15 Things To Do On A Day Trip to Windsor from London

Like an Oxford Day Trip, a day trip to Windsor from London is incredibly easy to do. It’s also compact enough that if your London itinerary is on the shorter side, you can dedicate just half a day to seeing Windsor Castle and some of the main shopping streets before heading back to the city to continue on. Windsor is nice because while there aren’t too many things to do in Windsor, it does provide a nice contrast to the giantness that London is and hey, who doesn’t want to see one of the Queen’s main residences? Read on for everything you need to know to plan your day trip to Windsor for London and let me know in the comments if you have any questions.

Getting to Windsor From London

A day trip to Windsor is incredibly easy to do. You can get yourself there by car, bus, train or with a tour.

Car

While the most independent option is to drive yourself, the core of Windsor is on the smaller side. As long as you’re used to that you should be fine. You will definitely be able to find some options for where to park and driving yourself gives you the option to completely control your itinerary. It also means you can see stuff in all corners of the town but this in general isn’t a problem as Windsor is quite walk-able. The drive from London to Windsor is just under the 1 hour mark.

Tour

Seeing Windsor on a tour is also an option but many tours only focus on Windsor Castle and if that’s your main priority then this is a great way to get to and from there. If you’re interested in other parts of Windsor then a tour may not be the best option as you may have to leave before you get to see other areas you may be interested in.

Bus

The cheapest option for getting to Windsor from London is to take the bus. The Windsor Express runs from Victoria in London to Windsor (and many stops beyond). Conveniently it stops right outside of the Castle too.

Fares start at 2 pounds each way but they do vary depending on where you’re travelling from. You can see the exact fares here. The bus runs fairly often and you can see the schedule here. Do note, it’s a slower option than the train and usually takes around 1.5 hours.

As a protip, buses in London cost less during non-peak hours so tickets in the afternoon will be cheaper than in the morning.

Train

The fastest option for getting to Windsor from London is to take the train. Windsor has two stations: Windsor Central Station and Windsor Riverside Station.

The cost of a return ticket is around 11 pounds and the journey takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour and 5 minutes depending on the route you take. You can travel to Windsor either from Paddington Station or from Waterloo Station. You can find both the tickets and schedule on Trainline.

The Paddington Station to Windsor and Eton Central Station route takes around 30-50 minutes (I found it was much closer to the 30 minute mark in both directions). You would then change trains at Slough station which takes you to Windsor Central Station in under 10 minutes. Windsor Central station is right beside the castle and is also quite nice to walk through with many different shopping options.

The Waterloo to Windsor Riverside Route takes a little longer but is a direct route. Expect the journey to take around 55 minutes. Riverside Station is at the bottom of the hill of Windsor Castle but it’s only about a 5 minute walk up to the castle so it’s not so bad.

Windsor Castle

The Castle

Windsor Castle has been a part of royal history for over 900 years. It was founded by William the Conqueror and 40 different monarchs have now lived there.

It was one of the Queen’s main residences and is the world’s largest occupied castle. Buckingham Palace was of course the main residence of Her Majesty the Queen but she spent her free weekends in Windsor as it’s only about 35 km between the two and hosts numerous state functions there. The round tower of the castle will be your indication as to whether the King is in. If the Royal Standard is flying it will mean that the King is there.

Given the size of the castle I’d set aside 2-3 hours for exploring it properly!

The State Apartments/Semi-State Rooms

The State Apartments are used by the King for events and ceremonies and the private apartments are decorated with some of the finest furniture and art from the Royal Collection. The apartments were originally created for George IV. You can tour the State Apartments on either the Ceremonial Route or Historic Route (they’re both options on the audio tour)

The Semi-State Rooms are the private apartments that were created for George IV. The Semi-State Rooms are open between autumn and spring each year and is only open when the State Apartments are closed.

St. George’s Chapel

If you’re looking up things to do in Windsor, this often gets listed separately from Windsor Castle but it’s part of the castle grounds and the impressive chapel has been the site of royal weddings and funerals and is the tomb of monarchs from all over. One of the more recent weddings includes that of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Famous tombs include that of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour (his 3rd wife).

Visitors are welcome to partake in worship. You can find the schedule of services on the official website. The chapel is open to visits from Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.

Queen Mary’s Doll House

Queen Mary’s Doll House was built in the early 1920’s and is not only the largest but also the most famous doll house in the world! It’s got incredible replicas made by artists and even features running water and electricity and is part of the State Apartments tour.

Changing of the Guards

The changing of the guards ceremony usually takes place at 11 am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and is a 30 minute ceremony. You can see the schedule on the British Army website. Because the ceremony takes place on the grounds of the castle you do need have a ticket to the castle in order to attend.

Windsor Great Park & The Long Walk

Windsor Great Park is a huge sprawling green area right next to the park and it’s finest feature is the Long Walk which gives you a fantastic view of the castle.

Tickets and Opening Times

Windsor Castle is open in the winter (November 1st to February 29th) between 10am and 4:15pm. Last admission is at 3pm. Windsor Castle is open in the summer (March 1st to October 31st) between 10am and 5:15pm. Last admission is at 4pm. Entrance to the state apartments closes 30 minutes after last admission. St. George’s Chapel closes at 4 pm but visitors can attend evensong at 5:15 pm. It’s also closed to visitors on Sundays but visitors can attend services as scheduled.

