My favorite thing to do in London is go to the many various parks spread throughout the city. There are eight royal parks located in London. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, Green Park, Regent’s Park and St James’s Park are the largest parks located in central London. Since London can be quite busy at times, it is nice to be able to escape the city and sit near a pond to have lunch during the day when the weather is not too bad (unfortunately, you can’t trust the weather app here. The forecast might say it will be clear all day but it tends to be wrong almost all the time.)
Hyde Park is the most popular, and is just a 10 minute walk from where I live. Kensington Palace and Gardens is located here. My favorite park is Holland Park. Make sure to check out this hidden gem! Holland Park is right by High Street Kensington Station. Inside Holland Park is Kyoto Gardens, a small little Japanese garden with a pond filled with hundreds of koi fish. A little waterfall is by the pond, making the scenery perfect for pictures. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see the lounging free range peacocks by the pond. Sit by the bonsai trees, relax, and enjoy the scenery in the early morning or during sunset when it is not too crowded. Holland Park also has another section called the Dutch Gardens. Walking into the Dutch Gardens you are overcome by an aroma of many different scents of flowers. There is a beautiful quaint rose garden section filled with various variations of roses. There are sunflowers, tulips, petunias, and more. In the middle is a large fountain. There is also a gigantic chess board with gigantic chess pieces (the size of a toddler) that visitors can play with. Holland Park has en ecology center, a tennis court, and a playground for children.
St James Park is a must visit spot in London. It is located in Westminster. From the water you’re able to see London’s top attractions such as the Eye and Buckinham Palace. It can get very crowded during the day since it is in such a central location. It is also the oldest royal park in the city. Regents Park is another nice park to visit. Henry VIII used this park to hunt.
If you’re looking for other luscious scenery, the Sky Garden is a fantastic place to view the city skyline while being surrounded by vegetation. To visit this attraction (it is also a bar and restaurant) you must book weeks in advance. It does not cost money to enter but since it is such a popular destination you need to plan early to get tickets. The Barbican Conservatory filled with plants, birds, and exotic fish. High tea is available here. Unfortunately, the conservatory is only open on Sundays.For a city, London can be very green considering the amount of places to escape the busy parts of the city. I have never seen another city with this many amazing parks!
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