The Kyoto Garden has no ticket and no booking, and it has one rule that catches people out. Dogs are not permitted in the Japanese Garden, though they are allowed in the rest of Holland Park on a lead in the woodlands and formal gardens. If you are bringing one, it waits outside.
The garden is inside Holland Park, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s largest park, which is why the hours below are the park’s and not the garden’s.
Opening hours
Holland Park opens at 7.30am and closes at dusk. The closing time is displayed at every entrance and changes through the year. The council adds that some gates may close up to 20 minutes before the advertised closing time, so a walk to the garden in the last half hour of light is a risk.
The park is at Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU. The council gives walking routes from Kensington High Street and Notting Hill Gate stations, and there is level access at the North Abbotsbury Road, Ilchester Place, Duchess of Bedford Walk and High Street Kensington entrances. The Holland Park Road and Abbotsbury Road South entrances are on a steep incline and may not suit disabled visitors.
What the garden is
The Kyoto Garden was donated by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto in 1991. It was created to celebrate the Japan Festival in London in 1992, as a co-operative project between the Royal Borough and the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce, designed and built by an eminent Japanese garden designer and his team.
The rest of the park
Holland Park covers 54 acres, and was once the grounds of Cope Castle, a large Jacobean mansion hidden in the woods, built in the early 17th century by Sir Walter Cope, later Chancellor of the Exchequer under James I. It was renamed Holland House when Lady Rich inherited it, was badly damaged in the Second World War, and one wing survives as a youth hostel.
A section of the front terrace was saved and is used for the park’s summer open air theatre productions and classical concerts. The park also has a cafe, an ecology centre, public toilets, tennis, football, cricket and golf practice nets, and an outdoor gym.
Rules, and one closure
No barbecues, no cycling, and events and professional photography need permission. The under fives’ play area is closed for refurbishment from 12 October 2026 until the end of November 2026, which matters if you are bringing children.
For somewhere to eat afterwards, Notting Hill is the next district, and its restaurants are the obvious next stop. The best parks in London covers where else to walk.
Kyoto Garden
- Address
- Holland Park, Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU
- Nearest
- Kensington High Street or Notting Hill Gate
- Hours
- Holland Park is open from 7.30am until dusk. Some gates may close up to 20 minutes before the displayed closing time
- Booking
- None needed
- Price
- Free
- Standing
- The Japanese garden donated by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto in 1991, inside the Royal Borough's largest park
How to get in
Dogs are not permitted in the Japanese Garden. No cycling or barbecues in the park. The under fives' play area is closed from 12 October to the end of November 2026.
Where to go next
Notting Hill is the district next door, and the best restaurants in Notting Hill covers what to eat after the park.
The best parks in London covers the Royal Parks, and the weekend list shows what is open on which day.
Questions we get asked
Is the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park free?
Yes. Holland Park is a public park run by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and the Kyoto Garden is within it. There is no ticket.
What time does Holland Park open and close?
It opens at 7.30am and closes at dusk. Closing times are displayed at the entrances, and some gates may close up to 20 minutes before the advertised time.
Are dogs allowed in the Kyoto Garden?
No. Dogs are not permitted in the Japanese Garden. In the rest of Holland Park they must be kept on leads in the woodlands and formal gardens.
Who gave London the Kyoto Garden?
It was donated by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto in 1991 and created to celebrate the Japan Festival in London in 1992, as a project between the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce.
Which tube station is nearest the Kyoto Garden?
The council gives walking routes from Kensington High Street and Notting Hill Gate stations to Holland Park, which is at Ilchester Place, W8 6LU.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 190 in the guide.
Last checked 3 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
