Question 1

What are the park opening hours?

Accepted Answer

The pedestrian gates open from 5am and close at dusk each day, which varies throughout the year. The vehicle gates open from 7am and close at midnight each day. 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 The Regent's Park & Primrose Hill web page.

2026 opening times
You can view the 2026 opening times for The Regent's Park & Primrose Hill here.

Question 2

What are the closest public transport links to the park?

Accepted Answer

The Regent's Park is well served by a range of different public transport services:

Train
The closest mainline stations are London Euston - located to the east of the park, and Marylebone to the south-west. London Euston is served by services from Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Railway. Walking times to the park from both stations is under 15 minutes.

Tube
You can travel to The Regent's Park via the Bakerloo (Regent's Park), Circle (Great Portland Street) or Northern and Victoria (Warren Street) 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 The Regent's Park 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

The Regent's Park is approximately 166 hectares (410 acres) in size - the equivalent of 11 London Zoos! The park's perimeter is approximately 3.3 miles long (excluding Primrose Hill). You can view or download the park map here.

Question 4

What is the park's history?

Accepted Answer

Known as the 'jewel in the crown', The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill formed part of the vast chase appropriated by Henry VIII. Marylebone Park, as it was known, remained a royal chase until 1646. It was John Nash, architect to the crown and friend of the Prince Regent, who developed The Regent's Park as we know it today.

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

Question 5

Is car parking available?

Accepted Answer

The Regent's Park has plenty of on-street parking in marked bays around both the Inner Circle and Outer Circle. In addition, there is a single large car park specifically for visitors to nearby London Zoo at Gloucester Gate. This car park is not run by The Royal Parks, and the full tariff can be found here. Vehicle gate times are shown on the park web page.

Disabled parking
There are disabled parking spaces around both the Inner Circle and Outer Circle. Parking is free of charge for Blue Badge holders, but is subject to a 4-hour time limit.

Question 6

Is there a charge for car parking?

Accepted Answer

Car parking in both the Inner Circle and Outer Circle of The Regent's Park is chargeable from 9am to 6:30pm, every day of the week - including Bank Holidays.

Payment methods
The parking machines in these roads 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 / £19.00 for the maximum stay of 9.5 hours.

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

London Zoo car visitors car park (Gloucester Gate)
Visitors to London Zoo can use their large car park for £16 (term time, weekdays) or £17.50 (school holidays, weekends, bank holidays). It is free to use for Members, Fellows and Patrons of ZSL, and for non-visitors the charge is £70. This car park is not run by The Royal Parks, and the full tariff can be found here.

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 The Regent's Park, but only where stated (e.g. The Broad Walk, Inner Circle, Chester Road etc.). Smaller 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

The Regent's Park has seven main cafés - Regent's Bar & Kitchen, The Broad Walk Café, The Espresso Bar, The Waterside Café, The Hub Café, Primrose Hill Café and the Park Sports 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

The Regent's Park is perfect for a wide range of sports activities including running (the park has its own 385m cinder track) and roller-sports, or personal fitness. For team sports, The Hub offers grass pitches for football, rugby and lacrosse over winter and cricket, softball, rounders and touch rugby in summer. And at the Courts at The Regent's Park, you can try a selection of sports including tennis, netball, padel and outdoor table tennis. If you'd prefer to take to the water, boating is also available in the park.

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 The Regent's Park but it is the owner's responsibility to keep the dog under control. However there are several exceptions to this, such as Avenue Gardens , English Gardens, Queen Mary's Gardens, St. John's Lodge Garden and around the boating lake. 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

Yes. You can use The Regent's Park as a location for personal training or group fitness sessions - providing you have a current fitness training licence issued by The Royal Parks charity.

Fitness training licences are also available for Hyde Park, Greenwich Park, The Green Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park. They are not available for St. James's Park, Kensington Gardens, Victoria Tower Gardens or Brompton Cemetery.

To apply for a fitness training licence please read the information here and complete the 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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