Question 1

What are the park opening hours?

Accepted Answer

The pedestrian gates open from 7am and close 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 Victoria Tower Gardens web page.

2026 opening times
You can view the 2026 opening times for Victoria Tower Gardens here.

Question 2

What are the closest public transport links to the park?

Accepted Answer

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

Train
The closest mainline stations are Vauxhall (22 minutes walk) and Waterloo (30 minutes walk) - both located on the opposite bank of the River Thames, and both served by services from South Western Railway.

Tube
You can travel to Victoria Tower Gardens via the Circle (Westminster) underground line. Slightly further afield, are the Bakerloo (Waterloo) and Victoria (Vauxhall) underground lines. These are a half-hour 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 Victoria Tower Gardens has never been easier. There are a wealth of marked cycleways around the park, and full details can be found on the TfL website.

Question 3

How big is the park?

Accepted Answer

Victoria Tower Gardens is approximately 2 hectares (4.9 acres) in size, and is the smallest Royal Park. It's perimeter is approximately 760m long. You can view or download the park map here.

Question 4

What is the park's history?

Accepted Answer

In 1867 the Government acquired the northern part of the gardens, to reduce the fire risk to the Palace of Westminster, but there was disagreement about whether it should remain an open green space or be built on. William Henry Smith (founder of W.H. Smith) stepped in, and donated £1,000 to preserve it as an open space – on the condition that it would be a place for recreation, particularly for the children of Westminster. The Government agreed – and matched his donation.

In 1913 the gardens were redesigned in a more natural landscape, with tranquil paths and a central shrubbery. This remained until 1956, when the shrubbery and trees standing in the lawns, were removed to give the small gardens a parkland atmosphere. This opened up the view, particularly of the Houses of Parliament.

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

Question 5

Is car parking available?

Accepted Answer

Victoria Tower Gardens has no on-site car parks, so if you plan to arrive by car you will need to find alternative locations nearby. To the north-west of the park there is an underground car park (accessed from Great College Street) which is run by Q-Park. Other locations can be found on information sites such as Parkopedia, and will charge for the duration of your stay.

Question 6

Can I cycle in the park?

Accepted Answer

No. Cycling is not permitted within Victoria Tower Gardens.

Question 7

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 8

What cafés and kiosks are in the park?

Accepted Answer

Victoria Tower Gardens has one kiosk at the park's southern end. You can find the location on the park map.

Question 9

What sports facilities are in the park?

Accepted Answer

Victoria Tower Gardens serves as a tranquil retreat from the bustling city, and has no dedicated facilities for organised sport.

Question 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

Do I need to keep my dog on a lead?

Accepted Answer

Generally, dogs do not need to be kept on a lead in Victoria Tower Gardens but it is the owner's responsibility to keep the dog under control. Areas where dogs are not allowed are listed in our Dogs in The Royal Parks policy document.

Commercial dog walkers
Commercial Dog Walking Licences are not available for Victoria Tower Gardens.

Question 14

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 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

Can I run personal training sessions in the park?

Accepted Answer

No. Victoria Tower Gardens is not available as a location for personal training or group fitness sessions.

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

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

Question 19

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 20

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 21

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.

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