walk. It's a neighborhood park; worth it if you're staying east or pairing it with Broadway Market, not a detour from the centre.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is the 2012 Olympic site in Stratford, with 102 acres of gardens and waterways around the stadium. Go for the architecture: Zaha Hadid's London Aquatics Centre, where you can swim in the Olympic pool, and Anish Kapoor's red ArcelorMittal Orbit, with a viewing platform at 80 metres and the Helix, a 178-metre tunnel slide back down.

The Orbit is from £15 and the slide from £19, each plus a £5 booking fee, through Zip World. The South Park fountains run 10am to 5pm, and Tumbling Bay playground is good with younger kids. Boat tours stop until April. V&A East's ticketed exhibition The Music Is Black runs to 10 January 2027.

Size: 102 acres. Allow: two hours. Open: every day. Tube: Stratford. It's more urban than green; if you want trees and quiet, Victoria Park is a walk up the canal.

Walthamstow Wetlands is a nature reserve on a working Thames Water reservoir site (160 hectares), run by the London Wildlife Trust, and it's the pick for birdwatchers. In winter the reservoirs fill with ducks (pochard, shoveler, tufted duck, goldeneye), and kingfishers, herons and peregrines are regulars. The Engine House visitor centre has a café and a shop.

Entry is free. Dogs aren't allowed (except assistance dogs), and paths 4 and 5 are closed for pylon works until about the end of October.

Size: 160 hectares (about 400 acres). Allow: two hours. Open: 9.30am to 4pm, October to March. Tube: Tottenham Hale or Blackhorse Road (Victoria line). There's a picnic area, but no lawns to sprawl on, and you're asked to keep away from the water. Avoid walthamstowwetlands.com, which no longer belongs to the reserve.

South and west, good with kids. Four parks where children have the most to do.

Battersea Park runs for 200 acres along the Thames opposite Chelsea, and it's the best central-ish park for a family day. There's a riverside promenade, the Peace Pagoda, a lake and sports fields. Near the Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park Children's Zoo (£17.50 an adult, £13.95 a child) has an adventure playground and its own café.

Battersea Park Fireworks, one of London's big Bonfire Night displays, is on 7 and 8 November (ticketed).

Size: 200 acres. Allow: two hours, three with the zoo. Open: 8am to dusk. Getting there: trains to Battersea Park or Queenstown Road, or the Northern line to Battersea Power Station and 15 minutes on foot. The zoo is the paid part and pricier than it looks for a small site.

Crystal Palace Park is where kids meet the Victorian dinosaurs: about 30 life-size sculptures made in 1853 to 1855, Grade I listed and restored in 2026, standing on islands in the lakes. The same 200-acre park has a hedge maze from the 1870s, 49 metres across, which the park calls one of the largest in London, a free farm (12pm to 3.30pm, closed Wednesdays) and a new Dinosaur Playground.

The glass Crystal Palace itself burned down in 1936; the small museum (Friday and Sunday) and the terraces explain it. Regeneration works finished this summer, and a Sunday food market runs 10am to 4pm.

Size: 200 acres. Allow: two to three hours. Closes: 5pm from 25 October, 4.30pm in December. Station: Crystal Palace or Penge West (Overground). It's a long trip from central London, so give it a morning.

Dulwich Park is a neat 29-hectare (about 72-acre) park in leafy Dulwich, and the one I'd pair with the Dulwich Picture Gallery next to it. There's a boating lake (in season, £4 a child, £17 a family for 30 minutes), a big playground, recumbent bikes to rent, and the Dulwich Clock café. A winter garden is planted to flower in the cold months.

Size: about 72 acres. Allow: an hour and a half. Closes: 5pm from 25 October, 4.30pm in December. Station: no Tube; trains to North Dulwich or West Dulwich. On its own, it's a local park; it earns the trip with the gallery.

Chiswick House and Gardens is, in the Trust's words, the first English landscape garden, laid out around Lord Burlington's Palladian villa in the 1720s and 1730s. The 65 acres are free and open from 7am to dusk: a lake crossed by the Classic Bridge, more than 1,600 trees and a kitchen garden. The café in the grounds is open every day.

Two things are shut. The villa's season ended on 27 September (adult tickets £13.50, back in 2027), and the famous conservatory is closed for safety and on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.

Size: 65 acres. Allow: an hour to an hour and a half. Open: 7am to dusk. Station: Chiswick (trains from Waterloo), 13 minutes' walk. In winter it's a garden walk only; if the house matters to you, come between late May and September.