Windsor Castle, London, is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, one of the official residences of the Queen, and represents 900 years of British history.
How big is Windsor Castle?
Windsor Castle occupies 13 acres of land, with a floor area of approximately 52,609 square metres. This magnificent castle has around 1,000 rooms, and has been called home by 40 monarchs, including Her Majesty The Queen.
What to look out for at Windsor Castle
There’s so much to see at Windsor Castle, it’s hard to know where to begin! Here are some of our favourite attractions from the tour:
The State Apartments: Windsor Castle’s lavishly decorated State Apartments hold a large collection of fine art and paintings that are stunning to behold. If you visit between September and March, you’ll be able to explore the Semi-State Rooms, which were created for George VI and are now used by The Queen for official entertaining.
St George’s Chapel: In the grounds of Windsor Castle, you’ll find St. George’s Chapel, an active centre of worship, where Prince Edward was married and Henry VIII was laid to rest.
Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House: Another must-see attraction at Windsor Castle is Queen Mary’s world-famous Dolls’ House, complete with working lifts, water and electricity supply! It has its own library, full of original works by the top literary names of the day, as well as a beautiful garden and a wine cellar.
Changing the Guard: This spectacular ceremony begins as the Windsor Castle Guard line up outside the Guard Room, until a regimental band, corps of drums or pipe band heralds the entrance of the new Guard. This 45-minute ceremony is part of London’s patriotic culture and is the ultimate spectacle to witness when you visit Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle facts
- Windsor Castle was Queen Victoria’s main place of residence. After Prince Albert passed away, she was often referred to as ‘the Widow of Windsor’.
- During World War II, the Royal Family secretly slept in Windsor Castle. The public believed they were sleeping in Buckingham Palace during this time.
- There was a huge fire at Windsor Castle in November 1992, damaging more than 100 rooms. The restoration cost almost £40 million.
- The Windsor Castle estate has more than 450 clocks. It takes the clock maker 16 hours to move every clock forward when British Summer Time begins, and 18 hours to move them back again in the winter!
- The castle’s Great Kitchen is home to a whisk that can hold up to 250 eggs at a time, and the cellar holds around 18,000 bottles of wine.
- The clocks in the Great Kitchen are always 5 minutes fast, so that the Queen’s food is never served late.
Don’t forget to check out our Windsor Castle - Special Offers page, to enjoy even more savings and offers!
Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, is one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. The Castle's dramatic site encapsulates 900 years of British history. It covers an area of 26 acres and contains, as well as a royal palace, a magnificent chapel and the homes and workplaces of a large number of people.
What there is to see:
The magnificent State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest works of art from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and the famous triple portrait of Charles I by Sir Anthony van Dyck. In 1992 fire destroyed or damaged more than 100 rooms at the Castle. By good fortune the rooms worst affected were empty at the time, and as a result, few of the Castle's artistic treasures were destroyed. The highly acclaimed restoration work, completed in 1997, is a testament to the extraordinary skills of some of the finest craftsmen in Europe. From October to March visitors can also enjoy George IV's private apartments (the Semi-State Rooms), among the most richly decorated interiors in the Castle.
St George's Chapel is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. It is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter, the senior order of British Chivalry established in 1348 by Edward III. Within the chapel are the tombs of ten sovereigns, including Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour, and Charles I. Among the highlights of a visit to Windsor is Queen Mary's Dolls' House, the most famous dolls' house in the world.
Photographer Credits:
Image 1: Photographer: Mark Fiennes, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Image 2: Photographer: Dennis Gilbert, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Image 3: Photographer: Ian Jones, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Image 4: Photographer: John Freeman, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Opening Hours:
| Mar - Oct |
09.30 - 17:15 (last entry 16.00) |
| Nov - Feb |
09.45 - 16.15 (last entry 15.00) |
| Closed: |
5 May Last admission 15:00, closes 16:30. 19 Jun, 25 - 26 Dec
|
State Apartments closed: NA
As a working royal palace, the Castle is used frequently by The Queen for State ceremonies and official entertaining, and closures can occasionally occur at short notice. Please check opening arrangements by visiting this website or telephoning the Ticket Sales and Information Office on +44 (0)20 7766 7304.
Multimedia tours, Precincts Tours and guidebooks
Tours of Windsor Castle and St George's Chapel are self-guided. A multimedia tour, which lasts approximately 2 hours is included in the ticket price. A family multimedia tour and family activity trails are also available in English. The multimedia tour and Official Guidebook are available in the following languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese & Russian. Guided tours of the Castle Precincts are available at regular intervals throughout the day. Precinct tours last approximately 30 minutes and depart from the Courtyard. The tours are included in the ticket price.
Changing of the Guard
Changing the Guard takes place at 11.00 daily from April until the end of July and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting. Changing of the Guard does not take place on Sundays.
The schedule is set by the British Army and we advise visitors to check the Army website before visiting: http://www.householddivision.org.uk/changing-the-guard-calendar
Print at Home
Unless stipulated in the booking process all bookings require customers to print their voucher off in order to be exchanged for entry to the attraction or tour. We cannot guarantee entry without a printed voucher and will not be able to cancel or refund customers who do not print the vouchers and therefore can't gain access to the venue or tour.
If you cannot print your voucher off for any reason please contact us 24 hours before arriving at the venue.
Cancellations
Please note that all vouchers and tickets sold by 365 Tickets Limited are non-refundable due to restrictions imposed by our individual suppliers, for full terms and conditions please click here.
Amendments
To request an amendment to your booking please contact 365Tickets for support.
Amendments to the date, the time and/or the number of tickets are permitted at the discretion of 365 Tickets Limited but subject to the terms and conditions of our individual suppliers and surcharges for amendments made may apply.
Sharon T
26 August 2017
Great visit
Jeremy P
19 August 2017
Awesome day out, plenty to see and do at a place steeped in history.
Kannika A
25 July 2017
Really worth money. Quick responses. Easy to book
Jan D
17 July 2017
Absolutely brilliant. Well worth a visit for any age.
ORLANDO O
13 July 2017
Great tour. Excellent value for money. Thanks a lot.
Katalina W
12 June 2017
Easy to use website. Received tickets via email in 2 minutes.
Lisa W
4 June 2017
Excellent day out. Castle and rooms are stunning.
Isabella M
30 April 2017
Every time a most enjoyable day
Lijie F
13 April 2017
it was good.
Brenda Y
10 March 2017
I travelled to Windsor by train - thankfully, it was a very smooth journey. The train station, Windsor and Eton Riverside is only a short work to Queen Victoria statue. There were a number of staff on the street to ask directions. My friend and I went in when the gates opened at 9.45. Staff were very friendly and helpful, greeting us and directing us through the gardens into the royal apartments. Inside was grand (as a palace should be!), and when we had any questions, staff were on hand to explain things to us. There were lots of paintings and descriptions about them, plus very ornate furniture - how the other half live! Afterwards we went to the Chapel, very nice and respectful considering that this is also a burial site. We saw the resting places of the Queens family and those of kings and queens in history. My friend and I were there in time for the communion service, which we attended...it was lovely spend a few moments in though to pray in the chapel. We spent about 4 hours in the grounds and castle, it wasn't crowded this time of year (early March) which was pleasant for me as a visitor. I didn't visit many shops, just a few. There were the tacky tourist shops around as well as the up-market shops like L'Occitane, Hotter, White Stuff (to name a few), but I didn't buy anything. My friend and I had coffee and cake before departing. I had a wonderful day out.
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