London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Parks, Animals, Day Trips – Lots Of Photos

Although we’ve already had a couple of heatwaves in London this year, officially, summer is only starting next week. Continuing a long-standing tradition of my blog, let me take you on a photo journey to spring 2026 in London and a couple of other English towns. We will start in my local parks in east London, then venture to other London parks, and finally, I’ll take you on a few day trips out of London. From wildlife to colourful flowers, famous landmarks and stunning landscapes, get ready for plenty of photos!

Spring in the Olympic Park and West Ham Park, London

In April, my local parks started to fill with colours. The trees finally grew leaves, and some of them also produced flowers. Daffodils, abundant during winter months, made way for spring flowers. Early spring is probably my favourite time of year for being outdoors. I love seeing the parks finally come back to life.

A small tree with tiny pink flowers, in a park — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Olympic Park Stratford

Pink and white cherry blossom trees in West Ham Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – West Ham Park

Little Venice and Hyde Park

One Sunday in April, I decided to do a canal walk near Little Venice in central/north London. I mentioned that route in my post with 7 ideas for a long walk in London – I highly recommend it! During that stroll, I walked past some wisteria, and simply enjoyed the quiet surroundings. I started the walk in Camden and walked all the way to Hyde Park, where I spent some time in the Italian Gardens, stunning as always.

A small garden with a table, a shed, and wisteria, located next to a canal path — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Little Venice

A canal with several narrowboats along a footpath in London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Little Venice

Italian Gardens section of Kensington Gardens in London, in the spring — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Italian Gardens

Regent’s Park

If you can only visit one London park in the spring, I recommend choosing Regent’s Park. My parents’ favourite place in London is the rose garden, which starts to fill with colourful, fragrant flowers around May. But even earlier than that, the flower beds along the footpaths have beautiful floral arrangements planted by the park’s gardeners. Additionally, at the end of April 2026, a new garden opened in Regent’s Park, dedicated to the memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II. It’s a wildflower garden, a great place to sit down and rest.

Pink and white tulips in Elizabeth II Garden in Regent's Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Regent’s Park

Wisteria and the pond in the rose garden in Regent's Park — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Regent’s Park

Golders Hill Park and Pergola

One of my favourite not-so-popular parks in London is the Golders Hill Park, with a beautiful Pergola and a couple of other flower gardens, and even a mini zoo, which is completely free. I rarely visit that park as it requires a long commute from where I live, but I had a day off in April and decided to spend it there. The Walled Garden didn’t disappoint – there was wisteria in bloom, as well as some early spring flowers. I also enjoyed seeing the lemurs and wallabies in the mini zoo!

Sadly, the Pergola was closed for filming that day, which prompted me to return to Golders Hill Park a few weeks later, in May. The Pergola is one of London’s best hidden gems, though I expected the flower beds to be more colourful, to be honest.

Wisteria in the Walled Garden in Golders Hill Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Golders Hill Park

A flower garden in Golders Hill Park, London — The Best Free Gardens In London – Golders Hill Walled Garden

A garden near the pergola in Golders Hill Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Golders Hill Park

View from the arcade of the pergola of Golders Hill Park in London — The Best Gardens In London – Golders Hill Pergola

Two ring-tailed lemurs resting on a wooden ledge in Golders Hill Park Zoo. Part of a fence obstructs the view — Golders Hill Park Zoo – Ring-tailed Lemurs

Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House

Just a stone’s throw away from Golders Hill is Hampstead Heath – a large park, particularly known for the panoramic views of London from its Parliament Hill. The air wasn’t perfectly clear when I visited Hampstead Heath on a weekend in May 2026, but the view was still great.

Whilst I was in Hampstead Heath, I decided to check out Kenwood House – a mansion located near the north end of the park, managed by English Heritage. It’s free to visit, I just never had a chance to do it until last month. Some of the rooms were stunning! It didn’t take me long to tour all of Kenwood House, but it was definitely worth a visit.

Outside Kenwood House, there’s a small garden, particularly stunning around late spring.

