Things To Do In Regent’s Park
Regent’s Park is one of London’s most popular open spaces, covering a large 410 acres of north London. Historically a hunting ground for Henry VIII, it was a place for only the royals for a while after it was designed by John Nash in the very early 1800’s, only to become formally open to the public in 1845.
It is now one of London’s busiest green places with food and music festivals held there over the summer, beautiful gardens and nature, tennis courts, cafes and of course it’s the home to London Zoo. Easily accessible via the tube at Regent’s Park, it’s the perfect place for a summer evening stroll or an exciting day out.
1. Climb to the top of Primrose Hill
Located on the northern side of Regent’s Park, you’ll see clear views of central London at the top of Primrose Hill. The hill itself is 213 feet high and, like Regent’s Park, it was also once part of the hunting ground for Henry VIII. There are seven English Heritage blue plaques on Primrose Hill commemorating the historic people that have lived there. The Hill also has a beautiful view of London if you decide to climb it at sunset.
2. Visit London Zoo in Regents Park
London Zoo is located inside Regents Park and is the world’s oldest scientific zoo, which opened to the public in April 1828. Inside the zoo you’ll find a penguin beach, a land of lions, a tiger territory, a butterfly paradise and whole lot more. With experiences and exhibits you can easily plan your day to make sure you don’t miss out on anything. There are also private experiences on offer to help you make your trip extra special, try being a junior keeper for the day or maybe have a go at a photography workshop.
3. Practice Yoga at The Hub
The Hub at Regent’s Park offers a wide range of exercise classes to suit all ages and fitness levels. They have a ‘drop in and pay as you go’ scheme so you don’t have to have a membership to join onto classes, which is convenient to those who want to go on an ad hoc basis. Classes there include Yoga, Pilates, Stretch and Tone which are held outside in the beautiful grounds of Primrose Hill.
4. Visit Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens
This breath-taking garden is located in the south-east corner of Regent’s Park, it’s home to London’s largest collection of roses with around 12,000 bushes. You can get lost in its circular layout, with spectacular gates alongside a Japanese pond garden, so you’ll be guaranteed a tranquil experience.
5. Open air theatre at Regents Park
Regent’s Park has its very own open-air theatre, which is open seasonally from May to September, with a wide range of theatre, music, comedy and film events running throughout this time. This unique experience is set in the heart of Regent’s Park and is available to book online, by phone, by post or in person via their box office which is open Monday – Saturday in the park itself. With ticket prices ranging from £25 to £65 this is the perfect budget-friendly evening out.
6. Hire a Boat or Pedalo
The lake at Regents Park is open daily for use from 10:30am until 6:00pm, from late March until the end of October. The lake offers boats and pedalos available for hire, there is also a separate lake for little ones which is open weekends, bank holidays and school holidays, with children’s pedalos available for hire. Boat and pedalo hire costs can be found on their website and vary from £4 to £30 dependant on time.
7. Have a picnic in Regents Park
At Regent’s Park, you can have a picnic with a maximum amount of 40 guests. It’s a great place to pitch up with friends and enjoy food while soaking up the glorious views (especially at Primrose Hill) and indulging yourself in the nature surrounding you. Although, Regent’s Park does have a few guidelines in place for picnics, so it’s good to check beforehand whether you’re allowed to do and bring certain things. Here are some of the rules in place at Regent's Park:
- Cooking or barbecuing in the parks - as well as being a fire hazard, abandoned barbecues can be a hazard to other visitors and to wildlife. Catering outlets in each of the parks sell a selection of hot and cold food.
- Using glassware - we ask that you use plastic cups and bottles where possible. Broken glass is a hazard to other visitors and wildlife and very difficult to remove from parkland.
- Playing ball games - ball games are only permitted in certain areas of some of the parks. If you want to play ball games, please contact the park office to find out where you should play.
- Playing music audible to other visitors.
- Fixing anything to trees or driving anything into the ground.
- Erecting tents, marquees or other structures.
Please see their website for all picnic rules and regulations.
8. Visit the Japanese Garden Island
One of the hidden gems of Regent’s Park is The Japanese Garden Island, located inside the Queen Mary’s Gardens. The Japanese Garden is located on its very own small island, which you can walk over a small bridge to. Known to be one of the quietest spots in Regent’s Park, its beautiful serenity is breath-taking and certainly worth a visit.
Somewhere to stay
Located a short 5-minutes away from Regent’s Park, is our Fitzrovia Hotel. Also located a short 7-minutes away from the park is our Langham Court Hotel so if you’re planning a day trip to Regent’s Park and want to make a weekend of it, make sure you check out our offers for up to 15% off accommodation.
