Pierre Champion / 500px

Greenwich Park

Top choice


Greenwich Park is one of London’s loveliest expanses of green, with a rose garden, impressive playground, a 6th-century Anglo-Saxon burial ground and astonishing views of Canary Wharf – the financial district across the Thames – from the crown of the hill. There's even an enclosed deer park called The Wilderness at the top of the hill, with several viewpoints from which you can spot the red and fallow deer that call this park home.

Covering 74 hectares, it's the oldest enclosed royal park and is partly the work of André Le Nôtre, the landscape architect who designed the palace gardens of Versailles. The park is bisected by the imaginary meridian line and is also home to the Ranger's House and the Royal Observatory.

A large expanse of green with a red-brick observatory building at the top of a hill
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich Park © mkos83 / Shutterstock

Opening times and access

The park opens at 6am every day to pedestrians. Parking, which opens at 7am, is available at the south end of the park, accessed through Blackheath Gates. Many bus routes serve the park; the nearest train stations (Blackheath, Maze Hill, Greenwich) are about a 20 minute walk away; Cutty Sark DLR station is closer.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Peter Harrison Planetarium

0.1 MILES

The southern half of the Royal Observatory includes this state-of-the-art, 120-seat planetarium – the only one in London. It's equipped with a digital…

2. Statue of General Wolfe

0.13 MILES

This statue in Greenwich Park memorialises General James Wolfe, celebrated for his victory over the French at the Battle of Quebec in Canada in 1759.

3. Royal Observatory

0.17 MILES

Rising like a beacon of time atop Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory is home to the prime meridian (longitude 0° 0' 0''). Tickets include access to the…

4. Ranger’s House

0.27 MILES

This elegant 1723 Georgian villa once housed the ranger of Greenwich Park and now contains a collection of 700 works of art, such as medieval and…

5. Queen’s House

0.39 MILES

Designed by architect Inigo Jones, Queen's House was the UK's first classical building, and it's as enticing for its form as for its art collection. Many…

6. National Maritime Museum

0.43 MILES

Narrating the long, briny and eventful history of seafaring Britain, this excellent museum has three floors of engrossing exhibits. Highlights include JMW…

7. Fan Museum

0.44 MILES

For fan fans, this small but lovely museum has a wonderful collection of over 4000 historic and modern fans (only a small portion are on display) from…

8. Chapel of St Peter & St Paul

0.5 MILES

With its mix of Greek revival and naval motifs, the beautiful Chapel of St Peter & St Paul, built in 1742, is decorated in an elaborate rococo style…