Outdoor Activities In London You Shouldn’t Miss

London has eight royal parks and numerous urban green spaces to enjoy outdoor activities, from walking and swimming to playgrounds and kicking a ball around. Any time the sun is out, you’ll see Londoners outdoors enjoying a picnic or just generally soaking up the sunshine.

Richmond Park in the southwest is Europe’s largest parkland. You can easily spend a few hours going for walks in this wild hub of biodiversity and nature that ranges from ancient anthills and historic deer herds in the woods to a 750-year-old oak tree and seasonal wildflower meadows.

More history awaits when you explore London’s oldest enclosed royal park, Greenwich Park, a boat ride from any central London pier down to Greenwich. It spans 74ha of landscaped lawns, hills and trees with deer herds, the Meridian (of Greenwich Mean Time fame) and the Royal Observatory in the mix.

London’s most accessible park, Hyde Park occupies 142ha right in central London. Add the adjacent Kensington Gardens, separated by the Serpentine lake, and it’s even bigger and includes a royal palace. Outdoor activities abound here – go swimming or boating in lakes, run, walk, cycle and horse ride on the well-tended trails, play tennis and enjoy the giant trees, family-friendly amenities and themed gardens.

Whether your interests lie in public gardens or beer gardens, London’s verdant attractions run the gamut from rooftop urbanscapes to well-tended landscapes.

Kew Gardens in Surrey is one of the city’s most famous green spaces to wander and admire the manicured arrangements, such as the 19th-century Palm House and other Victorian greenhouses. And don't miss the mesmerising 18m-high Treetop Walkway!

There are also specialist gardens like Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanic garden with more than 4,000 plants with medicinal, edible and practical uses, and the lush Barbican Conservatory for the juxtaposition of Brutalist architecture and tropical jungle in a humid hothouse. Tip: Book ahead for free entry.

If you’re keen to see what lies within gated squares, London Open Gardens weekend in early June allows you to snoop around and explore 200-plus private abodes and secret gardens.

London also has several sky gardens that combine unforgettable views with alfresco greenery. The so-called ‘Walkie Talkie’ building at 20 Fenchurch Street has the 155m-high Sky Garden, which has the distinction of being London’s highest public garden. It takes up the top three storeys with lush foliage and offers panoramic rooftop vistas overlooking the Shard. Tip: Book free tickets online at least three weeks in advance.

The Garden at 120 is London’s largest roof garden atop the Fen Court building at 120 Fenchurch Street and is free to visit. Head up the public lift to the 15th floor for sculptural garden beauty, 360-degree views and an up-close look at iconic landmarks, such as the aforementioned Walkie Talkie and Gherkin skyscrapers.

While London lacks natural cliffs and boulders for outdoor climbing, you can grab your family and friends to clamber up manmade structures and popular attractions for a 360-degree outlook.

Strap in and take on the 90-minute climb up O2 Stadium, a guided roof walk experience available for day, sunset and twilight climbs to soak up panoramic views of Greenwich, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Canary Wharf.

You can also ascend to the ArcelorMittal Orbit 360 at Olympic Park for the views from the sculpture’s 178m-high deck and then slide 76m down the Helix corkscrew, the world’s largest tunnel slide, for a vertical challenge.

Walk, run, bike or boat – there are so many ways to trace the River Thames in London for an outdoor experience. You can amble along the river at South Bank or Richmond for waterfront walks or tackle the 294km Thames Path National Trail from its source in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier and Woolwich for a few weeks of adventure.

For a shorter version, cyclists and walkers can do the 16.5km London length from Putney to Tower Bridge in a day to tick off an eye-popping array of iconic landmarks, including 16 bridges, such as Greenwich and Canary Wharf, Battersea Park, South Bank, Houses of Parliament, London Eye and finishing at Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. What better way to spend a few wholesome hours with the wind in your hair getting to know London!

