Question 1

What are the park opening hours?

Accepted Answer

The park opens from 6am and closes at dusk each day, which varies throughout the year. This week's opening hours, and any public notices relating to temporary closures (due to park events or maintenance, for example) can be found on the Kensington Gardens web page.

2026 opening times
You can view the 2026 opening times for Kensington Gardens here.

Question 2

What are the closest public transport links to the park?

Accepted Answer

Kensington Gardens is well served by a range of different public transport services:

Train
The closest mainline station is London Paddington - located approximately 500m north of West Carriage Drive. The station is served by services from GWR, Heathrow Express and TfL's Elizabeth Line.

Tube
You can travel to Kensington Gardens via the Central (Lancaster Gate or Queensway) and Circle (Bayswater) underground lines. Each of these is just a few minutes walk from the park.

Bus
There are plenty of options for getting to the park by bus. Use an online planner from TfL or Google to prepare for your journey.

Cycle
Cycling to Kensington Gardens has never been easier. There are a wealth of marked cycleways passing through and around the park, and there are several cycle hire points around the park. Full details of both can be found on the TfL website.

Question 3

How big is the park?

Accepted Answer

Kensington Gardens is approximately 107 hectares (265 acres) in size - large enough to hold 20 Royal Albert Halls! The park's perimeter is approximately 2.7 miles long if you ignore the Long Water, and approximately 3.3 miles long if you include it. You can view or download the park map here.

Question 4

What is the park's history?

Accepted Answer

The gardens with their magnificent trees are the setting for Kensington Palace, the choice of William III and Mary II for their London home. Queen Victoria was born in the palace and lived there until she became queen in 1837. She was responsible for commissioning the Italian Gardens and Albert Memorial within the park grounds.

More information on the park's history can be found here.

Question 5

Is car parking available?

Accepted Answer

Kensington Gardens has a number of parking spaces along West Carriage Drive as shown on our park map. It is also easy to access Hyde Park's Triangle and Diana car parks on the opposite side of the road. Vehicle gate times are shown on the park web page.

Disabled parking
There are disabled parking spaces in each of the locations above. Parking is free of charge for Blue Badge holders, but is subject to a 4-hour time limit. Two disabled car-parking spaces exist at Queens Gate.

Question 6

Is there a charge for car parking?

Accepted Answer

Car parking in Kensington Gardens is chargeable from 8:30am to 6:30pm, every day of the week - including Bank Holidays.

Payment methods
The parking machines in our car parks accept both cash and cashless payments.

Tariff
Monday to Saturday: 70p per 15 mins / £2.80 per hour / £11.20 for the maximum stay of 4 hours.
Sunday (and Bank Holidays): 50p per 15 mins / £2.00 per hour / £20.00 for the maximum stay of 10 hours.

Motorcycles
Motorcycles can be parked for free, up to the maximum stay of 4 hours.

Question 7

How do I pay or contest a car parking fine?

Accepted Answer

The Royal Parks do not process parking fines (or Excess Charge Notices - ECNs) in-house. These are managed by NSL Parking Services. You can pay your ECN online or by phone using an automated service on 0343 2082089.

Full details can be found here.

Question 8

Can I cycle in the park?

Accepted Answer

Yes, cycling is permitted within Kensington Gardens, but only where stated (e.g. The Broad Walk, Mount Walk, Studio Walk and the Albert Approach Road). Other paths across the park where cycling is not allowed have clear 'no cycling' signage at ground level. Please be considerate and give space to other park users and the park's wildlife. Pedestrians have priority at all times.

You can check permitted cycleways on OpenStreetMap.

For more information view Cycling in The Royal Parks.

Question 9

Is there a charge to use the public toilets?

Accepted Answer

There is a 20p charge to use the public toilets in the parks. We have recently installed a contactless system which accepts credit/debit cards, prepaid cards and mobile wallet payments like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Cash is no longer accepted.

Question 10

What cafés and kiosks are in the park?

Accepted Answer

Kensington Gardens has two main cafés - Italian Gardens Café and Broad Walk Café. There are also several smaller refreshment kiosks dotted throughout the park. View the Food and Drink section for full details of each outlet, along with their latest menus.

You can find their locations on the park map.

Question 11

What sports facilities are in the park?

Accepted Answer

Laid out as a historic garden with tree-lined avenues and ornamental water features Kensington Gardens has no dedicated facilities for organised sport. However, its network of quality paths attracts plenty of recreational runners and there is plenty of room for friends and families to enjoy informal games. The park is also home to the start (and finish) of the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk. This seven-mile long self-guided walk passes through Hyde Park, The Green Park and St. James's Park before returning to the start at Kensington Palace.

Discover more here.

Question 12

Do The Royal Parks have a shop?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there is a permanent shop located by the Boat House in Hyde Park which is open all year round. We are open from 10am-6pm, 7 days a week.* In addition, during warmer months our mobile 'pop-up' shops tour the central parks with a curated selection from the range.

