Constructed around 1,000 years ago, Windsor Castle understandably has quite the history (to say the least!). The oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, it’s been home to 39 monarchs and currently the Queen spends many weekends there.

If you’re going to be in London, it’s a historic icon that you absolutely must see – even if you aren’t particularly interested in the royal family.

We have the top Windsor Castle tours available, making sure you make the most of your time and money!

Best Tours Of Windsor Castle

	Half-Day Trip to Windsor with Castle Tickets From London	Private Windsor Town & Guided Castle Walking Tour	Royal Windsor Afternoon Tour from London
	Best Half-Day Tour	Best Private Tour	Best Budget Tour
Departure:	Earls Court Underground Station	Pickup available	Evan Evans Office 258 Vauxhall Bridge Road
Start:	9:50 PM	Between 9:00 AM & 1:30 PM	1:00 PM
Duration:	4 hours	3 hours	7 hours
Includes:	Entrance to Windsor Castle, Windsor Castle multimedia guide, transportation from London by luxury bus	Professional guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, private tour, transport by private vehicle	Entry to Windsor Castle, English-speaking guide, personal audio headset
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Windsor Castle Tours For 2026

1. Best Half-Day Tour: Half-Day Trip to Windsor with Castle Tickets From London
2. Best Private Tour: Private Windsor Town & Guided Castle Walking Tour
3. Best Budget Tour: Royal Windsor Afternoon Tour from London From London
4. Best Luxury Tour: Private Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath from London
5. Best Small Group Tour: Private Windsor Castle And Eton Tour
6. Best Day Tour: Windsor Castle Tour from London with Lunch
7. Best Guided Tour: Afternoon Trip London to Windsor Castle

Be sure to see our reviews of Buckingham Palace tours, Downton Abbey tours and Thames River cruises.

Windsor Castle Tour Reviews

1. Best Half-Day Tour: Half-Day Trip to Windsor with Castle Tickets From London

This is one of the most popular tours from London, and if you’re in the city looking for an educational, fun tour this one is hard to beat. The From London: Half-Day Trip to Windsor with Castle Tickets packs a ton in while still making it easy to fit into a busy schedule.

If you’re looking to explore Windsor Castle and get some fresh air walking around the grounds, take a good look here!

There are various central London meetup points, ensuring it’s as convenient as possible for you. Choose the one that works best for you and head out west on a bus tour in the morning. If you have London plans in the evening, this won’t conflict at all!

The bus is quite comfortable, with nice, big windows to see the beautiful city and landscape views as you head to the historic town of Windsor.

Once you and the rest of your group arrive, you’ll be taken through and told all about the Queen’s official residence. There’s no need to rush, either – they make sure you can take it at your own pace.

From the Norman Invasion and its origins to present-day relevance, you’ll practically be an expert on the castle! The history is obviously very interesting, but the castle and surrounding area itself is also quite beautiful!

We highly recommend heading to the left once exiting the castle to take the “long walk”. It’s a great way to also get away for a moment from the hustle-and-bustle of lively London.

Other London Experiences You May Enjoy:

2. Best Private Tour: Private Windsor Town & Guided Castle Walking Tour

While our other tours are certainly smaller ones for more personalized attention, this one is even more so. This 3-hour tour comes in the form of a private car service picking you up from your hotel and taking you to the town of Windsor where you will see main sights of Windsor and of course Windsor Castle.

If that sounds like a good time to you, check out the Windsor Castle Private Tour! With just your group, you can be assured you’ll receive all the answers to your questions!

Considering the convenience and ability to learn so much with this model of tour, it’s surprising how affordable this one runs for. With such an accommodating, knowledgeable, attentive guide, it feels like a good friend is just taking you and showing you around Windsor!

As soon as you get in the vehicle, your guide will start telling you interesting facts and anecdotes about all the sites you see. You’ll even learn quite a bit about Windsor and Windsor Castle before you arrive!

This is the largest and oldest continuously-occupied castle in the world, and as one of the official royal residences of the Queen, it already draws a lot of interest.

Walk around and see St. George’s Chapel, which is over 500 years old and has been the place of many significant events throughout history.

Check out inside the castle, where the State Apartments sit and have been used to house important guests throughout these over 900 years. Not to mention, all of the beautiful furniture, tapestries, artwork, and more!

Search For Other London Experiences You May Enjoy

3. Best Budget Tour: Royal Windsor Afternoon Tour from London

Not everyone needs or wants a tour that will fit into busier schedules. Some want to pack in as much as possible, and don’t mind taking longer tours to do so. If that sounds like you, check out the London: Royal Windsor Afternoon Tour from London.

