Windsor Castle Day Trip

Enjoy a day trip to Windsor Castle

Overlooking Windsor Castle
Overlooking Windsor Castle cc licensed photo by Karen Roe

A day trip to Windsor Castle will fill your day with an abundance of photo opportunities and a fascinating lesson in medieval history. There is so much history behind this castle that we can only touch the surface here.

Windsor Castle is the largest castle in the world today still occupied as a residence. An official residence to the Queen, this 900 plus year old castle continues as a full working palace and covers an area of 26 acres.

The castle was first built after the Norman invasion in order to maintain Norman dominance along the western outskirts of London. It also overlooked and protected a strategic part of the River Thames, having a mote and bailey. Originally constructed of wood by William the Conqueror, the castle later became a residence for King Henry l. During the later half of the 12th century his grandson, Henry II gradually rebuilt the castle with stone to improve its fortification. He also converted the inside of the castle into an elaborate palace. In the 13th century Henry lll made even more improvements followed by Edward III who rebuilt much of that same palace with even more extravagance. Over the following centuries subsequent Kings have each added their own interesting touches and improvements to the castle.

Windsor Castle has served as a home and fortress for Monarchs for nearly a millennium. It has stood up to invasions during the First Barons' War in the early 13th century and during the civil war in the 15th century it served as headquarters to Parliamentary military forces. As recently as the Second World War the castle provided protection to the Royal Family from bombing campaigns.

In spite of its resilience in times of war, Windsor Castle almost succumbed to a terrible fire that swept over the building in 1992 destroying all but the outer shell of a number of rooms. The fire started by a spotlight coming into contact with curtains inside the Queen's Private Chapel and quickly spread up into the roof of the palace. The damaged rooms were all painstakingly restored, a project that took five years to complete.

One of the amazing and very interesting highlights of a visit to Windsor Castle is Queen Mary's Doll house. This is definitely not your average doll house. It is the largest most elegant and famous doll house in the world. Built for Queen Mary by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1921-1924 This scaled-down replica is an impeccable likeness to an aristocratic home, with features such as a fully stocked wine cellar a library a garden, electricity, running water both hot and cold, flushing toilets and elevators that work. In an adjacent display you will see two beautiful French dolls, France and Marianne with part of their wardrobe of clothes and adornments that were designed and made by Parisian fashion houses for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret rose the daughters of King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth.

Windsor Castle is only a short distance from Legoland so you may want to combine the two into a single day trip, however, it is easy to spend a full day exploring either one.

Windsor Castle is open most days of the year for visitors and tours from 9:45am to 5:15pm except until 4:15pm from November to February.

For more information about Windsor Castle including hours and admission charges visit their official website linked above.



Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Yes.

Windsor Castle Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays

  • Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:15 PM
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed
  • Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:15 PM
  • Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:15 PM
  • Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:15 PM
  • Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:15 PM

Address: Windsor SL4 1NJ, UK

Phone: 0303 123 7334

Official Website: Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle Reviews

Rated 4.7 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating Such an amazing and beautiful place. Our favorite part of the UK trip. The grounds and interior are stunning. History rich in every way. Staff is so friendly and helpful….they care about this place. Highly recommend spending a day in lovely Windsor.
Jason Kelly - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating Great tourist spot to take your family specially this summer. It’s my mum’s first time going and she absolutely enjoyed it! We didn’t get to go inside the castle as the tickets were unavailable the day we went but you can still go and take some photos outside the castle.
Kay ̊ - a week ago

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5 Star Rating Windsor Castle, located in Berkshire, England, is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it was initially a strategic fortress to protect London. Over 950 years of history, it has been a continuous royal residence for 40 monarchs. Spanning approximately 13 acres and covering around 484,000 square feet, it functions more like a fortified town. The castle's iconic Round Tower sits on a man-made mound, the oldest part of the structure. Key features include the opulent State Apartments, used for official royal functions, and St. George's Chapel, a significant royal wedding and burial site, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. The castle houses the oldest working kitchen in the country, serving monarchs for over 650 years. It also boasts Queen Mary's Doll's House, an incredibly detailed miniature mansion. During World War II, it served as a safe haven for the royal princesses. In 1992, a devastating fire destroyed many rooms, but a successful restoration was completed in 1997. Interestingly, the Royal Family adopted "Windsor" as their surname in 1917, inspired by the castle. While King Charles III owns it in right of the Crown, he does not currently reside there full-time. Some members of the Royal Family, such as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, live within the larger Windsor Estate. It remains a working palace and a major tourist attraction, welcoming visitors year-round.
Nimesh Dedhia - 2 weeks ago

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4 Star Rating No pic was allowed inside the Windsor castle so I can’t share what’s inside. It’s my first visit to the castle in UK, and was very nice to walk around and get to see some of the decor and layout inside the castle. Only certain areas in the castle was opened to the public and was told that the King might stay there sometimes.
V C - a week ago

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5 Star Rating Had to visit a castle while in England. Tickets are easier purchased online in advance. Line ups are long but staff are efficient. Was a bit confused about line ups to see dollhouse vs the castle itself. Dollhouse is amazing but not sure it needs a huge line ups in advance. Sadly can’t take photos inside loved all the details and listening to the audio guide is helpful to understand the history of the castle. Wish more areas were open to visit. Souvenir shop is overpriced which is too bad love to take a memory home with me but prices expensive. Lots of walking including up hill walk and estate so be mindful to wear good shoes. Some rooms in the palace halls offer seating which was helpful. I went on a Sunday and unfortunately don’t get to view the church on the Inside but outside beautiful. Good thing Your visit to Windsor castle can also include walking around Eaton town so lots to see in the area and shop afterwards.
Susan Abraham - 2 weeks ago

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Directions

Tube and National Rail Line Nearest Station Walking Time
District, Circle, Hammersmith and City, and Bakerloo LinesPaddington Station4 MInutes

How to get to Windsor Castle by Tube and National Rail

From Paddington Station Purchase a National Rail Ticket for the First Great Western Line to Windsor and Eton Central Station. There will be a transfer between trains at Slough Station. Total time on the train including the transfer varies between 26 and 50 minutes depending on which train you catch.

When you arrive at Windsor and Eton Central Station take the Windsor Castle (east) exit and walk south on Thames St. then left on Castle Hill to get to the visitor entrance.

Use the National Rail Journey Planner to get details and departure times for you trip.

Map & Instant Route Finder

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