Regent’s Park from Camden: the walk in, the gardens and the theatre
Gates open at 05:00, the Broad Walk is the way in, and the rose garden is worth a January look for the berries.
By Only Camden Editorial
Free to walk in, gates open from 05:00 and close at dusk. In January that means a short afternoon, so go early or go at lunch. Pedestrian gates open at 05:00 and shut at dusk, according to the Royal Parks.
A note on the map
Only part of Regent’s Park is in the London Borough of Camden. London Gardens Trust says the majority is in Westminster, and the Camden part is the strip east of the Broad Walk, about 29 hectares. The Inner Circle, home to Queen Mary’s Gardens and the Open Air Theatre, sits on the other side of that line. Think of this as the park reached from Camden: you start in NW1 and cross the boundary on foot.
The walk in
The Royal Parks map gives walking times from stations. Camden Town is shown at around 9 minutes from the park and Gloucester Gate at 5. Regent’s Park station is 3 minutes away and Baker Street 2. Camden Road is 17 minutes and Euston 22. If you would rather ride, Rome2rio puts Camden Town to the park at 1.3 km by the 88 bus, around 16 minutes.
The Broad Walk runs north to south down the east side of the park and marks the borough boundary. The Parsee Drinking Fountain is on it. Cross it heading west and you are into Westminster and the Inner Circle.
Make it a loop
Anywhere We Roam suggests a free self-guided route: Regent’s Park tube, through the park, up to the Primrose Hill viewpoint, down into Primrose Hill village, along Chalk Farm Road past Camden Market and finish at Camden Town tube. It is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) and just over two hours without stops. Add stops and it is half a day. Wear proper shoes, because the middle of January is not the time for the white trainers.
Note that Primrose Hill is locked 22:00 to 06:00 during British Summer Time (March to October), so that rule is not a concern in January.
The gardens in January
The Royal Parks say there are six gardens in Regent’s Park. The famous one is Queen Mary’s Gardens in the Inner Circle, billed as a mecca for rose lovers, with seasonal borders, a Mediterranean border, hidden benches and an ornamental lake. Early June is the peak, when the roses are in full bloom. Counts of roses vary wildly between sources, so just say thousands.
January is not June, but the Royal Parks list scarlet berries among the highlights of the depths of winter. Cherry blossom avenues come in spring and copper beeches in autumn. The Avenue Gardens are in the south-east of the park. Sylvia Plath called the gardens a wonderland, according to Visit Gardens.
The Open Air Theatre: book for summer
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is on the Inner Circle, NW1 4NU. It is shut in January: the 2026 season runs 2 May to 19 September, according to Visit London. It began in 1932 with a Twelfth Night staged by Robert Atkins and Sydney Carroll. Shows run to no more than three hours.
Drew McOnie is artistic director, in his second season. Tickets on the theatre’s CATS page start from £15 plus a £2.50 booking fee per transaction, with evening shows at 19:45 Monday to Saturday. The theatre’s fees page confirms the £2.50 fee for main repertoire shows, and concessions are only available when booking direct.
Read the Royal Parks FAQs for gate and parking details. Parking on the Inner Circle and Outer Circle is chargeable 09:00 to 18:30 every day, so walk from Camden Town instead.
Practical bits
- Cafes and toilets: closing times vary with the season, from 16:00 in the darkest months to 21:30 at midsummer, according to the Friends of Regent’s Park. See the Friends’ opening times page.
- Boating: runs late March to October, so the lake is for later in the year.
- Kids: the Gloucester Gate playground is the Camden-side one, opening at 10:00.
The verdict: walk in from Camden Town, take the Broad Walk across the boundary, look for the winter berries in Queen Mary’s Gardens, and put the theatre in the diary for summer.
