12 Delightful Spots for Tulips & Daffodils in London

Spring has sprung… or it nearly has! If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the earliest days of spring, and wondering about all the wonderful blossoms and blooms you can see around London. Because whether you’re aware or not, London is actually considered a forest, according to the U.N. definition (fact!). That means there are tons of green spaces all over town – or they’re at least green in the spring and summer anyway.

In many of these places, you’ll find daffodils in London – one of the first bulbs to bloom every March – and tulips – which follow with their riotous colors in April. Tulips and daffodils are two of London’s best spring flowers, and you can find them all over the city. Personally, I’m partial to daffodils which feel like they wandered right out of Alice in Wonderland and always make me smile – especially after a gloomy London winter.

In this post, you’ll learn some of the best places to see daffodils in London – and tulips too! Whether you’re seeking these spots for a photo shoot or just want to admire the signs of summer on its way, this list will give you all the spots worth seeking as spring arrives in London.

Daffodils & Tulips Across London

Unlike my post about where to see magnolias and cherry blossoms in London – which was quite extensive – there are fewer spots for tulips and daffodils in London on this list. That’s partly because of the types of flowers you’re seeing; cherries and magnolias are trees – so they’re planted all over London, especially in West London. Daffodils and tulips, on the other hand, require more structure, and are usually found in flower beds of specific locales.

Before jumping into the list though, I wanted to share a map so you could get a sense of just how many spots there are – and this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list.

If you want to print this map, here’s what to do: click on the [ ] symbol in the upper right corner. Zoom in our out as much as you want on the map. Then click on the ⋮ symbol next to the magnifying glass in the left menu. Click print; you can choose the format for your printable map of the best spots for daffodils and tulips in London.

Okay, let’s dive into the list – get your camera ready, as these places will be in bloom before you know it!

Buckingham Palace

Like most royal buildings and parks, Buckingham Palace boasts some of the loveliest spring blooms in London, especially the Memorial Gardens flower beds. Created in 1901 in honor of Queen Victoria, the Memorial Garden becomes a blaze of color when its 50,000 yellow wildflowers and red tulips are in full bloom. There are also scarlet geraniums in the center of the garden, which are red to match tunics of The Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace. 

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

Located in Islington, Bunhill Fields is a Nonconformist historic burial ground dating to 1660. Inside, you can find the graves of intellectuals and clergymen like John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe, and William Blake. The cemetery is a lovely oasis in the middle of the city, with over 130 trees planted in the graveyard. It’s also home to numerous spring flowers in London. During the spring, crocuses adorn the trees on the north lawn, while snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, and hyacinths flood the grass surrounding the graves. 

Eltham Palace

You can go to Eltham Palace any day or season of the year, and they’ll have the most beautiful blossoms. Unsurprisingly, it is one of the best places to admire tulips in London in spring. Every April, Eltham Palace hosts the Eltham Palace Tulip Festival, which takes place in the 19-acre grounds of the art deco/Tudor mansion. The festival goes beyond Hanami (the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers), offering visitors to take tours with the gardeners to learn about the different types of tulips. 

Golders Hill Park

Golders Hill Park is definitely one for the senses. Located in North London, the park is an excellent place to visit if you love pretty flowers. The flower spectacle starts in February with crocuses. Come April, the real stars of the show appear. The park’s ornamental gardens house flower beds become a riot of color, with tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs.

Green Park

Green Park is an exception to the rule when it comes to royal parks and their fabulous gardens. It is the only royal park in London without flower beds. Rumor has it that King Charles II’s wife, Catherine, ordered to remove all flower beds from the park when she caught her husband picking flowers for his mistress. While it still doesn’t have formal gardens, Green Park is famous for being home to the most beautiful c in London. Around one million gold, yellow, and cream daffodils blossom during spring. 

Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace is another excellent alternative to get the best of London blooms. During autumn, the Palace gardeners plant over 100,000 bulbs at Hampton Court Palace to be in full bloom for their Tulip Festival in April. The courtyards and the Lower Orangery Garden present a stunning tulip display with over sixty varieties, including heritage and modern types like  Parrot, Triumph, Rembrandt, and Darwin tulips.

Holland Park

If you can’t go to the Netherlands to admire tulips in all their glory, you can satisfy your flowery craving by going to Holland Park. Besides being home to the Kyoto Garden, Holland Park also houses the Dutch Gardens, which become a vast sea of color, with red and yellow tulip flower beds forming different patterns. While not many, you can also find a few daffodils spread across the park’s magnificent lawns. 

Kensington Gardens 

With its never-ending beauty, nature, and history, the Kensington Gardens are probably one of the most beautiful spots in London. The lovely royal park rewards visitors with some of the most gorgeous daffodils in London. Every year, lines of yellow daffodils bloom in all their glory, signaling spring is already in town. You can see loads of them near The Orangery and at The Sunken Garden, where rows of yellow daffodils and bright pink flowers bring a burst of color to the area. 

Kew Gardens

Unsurprisingly, Kew Gardens is a top spot to see pretty daffodils in London. Located in southwest London, Kew Garden is a botanical garden with 500 acres of woodland. Much of that land is teeming with spring blooms, including magnolias, cherry blossoms (it has its own ‘Cherry Walk’), daffodils, and crocuses. If you have time, don’t miss the chance to explore their botanical collections. You won’t regret it. 

Regent’s Park

Regent’s Park in Westminster is world-famous for housing the Queen Mary’s Garden, London’s largest rose garden, with a collection of over 12,000 roses. Besides the 85 varieties of roses, Regent’s Park has lovely fields of tulip and daffodil bulbs. March throughout April, you can see huge drifts of daffodils and tulips near Avenue Gardens. You can also see snowdrops and bluebells in Queen Mary’s Garden.

Peckham Rye Park

Situated in Southwark, Peckham Rye Park houses one of the prettiest gardens in London. The Sexby Garden, designed by and named after Colonel JJ Sexby, is famous for its wisteria pergola. You can also spot seasonal blooms here, with crocuses in early spring and spectacular tulips, daffodils, and scented roses in summer. Take your time to explore the park’s other gardens, the ‘Oval’ just inside the main entrance, the Japanese Garden, the American Garden, the Community Wildlife Garden, and the ornamental pond gardens. 

St James’s Park

Wandering through St James’s Park in March and April is like being immersed in a spring dream. St James’s Park gets most of the one million daffodils the Royal Parks plant across the gardens. Daffodils aren’t the only blaze of color you can enjoy in the park; tulips and crocuses are also emerging. Without a doubt, St James’s Park looks its best during spring.

As you can tell, there are plenty of delightful spots to enjoy seeing both tulips and daffodils in London. My favorite spots are those ones you’ll discover when you’re just looking for them – from the small park near your accommodation to the walkway you pass to see one of London’s iconic sights. These spring bulbs bloom all over London and bring on the spring with a jolt of color.

Have any questions about where to see tulips or daffodils in London? Let me know in the comments, or join the conversation in my London Travel Tips Facebook community.