London's Best Parks You Must See When Visiting London

Did you know London is home to over 3,000 lush, green parks covering around 35,000 acres of land? Believe it or not, this actually makes it one of the world’s largest urban forests. From grand royal parks to smaller local parks scattered throughout the city, London has an abundance of parks and green spaces that offer a breath of fresh air from the main urban hustle and bustle. Here are our favourite parks in London that we think are well worth a visit.

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This is an image of a beautiful park with green trees, a cafe and a pond with still water.

Victoria Park

Victoria Park, or Vicky Park as the locals like to call it, will always be one of our favourites, so it’s no surprise that it’s included on our list of the best parks in London. This leafy east London park measures a whopping 213 acres (0.33 square miles), making it the largest in the borough. It’s the only place in the city where you can get Sri Lankan breakfast (from Pavilion Cafe), visit a Chinese pagoda, hop in a row boat and attend a music festival. It offers ample trails for strolling or cycling, as well as a few spots to pick up a coffee. There’s also The Royal Inn on the Park, a pub between the park and the quaint Victoria Village, which serves a banging Sunday roast.

Victoria Park | Hackney | WA

This is an image of an open space in a green park. There is a pretty water fountain in the middle of the park and blue skies above.

Image Courtesy of Enable

Battersea Park

Head to southwest London, and you’ll come across Battersea Park, a large green space perched along the Thames, boasting stunning river views and Chelsea Embankment. It has a lake where you can hire a boat to enjoy the park from the water, as well as a Peace Pagoda, a striking Buddhist monument donated by the Japanese Order of Buddhists in 1985. Follow the several scenic pathways to enjoy the sights and sounds of the park, or check online to see if they’re hosting any events as they host regular events and festivals throughout the year.

Battersea Park | Battersea | WA

This is an image of immaculately kept gardens in a park. There are pretty flower beds in different colours nicely lined up next to one another and a soft blue sky in the background.

Holland Park

At this lush west London park, you can be transported to a Japanese oasis without leaving the city. Expect perfectly manicured gardens, graceful peacocks and a peaceful Kyoto-inspired garden modelled on Japanese landscape design. The park takes up 54 acres of what was once the grounds of the 17th-century Holland House, a large Jacobean mansion nestled in the woods. You can stroll around the woods, play a game of tennis on one of the courts or mingle with the peacocks in the tranquil gardens. It’s also super close to some of London’s most exciting neighbourhoods, including Notting Hill, home to many excellent restaurants, bars, cafes and the famous Portobello Road market, chock full of vintage goodies.

Holland Park | Kensington | WA

This is an image of a vast open lake in a pretty park with greenery around the water.

Hampstead Heath

Venture north, and you’ll find the sprawling grounds of Hampstead Heath, spanning over 800 acres and offering endless opportunities for taking a breather in nature. From peaceful woodland walks to panoramic views from Parliament Hill, you can easily spend a day exploring this lush city park. Take a dip in the iconic swimming ponds if you want to live like a local, or pack a picnic and soak up the views from Parliament Hill. If you have time, swing by the famous La Crêperie de Hampstead just outside the park near Hampstead station for authentic French crêpes.

Hampstead Heath | Hampstead | WA

This is an image of a big park with lots of greenery around and people walking or cycling.

Image Courtesy of Fine & Country

Finsbury Park

Next on our list of the best parks in London is Finsbury Park, which has it all: tennis courts, basketball hoops, a skate bowl, a café, a boating lake, a couple of kids’ parks and more. If you happen to be in this part of the city, or you just want a lush park with plenty of trees to take a stroll in, Finsbury Park has you covered. It’s the home of several of the UK’s top music festivals as well as being close to some cool city spots, like Green Lanes, which is a must-visit for foodies – it’s where you’ll find some of the city’s best Turkish restaurants. Try Haringey Corbacisi for the tastiest soups or Umut 2000 for fully loaded Turkish wraps.

Finsbury Park | Haringey | WA

This is an image of a vast green park. There are no people in this image only deer. There are around 20 deer walking around the grass.

Richmond Park

Covering over 2,500 acres, Richmond Park is a royal park home to dense ancient woodlands, sweeping grasslands, and a thriving population of majestic deer. Lose yourself strolling around the park and make sure to visit the Isabella Plantation, a stunning 40-acre botanical garden set inside the park established in the 1830s. Once you’ve had your flower fill, enjoy the breathtaking city views from King Henry’s Mound, or hop on a bike to explore the grounds on two wheels. If you’re an entomophile (a lover of insects), you’ll enjoy visiting this park: over 750 species of butterfly and moth, 139 species of spider and more than 1350 species of beetle have been recorded in Richmond Park.

Richmond Park | Richmond | WA

This is a birds eye view of a big park with grey skies and buildings around the greenery of the park.

Hyde Park

No list of London parks would be complete without mentioning Hyde Park, the grand dame of them all. Spanning 350 acres in the heart of the city, Hyde Park offers a dose of nature while ticking off seeing some of London’s iconic landmarks. From the serene Serpentine Lake to the must-see Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, you could easily spend a day exploring everything this park has to offer. It’s home to the Serpentine Gallery, a free gallery exhibiting incredible contemporary art all year round. Grab a coffee from the café near the lake and enjoy all this sprawling park offers.

Hyde Park | Kensington | WA

This is an image of a green park with an observatory in the background and bright blue skies. We can see the skyline of London in the far background.

Image Courtesy of Royal Museums Greenwich

Greenwich Park

Last but not least on our list of the best parks in London, we have Greenwich Park—a beautiful green space steeped in history and heritage. Located atop a hill overlooking the River Thames, this park is the place to go for unparalleled views of London’s legendary skyline. Explore the beautifully landscaped gardens, and pay a visit to the Royal Observatory – home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the Prime Meridian of the world, and London’s Planetarium. Afterwards, check out Greenwich Market post-stroll for a bite to eat, followed by the National Maritime Museum, where you can learn about the area’s maritime history.

Greenwich Park | Greenwich | WA

We hope this has given you some ideas of where to have your first picnic of the year, or go for your next springtime stroll. Looking for more ideas of what to do during your visit to London?

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