Please find some of Greenwich Park’s most frequently asked questions below. If you can’t find the information you need then you can get in touch by using our contact form.
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The pedestrian gates open from 6am each day with the vehicle gates opening an hour later from 7am for car parking. Both close at dusk each day, which varies throughout the year. This week's opening hours, and any public notices relating to temporary closures (due to park events or maintenance, for example) can be found on the Greenwich Park web page.
2024 opening times You can view the 2024 opening times for Greenwich Park here.
Greenwich Park is well served by a range of different public transport services:
Tube There is no underground station within easy reach of the park, so we would recommend using the mainline rail services shown above.
Bus There are plenty of options for getting to the park by bus. Use an online planner from TfL or Google to prepare for your journey.
Cycle Cycling to Greenwich Park has never been easier. There are a wealth of marked cycleways passing through and around the park. Full details can be found on the TfL website.
Greenwich Park is approximately 74 hectares (182 acres) in size - the equivalent of six O2 arenas! The park's perimeter is approximately 2 miles long. You can view or download the park map here.
There has been a settlement on this site since Roman times, but Greenwich has always been strongly associated with royalty. Since the land was inherited in 1427 by the Duke of Gloucester, brother of Henry V, generations of monarchs have taken this magnificent park to their hearts. Greenwich was the birthplace of Henry VIII who introduced deer to the park. In the early 1600s, the park was laid out in the French style with many trees planted, some of which remain today. Under the reign of Charles II Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to build The Royal Observatory, named Flamsteed House after the first Royal Astronomer John Flamsteed.
More information on the park's history can be found here.
Greenwich Park has an extensive main car park located along either side of Blackheath Avenue at the southern end of the park. It is accessible from Charlton Way as shown on our park map. Vehicle parking is available from 7:00am to park closing times, as shown on the park web page.
Disabled parking There are several disabled parking spaces along Blackheath Avenue. In addition, there is a small disabled-only car park located further north, at the junction with Great Cross Avenue - next to the Pavillion Café. Parking is free of charge for Blue Badge holders, but is subject to a 4-hour time limit.
Car parking in Greenwich Park is chargeable from 9am to 6pm, every day of the week - including Bank Holidays.
Payment methods The parking machines in our car parks accept both cash and cashless payments.
Tariff Monday to Saturday: 35p per 15 mins / £1.40 per hour / £5.60 for the maximum stay of 4 hours. Sunday (and Bank Holidays): 50p per 15 mins / £2.00 per hour.
Motorcycles Motorcycles can be parked for free, up to the maximum stay of 4 hours.
The Royal Parks do not process parking fines (or Excess Charge Notices - ECNs) in-house. These are managed by NSL Parking Services. You can pay your ECN online or by phone using an automated service on 0343 2082089.
Yes, cycling is permitted within Greenwich Park, but only where stated (e.g. The Avenue, Blackheath Avenue, Great Cross Avenue etc.). Smaller paths across the park where cycling is not allowed have clear 'no cycling' signage at ground level. Please be considerate and give space to other park users and the park's wildlife. Pedestrians have priority at all times.
There is a 20p charge to use the public toilets in the parks. We have recently installed a contactless system which accepts credit/debit cards, prepaid cards and mobile wallet payments like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Cash is no longer accepted.
Greenwich Park has one main café - The Pavilion Café. There are also several smaller refreshment kiosks dotted throughout the park. View the Food and Drink section for full details of each outlet, along with their latest menus.
Greenwich Park is perfect for a wide range of sports activities including running, roller-skating, personal fitness, cricket or football. At Park Sports Greenwich Park you can practice your serves and volleys on the tennis courts. Or if you'd prefer to take to the water, boating is also available in the park.
Generally, dogs do not need to be kept on a lead in Greenwich Park. However there are several exceptions to this, such as The Flower Garden, The Wilderness deer park and the Royal Observatory garden. Other areas where dogs are not allowed are listed in our Dogs in The Royal Parks policy document.
Commercial dog walkers Please note, that if you want to use the Royal Parks for commercial dog walking purposes, you must have a Commercial Dog Walking Licence issued by The Royal Parks charity.
No. Feeding birds and animals in the parks does more harm than good. You can learn more about why this is, and how you can help us in caring for their wellbeing here.
Getting in touch with park offices is quick and easy and all enquiries are handled by our dedicated Visitor & Park Support team.
Online Simply complete the short online enquiry form and your question(s) will be passed to the most appropriate staff member. To ensure an efficient service, please check that you have provided the following information:
Park
Subject
Your name
Your email address
Your enquiry
Telephone You can also contact the park offices by telephone using the following numbers:
Contacting the police in an emergency For police assistance, please call 101 for non-emergencies, and 999 for emergencies. You can also report a crime online.
To report lost property, please contact our Visitor and Park Support Team via their online contact form with the following information:
Your contact details
A description of the item
Date and time when the item was lost
Location (if known) where the item was lost
If the property has been found by staff or handed in to us we'll let you know.
To report criminal activity in the park you should contact the police. For non-emergencies call 101, and for emergencies call 999. You can also report a crime online.
Yes. You can use Greenwich Park as a location for personal training or group fitness sessions - providing you have a current fitness training licence issued by The Royal Parks charity.
Fitness training licences are also available for Hyde Park, The Regent's Park, The Green Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park. They are not available for St. James's Park, Kensington Gardens, Victoria Tower Gardens or Brompton Cemetery.
To apply for a fitness training licence please read the information here and complete the online application form.
If you are filming/photographing by yourself on a mobile phone or action camera for purely personal use then no you don't need a permit to film/photograph in the park. However, for all other purposes you will need to obtain a filming or photography permit from The Royal Parks charity. Full information and online application forms can be found here.
Yes, we welcome informal picnics in the Royal Parks. Please read our guidance document for maximum group sizes and what is and isn't permitted. Please note that barbecues are not allowed.
Every year, we welcome hundreds of small and medium events to the Royal Parks, including walks and runs, large picnics, concerts and community sports. Applications for such events are considered by our dedicated Parks Events team. To find out more, and submit an application click here. At least six weeks’ notice is required.
We welcome the use of our park bandstands for small public events such as music festivals, dance or group fitness workshops or theatrical performances. Applications for such events are considered by our dedicated Parks Events team. To find out more, and submit an application click here. At least six weeks’ notice is required.
For the safety of visitors and protection of park wildlife, public swimming is not allowed in any of the lakes and ponds of the Royal Parks. The only exception is the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park which is manned by lifeguards and open during summer months.
It won’t be possible to buy a Christmas tree in Greenwich Park this year because we have decided to pause sales in the park for this season. This decision is part of an ongoing evaluation of our retail offerings and may be revisited in the future.