This 7-hour tour is led by a professional tour guide, who is undoubtedly knowledgeable and there to ensure you have a great time. The English-speaking guide will take you through the historic Windsor so you can explore the castle, see the famous St. George’s Chapel, and more.

Starting out as a Saxon village, it’s thought to have been inhabited from approximately 700 AD – as you can imagine there are quite a few stories to tell about the area.

Meet up at Evan Evans Office in London and head out to Windsor. We found the vehicles to be smooth, and the driver to be very safe and attentive.

Once you arrive to this beautiful countryside location, you’ll get to see the river, stroll about its cobbled streets, and explore its charming little tea rooms, shops, and more as your guide offers an intriguing commentary on its background.

After getting to know the town a bit, you’ll head over to the infamous Windsor Castle. It’s hard to miss, and you may have even caught a glimpse of it already as it rises high above the rest of the town.

Having been the ancestral home of the royal family for almost a thousand years, there are countless stories to learn about it.

The architecture alone is quite stunning, but the interior is really going to make your jaw drop. Take a tour through the state apartments, where all kinds of significant icons throughout history have laid their heads.

On the walls hang some of the most important pieces of art by legendary artists as well, and were luckily saved during a more recent fire.

You’ll then see St. George’s Chapel, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed in 2018. However, it’s been around a lot longer than that: since 1528! It’s also the resting place of various monarchs.

4. Best Luxury Tour: Private Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath from London

Next up, we bring you our longest tour and one that will take you all over some of the most legendary places in the country. You’ll not only get to see Windsor Castle, but many other points of interest!

The Private Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath from London tour will check a lot of boxes on your bucket list, and do so in one of the most convenient ways possible!

Start off by being picked up in a luxury, air-conditioned vehicle and head straight to Eton College, which is known as being the private school of choice for the royal family of the United Kingdom.

Commissioned over 500 years ago by King Henry VIII, it’s still one of the top choices for schools for some of the most powerful families on the planet.

Next, is Windsor Castle, where you’ll get to see the Royal Guards, inside the history of the castle, the courtyards, and even St. George’s Chapel. Your guide will take you through all the interesting nooks and crannies, and to the most iconic parts, as well.

Now, it’s over to both Woodhenge and Stonehenge. Woodhenge is an ancient Neolithic wooden monument built very close to Stonehenge in approximately 2500 BC. You’ll learn about why it’s so important, both throughout the years and present-day.

Hop on over to Stonehenge and your guide will also fill you in on the history behind this 5,000-year-old wonder, explore the visitor center, and take some photos!

After all this adventuring, you’re sure to have worked up an appetite. Sneak in a fantastic traditional pub lunch of fish and chips or sip on a traditional English tea.

Head on over to the beautiful, enthralling town of Bath which is filled with jaw-droppingly intricate architecture and a unique history. There’s some great shopping and dining here, and if you’d like you can also enter the infamous Roman Bath house!

5. Best Small Group Tour: Private Windsor Castle And Eton Tour

This tour is a crowd favorite, due to the time being easy to fit into the daytime while being able to tend to London plans in the evening. The Private Windsor Castle and Eton Tour lasts anywhere from 6 to 7 hours, depending on traffic and other factors.

Offered in 10 different languages, this is a comprehensive tour that will have you avoiding the large group tours that can be harder to learn or see the interesting points with.

You and the rest of your group will be picked up in central London, in a comfortable, spacious vehicle with air conditioning. The trip is quite scenic and your guide/driver will tell you interesting stories about the route as well as Windsor so you have a good background before arriving.

Starting out in the historic center of the town, you’ll check out hidden passages that connect the castle to certain pubs! You’ll see the famous “crooked house”, and even see the rear part of the castle that many visitors don’t get to see.

Next, you’ll see the more common, “touristy” parts of the castle though you’ll get to skip the long lines and just enter.

You’ll be able to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony, the amazing apartments inside where many important figures have stayed, artwork by some of the most famous artists throughout history, and much more.

You’ll also see St. George’s Chapel, which has been transformed into a royal wedding venue various times, and even holds the tombs of Henry VIII, Charles I, George VI, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and many others. The architecture itself is beautiful, and an excellent example of late medieval Gothic architecture.

If you’d like, you can stroll across the River Thames into Eton – home of Eton College. We’ve already covered quite a bit about this college, but we do recommend checking it out.

6. Best Day Tour: Windsor Castle Tour from London with Lunch

Exploring and learning can really take a lot out of you, and what better way to take a tour then have one with a delicious lunch included to break up the walking? The Windsor Castle Tour from London with Lunch is exactly that, and more.

