Planning Information for Having a Wonderful Day Out at Windsor Castle

The Windsor castle’s strategic location which initially was the bailey and moat castle with its three wards spread around the central location and overlooking the Thames was well-used for Norman dominance. In time the walls were fortified with stone and could withstand the 13^th century First Barons' War long siege! It was Henry the third who built the lavish palace within, and this was ably converted by Edward III into the treasure of England’s Middle Ages building project. Right through the Tudor period the Windsor Castle was used as a royal court and to entertain and foster diplomatic relations by Henry VIII and later by Elizabeth I. Till date it is listed as among the Queen’s royal residences and is described as a working palace. Spread over 26 acres in Berkshire near London, the Windsor Castle has the royal palace, the surrounding Great Windsor Park and the St. Gregory’s Chapel forming part of the royal residence’s heritage and attractions. The castle is huge and dominates Windsor with its typical castle battlements and towers. Though it suffered a fire-mishap in 1992, the damage was restored by Europe’s finest craftsmen which stands testament to the modern-day skills and conservation measures undertaken to keep Windsor Castle as an English icon for posterity.

The Windsor Castle is the location for several attractions that are unique to it and are never to be missed.

The ceremony is to be viewed from inside the castle grounds. The highlight of the day at the Windsor Castle is the change of the Royal Guards and is an elaborate ceremony accompanied by a band. The Guards march from High Street and into the Windsor Castle to replace the guards who finish their watch duties. The change takes place at 11 am daily in summer and on alternate days weather permitting and takes half-an-hour except on Sundays. Do check if the event is scheduled and book your tickets for this special show online. The views of the Thames, nearby Eton and the countryside along with exploring the inner grounds, the towers, and its fortifications provides some superb views of the scenic countryside and gives you a feel of the history and culture of the place and its royal residents.

The exhibition at the Castle include books, photos, drawings, memorabilia and artworks from the castle’s Royal Library. You get to personally see and feel the ambiance of royal life in the palace of the Windsor Castle.

The chapel in Gothic style was the brainchild of Edward IV and lasted nearly 50 years from 1475 to be completed in the Henry VIII days of rule. It is also the resting place of the medieval kings like Henry VIII, Charles I and Jane Seymour. The medieval Chapel is home to the Ceremony of the Garter where annually the Knights of the Garter handpicked by the Queen herself attend the1348 started the Garter Order by Edward III.

This section of the palace has a 1:12 scaled doll-house which took three years of intricate detailing and painstaking work to complete under orders from Marie Louise, the Princess and Queen’s cousin. Queen Mary was extremely fond of miniatures, and hence she presented this as a gift to the queen. This doll-house is a working model complete with miniature working lifts, furniture, toys, and more.

Added on the 19^th-century to the Windsor Castle, these lavish and ornate rooms are formal and used for state and official functions even today! Art pieces from master artists like Leonardo da-Vinci, Van Dyck, Canaletto, and Rembrandt adorn the walls of the well-decorated rooms with gilded ceilings, carved woodwork, and chandeliers. Prince Hal’s heritage golden armor, a large collection of lances, shield and armory artifacts, the most exquisite tapestries, sculpture, and fine bone-porcelain can also be seen displayed here.

The official address of the Windsor Castle in Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1NJ. It is best to visit the Windsor Castle in the afternoons or after 11 am to avoid the rush at the entrance. You can book your tickets in advance and online. The prices of tickets at the Windsor Castle are £22.50 for adults, £20.30 for the elderly above 60 and students with valid documentation, and £13.00 for the differently-abled and under seventeen. Children are allowed to accompany their parents completely free of charge.

