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Number 18 of 20 in London

Hyde Park and Kensington Palace: the Serpentine, the memorials and the palace

Henry VIII took Hyde Park from the monks of Westminster in 1536 to hunt deer in. Charles I opened it to the public a century later, and it has been London's common ground ever since.

What it is
Garden
Time to allow
2 to 3.5 hours
Cost
Park free, ticket for the palace
Best time
A fine morning

London this week

    Why Hyde Park is worth it

    Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are two parks divided only by a road and a lake. Together they cover some 250 hectares, and you can walk for forty minutes from one end to the other without leaving the grass.

    Hyde Park is the open, public one: the Great Exhibition of 1851 was held here in the Crystal Palace, rock concerts are held here now, and at Speakers' Corner anyone has been free to stand up and say what they like since 1872.

    Kensington Gardens is the quieter, planted one, made as the grounds of Kensington Palace. William III and Mary II moved there in 1689 for the air. Victoria was born in the palace in 1819 and was woken there in 1837 to be told she was queen. Diana, Princess of Wales, lived there, and members of the royal family still do.

    What to see

    1. The Serpentine

      The long curved lake made for Queen Caroline in 1730. You can hire a boat, swim at the lido in summer, or walk the bank to the bridge.

    2. Kensington Palace

      The State Apartments of the king and the queen, the rooms where Victoria grew up, and exhibitions of royal dress. The Sunken Garden outside is free to look into.

    3. The Albert Memorial

      Victoria's monument to her husband, finished in 1872: a gilded prince under a Gothic canopy as tall as a church spire, facing the Royal Albert Hall.

    4. The Diana Memorial Fountain

      A ring of Cornish granite on the south bank of the Serpentine in which water runs both ways, opened in 2004. You may sit on the edge with your feet in it.

    5. The Serpentine Galleries

      Two small galleries of contemporary art on either side of the bridge, both free. Each summer a different architect builds a pavilion on the lawn.

    6. Peter Pan and the Italian Gardens

      The bronze boy playing his pipes has stood by the Long Water since 1912, put up overnight as a surprise for children. The fountains of the Italian Gardens are at the top of the same water.

    How to do it well

    • Start at Hyde Park Corner and walk west: the Serpentine, the Diana fountain, the Albert Memorial, the palace. It is about four kilometres and an easy hour without stops.
    • The palace needs a ticket and takes about an hour and a half. The parks need nothing.
    • On Sunday mornings Speakers' Corner, at the Marble Arch end, is at its liveliest.
    • Bicycles can be hired from the docking stations at the park gates and are allowed on the marked paths.
    • The V&A and the Natural History Museum are ten minutes' walk south of the Albert Memorial.

    Where it is

    Address

    Between Park Lane and Kensington, north of Knightsbridge

    Nearest station

    Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly) to begin, Queensway (Central) or High Street Kensington (District, Circle) for the palace

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Hyde Park and Kensington Palace

    Hyde Park and Kensington Palace: common questions

    Is Hyde Park free?
    Yes. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are free and open every day from early morning. Kensington Palace, at the western end, needs a ticket.
    How long does it take to walk across Hyde Park?
    About an hour from Hyde Park Corner to Kensington Palace at an easy pace, and two with stops at the Serpentine and the memorials.
    Who lives in Kensington Palace?
    Several members of the royal family have homes there. The State Apartments, which are separate, are open to visitors.
    How much time do you need for Hyde Park?
    Allow 2 to 3.5 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about Hyde Park

    Rating from Google

    4.5

    32,706 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 8 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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