We spent a few hours walking around the park yesterday and we really enjoyed it. Our very favorite…read moresection was the Sexby Garden; it's rather large and the various types of flowers are beautiful. There's a Japanese garden which doesn't have any elements that distinguish it, but the pond is pretty. There's a large lake in the park with many geese, ducks & other water fowl, and it was really fascinating watching them. Also, many people were walking dogs and/or bringing their babies or young children for walks throughout the park and we had some pleasant/brief conversations with several people.

Peckham Rye park is great, there is plenty of grass for games as well as a gated area with japanese…read moregarden and play areas. There are also loads of parakeets living in the trees here which means there is a flurry of green in the summer and a lot of squawking! There are various play areas, one close to the cafe for toddlers and younger children as well as an adventure playground further into the park. There is also a skate area for skaters and skateboarders. The gardens are really pretty with lots of nice flower arrangements. The park is close to local bars and makes for a nice afternoon walk. There are running clubs at weekends outside the cafe.

I walked through this park on my first day in London. I was very intrigued with the different flora…read moreand fauna in the area. Pelicans, fowls, colorful birds are native to the park. It is such a serene walk, as there are no cars coming in and out of the area. There are bicyclists in the area but they don't do much to deter walkers. This park is right across from the popular Buckingham palace and offers a great view of the guards.

We walked thru St.James Park on our way to Buckingham Palace. This is the oldest Royal Park in…read moreLondon. Over 57 acres with a small lake,it borders Buckingham Palace and the Clarence House. Many benches through the park as well as a nice kids play area. We loved watching all the various ducks and other waterfowl in the lake.

I've been fortunate enough to stroll through this beautifully maintained landscape on multiple…read moreoccasions. There are lots of paths and historical monuments and statues to check out (including the Prince Albert memorial). The Peter Pan statue, Italian Gardens, and Princess Di playground are just some of many attractions worth seeing here. Lovely place to unwind from a day of touristy activities, the hustle and bustle of London, or for taking a lunch work break. The Round Pond is worth seeing as well.

Kensington Gardens is one of London's eight Royal Parks, covering 265 acres just to the west of…read moreHyde Park. We visited a week or so ago after a lunch in Kensington. We walked over to see the exterior of Kensington Palace. Then we took a picture of the Queen Victoria Statue, explored the Diana Princess of Wales Sunken Garden, wandered around the Round Pond, visited the Serpentine South Gallery, and then walked past the Albert Memorial on our way out of the park. And that was just scratching the surface of what the park has to offer! The Sunken Garden was the highlight for me. It was much less crowded than the rest of the park, and it's a beautiful tribute to Diana from her sons. It was also the lushest part of the park we saw - the park was a little brown and beige after the heat of summer when we visited the first week of September. It was a great place to stretch our legs after a wonderful but heavy lunch!

While I was staying in London with my mom last month, I woke up pretty early one morning and…read moredecided to go for a walk. Luckily, Hyde Park was only a couple blocks away so I explored the area. I stumbled upon the Italian Gardens and it was such a nice, peacefull area to walk, relax, and enjoy nature a bit. It was very well maintained as well. If I'm in the area again in the future, I will definitely have the Italian Gardens on my must-see list.

We were greeted at the gateway of Hyde Park in London with amazing backdrop of the Italian Gardens…read more The view of the giant pools, fountains and landscaped areas. The lily pads are such a gorgeous view, it can't be real. The whole park has a romantic vibe to it, which makes sense because the gardens are believed to have been a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria. This is a perfect place to start a stroll through the park, picnic lunch or a gelato on a sunny day.

This is a gorgeous park in close proximity to the Maritime Museum. We were in the area and decided…read moreto take stroll around. There were lots of people and dogs enjoying the gorgeous day. If you make the short walk to the top, the view really is quite incredible. Very clean and worth the walk through if you're close!

Greenwich park is a huge beautiful park with sprawling greenery and walking trails, perfect for…read morepicnics, taking your dog out, and just enjoying the scenery. Speaking of the scenery, Greenwich park probably has the best view of the city skyline in my opinion.

Hyde Park is a lush park that we strolled through on our way to Buckingham palace. My American…read morecousin and I remarked how green the trees and grass were. Such a culture shock to us since we are from Phoenix, Arizona (the desert). I'd definitely return and hope for better weather next time, though the trees did shield some rain.