You’ll be able to see Windsor Castle, St. George’s Chapel, and other points of interest in one of the most convenient ways possible.

You and the rest of your group will meet at Victoria Coach Station bright and early, at 7:30 am. The 6.5-hour tour is great, because you’ll be in London in time for dinner or any other plans you may have.

The air-conditioned coach is very easy to relax in, with nice, big windows that are great for checking out the countryside as you travel to the historic town of Windsor.

As you head over, your guide will tell your group all about the castle, as well as any other notable places you may encounter.

If you don’t already know about it, you’ll learn about how it plays a very important role in British history and was originally built by William the Conqueror over 900 years ago.

It is one of the Queen’s official residences, and she sometimes still stays here so there’s always the chance she’ll be “in residence” while you explore around. Make sure to check out St. George’s Chapel as well, which is an incredible piece of Gothic architecture and holds the tombs of various monarchs.

Take some time to walk around the town of Windsor at your own pace. Set right next to the Thames, it’s absolutely beautiful, with charming little shops, pubs, and delicious food. Speaking of which, you’ll have lunch here at a pub with some traditional fish and chips!

7. Best Guided Tour: Afternoon Trip London to Windsor Castle

Are you on the search for a more compact tour? One that will pack as much in as possible but still allows you to fit it into a busy schedule? If so, the Afternoon Trip London to Windsor Castle should catch your eye!

With hotel pickup and drop-off offered, you don’t even have to spend time getting to a station or central pickup spot! However, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a self-guided tour, with groups of up to 8 passengers.

Due to this design, it’s one of the best in terms of flexibility and is also a very comfortable way of getting out of the city and seeing this piece of history that’s still relevant today.

Do you ever feel rushed by tour guides? Now you won’t have to, as you can truly check out Windsor Castle at your own pace.

The audio guide is available in multiple languages and takes you through the State Apartments, St. George’s Chapel, Queen May’s Doll’s House, and much more!

Not only that, but this tour comes with tickets that allow you to bypass the lines which can save you around an hour!

We felt that this was a great experience for families, partners, and friends as you can talk amongst yourselves without interrupting a tour guide. Not to mention, with the smaller group sizes you’ll simply be able to move around easier and see more!

It also lets you choose how you want to spend your time, whether that’s in a certain wing of the castle or outdoors.

Windsor Castle Tours From London: How to Actually Do This Trip Right

I stood in the Lower Ward at 11am on a Thursday and watched a Grenadier Guard band march past in bearskin hats while tourists elbowed each other for a phone angle. It is a genuinely strange thing to witness a thousand years of royal machinery still running on schedule.

Windsor Castle is 25 miles west of London and the oldest occupied castle on earth. You can do it as a half-day side trip or bolt it onto Stonehenge and Bath for a full day, and both versions work if you plan around the castle’s quirks.

Why Windsor Is Worth the Trip

This is not a museum dressed up as a castle. King Charles III still uses it as an official residence, and the flag over the Round Tower tells you whether he is in.

You get the State Apartments, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, and St George’s Chapel, where ten monarchs are buried including Henry VIII. The whole thing sits above the Thames in a town small enough to walk end to end in fifteen minutes.

Skip it if you already did Buckingham Palace and want something completely different. Windsor and Buckingham cover a lot of the same ground, just with a moat and a longer train ride.

Book it if you want the version of British royal history you can actually walk through, not just look at from a fence.

Families do well here. Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House pulls in kids who would otherwise tune out during a room full of Canaletto paintings, and the outdoor precincts give restless legs somewhere to burn energy between rooms.

When to Go and What to Watch For

Windsor Castle is open Thursday through Monday. It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and on those two days most coach tours run a walking tour of the town instead of a castle visit.

Check your tour dates against that schedule before you book. I have seen people show up on a Wednesday expecting the State Apartments and get a nice walk around the exterior instead.

The Changing the Guard ceremony runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 11am, weather and royal schedule permitting. That is the opposite problem: it does not happen at all on Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, or Monday, so if seeing it matters to you, pick your day around the guard, not the other way around.

St George’s Chapel closes to general visitors on Sundays for worship. If the chapel is the one thing you came for, do not go on a Sunday.

March through October, the castle runs 10am to 5:15pm with last admission at 4pm. November through February it closes earlier, at 4:15pm, with last admission at 3pm.

Getting There From London

Two train routes get you to Windsor, and they land at two different stations, so know which one your tour or ticket assumes.

From Paddington, you take a Great Western Railway train and change once at Slough. The whole trip runs about 35 minutes and lands you at Windsor & Eton Central, a short walk from the castle gates.

