For nature lovers, the parks and gardens in London are wonderful. Going there and relaxing for a while is a lovely thing to do!
No matter which season it is, the parks and gardens are incredible to see. In spring, you can enjoy beautiful cherry blossoms. And in summer, you can go picnicking. Also, the fall foliage in the parks is amazing to see and the parks are perfect for a winter walk.
After seeing the most popular sights in the city of London, going to one of the gardens or parks is a very relaxing activity. I’ve been to many parks and gardens in London and I made this guide to help you decide which one you want to visit.
Best Parks and Gardens in London
Hyde Park
One of the best parks in the city is Hyde Park.
This is one of the largest parks London and it is one of the Royal Parks of London.
The park was created in the year 1536 by Henry VIII as a hunting ground. Many years later, in the year 1637, the land become a public park for the public to enjoy.
Also, the park played an important role in history as many historic events took place here.
Throughout the years, many festivals and other events took place at the park, and many events still take place here. For example, there are music festivals in the UK that you can attend at Hyde Park.
Also, during winter, you can go here for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. This is a wonderful winter festival where you can have a lot of fun. There are attractions, rides, food vendors, and music.
Greenwich Park
Greenwich Park is another great park that you can find in the city. Like Hyde Park, Greenwich Park is also one of the Royal Parks of London.
This park used to be a hunting ground, but it was opened to the public in the 18th century.
It is a very large place with a lot of space with grass. It can be a great place to go if you want to go for a relaxing walk or want to have a picnic.
Also, what’s great is that you can enjoy a great view of the River Thames when you go here and you can also see the skyline of the City of London from Greenwich Park.
You can get to the park during all days of the year.
Sky Garden
The Sky Garden is one of the most special gardens that you can find in the city of London.
You can find the Sky Garden in the City of London inside the building at 20 Fenchurch Street.
The Sky Garden is a very modern place.
It is an indoor garden that you can find at the top of a skyscraper in the City of London.
You can find beautiful nature here while enjoying a wonderful view of the city.
There are very large windows here that let a lot of sunshine come through.
Also, what’s great is that many events take place at the Sky Garden.
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a large park that you can find in Battersea in the city of London.
You can find it on the south bank of the River Thames.
In the past, the area of Battersea Park was a popular place for dueling events.
The park features lovely nature, which makes it a great spot if you want to go for a relaxing stroll.
Also, there is a fountain that is beautiful to see.
Besides that, what’s great is that you can enjoy a great view of the River Thames from the park.
Regent’s Park
Regent’s Park is yet another one of the Royal Parks of London, and you can find the park in the city center, close to many of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Regent’s Park is a very large park. In total, the park has an area of 410 acres.
You can find a lot of beautiful nature at Regent’s Park and there is a lake that is great to see.
Furthermore, there are lots of walking paths in Regent’s Park, which makes the park perfect if you want to enjoy a relaxing walk.
Also, what’s interesting is that there are several attractions inside the park. For example, you can find the London Zoo here. So if you want to see beautiful nature and learn about animals at the same time, you should definitely consider going to this park.
Potters Fields Park
Potters Fields Park is a small park that you can find in the Borough of Southwark.
You can find the park very close to Tower Bridge, one of the most famous landmarks in the city of London, and the City Hall of London is also located very nearby.
It is a lovely place for a relaxing stroll because of the beautiful nature that you can find here.
Also, what’s great is that you can see Tower Bridge from here. This view makes the park even better to visit.
What’s nice about this park as well is that many festivals and events take place here.
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square is a lovely garden square that you can find in the city center of London.
The garden dates back to the 19th century and it is located in the heart of Belgravia.
Surrounding the garden, you can see many buildings with beautiful architecture and there are some listed buildings here as well.
Surrounding the garden are various embassies, which makes the place unique.
The nature that you can find in the middle of all these buildings makes the place perfect for some relaxation. Also, the nature together with the historic architecture looks stunning.
St James’s Park
St. James’ Park is the oldest park of the Royal Parks of London.
You can find the park next to Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards.
The park is very beautiful and has a lot of elements of nature and water elements that are great to check out.
For example, there is a small lake in the park with two islands in the middle of it.
Also, there are bridges across the lake that are very nice for a stroll.
Furthermore, you can see many different species of trees at St. James’ Park. So if you want to see a large variety of nature, you should definitely check out this park.
What’s great about the park as well is that there are many places from where you can see some of the most famous sights in the city. For example, you can see the London Eye from the park.
Trinity Square Gardens
The Trinity Square Gardens is a small park that you can find very close to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
The garden is a beautiful place where you can relax and enjoy peaceful nature.
I recommend checking out the Trinity Square Gardens and visiting the Tower of London that is nearby.
Also, there are benches at the park where you can sit down and enjoy the nature that surrounds you.
When you enter this small park, you can escape the busy city of London in a very quick way.
Also, the park is perfect if you want to have a picnic while you are in London.
