We checked 7 Boxing Day walks in Westminster, from Hyde Park to the Regent's Canal, for gate times on Saturday 26 December. Updated November 2026.

There are 7 Boxing Day walks in Westminster worth setting out for in 2026, and this guide gives each one’s gate times on Saturday 26 December, from Hyde Park, which stays open until midnight, to the Regent’s Canal towpath from Little Venice. Every entry was checked against the Royal Parks’, the council’s or the Canal & River Trust’s own pages on 13 November 2026.

The light is what to plan around. The sun sets on Boxing Day at about 3.55pm, and Kensington Gardens, The Regent’s Park and every council park lock their gates at 4.30pm. Hyde Park, St James’s Park and The Green Park stay open until midnight, so they are the walks for after lunch.

Overview

Walk Gates on 26 December Good for
Hyde Park 5am to midnight The Serpentine loop, open after dark
St James’s Park and The Green Park 5am to midnight Palace views, pelicans, a short loop
Kensington Gardens 6am to 4.30pm The Round Pond and the Italian Gardens
The Regent’s Park 5am to 4.30pm The longest walk, toilets 8am to 4pm
Regent’s Canal from Little Venice Towpath, no gates A flat walk to Camden
Paddington Recreation Ground 7am to 4.30pm Maida Vale’s big council park
Victoria Embankment Gardens 7.30am to 4.30pm A riverside stroll by the Thames
  • Last checked: 13 November 2026.

The Royal Parks

1. Hyde Park

The one big walk with no dusk deadline. The Royal Parks’ Hyde Park FAQs say the pedestrian and vehicle gates “open from 5am and close at midnight each day throughout the year”.

A loop of the Serpentine is the classic. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is open on Boxing Day, so the east side by Marble Arch and Park Lane will be busy: see our Winter Wonderland page.

The Serpentine Bar & Kitchen has published Christmas Day hours of 9am to 3pm but nothing for Boxing Day yet.

Open 5am to midnight, every day of the year
Toilets 20p, contactless only; cash is no longer accepted
Cafe Serpentine Bar & Kitchen; Boxing Day hours not yet published
Access Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Lancaster Gate and Knightsbridge stations
Website royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/hyde-park
Good for open after dark, a long flat loop, the Serpentine

2. St James’s Park and The Green Park

Two parks that join up into one short walk past Buckingham Palace. The Royal Parks list St James’s Park and The Green Park with “some pedestrian gates 5am to midnight”.

Walk the lakeside path in St James’s, cross the Blue Bridge for the view to the palace one way and Whitehall the other, then cut over The Mall into The Green Park towards Hyde Park Corner. Look for the pelicans: the Royal Parks say they have been kept in the park since 1664.

Open some pedestrian gates 5am to midnight
Cafe Storey's Gate Cafe in St James's Park; Boxing Day hours not yet published
Access St James's Park, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner stations
Website royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/st-jamess-park
Good for a one-hour loop, palace views, pelicans

3. Kensington Gardens

Across the Serpentine bridge from Hyde Park, but on different hours. The Royal Parks’ 2026 opening times sheet gives 6am to 4.30pm for every day from 2 November to 31 December.

Open 6am to 4.30pm
Access Lancaster Gate and Queensway stations
Website royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/kensington-gardens
Good for the Round Pond, the Italian Gardens, linking with a Hyde Park loop

4. The Regent’s Park

The biggest park in the north of the borough. The Royal Parks’ 2026 opening times sheet gives December hours of 5am to 4.30pm for the park, with toilets open 8am to 4pm, playgrounds 10am to 4pm and The Hub 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Primrose Hill, over the road in Camden, has the famous view. Benugo, which runs the park’s cafes, lists Christmas Day hours of 9am to 3pm, with no Boxing Day hours yet.

Open 5am to 4.30pm in December
Toilets 8am to 4pm
Playgrounds 10am to 4pm
Access Regent's Park, Baker Street and Great Portland Street stations
Website royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/regents-park-primrose-hill
Good for a long walk, the playgrounds, Primrose Hill

Regent’s Canal from Little Venice

A flat towpath walk with no park gates to beat. The Canal & River Trust’s Regent’s Canal page describes the route from Little Venice through Regent’s Park, under the London Zoo aviary, to Camden Market.

Open towpath, no gates
Access Warwick Avenue station for Little Venice; Camden Town at the far end
Website canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/regents-canal
Good for a flat, linear walk, boats, the zoo aviary

Council parks

Westminster City Council’s parks information page says all its parks are open seven days a week, and lists no Boxing Day closure. From the end of British Summer Time to 15 February they close at 4.30pm. Two are worth a walk on their own:

  • Paddington Recreation Ground, Maida Vale. Opens at 7am, closes 4.30pm. The nearest council park to Little Venice.
  • Victoria Embankment Gardens, by Embankment station. Opens at 7.30am, closes 4.30pm. A riverside garden you can string together with a walk along the Thames to Westminster Bridge.

All the council’s other parks, gardens and open spaces open at 8am.

What else is open on Boxing Day

Getting there and parking

Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, and most rail operators run no service. Last year the Tube and buses ran a Sunday service on Boxing Day; TfL’s 2026 plans are on our Christmas travel page when they are out.

Westminster City Council’s bank holiday parking controls make paid bays and single yellow lines free on Saturday 26 December, but resident bays keep their Sunday controls. Our parking zones and hours page explains the zones, and our roadworks and travel page has the closures.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Are the Royal Parks open on Boxing Day?

Yes. The Royal Parks list Hyde Park’s gates as open from 5am to midnight every day of the year, and St James’s Park and The Green Park as 5am to midnight. Kensington Gardens closes at 4.30pm all through December, and The Regent’s Park at 4.30pm, by their 2026 opening times sheets.

What time do Westminster Council’s parks shut on Boxing Day?

4.30pm. The council says all its parks are open seven days a week and close at 4.30pm from the end of British Summer Time to 15 February. Most open at 8am, Paddington Recreation Ground at 7am and Victoria Embankment Gardens at 7.30am.

Is parking free in Westminster on Boxing Day?

Paid parking bays and single yellow lines are free on Saturday 26 December 2026, the council says, but resident bays keep their Sunday controls, so do not park in one unless your zone allows it on a Sunday.