From Waterloo, South Western Railway runs a direct train with no change, about 50 minutes, landing at Windsor & Eton Riverside instead. No transfer sounds easier, but it takes longer and drops you a slightly longer walk from the entrance.

One-way fares run roughly £10 to £13 depending on the route and time of day. If you are doing this without a guided tour, book the Paddington route unless you are already staying near Waterloo.

Driving is not worth it. There is no visitor parking at the castle itself, and town parking runs £2.20 to £6 an hour with day rates climbing past £20.

The Green Line 702 bus runs from Victoria Coach Station roughly every half hour and takes about an hour, longer than either train but useful if you are staying near Victoria and want to skip a transfer to a rail station first.

The Castle Visit Itself

Standard admission gets you the State Apartments, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the castle precincts, and a free multimedia audio guide in ten languages. St George’s Chapel is included except on Sundays.

Between October and March, the Semi-State Rooms open as part of standard admission at no extra cost. These are the more intimate rooms the King actually uses, and they are worth timing a winter trip around if you can.

Plan for two to three hours inside if you want to see everything without rushing. The official guidance says 90 minutes to 2.5 hours, and I would lean toward the long end of that if the Semi-State Rooms are open.

Security runs airport-style at the entrance. Leave the tripod and the selfie stick at the hotel, and travel light since bag check space is limited.

Booking a Tour vs. Going Independently

Going independently means the train fare plus a £32 advance ticket, cheaper than the £36 walk-up price, and total control over your schedule. This works well if you are comfortable navigating one train change and want flexibility on timing.

A half-day coach tour, usually four to five hours round trip from central London, runs somewhere around £75 to £95 per person and includes transport, entrance, and often live commentary on the bus. This is the easier call if you do not want to deal with British Rail on your own or you are short on planning time.

Full-day combination tours pairing Windsor with Stonehenge and Bath, or Windsor with Oxford, run a full 10 to 12 hours and cost more, typically £120 to £160 per person. These make sense if you have one flexible day in London and want to knock out multiple bucket-list stops at once rather than doing three separate trips.

• Independent by train: about £45 to £50 round trip per adult including the Paddington fare and advance castle ticket.
• Half-day coach tour: roughly £75 to £95 per person, transport and entry included.
• Full-day Windsor, Stonehenge, and Bath tour: roughly £120 to £160 per person, a full 10 to 12 hour day.
• Private tour options: run considerably higher but include flexible pacing and sometimes a dedicated guide who stays with you inside the grounds.

Note that tour guides are not allowed inside the castle itself on most standard coach tours. You will explore the interior on your own using the included audio guide even if a live guide handled the coach ride and commentary.

After the Castle: What to Do in Windsor Itself

The town outside the walls earns at least an hour on its own. Cobbled streets, independent shops, and pubs that have been serving Windsor for longer than most countries have existed.

The Two Brewers near the castle gate is a solid, unpretentious lunch stop if you want a proper pub meal before your train back. Eton is a short walk across the river bridge if you want to add the famous school and a different riverside view to the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Windsor Castle day trip from London actually cost?

If you go independently by train and book castle tickets in advance, figure roughly £45 to £50 per adult round trip. A guided half-day coach tour runs £75 to £95, and a full-day combo trip with Stonehenge or Bath runs £120 to £160.

Is Windsor Castle worth visiting if I already saw Buckingham Palace?

Yes, but temper your expectations on how different it feels. Both are working royal residences with State Apartments and formal ceremony, so the biggest difference is Windsor’s medieval architecture, the moat, and St George’s Chapel, which Buckingham does not have.

What day should I avoid for a Windsor Castle trip?

Avoid Tuesday and Wednesday if seeing the interior matters to you, since the castle is closed those two days and tours switch to a walking-only version. Avoid Sunday if St George’s Chapel is a priority, since it closes to visitors for worship that day.

Can I see the Changing the Guard ceremony without a Windsor Castle ticket?

You can watch the march through the High Street for free, which takes about ten minutes. Seeing the actual handover ceremony inside the Lower Ward requires a paid castle admission ticket.

How long should I plan to spend inside the castle?

Give yourself two to three hours for the State Apartments, the Dolls’ House, and the Chapel without feeling rushed. If you are visiting between October and March when the Semi-State Rooms are open, lean toward the longer end of that window.

Is it better to take the train myself or book a guided tour?

Take the train yourself if you want flexibility and are comfortable with one change at Slough from Paddington. Book a guided tour if you would rather not deal with British train logistics, want commentary during the ride, or are combining Windsor with Stonehenge or Bath in a single day.