Background information on Windsor and Eton

Windsor and Windsor Castle

Windsor is a small town that is famous for Windsor Castle – the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world! It is the official royal residence of the British monarch, currently held by King Charles III. The castle was founded around 1070 by William the Conqueror as a defensive fortification before it became a royal residence from 1110.

Since its founding, 39 monarchs have made Windsor Castle their home and 11 of them are currently buried within St George’s Chapel. That is including the most recent – Queen Elizabeth II.

Eton and Eton College

Just across River Thames from Windsor is the town of Eton, which is famous particularly for its boys boarding school, Eton College. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton College has since seen numerous distinguished alumni. Many of them were also part of the royal family, including most recently Princes William and Harry.

Unlike Windsor Castle, Eton College is not open for public visits. You can visit only by guided heritage tours organised during the summer, with tickets available for booking each spring. However, you can visit the Museum of Eton Life at the college for free, on Sunday afternoons 1.30pm to 4pm.

Planning considerations for a day trip to Windsor and Eton

Getting to Windsor and Eton

You can very well drive into Windsor and Eton from London, but getting there by train is very easy as well. There are two train stations in Windsor, specifically the Windsor and Eton Riverside, and the Windsor and Eton Central stations. Both of them are only a 5-minute walk apart and are very close to Windsor Castle. So which station to arrive by very much depends on which is the more convenient of the two. Train tickets can either be purchased on the spot at the departing station or online such as Trainline. You can also use your contactless debit or credit cards to pay for your journey.

By Windsor and Eton Riverside station

Direct trains operated by the South Western Railway depart London Waterloo station, arrive at the Riverside station after a 1-hour journey, and at about half hour frequencies. As the name suggests, the station is located by the riverside, and is also close to the bridge that connects to the town of Eton.

By Windsor and Eton Central station

Arriving via the Central station requires at least one transfer. You need to get a train ride to Slough station, before transferring to a 6-minute train ride to the Central station. This short train ride is operated by the Great Western Railway and runs at a frequency of once every 20 minutes.

To get to Slough, you can either take the Elizabeth Line (30-minute journey if travelling from Paddington) or a Great Western Railway direct non-stop train from Paddington (15-minute journey). While there are around 4-5 trains per hour on the Elizabeth Line, the non-stop train from Paddington has only 2 trains per hour.

Whichever station to arrive by depends very much on where in London you are travelling from. If travelling from Paddington or anywhere along the Elizabeth Line, it may potentially be quicker arriving via Windsor and Eton Central station.

If you are nearer to Waterloo station, then arriving via the Riverside station may be the better option.

By bus

With the convenience of arriving by train, I don’t think the bus option is very appealing. That is because the journey takes 1.5 hours, costs about the same as the trains and operates only an hourly service. But if you still would like to explore this option, find out more information about the Windsor Express (Bus 702) at its website. The bus will take you close to the entrance of Windsor Castle.

By car

In case you wish to drive, you can park near the Central area at the Victoria Street or the Q-Park Windsor Royal carparks. Depending on which part of London you begin your drive, it may take around an hour to arrive at Windsor.

Due to the fact that Windsor and Eton are so small and walkable, I don’t think you need a car unless you are:

1. Visiting other parts of England on the same day (Stonehenge and Bath for example)
2. Arriving from parts of England other than London, or
3. Intending to explore the less connected areas of Windsor

Getting around Windsor and Eton

Both Windsor and Eton are so small and compact that you can easily walk around by foot without needing any transport. That is unless you are visiting the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort. Which is when you may need a bus (service 702 Windsor Express or service 703, both with stops outside Windsor Castle).

Which day to visit Windsor and Eton

This is a very important consideration when visiting Windsor and Eton. This is because the main attraction Windsor Castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Additionally, the St George’s Chapel within the Windsor Castle compounds is closed to visitors on Sundays. So if you wish to see the impressive chapel where royal weddings and funerals are held, or visit the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II and other monarchs, then you should also avoid visiting on Sundays.

The castle also sometimes closes for private events so make sure to check their opening schedule to avoid making a wasted trip.

To make things trickier, the museums of Eton College are open only on Sunday afternoons. So that means you cannot visit St George’s Chapel and the museums of Eton College on the same day. You either have to return on another day, or do an overnight stay spanning a Sunday afternoon.

If you ask for my opinion, I would certainly prioritise visiting St George’s Chapel over the museums of Eton College.

How long in Windsor and Eton

Windsor Castle is the main attraction here at Windsor, and so is where you’d spend the bulk of your time at. You should allow for about 2-3 hours to visit the entire castle, plus an hour or so visiting the other nearby sights. Then allow for another hour or so to have a leisurely stroll around, including along the River Thames and the nearby town of Eton.

Therefore, it is entirely possible that you only spend half a day from London. However, I’d recommend a full day trip to fully and properly explore the place.

And as I’ve mentioned, if you’d like to visit both the St George’s Chapel and the museums of Eton College (open only on Sunday afternoons), then you need to spend at least a night spanning a Sunday afternoon.

