a Perfect Day Trip to Windsor from London
When it comes to day trips from London, Windsor is one of our favorites. Windsor is just 25 minutes outside of London and offers plenty to do. If you are wondering what you can experience on a day trip to Windsor, we’ve got great ideas.
What to do on a Day Trip to Windsor
Windsor, England, is a charming town known for its iconic Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world.
Visitors can explore the castle, stroll along the Long Walk, and enjoy the picturesque streets lined with traditional pubs and shops.
Guests can also take a bus tour to explore the greater area and see other important landmarks tied to the Royal Family.
These are the most popular things to do & see in Windsor:
Tour Windsor Castle
One of the most popular things to do in Windsor is to tour Windsor Castle, the official residence of His Majesty, King Charles.
You can book a private tour of Windsor Castle or you can tour it on your own.
The tour gives you the chance to see the State Apartments, which contain the Queen’s Gallery and dining hall.
These feature the works of Rubens, Holbein, and other prominent artists.
St. George’s Chapel is stunning, and you may remember it from the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan.
Within the Chapel are the tombs of 11 monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II, George VI, Henry VIII and Charles I.
Note: You can take photographs outside the Castle, but not inside the Castle or within St. George’s Chapel.
Windsor Great Park
If the weather permits, you should spend some time at Windsor Great Park.
As part of the Royal Estate, visitors are free to enjoy seeing historical monuments, the National Collection of plants and Champion Trees, and plenty of deer that inhabit the lush forest.
This is where you will also find the Long Walk, which King Charles II created in 1682-85.
This tree-lined avenue stretches almost 2.5 miles down from the Great Park to Windsor Castle.
Take a Bus Tour of Windsor
A great way to see many sites when you are short of time in Windsor is by taking a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
During the tour, you can see many different sites in the greater Windsor area without having to walk or drive.
Along the way, you can listen to a guide explain the historical significance of the different landmarks.
Visit the Museum inside Windsor Guildhall
This is the town hall of the town of Windsor, where Charles and Camilla were married.
It also contains the Windsor and Royal Borough Museum, where you will find artifacts from local excavations, such as a 100,000-year-old Mammoth tusk.
Go to See Eton College
Eton College was founded in 1440 by Henry VI as “Kynge’s College,” where young men could go and gain knowledge.
Today, it is a boarding school for boys aged 13-18.
Many notable individuals attended Eton, including both Prince William and Prince Harry.
Depending on the time of year, you can take tours or just enjoy seeing it from the outside.
Check out the Royal Windsor Racecourse
You might not have time to see a horse race while in Windsor, but if you do, this is the place to go.
With a history that spans 700 years, this racecourse was once where Kings would have jousting competitions.
Today, it is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the UK.
Use this calendar to see what’s going on at the Royal Windsor Racetrack throughout the year.
Visit the Royal Dairy Farm & Shop for a treat
The shop opened in 2001 as a place to sell locally sourced goods and produce from the Royal Estates.
If you take the hop-on, hop-off bus, there is a stop here which gives you the chance to grab lunch, tea, or a special royal treat!
Check out the menu for the Royal Dairy Coffee Shop.
Do some Souvenir Shopping
If you are looking to do a little shopping in Windsor, you will find a ton of souvenirs to take home with you!
Nearby the castle, you will find all sorts of different shops selling everything from cashmere to plush corgies.
Purchase the London Pass to Save Money!
One thing I would suggest you purchase before you spend 4 days in London is the London Pass.
The London Pass is an all-inclusive sightseeing card, that gets you free entry to many of the most popular must-do experiences in London and its surrounding area.
Not only does it give you free entry into popular London attractions, but it also allows you to skip lines.
Visiting Windsor on the London Pass
The London Pass is great for many reasons, but one of the most valuable is that it gets you free entry to many of London’s most popular attractions.
If you have the London Pass, you will not only get free entry to Windsor Castle, but also a self-guided audio tour (which lasts approx. 2 hours).
Those on a day trip from London to Windsor can also get free transportation from London to Windsor via train at Paddington Station if they have the London Pass.
Board a train for Slough and change at Slough for a train to Windsor & Eton Central.
All you will need to do is show your London Pass to the ticket controller at the ticket barrier at London Paddington and they will let you through.
A trip to Windsor Castle should take you around 2-3 hours. That leaves you plenty of time for other things in the city.
How to Get to Windsor from London
The town of Windsor is about 22 miles outside of London, which makes it an easy day trip. You can get to Windsor from London in two different ways, by train or by car.
London to Windsor Train
If you wish to take the train, you can expect the ride to be less than one hour.
Getting from London to Windsor by train is easy. These run regularly from Paddington Station & Waterloo.
The walk from the train station to the castle is only about 10 minutes.
Driving to Windsor from London
While the easiest way to get from London to Windsor is by train, you can also take a private car from London or drive if you have rented a car.
If you do drive in with your own vehicle, just be sure to use a car park. You will save a ton of money!
If you are driving to Windsor from London, take the M4, Exit at Junction 6 for Windsor, then Junction 8/9 for Maidenhead.
Follow the signs to the long-term parking.
The walk to the castle from there will be about 15-20 minutes. Use this map of Windsor as a guide to know where all the important landmarks can be fount.
With so many things to do in Windsor, it’s a great idea for a day trip from London.
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