The monarch's London home, open inside for ten weeks a summer, and a chain of royal parks that runs green from Whitehall to Kensington, with pelicans, a lake for swimming and a palace at each end.
Buckingham Palace is only open inside for a short summer season, but the parks around it are open every day and free.
The palace's State Rooms open for about ten weeks each summer (in 2026, from early July to late September) on £33 timed tickets. The rest of the year you see it from behind the railings. The Changing of the Guard takes place at 11am on scheduled mornings and is free to watch.
The parks link up into one long walk. St James's Park, in front of the palace, has a lake and pelicans, a gift to Charles II that has been renewed ever since. Green Park is all trees and deckchairs. Beyond Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens have the Serpentine lake, the Albert Memorial and flocks of bright green parakeets.
Together they fill a lazy afternoon.
About 4 km through four parks.
Enter from Horse Guards Parade and walk the lake to see the pelicans.
Reach the palace gates; time it for 11am on a Guard Change day.
Cross Green Park to Hyde Park Corner.
Walk along the Serpentine past the boathouses and swimmers.
End at the gilded memorial opposite the Royal Albert Hall.
St James's Park, Green Park or Hyde Park Corner tube stations.
Check the official schedule; it does not happen every day, and is cancelled in heavy rain.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