Include another day if you wish to spend time at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort.

Should you join a tour? 

I generally think that you don’t need to join a tour to visit Windsor. Unless you wish to visit multiple places in a day. For example, a number of tours combine Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath within a single day trip. This is great for those who wish to cover more places within a limited time, although that also means limited time at each location.

However, if you prefer a more relaxed and flexible pace, you can definitely do it on your own on a half day trip.

Having said that, you can still refer to Get Your Guide* to browse the day trips available to take you to Windsor.

Visiting Windsor Castle

You’ve not really visited Windsor unless you have actually visited Windsor Castle itself. This is the official royal residence of King Charles III and also the world’s largest and oldest inhabited castle.

Tickets can be high in demand especially during the summer. So make sure to pre-book your tickets before your visit. You also get to enjoy a £4 discount if you pre-book tickets online.

You can find the entrance to the castle along Castle Street, particularly to the right as you approach the castle along the street.

A typical visit to Windsor Castle includes the Queen Mary’s Doll House, State Apartments, St George’s Chapel as well as the Changing of the Guards.

Expect an airport-level security check upon your entry to the Windsor Castle premises. Then head to the Moat Room to collect your audioguide included with your ticket. In the same room, you can also get an overview of the castle through a bronze model, and a timeline of British monarchs.

The Windsor Castle outdoor compounds

Once you’ve collected your audioguide, you will have a first look at the outdoor compounds. The Round Tower, the most central and distinctive part of the castle will then come into your view. Take a look at the flag at the top of the Round Tower – if a yellow and blue Royal Standard flag is flying, then that indicates that the King is in residence. Otherwise, if a Union Jack is flying, then that indicates that he’s not.

The castle compounds is divided generally into three parts – the Lower Ward, Middle Ward and the Upper Ward.

The Upper Ward is where the Queen Mary’s Doll House and State Apartments are, both of which are open to public visitors.

Then there is the Middle Ward where the Round Tower and private Royal Apartments are. Other than the Round Tower being open for exclusive tours during the summer, both are not accessible to the public. Otherwise the main parts open to the public in the Middle Ward are the gift shops and outdoor areas.

Finally, the Lower Ward is where St George’s Chapel is located.

1. Queen Mary’s Doll House

This is an impressive doll house created at a scale of 1:12 as a gift to Queen Mary (consort of King George V) in the 1920s. It was gifted from the nation to Queen Mary (who has a fondness for miniatures) as a symbol of appreciation and a showcase of British craftmanship after World War I. The level of details is extremely intricate, and even more so with some of the functional details such as working lifts.

There is often a long queue leading to the doll house, and a shorter one leading to the State Apartments just next to it. Do note though, that after visiting the doll house, you will be able to head straight into the State Apartments without having to queue again. So unless you plan to skip the doll house (can’t think of a reason why you would though), make sure to join the queue for the doll house.

2. State Apartments

Here in the State Apartments, you get to explore the ceremonial rooms that are used today by the royal family to welcome various Head of States, foreign delegates or VIPs. Admire the lavishly decorated interior and furnishings as you move from room to room along the visiting route.

During the autumn to spring months, the Semi State rooms are also open to visitors. These rooms are the private apartments that were created for George IV and later used by Queen Elizabeth II for official entertaining. The Semi State rooms were severely damaged by fire in 1992 but was since completely restored. The Semi State rooms will be part of the visiting route of the State Apartments if they are open.

3. St George’s Chapel

When you complete your tour of the State Apartments, you’ll likely exit near the Quadrangle. This is a private courtyard that is used for ceremonial events and is sometimes where the Changing of the Guard takes place. You can take a quick view of it from behind the gate, get some refreshments if the outdoor food stall is open, before heading to the Lower Ward.

As you walk pass the Middle Ward down to St George’s Chapel, you can take a quick visit to the gift shops.

St George’s Chapel features a Gothic architecture with beautiful fan vaulting in the ceiling (Gothic-styled ceiling of fan-shaped ribs). This chapel played host to many royal weddings and funeral services such as the wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The chapel is also the burial site of 11 previous monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

4. Changing of the Guards

The Changing of the Guards Parade takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11am, when a new set of Guards replace a retiring set of Guards. The set of new Guards leave Victoria Barracks and marches along Sheet Street and High Street at 10.45am, arriving at Windsor Castle shortly after.

The schedule can differ or change from the above, so make sure to check for updates.

The main ceremony takes place within the compounds of Windsor Castle so you need to have tickets in order to watch it in full. If the King is in residence, then the ceremony will take place at the Lower Ward outside St George’s Chapel. Otherwise, if he is in residence, then the ceremony will take place at the Quadrangle.

The ceremony should take around 30 minutes before the retiring set of Guards march back to Victoria Barracks.

Other things to do at Windsor and Eton

After spending around 2 hours at Windsor Castle, you can also spend some time doing the following.

The Long Walk

It’s actually not very long – the Long Walk is a 4-km / 2.5-mile straight avenue leading up to Windsor Castle, and is presently used as a public path for walking, running and cycling. It gives a good view of Windsor Castle, and some people also do picnics along the path in summer.