Panoramic view of London from Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hampstead Heath

Flower garden next to Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hampstead Heath

A stunning room inside Kenwood House, Hampstead Heath, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hampstead Heath

Greenwich Park

On the last weekend in May, when the weather resembled summer, not spring, I visited Greenwich Park for a short walk. I decided to ignore the most popular spot – the hill viewpoint next to the Royal Greenwich Observatory – and instead went for a walk along the outer walls of the park. I started near the herb garden and headed towards the rose garden located next to the Ranger’s House. It was stunning, filled with a variety of colourful flowers.

Next, I went to the flower garden near the south-east end of the park. I hoped to see the deer that supposedly returned to Greenwich Park not long ago, but – as always – they were nowhere to be seen. If you want to see deer in London, just go to Richmond Park!

From the flower garden, I continued my walk around the park, which led me to discovering a new, hidden section of Greenwich Park – the Queen’s Orchard. New to me, I mean! Not many people venture to that part of the park, so the orchard was nice and quiet.

After I left Greenwich Park, I headed to Greenwich market, where I had one of the best ice creams ever – it was espresso martini flavoured, absolutely delicious. I then spent some time near the Cutty Sark before taking the DLR back home.

A small, white house next to a herb garden in Greenwich Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Greenwich Park

The rose garden in Greenwich Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Greenwich Park

A huge patch of lavender in Greenwich Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Greenwich Park

A pond with a fountain in the flower garden in Greenwich Park, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Greenwich Park

A day in west London – Brompton Cemetery, Fulham Palace, Chiswick House, Thames Path

At the end of April 2026, I spent a fun day in west London. I visited a few landmarks and saw some spectacular wisteria. It was a really long walk, from Brompton Cemetery to Richmond, and I loved it! You can read all about that day in this post. Maybe it will inspire you for your next day out in London?

Rows of tombstones in Brompton Cemetery, London — A Day In West London – Brompton Cemetery

A very long wall of blooming wisteria in the garden of Fulham Palace — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace – Garden – Wisteria

Chiswick House, London. Photo taken from the back. There is green grass and blue skies. — A Day In West London – Chiswick House Garden

Central London views

I also enjoyed a few walks in central London this spring – I finally managed to visit the Temple Gardens (open only for a few hours a day, weekdays only). I also captured a nice photo of St Paul’s Cathedral and visited Covent Garden to check the seasonal decor.

One day in May, a new Banksy artwork appeared near St James’s Park in London. This time, it wasn’t graffiti, but a huge monument. I happened to be in the office that day and walked to see the statue during my lunch break. It’s a really good illustration of the world’s leaders, and a powerful message. There was quite a crowd admiring the installation, and the council had already protected it with a temporary fence.

Floral display in Covent Garden, London, in the spring of 2026 — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Covent Garden

St Paul's Cathedral, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – St Paul’s Cathedral

A secluded garden in central London, near the north bank of the Thames — The Best Free Gardens In London – Temple Gardens

A view of millenium bridge and the shard from the Thames Path, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Thames Path

New Banksy monument in central London - Spring 2026 — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Banksy

Animals in London

In the spring, London parks fill with ducklings and gooselings. They’re so cute, I can’t stop looking at them! I also managed to photograph a cute robin. Robins are one of my favourite birds in London, but they’re very skittish – it’s hard to catch a good photo of them!

One day, when I was on a walk, I saw a hilarious scene – a dog holding the thickest stick I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how he managed to fit it in his mouth, but the photo I took cracks me up every time I look at it.

Colourful duck sitting on a rock on the side of a pond — A Day In West London – Fulham – Bishops Park – Duck

An Egyptian goose with seven chicks, in shallow water. — A Day In West London – Thames Path Walk – Baby Geese

Two small black chicks on a wooden log in a pond — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Chicks

A close up of a robin bird sat on the armrest of a bench — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Robin

A white and brown dog carrying a huge stick — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – Dog

V&A East

A couple of months ago, V&A museum opened a brand new location in Stratford. In fact, there are two new buildings, which I only discovered recently. I popped into V&A East at the end of May. There are a few exhibition rooms, but for the size of that brand new building, there isn’t much to see. My favourite thing was certainly the terrace with great views of the Olympic Park. I’m yet to visit the second V&A building in Stratford, but it’s definitely on my list.

View of the Olympic Park from the rooftop terrace of V&A East museum in Stratford, London — London In Photos – Spring 2026 – V&A East

Annual spring events in London

Now, let me mention the annual free events in London, which I always looked forward to.

