Can you Cycle in Hyde Park?

In London there are lots of great parks to get some exercise, some fresh air, or just a little break from the built environment. If you are a visitor to London, and you're exhausted from Oxford Street or the South Kensington Museums, then you are not far from one of the most largest, most beautiful, and most bike-friendly green space in the capital. If you are a resident, Hyde Park will help you see your city through new eyes.

Hyde Park is perfect for a gentle bike ride, with family or friends. Read on for a full guide to cycling in this stunning park.

1. Can I cycle in Hyde Park?

Cycling is definitely allowed in Hyde Park. The Royal Parks policy statement on cycling says 'Cycling is welcomed in designated areas in all the Royal Parks'. It is important to note that pedestrians have priority as they are the most numerous users. Cyclist are recommended to stay on the roads or cycle paths, and not exceed 12 mph (about 19 kph). I imagine that unless you are cycling for sport/racing purposes, these will not be particularly hard guidelines to keep.

Hyde Park can be very busy at the weekends and when it is sunny. It makes sense to be careful about other users of the park, especially children and dogs, who might be prone to running onto the roads unpredictably.

2. Getting to Hyde Park

You can get to Hyde Park in lots of ways. The TFL website is always a good place to start planning travel in London.

• There's a Google Map of Hyde Park here
• Bus numbers 9, 23, 52, 452, N9 run along the south edge of Hyde Park. Along the north edge, you'll find numbers 94, 148, 274, N207
• There are a multitude of tube stations near Hyde Park. Going clockwise, there is Marble Arch (Central Line), Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly), Knightsbridge (Piccadilly), South Kensington (District/Circle/Piccadilly, 10 min walk to the park), High Street Kensington (District/Circle), Notting Hill Gate (District/Circle), Queensway (Central), Lancaster Gate (Central). Phew! Hyde Park must be the best-connected place in London!
• If you want to drive you can use the Google Maps link above. There is information about parking in Hyde Park on the Royal Parks website. There are many other options for parking in the area; to find these it is best to use one of the many parking websites. We always use Parkopedia. Bear in mind though this is central London; it is often best to travel by public transport or taxi rather than driving yourself.

3. Where to hire a bike

If you don't have your own bike (or even if you do, but live a distance away), there are some options for hiring bikes in Hyde Park.

Bike hire shops near Hyde Park

Surprisingly there don't seem to be any private bike hire options near Hyde Park. The nearest appears to be London Recumbents, across the river in Battersea Park. London Recumbents hire bikes of all sorts; bikes for kids, bikes with boxes on the front to put your kids in, tandems (which is a bike for 2 people) and tricycles. They also hire recumbents, which are sitdown bikes, for both adults and kids.

The cost is £12 per hour for most bikes, except for the tandems and the box-bikes, which are £24 per hour.

Boris Bikes (aka Sandander Cycles)

Boris Bikes, so-called because they were introduced when Boris Johnson was Mayor of London, can be hired almost everywhere in London - there are quite a few docking stations actually in Hyde Park, and many more in the surrounding streets. Find the nearest using the Transport for London finder.

Boris Bikes cost £2 per 30 minutes. You can book them on a special Sandander Cycles app or you can pay with a credit/debit card when you go to the docking station (curiously you can pay with a contactless card, but not a contactless device like a phone or watch).

Boris Bikes are quite large and heavy - they are definitely not suitable for children.

Dockless hire bikes

There are now a slew of other bikes that you can hire online/with an app. Unlike the Boris Bikes, they don't have docking stations that you have to return them to. You use an app to find the nearest bike and to unlock it. When you are finished you can leave the bike where you want, within reason.

You can find details of these alternatives below:

• Mobike The only one of the dockless bikes without a motor. This means it is a lot lighter than the others and perhaps more suitable for a park ride.
• Lime Lime is an electric bike with a very distinctive paint job.
• Jump This is an electric bike, brought to you by Uber. You use the same Uber app to hire the bikes.
• Freebike As the name suggests, these electric bikes are free - for the first 30 minutes.

4. Hyde Park Cycle Routes

The map above shows in red the paths that allow cycling in Hyde Park.

As you can see, you can cycle on all of the roads, and a few of the main paths. If you want to explore more, you'll have to park the bikes and continue on foot.

The paths should be pretty clearly marked, so follow the signs and you should be ok.

5. Things to do and see in Hyde Park

As well as being one of central London's biggest parks Hyde Park is full of interesting site and fun activities for adults and kids.

• The Rose Garden If you come in from Hyde Park corner, one of the first things you will see is the Rose Garden. Created in 1994, and replanted twice a year, there will always be something interesting to see, although the summer is probably the best time to visit
• The Serpentine Gallery Visit this unique gallery spread over two sites that champions contemporary art
• Boating on the Serpentine If you get tired of bikes, you could stop for a tranquil hour on the water, in a pedalo or rowing boat. A family tickets is £29 for 1 hour or £24 for 30 minutes
• The Solar Shuttle Take a trip on this sun-powered vessel, which glides silently up and down the Serpentine. The shuttle doesn't operate in winter (not enough 🌞?), so check the website carefully
• Experience the Diana Memorial Fountain If you are expecting a vertical squirty thing, you are in for a surprise. This fountain is a circular flow of water around a Cornish granite structure that children can and do clamber around in during the summer months
• Speaker's Corner Moving away from water, this corner of the park near Marble Arch is famous for impromptu speeches on any topic. Crowds often gather to hear experts and enthusiastic expound their views. Famous figures like Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell were known for speaking here

6. Facilities

Hyde Park is fully equipped for visitors, with toilets and plenty of outlets for snacks.

Place to eat include the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen and the Serpentine Lido both with great views over the water, the Will to Win Sports Centre Cafe and the Lodge Cafe. There are also a number of Refreshment Points all over the park serving hot drinks, icecream, snacks and sandwiches.

There are toilets at Hyde Park Corner and on the south side of the Serpentine. Many eateries will also have toilets for customers.