The Castle is a working royal palace and will be closed at times. This applies to individual portions of the castle as well. If you have your heart set on a specific part of the castle please check their website directly to ensure it’s open.

Tickets cost 30 pounds for adults. Tickets can be booked online and allow you to skip the line to just pick them up (instead of having to line up to purchase). Buying them online also saves you a few pounds from the day of tickets which are slightly more expensive.

The audio tour is part of the ticket price and is partially narrated by King Charles himself!

If you ask the warden at the end of your visit to treat your ticket as a donation they will stamp it and it’ll be good for 1 year as a pass and you can come back and visit again.

Important Information

Windsor Castle is a working castle which means that unannounced closures and repairs could affect your visit. While disappointing it’s important to keep this in mind.

Before your admission in to the castle you will be asked to go through a security screen. Expect to go through a metal detector and to have your bag checked.

Other Things To Do in Windsor

While many people head to Windsor for the castle (which is the biggest draw), it’s definitely not the only thing to do in the area and if you have some more time there’s plenty of things to do in Windsor. Below are some suggestions on how you could spend your extra time.

Thames River

I visited Windsor on a rainy day so wasn’t exactly keen on getting even wetter but if you’re visiting on a nice day then taking a boat ride down the Thames River is a great way to take in Windsor from a different angle. There’s a couple of different companies you can go with like French Brothers and Duck Tours.

Walk around Town

While the downtown core is not huge – there is a main shopping street and some side streets to stroll around. There’s also plenty of parks and cafes and shops to explore! There’s lots of little royal landmarks around town as well.

Queen Victoria Statue

Located right in the middle of the streets leading to Windsor Castle you’ll find a great statue of Queen Victoria that has been standing there since 1887! It was made by Sir Edgar Boehm to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

Do note it’s actually in the middle of the street so I wouldn’t recommend trying to get right up to it or anything. 

Queen Charlotte Street

Located right off the High Street, close to the Crooked House, you’ll find Queen Charlotte Street. It’s officially the shortest street in England and is only 52 feet long. It’s a cobblestoned path that is centuries old.

High Street

The street you walk up towards the castle on is the High Street and perhaps it’s the proximity to the castle but the shops and restaurants are super pretty and make for some really, really nice photography. Plus can you really resist stopping to grab an ice cream from a place named the Ice Queen?

Windsor Parish Church of St John the Baptist

The Windsor Parish Church of St John the Baptist is free to visit and is a popular stop in Windsor because of the proximity to the castle. The interior of the church has some really nice details and one of it’s nicest features is a painting of the last supper from the 17th century.

The church is open 10 am to 5 pm every day of the week but there will be services and events held which may prevent you from seeing it.

Ancient Well

If you walk down the street past Windsor Parish Church (specifically at 3 St Alban’s St) you’ll come across the Ancient Well picture below which really just makes for a nice picture stop.

Legoland Windsor Resort

Located only 4 km from Windsor Town Center (about a 7 minute drive) you can find the Legoland Windsor Resort. It’s a theme park that you may have guessed is centered around Lego. There are roller coasters as well as shows put on that everyone can enjoy. You can check out opening hours and tickets on their website. I would recommend prebooking tickets because you’ll be guaranteed admission and you’ll save some money off the tickets.

Alexandra Gardens

Alexandra Gardens is located by the Thames River and has some benches for you to take a break in and some stunning views of Windsor Castle to enjoy.

Windsor & Eton Brewery

Located close to the Alexandra Gardens you’ll find the Windsor & Eton Brewery. I’m not a big beer person but the brewery comes highly recommended and is well reviewed. The beers are served in many of the local pubs and the brewery has a comedy club and offers tours.

Royal Shopping

The Windsor Royal Shopping Center used to be the former railway station. It was built in the 1950s but its architecture is still stunning and now you get to walk around and check out some cool shops while enjoying the area.

Frogmore House

Frogmore House has been a royal residence since the last 1790s. It’s located half a mile south of Windsor Castle. There’s a huge garden and mausoleums on the site and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are both buried here. Frogmore House and Gardens can both be visited by the public on certain days. To find out when you can visit check here. The mausoleums are not open to the public however.

Frogmore House is not to be confused with Frogmore Cottage. The cottage lies on the same property but is a much smaller home. It’s where Prince Harry and Megan lived before leaving the royal family.

Diamond Jubilee Fountain

In 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee a fountain inspired by the crown jewels was opened in the Goswells Park. The fountain is 25 meters long and has a circular pool in the center. In the middle of the pool there is 60 water jets shaped like a crown.

Eton

On the opposite side of the river you’ll find Eton. The two towns are connected by the Windsor Eton Bridge. Eton is of course most known for Eton College. Famous alumni include Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. You can visit the college on a heritage tour or you can visit the 3 museums and special exhibitions on Sunday afternoons.

There you have it! My complete guide to a Windsor Day Trip from London. Pin this post for your own upcoming trip and let me know if you have any questions!