The family package costing £58.00 allows a family of three children under 17 and 2 adults castle entry. If you are visiting as a group of 15 or more, they have a special discount for you too! If the State Apartments are open, then the fee is £20.20 for adults, £18.30 for the elderly above 60 and students with valid documentation, and £11.70 for the differently-abled and under seventeen. When the State Apartments are closed, the respective fees are £11.10 for adults, £10.00 for the elderly above 60 and students with valid documentation, and £6.50 for the differently-abled and under seventeen. In both packages for groups, children below five are permitted free entry. The Blue Badge Guides and Trainee-Blue Badge Guides for groups are authorized free entry with valid documentation while other guides need to be counted as a group member.

The Windsor Castle is open-From March- October: Everyday from 09:45 am to 5:15 pm with admissions closing at 4 pm.From November- February: Everyday from 09:45 am to 4:15 pm with admissions closing at 3 pm.

The Windsor Castle offers clean toilets, baby-care facilities, Windsor shops with a number of bars, restaurants selling cold drinks, ice creams, and snacks. If you need to eat outside and re-enter the castle get your tickets stamped before exiting. Always double check your information regarding schedules, prices, working days and hours, etc since the castle is a working palace and can be closed on short notice for official duties. It is an excellent idea to buy the tickets for trains, buses, trams, Tube, etc and be punctual or early for the last trips.

The Windsor Castle can be reached by driving to it or through the buses and Tube which are popular means of public transport.
If traveling by road The 22 miles from London can be easy to navigate if using the GPS map using the code SL4 1NJ. You can use the Motorway M4 to Windsor and use the exit to Windsor and Slough or Junction #6. The car parks are 5 to 10 minutes away and need precision parking to avoid fines.

If traveling by Train Use the London Paddington station or the London Waterloo station to get a train to the Windsor Riverside Station. The journey takes just under an hour between the two stations.

If traveling by Coach or local buses From the #5 Terminal of Heathrow, there are frequent buses on route number #77 which can be used for the 35-minute trip. The Green Line runs daily coaches frequently from Central London’s Victoria Coach Station while the National Express routes also cover Heathrow Airport and Reading stations. Bus travel is safe, economical and great value for tourists who also get to see the scenic countryside.

You must try the newly opened The Langley in the third Duke of Marlborough’s former estate in Buckinghamshire. Perhaps you could rub shoulders with the royalty and the aristocrats at the Bray villages Monkey Island Estate beside the Thames. Too expensive for you? Don’t worry! Some of the affordable and recommended hotels at Windsor Castle and the nearby Maidenhead are Heathrow Windsor Marriot, Sir Christopher Wren Hotel and Spa, Alma House, The Oakley Court, The Runnymede on the Thames, Sheephouse Manor Cottages, Bray Cottages, Stoke Park, Accommodation Windsor Ltd, Cliveden, Legoland Castle Hotel or Macdonald Windsor Hotel and plenty more. You also get a wide choice for bed and breakfast stays, camping, self-catering, caravans, touring and holiday parks types of accommodations. Live royal and go for the boutique and luxury places, or choose a pet-friendly, wheelchair accessible, conference type, or with concierge services accommodation near Windsor Castle depending on your choice and budget.

The English love their breakfast and their globally popular breakfast menu and choice of tea, known as the English Breakfast, which is available at a variety of restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes, and coffee shops close to the Windsor Castle. And yes, do not forget they love the stew and their take on Indian curries! You can find the fast-food chains, an assortment of Italian, Chinese, Indian, Moroccan, Mexican cantinas and American diners, and the burgers and pizza options near the castle. The Dining and daytime food options are best on the Thames Street, Peascod Street, just below the Royal Windsor Station, the just opposite High Street, St Leonards Road, and Eton High Street, and under the arches of Royal Windsor Station.

Just finished the visit to the Windsor Castle? Discover the classical English countryside, the banks of Thames River for free or take in some globally known pastimes at Maidenhead and Windsor. Remember that you need to check in advance that the castle is not closed for visitors since the castle is a working palace and could be closed for special and private events of the Queen who resides in the castle over the best weekends. You can also view the iconic Royal Burrough and the Windsor Castle when you take the water route as the Thames meanders between the Runnymede and Hurley for close to 20 miles!

