Summary of Best Activities in Windsor
The name “Windsor” is synonymous with the British Royal Family, representing the current Royal House on the throne.
Windsor Castle has hosted thirty-nine monarchs since its establishment as a royal palace by Henry I over 900 years ago.
Engage in an audio tour of this historic castle, narrated by Prince Charles himself, and visit St George’s Chapel, the site of numerous royal weddings, funerals, and the tombs of globally renowned monarchs.
Windsor Great Park, a vast former hunting ground, features the requisite Long Walk, providing stunning views of the castle.
Additionally, the Thames River, bordered by picturesque water meadows, offers its own charm. There are museums, landmarks, and cultural institutions to engage visitors in the market town.
Let us delve into the most noteworthy attractions in Windsor:
1. Windsor Castle
As the longest inhabited palace in Europe, Windsor Castle has been a residence for the English and British Royal Family since Henry I’s era in the early 12th century.
Spanning 13 acres, it is also recognized as the largest inhabited castle globally, with approximately 500 residents working and living within its grounds.
It is highly likely that the Queen will be in residence at the time of your visit, indicated by the presence of the Royal Standard flag.
While the scale can be overwhelming, certain sights and experiences deserve priority.
The State Apartments have served 39 monarchs and are adorned in Baroque style designed by Charles II, intended to compete with the grandeur of Versailles.
Remarkable artworks by masters such as Rubens, Rembrandt, and Canaletto can be found within these walls.
The Semi-State Rooms dating from George IV’s reign host official receptions for the Queen and were restored following a fire incident in 1992.
2. St George’s Chapel
Access to Windsor Castle tickets includes entry to St George’s Chapel, a paragon of English Gothic architecture enriched with centuries of royal heritage.
Commissioned by King Edward III in the 14th century and expanded in the subsequent century, it features remarkable fan vaulting in the choir from that era, along with iron gates wrought by the 15th-century metalsmith John Tresilian.
St George’s Chapel has witnessed numerous royal funerals, and the tombs of notable figures including Henry VIII, Edward IV, George III, Charles I, and the Queen Mother are interred within its premises.
Since 1863, a succession of Royal Weddings, commencing with the future King Edward VII, have been celebrated at St George’s Chapel, notably including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ceremony in 2018.
3. Windsor Great Park
Positioned southward of Windsor Castle, the Long Walk is a straight 2.65-mile pathway lined with trees which leads into the expansive 5,000-acre Windsor Great Park.
Historically, this area served as the private hunting grounds for Windsor Castle since the mid-13th century, and a sizable herd of semi-wild deer can still be found at the northern end of the park.
At the southern terminus of the Long Walk sits Snow Hill, capped by a copper statue of King George III dressed in Roman attire, providing a breathtaking view back towards the castle.
While it is virtually impossible to see all of Windsor Great Park, visitors can navigate through by car to witness the stunning floral displays in the Valley Gardens and the man-made waterfall at Virginia Water Lake.
4. Savill Garden
Located within Windsor Great Park, Savill Garden was cultivated in the 1930s by Sir Eric Savill and opened to the public in 1951. A nominal entrance fee is charged, with plentiful attractions including trees planted by members of the royal family, a New Zealand-themed garden, and the Queen Elizabeth Temperate House.
The Queen inaugurated a contemporary rose garden in 2010 which can be appreciated from an elevated walkway.
The newly constructed Savill Building (2006) serves as a modern visitor center featuring a restaurant, shop, garden center, seminar area, all boasting superb views over the gardens from its elevated terrace.
5. Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal (1910) represents Britain’s only unsubsidized producing theatre operational year-round, distinguished by its elegant Edwardian design and extensive repertoire.
Strategically located between the castle and the Thames, the venue hosts musicals, critically acclaimed plays, dance performances, comedy acts, touring bands, children’s shows, and cover bands.
Bill Kenwright, a well-respected producer from the West End, directs the theater. During the festive season, it presents an annual traditional pantomime recognized as one of the finest in the UK.
6. Guildhall
The ceremonious English Baroque town hall of Windsor was completed in 1689. Following the death of the original architect, the project was taken over by Sir Christopher Wren, who had his roots in Windsor.
Above the arcade on the east side, there is a memorial statue of Prince George of Denmark, Queen Anne’s husband, added in 1713 five years posthumously.
The Guildhall is authorized to conduct weddings, having hosted one of the UK’s first same-sex civil partnership ceremonies between Elton John and David Furnish in December 2005, alongside the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles earlier that year.
7. Windsor and Royal Borough Museum
This small yet captivating museum was established within the Guildhall in 2011, showcasing archaeological and natural history exhibits discovered across east Berkshire.
Noteworthy artifacts include a mammoth’s tusk dating back 100,000 years, prehistoric tools, and items from the Bronze Age, Roman periods, and Anglo-Saxon times.
The museum houses figurines, paintings, busts, military honors, and daily utensils linked to Windsor and the Thames from the early 19th century to the present.
8. River Thames
Prior to the 1800s, the Thames served as a principal transportation route for English monarchs traveling between Windsor Castle and other royal sites like Westminster, Hampton Court, the Tower of London, and Greenwich Palace.
