Richmond Park

The basics

At 2.500 acres ( 1,000 hectares), you can easily fill a day exploring Richmond Park, discovering its ponds, spotting the deer and other wildlife, wandering or cycling its trails, and stopping for refreshments at one of its cafés. If visiting independently, it’s worth looking at a map in advance of your trip; there are a number of entrances you can start from, referred to as gates, which are dotted around the perimeter of the park.

Alternatively, you can join one of the tours that visit the park. Some day tours combine Richmond Park with other nearby attractions, such as Hampton Court Palace, the former home of Tudor monarch Henry VIII, and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Other options include wildlife photography excursions and Ted Lasso-themed tours (the television show is filmed locally).

Things to know before you go

• There are two cafés—Pembroke Lodge Café, a Georgian mansion near Richmond Gate, and Roehampton Café on the other side of the park. There are also kiosks dotted throughout the park.

• For visitors with limited mobility, the accessible RP1 minibus service transports you between 13 key points in the park. The bus is seasonal with limited hours, so check the park’s official website ahead of your visit to see if it's running.

• The public toilets inside the park charge 20p to use them; you can pay using coins or with a contactless card.

• Dogs are welcome in the park, but it’s recommended to keep them on a leash if there are deer in the vicinity. During the deer birthing season from May through July, dogs need to be leashed at all times.

How to get there

The easiest way to reach Richmond Park is by public transport. The nearest station depends on your starting point, but you reach one of the park’s entrances from Richmond, Mortlake, or North Sheen stations; the walk from each station is around 20 minutes. You can also access the park from Norbiton station in the south.

When to get there

Richmond Park’s pedestrian gates are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The vehicle gates are open from early morning until dusk, the time of which depends on the season. The park is particularly beautiful during fall when its historic woodlands erupt into russet hues, or in April and May when the Isabella Plantation’s famous azaleas are in full bloom.

Hiking in Richmond Park

If you want to explore every corner of the park, follow the 11-kilometer (7-mile) Tamsin Trail that leads around the edge of the expanse. This medium-difficulty trail—only so because of a few hills—covers highlights such as King Henry’s Mound and Pembroke Lodge Café, where you can stop to enjoy traditional English tea and cake.