Outdoor London Attractions

It may be one of Europe's largest cities, but there's nothing a Londoner likes better than getting close to nature. London has 8 Royal Parks, botanical gardens, nature reserves, canals, and the Thames all waiting to be explored.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

It's impossible to exaggerate the sheer beauty and importance of Kew Gardens, they are a World Heritage Site after all. Here, you'll find the largest collection of living plants anywhere, including exotic palms, giant waterlillies, a woodland glade, rhododendron dell, bamboo garden and much, much more. It's also home to the historic Kew Palace.

ZSL London Zoo

ZSL London Zoo might date back to 1828, but today traditional cages have been replaced with animal-friendly enclosures, including the new Gorilla Kingdom. The zoo is home to some 650 species, from tigers and giraffes to seahorses and bird-eating spiders, plus pelicans, apes, pythons, dragons and more. Yes, dragons really do exist!

HMS Belfast

From the Operations Room to the Engine Room, this is a fantastic opportunity to explore nine decks of a battleship. HMS Belfast was used in the Normandy Landings during The Second World War and now is docked on the Thames near London Bridge. At full speed, she could whip through the sea at 32 knots, and it took 144 men to manually raise her anchors.

London Wetland Centre

Wetland Centre. Copyright Visit London / Martin Senior

The London Wetland Centre is a twitcher's paradise! In 2000, 40 hectares of wetland, reed beds, lagoons and ponds were opened to the public. You can watch rare and exciting wildlife in their natural habitat. Breeds spotted at the centre include kingfishers, woodpeckers, goldfinches, redshanks, buzzards, gladwall and shoveler ducks.

Regent's Canal

Travel by a traditional narrowboat with Jason's Trips along the quiet backwaters of Regent's Canal and you'll discover a secret, hidden London. The route starts at Little Venice and takes you past Regent's Park, London Zoo and ends at Camden. The service is seasonal and runs from April to October, with up to four trips a day in high season.

Regent's Park

A former royal hunting ground, today the park contains landscaped gardens, wetland, reedbeds, woodland, playing fields, rose gardens and an outdoor theatre. Regent's Park is a Londoner's favourite, and has been used as a location in many films, including Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, About a Boy, and An American Werewolf in London.

Hyde Park

Linking Notting Hill and Kensington to Marble Arch, Hyde Park is a vast Royal Park. It's where you'll find the Diana Memorial Fountain, the Serpentine Gallery and the Serpentine Lido, where on a hot day keen swimmers bathe alongside the ducks. Hyde Park Riding Stables offer horse riding around the park's perimeter, on one of two bridal paths.