A Guide to Cycling in Hyde Park (With a Handy Map)

Hyde Park is one of London’s biggest and most beautiful parks in the city. On a sunny day, Londoners will flock to the park to enjoy picnics, drinks, brisk walks, boot camps and some fresh air – but is cycling allowed in Hyde Park?

Hyde Park is friendlier to cyclists than the other Royal Parks around. There are a number of designated routes you can take and is ideal for an early morning wake-up ride between April and September. Being flat it makes it an easy ride!

Getting to Hyde Park

With the park being in Central London it’s super easy to get public transport here. I wouldn’t recommend driving to the park as central London traffic and parking can be a nightmare.

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Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, Queensway and Marble Arch are all good options to arrive by tube. Don’t forget to check the map at the bottom of the article as it will guide you where the closest bicycle hire is.

Where to Rent a Bicycle

London has a public bicycle renting scheme, nicknamed Boris bikes and run by Santander. The bicycles are named after Boris Johnson who was the Mayor of London and brought the bicycles to the city. You will find cycle docking stations in the immediate vicinity of Hyde Park.

You pay £2 when you first get the bicycle out of the docking station and then £2 every 30 minutes you rent the bicycle. You can find a breakdown of how Santander bicycles work, here.

A bicycle can be found:

North Carriage Road near Speakers Corner – the two near here I can’t confirm what type of bicycle hire they are. I’ve included them as they are on the Royal Parks map.
West Carriage Road near Serpentine Sackler Gallery
West Carriage Road near Princess Diana Memorial Fountain
South Carriage Road near Marble Arch Station
Queensway Station – Notting Hill Bike Tours (they offer private hire of their bicycles).

The Royal Parks provide a map of all the cycle hire stations, or the TFL website shows all the available bicycles plus docking spots and I’ve included a map below so you can find the hire stations.

There is an app you can download as well for Santander which will give you up-to-date information on whether there are bicycles available or docks available to park the bikes.

I’ve searched the internet high and low and not found a place you can get child seats for babies. The closest is London Recumbents in Battersea. If you find anywhere let me know in the comments below!

Taking Your Own Bicycle to Hyde Park

Taking your bicycle on public transport can be complicated, however, if you are planning to travel on weekends and non-peak times it’s generally fine. You can find the guidelines on taking your bicycle on public transport on TFL and National Rail website.

Where to Park Your Bicycle

Hyde Park has parking spaces for bicycles these can be found:

West Carriage Road near Serpentine Sackler Gallery
West Carriage Road near Princess Diana Memorial Fountain
South Carriage Road near Will to Win Hyde Park Sport Centre

Royal parks provide a map of the spaces here or you can look on the map I’ve provided below.

Designated Cycle Routes

The Royal Parks have designated cycle routes and covers the main paths in Hyde Park. If you do want to explore a little more you will need to park your bicycle before doing so.

The basic circular route is about 2.5 miles (or 4km), if you’re cycling for exercise then this won’t take longer than 20 minutes (although you need to avoid all the people on the path). If you’re planning to take in the sights around the park then I would allow an hour.

Things to See in Hyde Park

With several cycling routes taking you through Hyde Park there are lots of things to do and see on your visit. Whether you prefer to keep cycling on or stop to take in some of the attractions there are so many reasons to stay.

Speakers’ Corner

Starting back in the mid-1800’s Speakers’ Corner has been a place for public speeches and debates. The park has hosted some famous people during its time like Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell. Speaker’s corner is busy on the weekends, see if you can catch a few speeches!

The Serpentine Galleries

The Serpentine Galleries are free to the public and are located on either side of the Serpentine in the grounds of Kensington Gardens. Featuring contemporary art pieces, some that have been featured in the galleries are Man Ray, Andy Warhol, Henry Moore and Damien Hirst. It’s quite a popular tourist attraction in the park hosting over a million visitors a year.

Memorials, fountains and statues

In the park there are easily 20 statues you can visit, here are a few to consider:

Diana Memorial Fountain – In memory of Princess Diana, the Memorial is meant symbolise Diana’s quality and openness. The fountain has three bridges where you can cross the water and go right to the heart of the fountain.
Serenity – Made by British sculptor Simon Gudgeon the artist was is inspired by the Egyptian goddess of nature to create this bird bronze statue.
7 July Memorial – In honour of the victims during the 2005 London bombing.
Holocaust Memorial – The first memorial in Britain to remember the victims of the Holocaust. It’s a garden of boulders surrounded by white-stemmed birch trees.

The Duke of Wellington Museum: Apsley House

The first Duke of Wellington bought Apsley House after he was victorious at Waterloo. Now it is a museum run by Victoria and Albert Museum, the museum hosts a magnificent collection of paintings which include pieces like Velázquez’s “Waterseller of Seville”.

The Rose Garden

As the name alludes to, it’s a beautiful rose garden with other seasonal flowers incorporated into the beds.

Cycling Regulations in Hyde Park

The regulation, legislation and policies for Hyde Park can be found on the website. I’ve included the three main things to note below.

Speed Limit

Hyde Park doesn’t have speed limits for cyclists so you won’t be penalised for speeding. As pedestrians have priority within the park for safety, it’s recommended that your speed is no more than 12mph (19kmph).

Keep to Cycle Tracks

Ensure you keep to the park roads and cycle tracks when enjoying your ride in the park. The park staff can fine you on the spot £60 if you don’t comply, unless you have evidence that someone’s messed up the cycling permitted signs (erroneously or maliciously) on the path where you were stopped.

Are Helmets Need?

In Western Australia wearing a helmet is mandatory when cycling so I thought UK Law would be the same, however, they don’t require you to wear helmets. It’s a totally optional thing to do here. If you want to wear a helmet you either have to bring your own helmet or can rent one from the bike shop.

There is less risk when riding in parks that a car is going to hit you but having a helmet, in general, will provide you with more protection.

Facilities in Hyde Park

Water Fountains

As someone that loves to cut down on my plastic use and carry my water bottle around with me everywhere, having free water available is important! There are only three water fountains which are available in the park, which are highlighted in the pdf map or the google map I’ve included. With the limited fountains make sure you note these down as a stop on your ride to refill and rehydrate.

You will find several refreshment points if you wish to buy bottled water or other drinks.

Food

Hyde Park is a fantastic place for a picnic if you have a chance to bring along a picnic blanket and food. You’re also allowed to drink alcohol in the parks so if you feel like having a beer or wine with your food that’s totally fine. Barbecues are not allowed to be used so unfortunately you’ll have to skip on that sausage sizzle.

Refreshment points are located around the park and offer quick refreshments like coffee, ice cream, snacks and sandwiches. You can also stop by one of the cafes and grab some hot refreshments, like:

Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen serves hot meals and snacks, freshly prepared sandwiches and salads, cakes and drinks.

Lido Café and Bar

Lido Cafe has a large outside dining area with views along The Serpentine. The perfect place to take a rest from cycling and do some people watching.

Toilets

Toilet facilities can be found in Hyde Park, some of them are free and some require you to have 20 pence available to pay. It’s good to carry some coins around just in case.

The toilets available in the park:

Serpentine Bar and Kitchen
Lido toilets
Tennis Pavilion
Bandstand (costs 20p)
Reservoir (costs 20p)

Map of the toilets can be found here and some highlighted on the map below.

Map of Hyde Park with Facilities

Other Cycling Destinations in Europe

If you love a cycling holiday, then I recommend Amsterdam! If you plan to visit Amsterdam you must check out my friend’s blog. Rafal has been living in Amsterdam giving fantastic tips on the city.