Holland Park
peacocks, woods and a japanese garden
The most romantic park in west London, free, with woodland walks, roaming peacocks, formal gardens and the serene Kyoto Garden hidden at its heart.
Free to visit · Kensington · Holland Park · W8 6LU
Opening: Daily · 7:30am to dusk
Holland Park is the grandest and most varied of the west London parks, and all fifty-four acres are free. The northern half is proper woodland, quiet and shaded, where peacocks wander the paths and roost in the trees, entirely unbothered by visitors.
The southern half is all formal elegance, laid out around the ruins of Holland House, a Jacobean mansion bombed in the war and now a romantic shell used as a backdrop for open-air opera. There are flowerbeds, an orangery, sports courts and one of the better adventure playgrounds in the city.
At its centre sits the Kyoto Garden, a genuine Japanese garden given by the city of Kyoto, with a waterfall, koi pond and stepping stones, which alone is worth the trip. The whole park is a free, calm and slightly secret pocket a few minutes from the shops of Kensington.
Getting there: Holland Park on the Central line, or up from Kensington High Street, on the west side of central London.
Best time to go: Early morning for the woodland and the peacocks, or autumn when the Kyoto Garden's maples turn flame red.
Insider tip: Come early and head for the woodland in the north of the park. That is where the peacocks gather before the crowds arrive, and you can have the Kyoto Garden almost to yourself before the influencer queue forms on the little bridge.
Official site: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide