With a combination of green spaces and industrial streets, manicured roof gardens and rustic outside bars and dining spaces, it’s fair to say that London offers a varied and versatile landscape for those looking to get out and about on foot. And whether you plan on trekking from your accommodation near Hyde Park towards some of the surrounding attractions, or instead hope to factor in some brisk walking as part of your morning routine, we’re here to share some of the best routes and walking spots in London.
And what better place to start than with some of the Royal Parks.
Royal Park Walks
With a series of parks and expanses of green space and footpaths covering central London, breaking up the high streets and blend of old and new architecture, there is never a shortage of spots to explore and enjoy – no matter how much free time you have to wander and walk around. And that’s what makes these parks so great for visitors to London, letting them get out and explore on foot without really committing to a lengthy trek.
Regent’s Park is one of the best Royal Parks for walking as it is accessible on foot from the Hyde Park hotels but is segmented into a series of fields and spaces which offer spots pitches, athletic tracks, picnic spots, and even access to ZSL London Zoo. Hyde Park meanwhile is popular with joggers and runners due to the simple routes and connection of footpaths which run around and through the vast parkland, and St James’s Park affords views towards Buckingham Palace, through the fountain, and down towards where the pelicans live.
Southbank Walk
The river Thames presents a great place to explore on foot, with one of the benefits being that you can walk for as long as you want without running out of path. The Thames path is a famous route which spans 294km in total, making this a well established and highly popular walking route for visitors of all ages.
And if you get bored or tired and want to find a quicker way to return to your London hotel near Hyde Park, the beauty of the Southbank is that you can always jump onto an Uber boat or flag down a land taxi for an enjoyable run home.
Jubilee Greenway Walk
This is an established walk in London which starts at Buckingham Palace and passes through and around many of the most popular Royal Parks sites before heading into Little Venice and along the famously peaceful Regent’s Canal to the north of central London.
Hampstead Heath Walk
One of London’s more rural destinations, Hampstead Heath is far less manicured than the rest of the city and as such is a popular place with both locals and visitors who want to get out and about in nature on weekend trips and evening rambles. Hampstead Heath spans over 791 acres of fields and woodland and acts as one big nature reserve – the best place to see wildlife and get away from the perfect surroundings of the J Hotel Hyde Park for a few hours.
