Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (4th part)

1. Before Arriving in London
2. How to get to London - Getting to London by plane, train, bus or car
3. Public Transport in London - Getting around London
4. Cost of Living in London
5. Save Money in London - Tips for Living in London on a Student Budget
6. London neighborhoods - The most important districts of London
7. London Nightlife - A guide to nightclubs and going out in London
8. Where to eat in London - British Cuisine and British Gastronomy Restaurants
9. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (1st part)
10. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (2nd part)
11. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (3rd part)
12. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (4th part)
13. Day Trips from London - Places to visit and excursions around London
14. Festivals in London - Festivities and celebrations calendar
15. London in 3 days - What to see in London in 3 days

Parks and Green Spaces

As London is a huge metropolitan city, sometimes it’s nice to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday city life and just relax yourself or even just exercise outside, surrounded by nature. Parks in London definitely aren’t a rarity, but sometimes the good ones can be well-hidden (which is better as flocks of people don’t disturb the tranquil atmosphere).

Holland Park

Situated in the Royal borough of Kensington & Chelsea, this is the biggest park in the area with 22.5 hectares of gardens and a Japanese Garden which was donated in 1991 by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto. Not only is the park a place to relax, but there are also sports facilities catering for netball, tennis, football, cricket and golf and wildlife such as squirrels and peacocks which roam the gardens.

To get to the park, get the Circle or District lines to High Street Kensington station or the Central and Circle & District lines to Notting Hill Gate. The park is open daily from 7:30am until half an hour before dusk.

Hyde Park

Situated in Westminster and being one of London’s eight royal parks, Hyde Park is one of the most famous amongst Londoners and tourists alike. The park was established in the 1500’s when Henry VIII took the land from Westminster Abbey in order to use it as a place to hunt. Over the years, it’s become famous for places of interest such as speakers’ corner which is where people were, and still are able to speak, debate and discuss things in open-air.

Hyde Park is a great place to get away from busy London life whilst being situated in a central London location at the same time. As well as all the traditional things you can do in a park such as sports (there is a tennis and sports centre within the park) and picnics, (If you do go for a picnic, be aware that there are certain rules set in place such as no glass containers, no loud music and make sure that you throw away all your litter before leaving the park), there is also the Serpentine where you can hire a pedal boat and relax in the middle of the body of water and a rose garden which is a fabulous garden full of roses and herbaceous which creates rich seasonal flower beds and beautiful scents. There are also various memorials and fountains dotted around the park.

The park is opened daily from 5:00 until midnight. There are 4 tube stations which surround the park and they are:

1. Lancaster Gate - Central line
2. Marble Arch - Central line
3. Hyde Park Corner - Piccadilly line
4. Knightsbridge - Piccadilly line

Green Park

Green Park itself covers 19 hectares of land, it is said to have used to be swamp land which was used to bury lepers in around the 16th century. Today, obviously, this is not the case - it is a park, but doesn’t have as much in it as the other parks but being located in the peaceful triangle between Piccadilly and Constitution Hill, it makes for a great place to have picnics!

The park is open 24/7 all year round.

The closest tube stations to the park are:

• Green Park: Jubilee, Victoria and Piccadilly lines
• Hyde Park Corner: Piccadilly line

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens once used to be the private gardens of Kensington Palace, nowadays, it’s a public garden and one of the royal parks in which anyone is welcome! There are a variety of impressive monuments and memorials around the gardens. Kensington Gardens used to be a part of Hyde Park but it was separated from the rest of the park in 1728 on the request of Queen Caroline.

The park is open from 6am until dusk every day. To get to the park, you have to get the tube to:

1. Lancaster Gate & Queensway station: Central line
2. Bayswater: District line
3. High Street Kensington: Circle and District line

Regent’s Park

Regent’s park is another one of the royal parks in London. It lies partly in the city of Westminster and partly in the borough of Camden. A huge variety of sports and activities are played there, as well as there being 5 other gardens and landscapes within the park and even London Zoo!