On our last full day in London, we spent the day at Hyde Park, one of London's most famous public…read moreparks. We purchased sandwiches at Harrods Food Hall, and ate our lunch in the park (we also purchased some beer and wine at a cafe in the park). It was a beautiful spring day, not too hot, not too cold -- just perfect. While we didn't see the entire park (at 350 acres, that would be impossible), we had a great day -- Hyde Park was one of the highlights of my time in London. We spent the majority of our time in Hyde Park watching the birds at the waterfront. I'm not a bird expert, but I saw at least nine different kinds of birds: swans, geese, Canadian Geese, ducks, seagulls, herons, pigeons, starlings, and crows. And further in the park, we saw parakeets. The diversity was amazing! If you're in London, Hyde Park is a MUST MUST MUST SEE! It also makes for an inexpensive day. Other things to note: you must pay to use the toilet, but it's only 20p. However, you can't pay by cash, only by credit card (which was fine by me, as I hate cash), and unlike Amsterdam, which charged €1, the washroom was CLEAN (there was an attendant). While I'm not a fan of paying to use the washroom, at least it was cheap (unlike Amsterdam), clean (unlike in my city or Amsterdam), and hassle free (unlike Amsterdam). [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; London, England; Parks and Gardens]

If you have not visited the development just north of Kings Cross recently, I urge you to do so…read more It's really impressive, albeit mostly focused around housing and a lot of reasonably high-end retail. There are lots of places to eat (both restaurants and coffee) and there's quite a student vibe, thanks to the Central St Martins art and fashion college being located there. However, if you're looking for an antidote, just cross the canal and then you will find the Camley Street Natural Park. It's a delightful semi-wilderness, with lots of wild planting, trees and ponds, with paths and seating. The drawer for me is their café. They serve teas, coffees, a limited range of alcoholic drinks, fresh organic juices, and cakes and light snacks. These include a soup of the day, sandwiches, toasted sandwiches and paninis. Most of the options are vegan or vegetarian, although there are a few meaty options as well. They have only outdoor seating (albeit under cover), so it is a good option if it is warm (or you are well wrapped up). The quality is really good, but do be prepared for a bit of a wait, especially if they busy, as everything is prepared to order. To be fair, the friendly staff warned us of this, but we were happy to wait and watch the world go by. A bit of a find, and worth knowing about.

You lucky lucky people…read more You're lucky I'm so nice and telling you about a hidden gem in the heart of London. A place to go when you thought you'd seen it all. Somewhere to escape and to learn. Somewhere where children can look a pond bugs and adults can (probably) kiss. We were on an anti tourist walk on a Saturday in and around Camden mostly because I'm a mild masochist who likes a challenge. We wound our way though lesser known parts of Regent's Park and down Regent's canal, only failing when we passed Camden Lock itself. To the east of this is this wonderful little two acre park right next to St Pancras international Station. Blink and you miss it, I would encourage most people to blink. This is two acres of land saved by the London Wildlife Trust and kept as a wildish nature reserve. From the canal it just looks like trees but get in and you will find a mini paradise of eco-conservationism. We were almost alone with the city feeling a million miles away in a pristine wild wetland, meadow and woodland area that has facilities for classes and education. It's wonderful little surprises like this that keep pulling me back to London so seriously...tell no-one, or you'll ruin my anti-tourist walk.

Free museum! Alpacas and goats and bunnies!…read morePicnic areas! Gardens! Crazy collections by Victorian natural history buff! Amazing collection of instruments in the basement! (Don't miss the surfboards that let you sample sounds) Exhibits suitable for the whole family! All this and a secret nature trail to explore next door- London's oldest! Full of urban Greenspans glory!

This fascinating little museum is a great day out trip from central London. They have just about…read moreany taxidermied animal that you could want on display, plus an interesting exhibit about cultures across the globe - all for free! There's also an aquarium, a butterfly house, and an extra exhibit (currently Lego sculptures) that you can pay to visit. The museum grounds are a great place to walk around. There are some really stunning views of the city center, plus a small farm, and lots of walking trails. This place was absolutely teeming with children, so it would be a great place to bring your little ones to run around. The grounds seem like a perfect place for a picnic - bring your own food or pick up something from the museum cafe.