Guide to parks in London

With skyline views from Parliament Hill, the wild woodlands and meadows of Hampstead Heath are an iconic part of life in the city. In addition to usual park activities such as strolling, jogging and cycling, pay a visit to the different attractions scattered around this vast green area, for example Kenwood manor house or the Hill Garden Pergola, a favourite of budding photographers and influencers everywhere.

A National Nature Reserve, Richmond Park is famous for its wildlife, especially the herds of deer that roam around freely. The vast park features plenty of green open spaces and park-related activities. Due to being located on the outskirts of London, it’s not as convenient to visit as Hyde Park, for example, but the remoteness just adds to the feeling of escaping to the countryside and leaving the city noise behind.

Dating back to 1848, Victoria Park is London’s oldest public park, as well as the UK’s most beloved one according to a public vote. The park offers recreation, sports and relaxation to more than nine million visitors each year. Its many attractions include an island with a Chinese pagoda, contemporary sculptures in the middle of the boating lake, a Grade II listed drinking fountain and stone alcoves that were part of the old London Bridge.

The landmark Alexandra Palace in Haringey is surrounded by an expanse of green parkland and trees, and offers great views of the entire city. It's a popular destination during the summertime as well as on New Year's Eve. There's plenty of space for relaxing, buses run through the park for convenience, and there are attractions like a weekly farmer's market.

Primrose Hill is one of London's protected viewpoints, offering unobstructed views of central London's most famous landmarks. Even the trees are intentionally kept low to avoid the view being ruined. This expansive green park has a lively atmosphere and is a popular haunt for Londoners during light summer evenings.

If you’re in a hurry to see Buckingham Palace, Green Park is likely just a bit of greenery you pass through on the way, but those who have time to take advantage of the park’s lawn chair rental will find lawns aplenty to sit back and relax. The tranquil triangle completes the Royal Park chain from Kensington Palace, sliding in between Hyde Park on one end and St James’s Park on the other.

The largest grass area for sports in central London, Regent's Park features a boating lake, several cafés, playgrounds, well-tended gardens and an open-air theatre amidst its tree-lined avenues. Walk past ZSL London Zoo in the northern end of the park to catch a glimpse of the animal residents.

A large verdant area in North London, Finsbury Park offers plenty of space for various activities, including basketball and tennis courts, a small boating lake, an outdoors gym, a skate park, a baseball field and plenty of grass to frolic on. An entrance on the western side of the park leads to one end of the Parkland Walk, a disused railway track that’s been converted into lovely pathway to Highgate. Finsbury Park also hosts major summer festivals and events.

Part of the Royal Parks chain that leads from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens make up a world-famous park area in the middle of London. In addition to offering activities such as boating and hosting huge concerts, the famed Winter Wonderland festive fair and other massive events, the former hunting grounds of King Henry VIII contain sights such as the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain and the original Speakers’ Corner.

Battersea Park is located next to the Thames and the striking Battersea Power Station, but offers several attractions of its own. In addition to the plentiful green spaces to relax in, it’s worth paying the surprisingly impressive Buddhist Peace Pagoda a visit, checking out the contemporary art programme at the Pump House Gallery, or stopping by in spring during cherry blossom season.

St James’s Park, one of the city’s Royal Parks, extends along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, providing a verdant backdrop to the annual Trooping the Colour parade and other ceremonial displays of that sort. The park encloses a lake that has hosted a colony of pelicans for almost four centuries.

The Grade I listed Greenwich Park slopes up towards the Royal Observatory, boasting magnificent views of the London skyline, the Thames River and the Greenwich Peninsula from the top. The park itself offers plenty of grassy spots to relax on, as well as acting as an urban sanctuary for wildlife such as deer and foxes. There’s plenty to do in the area as well, with the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark and Greenwich Market all just a few minutes away.

Crystal Palace Park’s famous – and famously scientifically inaccurate – dinosaurs, leftovers from the Victorian era, can still be found in this beloved green space, even though the palace the park is named after went extinct almost 100 years ago. This park in South London is also home to the Crystal Palace Bowl, a landmark music venue on a lake where many of modern music’s greats have played, as well as one of the largest hedge mazes in the UK.

Holland Park is best known for its Kyoto Garden, a landscaped Japanese garden with a pond and a waterfall. The park is the largest in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and also includes children’s playgrounds, sports courts, and an open-air opera auditorium. There are plenty of green open spaces as well.

Hackney Marshes is an idyllic open space in East London that's ideally suited to a wide range of activities. A whopping 82 sports pitches are on the site, as well as plenty of open space for walking, running, or simply relaxing outdoors. A river runs through the park as well, ideal for cooling off on the rare occasions we get some warm weather.

Featuring a community-run miniature railway and BMX track, Brockwell Park is a significant hub for the local community. There are quite a few historic buildings among its ponds, meadows and pathways as well, for example the Brockwell Lido and the 19th century “Little Ben” clock tower. In the warmer months, the park hosts various commercial and community events.

London Fields is much-loved among Hackney’s fashionable crowds, making finding your own place under the sun a bit of a challenge during the summer months. The park offers various sports and recreation facilities, for example a cricket pitch and a lido. Head to the north-western end for some refreshment at the Pub on the Park, where you can look out over the park from the pub’s outdoor terrace.

This vast green area along the River Lea extends from the Lee Valley in the north to London Stadium in the south, and is a paradise for fans of both sports and more leisurely park activities. This is a contemporary urban park with state-of-the-art sports and event facilities, lush parkland, tidy pathways, and playgrounds.

Straddling London's border with Hertfordshire, Trent Park is expansive and intriguing. Formerly the campus of Middlesex University, you'll see a grand country house plus other Grade II listed statues and structures. There's an ancient moat that's rumoured to be haunted and a wide range of wildlife. Events like music festivals also take place.

You have to venture pretty far south to get to Dulwich, but it's well worth the expedition. This South London borough is a village-like neighbourhood filled with boutique shops, local restaurants and quaint pubs. It's also home to Dulwich Park, where a boating lake is scattered with rowing boats and family-sized pedalos. There's also a variety of sporting facilities, such as a football pitch, bowling green, tennis courts, an outdoor gym, outdoor table tennis and cricket nets.

Don't let the slightly off-the-beaten-path location of this stunning park deter you from visiting; it's one of the area's best-kept secrets offering picturesque views over the Lea River and Walthamstow Marshes. You can take a leisurely cycle or stroll down to Hackney Wick, where you can enjoy a locally-brewed pint at Howling Hops.

In Haringey you can explore Priory Park, a spacious and green local park that attracts thousands of visitors every year. There's plenty of space to sit back and relax as well as gardens, play areas, and a variety of sports facilities. You have to book tennis courts in advance but the park also has a basketball court, petanque court, and table tennis tables.

There's plenty to keep you occupied at Golders Hill Park, including a zoo that's free to visit. Wander the open green spaces and well-manicured gardens here, make use of the tennis courts, or send the kids off to the play areas. Despite being in the heart of Golders Green, this place is a peaceful escape from busy North London.

Located in the south of the city, Telegraph Hill Park offers impressive views of central London. It's fab if you just want to enjoy the sights but there's plenty to do here as well. Visitors can check out the tennis and basketball courts, take the kids to the play area, or enjoy the ornamental garden.