To get to the park, there are 5 tube stations which you can go to:

1. Regent’s Park: Bakerloo line
2. Great Portland Street: Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan lines
3. Baker Street: Hammersmith & City, Circle, Metropolitan, Jubilee and Bakerloo lines
4. St. John’s Wood: Jubilee line
5. Camden Town: Northern line

The park is open from 5am daily with the earliest closing time being 4:30pm in November and December and the latest closing time being 9:30pm in May, June and July.

St. James’s Park

There is a range of things to do and to see in St. James’s park. From viewpoints of Buckingham palace to the range of wildlife found at the park, the park is very popular amongst Londoners as well as tourists thanks to its location close to Buckingham Palace and is also the oldest of the 8 Royal parks in London.

The wildlife in the park ranges from pelicans (they’re most definitely not typical to London), as well as wood mice, foxes and the very common grey squirrel. There are monuments such as the Blue Bridge which offers fantastic views of Buckingham Palace from the park and the Tiffany Fountain which is a stunning 20ft water plume.

As for monuments in the park, there is a huge amount of memorials, sculptures and statues all dedicated to different events which have happened in or around the park as well as notable people from London and all over the world.

Lastly, you can take part in the Diana Princess of Wales memorial walk which is a seven-mile-long walk consisting of 90 plaques which are set in the ground in-sight of famous buildings and monuments. Visitors to the park will also see two mansions and three palaces in which the late Princess Diana had lived in. The walk actually takes you through four beautiful central London parks, so it’s a great way to get to know some important points around London which a lot of Londoners probably don’t even know about!

The park is opened from 5am to midnight everyday and all year round. To get to the park, you have a choice of 5 tube stations:

1. St. James’s Park station: Circle and District lines
2. Charing Cross station: Northern and Bakerloo lines as well as National Rail lines
3. Westminster station: Jubilee, District and Circle lines
4. Green Park station: Victoria, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines
5. Victoria station: Victoria, Circle and District lines as well as National Rail lines

Kew Gardens

This part of urban tranquility is actually located in greater London, so it really is the place to go if you’re needing a break from fast-paced city life. The gardens are actually more of a botanical garden which houses one of the most diverse botanical collections in the world! There are more than 30,000 types of plant within the garden which means it grows more species than any other garden in the world.

In 2003, Kew was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site (it’s London’s biggest out of the 4).

Apart from plant life, there are also features within the gardens such as the Treetop Walkway which is 18 metres above the ground and gives visitors a unique bird's eye view of the canopy below. There is also a Japanese landscape which really stands out against the more rugged woodland areas.

Unfortunately, you do have to pay for entry into Kew Gardens, but it’s totally worth it. The fees are as follows:

• Adults: £17.50
• Students: £8.75
• London Pass: Free entry + fast track entry when you show your London Pass card

The gardens open at 10am everyday and close at 18:30 (Monday to Thursday) and 20:30 (Friday to Sunday and bank holidays).

To get to the gardens, you can take either the overground to Kew Bridge station or the District line on the underground to Kew Gardens station.

The 65 bus runs from nearby town, Kingston upon Thames and Ealing from the other direction. The bus stops right outside the gardens.

Richmond Park

Richmond Park is another great green area to go if you need to take a little break from cosmopolitan life. Situated in the borough of Richmond upon Thames, it is the largest of the 8 royal parks and has park entry gates in Richmond, Kingston, Sheen, Ham and Roehampton as well as several other gates reserved just for pedestrians. Richmond Park is important for both national and international wildlife conservation - it’s a top site for ancient trees, fungi and insects, furthermore, as it was originally opened as a deer hunting park, there are presently over 600 deer roaming the park freely.

As for things to see in the park, there are some great mounds which really work well as viewpoints over different parts of London such as King Henry’s mound which offers brilliant panoramic views of the Thames Valley and of St. Paul’s cathedral in the distance to the east. One of the highly recommendable things to see in Richmond Park is the the luscious Isabella Plantations - a 40 acre woodland garden set in a Victorian woodland plantation. There is a huge variety of plant species there, a stream which adds to the already present peace and even huge shrubs which have grown to form tunnels over the walkways. It really is a “must-see” if you do go to the park.