Some of the more extreme outdoor activities and exploits on offer include the London Marathon in April from Blackheath to the Mall or the London World Naked Bike Ride, usually in mid-June.

On the river, London Kayak Co runs guided paddles between Greenwich and Battersea, the Thames Barrier or Tower of London to jump aboard for a view from the water. There’s also the sightseeing ‘Kayak Bus’ – a one-way, three-hour trip with all of London’s big-hitters.

For a faster, less physical yet still thrilling experience, hop aboard a red Thames Rockets speedboat for an exhilarating 50-minute boat ride that ticks off 20-plus iconic landmarks between the London Eye and Tower Bridge.

Explore the wilder side of London in the woodlands and country settings. Go hiking, aka rambling, through the wilder areas of London’s southwest, such as Wimbledon Common’s flat heathlands and bogs, and Richmond Park, a wild, green expanse populated with grazing deer, ancient woodland, rolling hills, ponds and open grasslands. Walk the perimeter via the 11km Tamsin Trail.

The 320ha Hampstead Heath in North London also spans heathland, woodland, meadows and hills with sweeping views over London from Parliament Hill. West Heath is especially wild, and limited signage means getting slightly lost is part of the adventure.

For pastoral England by the Thames in Richmond, escape the busy hustle and bustle at Petersham Meadows, a picturesque and historic water meadow (expect mud!) where annual cow grazing in the summer influences the array of plants and flowers growing here each year.

You can also join night hikes or group cycling with friends across London to explore empty streets and experience a different perspective on the city.

Wild swimming took off in the UK during COVID and became a national craze. London has several splendid public outdoor ponds or picturesque lidos to dip into and get back to nature on your trip. Note: It will be cold and deep, so come prepared.

For year-round swimming, Hampstead Heath has the Highgate Men’s Bathing Pond and Kenwood Ladies’ Bathing Pond, a hidden oasis where you could be swimming with an assortment of aquatic birds. The Mixed Pond is only open outside of winter. Book ahead for summer sessions only.

Closer to the city centre, London’s OG swimming spot, the Serpentine Lido, will also see you share your space with assorted birdlife and water creatures for a fun day out. Book online for a session in the sectioned swimming area in Hyde Park’s 16ha lake, open in summer only.

You can also dive into a uniquely cool urban open water experience amid cityscape views at London Royal Docks in East London, swimming along marked lanes of different lengths as planes take off at nearby London City Airport.

Sometimes, getting outdoors in the capital leads to London bars, pub gardens and the bustle of street markets for alfresco food, live music, second-hand wares and first-hand vibes. Street markets range from open-air shipping containers to larger, historic glass-domed complexes.

Visit street stalls at historic Borough Market near London Bridge to discover gourmet foodie finds, Camden Market for global street food and alternative style and the city’s oldest market (and Paddington Bear’s fave), Portobello Road Market, for a mishmash of fresh produce, antique wares and vintage with up to 1,500 stalls open on Saturdays.

Head to East London’s Columbia Road Flower Market or west to Chiswick Flower Market on Sundays for vibrant floral displays, browse the designer style of Old Spitalfields Market and admire the historic Market Building at the centrally located Covent Garden Market.

London is also not short on pubs with beer gardens for soaking up the rays on long, sunny days. Make tracks to riverside landmarks serving up brews and a backdrop of Thames views. Swing round to Greenwich for waterfront pubs such as the 18th-century Cutty Sark and Trafalgar Tavern, as well as The Ship in Wandsworth, 17th-century Mayflower in Rotherhithe and Prospect of Whitby in Wapping, which dates back to the 1520s.

For more alfresco ale spaces, discover the charming terrace at The Faltering Fullback Irish pub in Finsbury Park, the sprawling Duke of Edinburgh in Brixton, and historic and haunted inns such as The Flask Highgate, which has a postcard-pretty patio, and the Spaniards Inn in Hampstead Heath, complete with an outside bar serving Pimm’s and a barbecue.