Catch up with a little water activity near Windsor Castle? Do a kayaking tour with London Kayak Tours, a Windsor Duck Tours, a fun motorboat ride with operators like Kris Cruisers, French Brothers Boats, Hobbs of Henley, and Private Boat Hire Ltd, or perhaps hire a boat from John Logie and discover the serene villages on the banks. If you love the museums and history, the Cookham- based Stanley Spencer Gallery does not disappoint tourists. Also, visit the Windsor and the Royal Borough Museum and the Windsor Guildhall where Camilla Bowles and Prince Charles and also David Furnish and Sir Elton John took their vows.

If you have the time after the Windsor Castle visit, discover the Eton College Natural History Museum and its Kakapo, the Maidenhead Heritage Centre’s spitfire simulator, or the Motion Simulation Room’s race-cars. The walking tours, the Original Tour Windsor open-top bus tour, or a horse carriage ride from the Ascot Carriages and Windsor Carriages are guided tours in the Windsor Park and on the Long Walk designed to help you learn and see more. If you love theatre and plays, then visit the Theatre Royal Windsor or enjoy live music, stand-up comedy, or the cinemas at the art centers in the Windsor Old Court or the Maidenhead Norden Farm.

If you are traveling with the family and kids then a visit to the Legoland Windsor Resort, the Royal Windsor Horse Show festival, Go Ape treetop adventures, for fun-seeking families, the forest segway and the Swinley Forest are places they would love to spend some time at. Go ahead and check out the Royal Windsor Racecourse and Ascot Racecourse especially in June and on Monday nights when the royals visit the venue for evening meetings.

Among the best places to dabble with nature and the outdoors near the Windsor Castle are the huge Windsor Great Park, Savill Garden, National Trust Cliveden and the historical houses like Frogmore House and Dorney Court. Peek in at the Wentworth golf courses, Bray Lake’s sailing, and windsurfing or the falcon racing events at the Windsor Castle.

During the summers and especially the month of August royal residences like the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace open from July, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince of Wales royal residence Clarence House, and the Kew Palace which is closed for winter are all open to visitors since the royal occupants are generally holidaying. The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a not to be missed highlight that occurs daily between April to July, and only on alternate days for the rest of the year depending on the weather. In June you get the chance to wish the Queen a happy birthday during the Trooping, the Colour bash or the Queen’s Parade, take in the races with the royals at the Royal Ascot and shop till you drop at the Harrod’s Summer Sale. If you are a bargains shopper perhaps the after Christmas season is best for you because the rates of hotels, shopping prices, flight bookings, and the tourist crowds all strike a low. Try Kate Middleton-made-famous Bicester Village for bargain shopping if you love the discounts and lower-priced shopping. The winter months of January and February are damp, chill and also great for the theatre bookings like the Get Into London Theatre and West End shows. However, if you like the comedy shows, smaller theatre events, and such wait till the new season starts in Spring’s September.

London is great for the kids below 11 who get to travel free on the Tube and the buses. The kid’s activities and family shows are at a premium for their freebies and vacation occupying crowded family-friendly attractions in summer, during Easter and Christmas school holidays, and the mid-term breaks in October, May, and February. The London museums and galleries like the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, London Transport Museum and more are un-crowded just ahead of January and the quiet February. Most of them also offer a once-in-a-week late hours session for the working crowd to admire the artifacts.

The Windsor Castle is one of the best-known landmarks and the pride of the Royal Burroughs where the Queen retreats to her favorite weekend home. By air, you arrive at the Heathrow Airport of London and can travel on to visit the Windsor Castle crown jewel by bus, train or public transportation. Here are the best tips and all the information you may need to leverage your time and holiday to the maximum. We hope you will enjoy the visit to Windsor Castle and wish you a brief adieu as this place is bound to leave you in glee and amazement.