Pedestrian gates are actually open 24 hours a day except during the deer cull season which is from November until February when the gates open at 7:30am and shut at 8:00pm.

As there are a few different gates, there are a few different routes you can take to get to the park:

1. Richmond gate: District line on the underground or the overground to Richmond station (then catch the 371 or 65 bus routes which go close to Richmond gate or can drop you off at Petersham gate which is a pedestrian gate) or bus numbers 190, 391 and 419.
2. Kingston Gate: Overground to Kingston station (then the 371 to stop Wyndham Road) or the 85 or 65 buses which come from Putney and Ealing respectively and stop about a 10/15 minute walk from the gate.
3. Ham Gate: Train to Richmond or Kingston station and then the 65 bus to either Ham Parade, Ham Common or Ham Gate Avenue.
4. Sheen Gate: Train to Mortlake station (then a 20 minute walk) or the 33 bus from Hammersmith, 337 bus from Clapham or the 493 bus from St. George’s/University of London (get off at the stop called Sheen Court).
5. Roehampton Gate: Train to Barnes or Barnes Bridge stations (30 or 36 minute walk to the gate respectively) or 33, 337 or 493 buses to stop Priory Lane and walk.

Bushy Park

Bushy park is the second biggest of the royal parks behind Richmond Park and it’s also situated in greater London. The park is pretty old and the land that it sits on has been around for around 4000 years - remnants of the Bronze Age have been found there - and there is also substantial evidence that it was once used as Medieval farmland. In the 1500’s, Henry VIII established the park as a deer hunting ground so it’s no surprise that the park is still rife with deer today as well as being rich in other types of flora and fauna.

Due to its location outside of central London and next to the river Thames, it’s a great place for a stroll in winter or for a picnic in summer. The atmosphere is always very calm and really makes you forget that you’re even in greater London! The best place to go is the Woodland Garden - it’s like stepping into a fairytale world as it’s sectioned off from the rest of the park and just filled with nature and a tranquil stream which runs right through.

Pedestrian gates to the park are open 24 hours Monday to Friday except for September and November when they open at 8am and close at 10:30pm.

Like Richmond Park, there are a few gates which you can use to get to Bushy Park:

1. Kingston Gate: Catch a train to Kingston station, and walk, alternatively, get the 85 bus from Putney or 65 bus from Ealing, get off in Kingston town centre and walk from there for around 10 minutes.
2. Teddington Gate: From Kingston, get catch the 285 or 281 bus towards Heathrow/Hounslow and get off at Teddington Memorial Hospital and walk for 5 minutes.
3. Hampton Court Gate: Either get the train to Hampton Court station and walk for 10 minutes or get to Kingston and catch either the 111 bus towards Heathrow or the 216 bus towards Staines and get off at the stop called Hampton Court Gardens.
4. Hampton Hill: You can catch the train to either Kingston or Teddington and then catch the 285 bus going towards Heathrow and get off at Cross Street.

Mayfield Lavender Field

Mayfield lavender field isn’t so much of a park, it’s just a field filled with beautifully coloured lavender (you could have probably guessed that from the name), but it really is well worth a visit. It’s been around since the early 2000’s but was planted on top of an already existing lavender field from the Victorian era. A lot of people visit the field to take stunning photos of the completely purple landscape (have a look at the photos on their website here) and they even hold a photography competition where you can win £200 for the best photo of the year.

The lavender field opens in June until mid September, but the best time to go is July when the lavender plants are in full bloom. It only costs £1 to go, so it really is worth the money!

It’s located in Banstead which is just outside of the greater London area; to get there, you have to catch the train from London Waterloo going towards Guildford and get off at Epsom. From Epsom train station, you need to walk to the clock tower bus stop (approximately a 5 minute walk) and catch the 166 bus towards West Croydon and get off at Oaks Park, from there, the field is about a minute walk away! The total journey time is around an hour and 15 minutes, so it’s not too long! You’ll be able to use your Oyster card for the whole journey.

Don’t worry about eating, there is a café there which sells a range of foods including paninis and burgers and during July and August, they also host a barbecue. Be sure to try the lavender cider!