First of all, the Plant Festival at the Chelsea Physic Garden, which I attended in 2024 and 2025. It used to be free, but they introduced paid tickets this year, so I decided to pass and spent the day exploring a different area of London.

My absolute favourite festival, Lambeth Country Show, an event with 50 (!) years of history was cancelled in 2026, which was devastating news!

Luckily, one free annual event did take place – the Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom floral festival. I wrote about it in this post. The spectacular floral displays never disappoint!

A large statue of a dragon breathing fire, made out of flowers. Photo taken during Chelsea in Bloom event in London in 2026 — Chelsea In Bloom 2026 – Free London Floral Event

Floral display depicting Peter Rabbit made out of flowers. Photo taken during Belgravia in Bloom 2026 in London — Belgravia In Bloom 2026 – Free London Floral Event

Day trips from London

Hastings

I managed to do quite a few day trips this spring, and one of them was to Hastings. I visited my favourite cafe’s had a stroll through the old town and enjoyed the view from the two hills. If you’re interested in visiting Hastings yourself, I wrote a post about a long weekend in Hastings a couple of years ago.

Whilst I was walking along the beach in Hastings, I saw a dinosaur that someone arranged from the pebbles found on the shore. How creative!

Blue and white striped beach huts in Hastings, England — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hastings

Hastings Beach at low tide, England — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hastings

The funicular on the east cliff in Hastings, seen from a distance — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hastings

The view of Hastings from the top of the East Cliff — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hastings

A dinosaur arranged from pebbles on the beach in Hastings — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Hastings

Seven Sisters

I love a good hike, but unfortunately, the south-east of England is pretty flat. One of the few decent places for a hike are the Seven Sisters – the famous white cliffs on the south coast. I’ve done that hike several times, and returned yet again this spring. I actually walked a marathon distance that day, from Seaford to Eastbourne and back! The views were spectacular, as always. You can read more about a Seven Sisters hike in this post.

Warwick

At the end of April, I decided to go on a Saturday day trip to Warwick. I wrote a whole post about that trip! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Warwick Castle – the highlight of the day was certainly the birds of prey show, but the state rooms were also stunning. Overall, I highly recommend visiting Warwick if you have a chance!

A large white owl caught in flight during a falconry show at Warwick Castle — Warwick Castle – Day Trip From London – Falconry Show

Weymouth and the Isle of Portland

One of my favourite days this spring was my day trip to Weymouth and the Isle of Portland. It was a spontaneous choice, made purely because I saw a rail ticket sale. It ended up being a fantastic trip! I visited a small zoo/aquarium and enjoyed spectacular views during a mini hike on the Isle of Portland. I even saw a wild seal in the sea! I wrote a post about my day trip to Weymouth and the Isle of Portland, if you want to check it out.

Three seals during feeding and training at Sea Life Weymouth aquarium — A Day In Weymouth And Isle Of Portland – Sea Life Weymouth

Colourful wooden huts and colourful flowers near Portland Bill lighthouse, Isle of Portland, UK — A Day In Weymouth And Isle Of Portland – Portland Bill

Portland Bill Lighthouse — A Day In Weymouth And Isle Of Portland – Portland Bill

Rocky beach at Portland Bill, Dorset, UK. The waves are crashing at large rocks. — A Day In Weymouth And Isle Of Portland – Portland Bill

Rochester

Finally, my last day trip in the spring was to Rochester, which I had visited previously for a Christmas market. This time, although it was May, it felt like full summer.

I loved browsing the independent shops on the high street, visited Rochester Cathedral, and had an ice cream next to Rochester Castle. I also toured a house mentioned by Charles Dickens in some of his novels! Keep your eyes peeled for a post about that day trip, it’s coming soon.

The back garden of Rochester Cathedral, England — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Rochester

Rochester Castle, England — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Rochester

Old houses on the high street in Rochester, England — England In Photos – Spring 2026 – Rochester

Final thoughts

What a quarter it’s been! I didn’t realise just how much I managed to do and see in just three months in London. Coming out of winter, I’m always eager to spend time outdoors, exploring London parks and going on day trips. It will be hard to beat during the summer, but I already have a few fun things planned. Make sure to come back for the next quarterly photo blog at the end of September!

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