Therefore, spending time on the river is highly appropriate, particularly on sunny days.
Windsor Borough boasts 20 miles of Thames riverside, where visitors can opt for a cruise with French Brothers Boats, hire a motorboat or rowboat with John Logie, or join a guided kayaking excursion with London Kayak Tours.
The ever-popular Windsor Duck Tours offers a sightseeing adventure aboard an amphibious vehicle transitioning between road and river landscapes.
Alternatively, you may prefer staying on land, enjoying the National Trail by heading southeast to Runnymede or west towards the Brocas Meadows leading to Dorney Lake, the location of the 2012 Olympic rowing and canoe sprint events.
9. St John the Baptist Church
Located on the high street, St John the Baptist Church occupies a site where a place of worship has existed since the reign of Henry II in the latter half of the 12th century.
The original Norman structure was demolished in the 1810s due to costly repairs, leading to the consecration of the new church in 1822. Many memorials from the original edifice were relocated to the new church, including 16th and 17th-century stones commemorating a mason, a mayor, and a guardsman on the nave’s west and south walls.
In the West Gallery, a Baroque painting of the Last Supper, a national treasure of unknown authorship, may potentially be attributed to the German artist Francis Cleyn who bequeathed it to this church after being housed at St George’s Chapel for over a century.
10. Runnymede
This water meadow, positioned three miles southeast of Windsor, is historically significant as the site where King John affixed his seal to the Magna Carta in 1215. This document laid the groundwork for the English parliament and represented an early stride toward legal freedoms, ensuring protections against arbitrary detention, limiting tax obligations to the crown, and safeguarding ecclesiastical rights.
The importance of this location is commemorated with monuments in the meadow and on Cooper’s Hill to the west.
Ceremonial tree plantings, an Air Force memorial, a monument dedicated to John F. Kennedy, and the Magna Carta Memorial, erected by the American Bar Association and unveiled in 1957, honor this site. The National Trust maintains two walking trails through scenic pastures, wildflower meadows, and ancient woodlands.
11. Eton College Natural History Museum
Crossing the Thames, one arrives at the high street of Eton, Windsor’s twin town.
Eton is synonymous with Eton College, a prestigious independent boarding school established in 1440, producing a notable alumni roster that includes David Cameron, one of 19 Old Etonians to have served as prime minister.
On Sunday afternoons, Eton College opens its Natural History Museum, inaugurated in 1875, featuring a captivating collection of specimens including bird eggs, fossils, and insects, as well as various scientific artifacts displayed in glass cases.
The museum houses a rare page from Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species, alongside items associated with Old Etonian Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist who voyaged with Captain James Cook during the First Voyage of Discovery.
12. Fudge Kitchen
Situated on Thames Street in Windsor, visitors may find the charming Fudge Kitchen shopfront quite appealing.
This establishment produces fudge on-site in a variety of flavors ranging from salted caramel to maple walnut.
Beyond the quaint shop area is a larger fudge-making facility, where patrons can observe the fudge-making process and engage with the knowledgeable staff.
The Fudge Kitchen also offers immersive fudge-making experiences, allowing participants to sample diverse flavors, delve into the history of fudge, and even create their own batch to take home.
13. Legoland Windsor
Ranked among the top ten most-visited theme parks in Europe, Legoland is themed around the globally recognized Lego toy system.
This park offers a full day of entertainment for children ages 3 to 12, featuring rides, shows, attractions, and shops divided among 12 themed “lands.” For instance, Miniland showcases a miniature park with monuments such as St Paul’s Cathedral at a 1:20 scale, utilizing a total of 40 million bricks.
Duplo Valley caters specifically to younger children, while Lego City provides interactive experiences where children can operate a Lego fire engine and navigate their own vehicles at the City Driving School.
14. National Trust Cliveden
Traffic conditions allowing, this princely estate lies about 15 minutes northwest of Windsor and ranks among the National Trust’s most frequented sites.
After the former house was destroyed by fire in 1795, the current Cliveden House emerged as a three-story Italianate mansion with an exquisite terrace pavilion, balustraded staircases, and a formal parterre.
Designed by Charles Barry, notable for his reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), Cliveden House operates as a luxurious country house hotel but is also accessible for 30-minute guided tours showcasing its ornate decor while recounting stories of illustrious guests such as Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin.
The estate features five formal gardens, an expansive yew tree maze, and extensive woodlands for exploration.
15. Royal Windsor Horse Show
Located in the Home Park, the Royal Windsor Horse Show is recognized as the largest outdoor equestrian event in the UK, held across five days in early to mid-May.
This event features international competitions across three disciplines: show jumping, dressage, and carriage driving, alongside “National Showing” and a two-star endurance event.
It holds a special place in the Queen’s affections, as it aligns with her birthday celebrations.
The event schedule features military cavalry and horse artillery demonstrations, as well as the Shetland Pony Grand National, a thrilling jump race featuring child jockeys every afternoon in the arena.
A variety of equestrian-oriented companies and high-end clothing and accessories brands also establish stalls during this event.