Cinemas

No matter where you’re from, nowadays, people tend to either download or stream films from home as cinema prices (especially in the UK) have gone up. You end up paying a lot to see a film, but wonder why, as the experience isn’t anything special, nor does it offer anything out of the ordinary! Well there are a handful of cinemas that understand this and therefore offer something a bit different to enhance your viewing pleasure.

Electric Cinema

--> Best for: An indulging experience

The Electric Cinema originally opened on Portobello Road in Notting Hill in 1910 and since then it has gone in and out of use (especially over the World War periods). It’s popularity was questionable during the 50’s due to Notting Hill becoming a fairly run down area and it started losing popularity throughout the subsequent years. Nevertheless, the cinema was renovated during the 90’s and regained its popularity - the cinema hasn’t really been out of use since it opened in 1910!

Today, the interior reflects the long history of the cinema. The seating is made up of leather armchairs with their own personal side tables, 2 seater sofas at the rear of the cinema and double beds in the front row which all come with cashmere blankets for an incomparable viewing experience. There is also an Electric Cinema in Shoreditch.

To get to the Portobello Road branch, you need to take either the Circle line or Hammersmith & City line to Ladbroke grove and then walk.

To get to the Shoreditch branch, you need to either take the Northern line to Old Street or the overground to Shoreditch High Street station.

Regent Street Cinema

--> Best for: Cinema history

First opened in 1848, this cinema is described as “the birthplace of British cinema”; it was also the first cinema in the UK to show moving footage and the first to show an X-rated film in the UK. It is said that today, the cinema is one of the few in the UK that can screen films in 16mm, 35mm and 4K which means that the cinema is able to show films which had been archived for many years. As well as exclusive premieres, documentaries and animations the cinema also shows world cinema and a lot more.

To get to the cinema, take the Bakerloo, Central or Victoria lines to Oxford Circus tube station and the cinema is around a 3 minute walk away.

The Prince Charles Cinema

--> Best for: Marathons and sing-a-longs

The Prince Charles Cinema is probably one of the most famous cinemas, especially in London as it is the last of the independent cinemas in London’s cine-famous west end! Even notable director Quentin Tarantino has said that the cinema is everything an independent movie should be - “for lovers of quality films, this is Mecca”.

The cinema hosts great events such as sing-a-longs to films such as the Sound of Music, the Rocky Horror Picture Show and more as well as all-night movie marathons! An example is the whole Harry Potter collection being shown from 8pm until 3pm the next day!

To get to the cinema, catch the Piccadilly line or the Bakerloo line to Piccadilly Circus and from there it’s a 5 minute walk.

BFI IMAX

--> Best for: A more than modern experience

The BFI IMAX, situated right in the centre of London in Waterloo, is really a leader in unique cinema experiences, with the largest screen in Britain which measures 20 metres in height and 26 metres in width and a seating capacity of just under 500, there’s no wonder it’s such a unique experience!

To get to the IMAX, you will have to get either the overground or underground, using the Bakerloo line, Northern line or Jubilee line to London Waterloo or Waterloo East. The cinema is about a 1 minute walk away.

Phoenix Cinema

--> Best for: Old-school cinematic vibes

Due to being built in 1910, this cinema is one of the best places to see a film for film and architecture enthusiasts alike. The cinema officially opened in 1912 with a film about the Titanic ocean liner which sank in April of that same year. As well as films, the cinema holds weekly group discussions and film study groups and also has a café upstairs where you can buy homemade soups, stews and cakes.

The cinema is located in East Finchley, so to get there, you have to take the Northern line to East Finchley station which is about 150 yards away from the cinema.

Ciné Lumière

--> Best for: Foreign films

Ciné Lumière is actually a part of “l’Institut Français” so this cinema is a great place to come not only if you want to brush up on your French skills, but also if you’re a lover of foreign films. French films are shown every Sunday but there are other international films shown in other languages throughout the week. Ciné Lumière is also a pretty good cinema for students as they have a deal which means that anyone under the age of 25 only has to pay£5.

To get to the cinema, you can take either the Circle & District lines or the Piccadilly line and get off at either South Kensington or Gloucester Road with South Kensington being the closer of the two.

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