The Long Walk was also where the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II happened in 2022, as the whole world watched her coffin being led into Windsor Castle.

You can come here either just for a 15-minute photo stop of the walkway and castle, or walk the entire stretch in about 1 hour to reach the Statue of King George III and his Horse where you get panoramic views of the surroundings.

Crooked House

The Crooked House, also known as Market Cross House, was originally built in 1592 but was then demolished in 1687 to make way for its neighbouring Guildhall. Following that, a preservation society at that time protested against its demolition and insisted on its rebuilding. However, it was done with unseasoned green oak wood which subsequently buckled as it dried. Thus giving rise to the wonky but stable building it currently is.

It presently houses a tea house and wine bar.

Walk Peascod Street and Windsor Central

Peascod Street begins from right outside Windsor Castle and is lined on both sides with shops, cafes and restaurants. This street, together with the surrounding vicinity, is a great place to enjoy a meal or tea break. This is also a great place to do some shopping if you’d like to.

Walk along River Thames or take a boat tour

If you have more time, you can enjoy a short walk or even take a boat tour along River Thames. You can refer to the boat tours operated either by French Brothers or Windsor Duck Tours.

French Brothers operates a 40-minute tour along River Thames, heading upstream and inland for great views of Windsor Castle, the Windsor Racecourse as well as Eton.

On the other hand, Windsor Duck Tours operates 60-minute tours both on land and on the river in a single tour. You can have the option of having the tour on the river either 70% or 50% of the time, with the residual time on land.

Roam around Eton

Cross the Windsor Eton Bridge at the riverfront and you will find yourself straightaway in the small town of Eton. The Eton High Street forms the main spine of the town, with various shops and cafes on both sides that you can pop into. You can either explore the town freely on your own, or follow the Eton Walkway route, taking you through the key historical landmarks of the town. The Eton Walkway route measures 2 miles / 3.2 km on flat ground and so is an easy walk that can be completed in an hour.

To be honest, I found Eton to be quite an ordinary English town and wasn’t among the prettiest nor the most atmospheric towns I have visited in England. Therefore I think you can skip it if you are running short of time.

Join a guided tour of Eton College (summer only)

During the summer, Eton College organises heritage tours of the college, bringing you to the School Yard, the College Chapel and other parts of the college compounds. The tours last around 90 minutes and are released for booking during the spring. Be sure to check back at their website during the spring for more information and available slots.

As I have said above, Eton college is a prestigious college from which many UK Prime Ministers and royals have graduated from. And so a tour and an insight into the college may be of interest to you.

Visit the free Eton museums (Sunday afternoons only)

In case you are in Eton on a Sunday afternoon (1.30pm to 4pm), you can visit the 3 college musuems for free. The museums are the Museum of Eton Life, the Eton College Natural History Museum as well as the Eton Museum of Antiquities. In case you are wondering, yes it is possible to cover them all within a Sunday afternoon. They are also conveniently located in close distance to one another.

Museum of Eton Life

This is my favourite of the Eton museums. It gives insights into the life of a typical Eton College boy, both in the past as well as the present. It covers various aspects of school life such as discipline, uniforms, sports as well as their rooms.

Eton College Natural History Museum

The museum has an incredibly extensive collection of fossils, preserved animals and plants, all compacted into a 2-storey museum. I found the amount of information on exhibit to be quite overwhelming, but that is just my opinion. Especially when I haven’t been in touch much with biology for more than 25 years now. Still, you can always just browse and admire the huge collection of fossils they have.

Eton Museum of Antiquities

This is a museum featuring over 6,000 artefacts from the ancient world, particularly with ancient Egypt being one of its main highlights. It covers a huge range of geographical locations in very wide timeframes, so you can expect to see just about anything!

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

You will need an additional full day to visit the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort because of its size. There are altogether 55 different rides and shows organised into different themed areas, and they range from gentle ones to thrilling roller-coasters. If you are adventure-seeking, have children or a big fan of Lego, then this is surely something to consider.

What I did

Altogether, I have been to Windsor and Eton six times now. On all of those occasions, I have visited Windsor Castle with various family and friends (luckily for UK residents, we can convert our tickets into a 1-year ticket for unlimited visits during the year).

There weren’t too many dissimilarities between those six visits given that we followed the same plan for them all. And I was mainly bringing friends and family around and also catching up with them along the way. But out of those six visits, only one of them was on a Sunday afternoon. So I managed to sneak in the visit of Eton and its museums just once.

Therefore, a visit to Windsor and Eton will usually not deviate too much from the above. They are very small towns, particularly with Windsor Castle being the main must-see.

My thoughts on Windsor and Eton

I love exploring small towns on foot, and both Windsor and Eton allow me exactly to do that. And if you enjoy following the British Royal family and seeing for yourself the royal residence, State Apartments and the chapel where royal funerals and weddings take place, then this is one day trip that you should plan for. An added bonus is also touring Eton College during summer or on Sunday afternoons – a prestigious college that has seen numerous UK ministers and royals graduate from.