St James's Park is the oldest of London's royal parks and arguably the prettiest, a long ribbon of lawns, flowerbeds, and willow-fringed lake running from Buckingham Palace at one end to Horse Guards and Whitehall at the other. The bridge across the lake gives two of the best free views in London — west to the palace, east to the domes and pinnacles of Whitehall rising like a fairy-tale skyline.
The park is famous for its waterfowl, including a long-resident colony of pelicans, descended from a 17th-century gift and still fed near Duck Island most afternoons. It is the natural green link between the Westminster sights, perfect for a walk between Parliament, the palace, and the Mall, and a calm spot to escape the crowds that throng the surrounding streets.