The beautiful Kyoto Garden is an oasis of calm in the heart of Kensington’s Holland Park.
The charming Kyoto Garden is nestled in Holland Park and even features a roaming muster of peacocks (yes, that is the collective noun for a group of peacocks, just in case you were wondering). This unexpected slice of Japanese zen, incidentally, also happens to be exceptionally Instagrammable. (Feature image: @natgovor)
Originally built to celebrate the 1992 Japan Festival in London, this garden is a thing of pure beauty. Who needs a plane ticket to Japan when this is so damn convincing? Get so lost in the pretty trees and Japanese features that you’ll forget you’re just a stone’s throw away from High Street Kensington.
Here it is in all it’s springtime glory:
And yeah, you bet there’s bloomin’ loads of blossom.
(See also: Our fabulous flower guide to London.)
Kyoto Garden is always going to be there to bring a bit of zen to your life. It’s free to enter, so we suggest you lucky west Londoners visit as often as you can, whenever you need five minutes of peace.
(See also: more free things to do in London.)
A little dose of quiet reflection here and you’ll be googling getaways to Japanese monasteries. You’ll really feel at one with nature as you mingle with the local wildlife…
Location: Nestled within Holland Park, Holland Park Ave, Kensington, W11 4UA. There are loads of transport hubs nearby, but we’d recommend High Street Kensington. See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: The park is open daily from 7.30am until 30 minutes before dusk. If that sounds a little confusing to you, just Google ‘when is dusk’ and the trusty interweb will work it out for you, based on your current date and location.
Price: It’s totally free to enter and always will be.
More information: head to their website.