*Opening hours vary slightly throughout the year. Please check the shop webpage for current times.

Question 13

What do the Royal Parks shops sell?

Accepted Answer

The Royal Parks shop offers a unique ranges of gifts, homewares, prints, books and garden accessories, as well as beautiful keepsakes to take home as a memento of your visit. Take your time and browse seasonal collections and year-round favourites.

Visit the Hyde Park shop

Question 14

Are The Royal Parks shop products sustainable?

Accepted Answer

Sustainability and addressing climate change are at the heart of everything we do.

We ensure that products have been ethically sourced and sustainably produced by local artisans and UK businesses where possible.

In our shop in Hyde Park, all of the fixtures are made from recycled, upcycled and reused materials.

We strive for transparency with our responsible approach to evaluating the sourcing and production processes of our products. We collaborate with partners who share our values, ensuring they adhere to fair labour practices and ethical standards.

You can read about our approach to sustainability online.

Question 15

Do I need to keep my dog on a lead?

Accepted Answer

Generally, dogs do not need to be kept on a lead in Kensington Gardens but it is the owner's responsibility to keep the dog under control. However there are several exceptions to this, such as the edge of Round Pond and Long Water, around the Italian Gardens fountains and the North and South Flower Walks. Other areas where dogs are not allowed are listed in our Dogs in The Royal Parks policy document.

Commercial dog walkers
Please note, that if you want to use the Royal Parks for commercial dog walking purposes, you must have a Commercial Dog Walking Licence issued by The Royal Parks charity.

Question 16

Can I feed the wildlife in the park?

Accepted Answer

No. Feeding birds and animals in the parks does more harm than good. You can learn more about why this is, and how you can help us in caring for their wellbeing here.

Question 17

How can I contact the park office?

Accepted Answer

Getting in touch with park offices is quick and easy and all enquiries are handled by our dedicated Visitor & Park Support team.

Online
Simply complete the short online enquiry form and your question(s) will be passed to the most appropriate staff member. To ensure an efficient service, please check that you have provided the following information:

Park
Subject
Your name
Your email address
Your enquiry

Telephone
You can also contact the park offices by telephone using the following numbers:

Hyde Park 0300 061 2000
Kensington Gardens 0300 061 2000
St. James's Park and The Green Park 0300 061 2350
The Regent's Park 0300 061 2300
Greenwich Park 0300 061 2380
Richmond Park 0300 061 2200
Bushy Park 0300 061 2250

Contacting the police in an emergency
For police assistance, please call 101 for non-emergencies, and 999 for emergencies. You can also report a crime online.

Question 18

Who do I contact about lost property?

Accepted Answer

To report lost property, please contact our Visitor and Park Support Team via their online contact form with the following information:

Your contact details
A description of the item
Date and time when the item was lost
Location (if known) where the item was lost

If the property has been found by staff or handed in to us we'll let you know.

Question 19

Who do I report a crime in the park to?

Accepted Answer

To report criminal activity in the park you should contact the police. For non-emergencies call 101, and for emergencies call 999. You can also report a crime online.

Question 20

Can I run personal training sessions in the park?

Accepted Answer

A limited number of Commercial Licenses for 121 personal training are available for Kensington Gardens. Group fitness is not permitted.

Detailed information about fitness training licences can be found here , along with an online application form.

Question 21

Do I need a permit to shoot photos in the park?

Accepted Answer

If you are filming/photographing by yourself on a mobile phone or action camera for purely personal use then no you don't need a permit to film/photograph in the park. However, for all other purposes you will need to obtain a filming or photography permit from The Royal Parks charity. Full information and online application forms can be found here.

Question 22

Can I have a picnic in the park?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we welcome informal picnics in the Royal Parks. Please read our guidance document for maximum group sizes and what is and isn't permitted. Please note that barbecues are not allowed. For further information about informal picnics please click here.

If your group size is more than 100 people, this is considered a large picnic, and an event application should be submitted. Please see the 'Can I hold an event in the park?' FAQ for further information.

Question 23

Can I hold an event in the park?

Accepted Answer

Every year, we welcome hundreds of small and medium events to the Royal Parks, including walks and runs, large picnics, concerts and community sports. Applications for such events are considered by our dedicated Parks Events team. To find out more, and submit an application click here. At least six weeks’ notice is required.

Question 24

Can I use the bandstand?

Accepted Answer

We welcome the use of our park bandstands for small public events such as music festivals, dance or group fitness workshops or theatrical performances. Applications for such events are considered by our dedicated Parks Events team. To find out more, and submit an application click here. At least six weeks’ notice is required.

Question 25

Can I swim in the lake?

Accepted Answer

For the safety of visitors and protection of park wildlife, public swimming is not allowed in any of the lakes and ponds of the Royal Parks. The only exception is the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park which is manned by lifeguards and open during summer months.

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