Green Park
Green Park is also one of the Royal Parks of London.
You can find the park in the City of Westminster.
Green Park’s history dates back to the 16th century and it was landscaped in the 19th century.
You can find the park between Hyde Park and St. James’ Park
The park is a very simple park with beautiful nature. In comparison to the other Royal Parks of London, this park has no buildings, lakes, and very few other things to see.
You can find three monuments in the park. One of these is the Canada Memorial.
The park has a lot of very large trees that provide shade in summer.
Buckingham Palace Garden
The Buckingham Palace Garden is a private garden that is almost 40 acres in size.
It is the private garden of the King.
At the garden, there are lots of different species of flora. Also, there are more than 1,000 trees in the garden.
Furthermore, the garden features a lake and there is much more here.
The garden is not open to the public. However, it is sometimes possible to do a guided tour of the garden. During this, an expert guide shows you the garden’s highlights.
Also, you can learn about the history of the garden and you get some information about the Royal Family when you do such a tour, which can be very interesting.
Tate Modern Garden
The garden of Tate Modern is another great garden in London.
The garden is very beautiful and it has a lot of elements that make it great to visit.
For example, there is a pond and an orchard.
Also, there are beautiful flowers that you can see in the garden.
I recommend that when you go to Tate Modern to see beautiful art, you’ll also check out this garden.
It is a very small place but it is worth visiting for sure!
Jubilee Gardens
The Jubilee Gardens is a lovely park that you can find next to the London Eye. You can find the park on the South Bank of the River Thames.
The park was created in the year 1977 because of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
The park features lovely walking paths, beautiful nature, and there are many other elements that make it worth visiting.
Also, you can see memorials at the park to many different people. For example, there is a memorial to members of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War.
Also, what’s nice about the Jubilee Gardens is that you can see the London Eye from here. Seeing the modern architecture of this popular landmark of the city together with nature is lovely.
Paddington Street Gardens
The Paddington Street Gardens are two small public gardens that you can find on Paddington Street. This is a street that you can find in Marylebone.
These gardens date back to the 18th century and they were used as a burial ground for a historic church.
About 200 years ago, the gardens were no longer in used as burial grounds. The city decided to open the gardens to the public at the end of the 19th century as a recreation area, but you can still see some tombstones.
Furthermore, there are many paths for walking and there are very beautiful old trees, some of which are close to 200 years old.
Also, there is a Grade II listed monument in the park.
Queen Square Gardens
The Queen Square Gardens are beautiful gardens that you can find in the Bloomsbury area of London.
At Queen Square, you can find a lot of historic buildings that are related to medical research, and you can find two hospitals that surround the garden.
The garden that you can find here is very small and is a lovely place for a stroll.
Inside the garden, you can find an interesting statue that can be great to see when going for a stroll here.
Victoria Embankment Gardens
The Victoria Embankment Gardens is a series of gardens that you can find along the River Thames. You can find them on the northern side of the river.
The gardens all have paths, making the gardens perfect if you want to go for a walk.
Furthermore, there are several memorial benches at the gardens and there are interesting statues as well.
The gardens also feature large trees and beautiful flowers.
What’s great too is that many events take place in the gardens. For example, there is a band shell where lots of concerts take place during the summer.
Cadogan Place Park
Cadogan Place is a private square garden in London that used to be the site of the London Botanic Garden.
The gardens that you can find here can be used by the residents of Cadogan Place.
The gardens contain beautiful nature and statues.
Whitehall Gardens
The Whitehall Gardens in London is a public park that you can find in Westminster. You can find this place very close to Big Ben and several other sights of the city of London.
The gardens are very beautiful and there are lots of colorful flowers here.
Also, the park contains statues and other beautiful elements.
Furthermore, what’s nice about the Whitehall Gardens is that beautiful historic buildings surround the garden.
Also, you can find benches here where you sit down and relax.
Victoria Park
Victoria Park is a very large park that you can find in Tower Hamlets, a borough of London.
It is one of the most-visited parks in the city and millions of people visit the park every year.
The park’s history dates back to the year 1845 when it was opened to the public.
You can find a lot of beautiful nature in Victoria Park. So if you want to go for a relaxing walk while checking out nature, this place is perfect for that.
Furthermore, Victoria Park is home to many other things.
For example, there are two cafes where you can sit down to have a drink and food.
Also, lots of concerts and festivals take place at Victoria Park every year.
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London Parks and Gardens Tips
You can find these London parks and gardens throughout the city and there is likely one very close to other places that you are going to visit in London.
For example, you can find Potters Field Park close to Tower Bridge.
I recommend choosing which park you want to visit in part based on where you also want to go in the city. You can then combine relaxing at one of these parks and exploring other places.
Also, some of the parks on this list are very large. If you want to see much of the park, you have to walk a lot, so I recommend wearing good walking shoes!
These were my favorite parks and gardens in London. As you see, there are lots of beautiful ones in the city!