Visiting Windsor Castle England: A Guide for First-time Visitors

At the outset, a tip: it is advisable to book your tickets in advance (£32) for visiting Windsor Castle, Berkshire and be there early, close to the opening time of 10 a.m. There are really long queues, often snaking round the block! The Windsor Castle is a working royal palace which is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (check the official website to confirm, as it mentioned it would be open on Tuesday 22 and 29 December this year).

The advantage of being there early, other than avoiding long queues, is to be present to see the Changing of the Guards ceremony, which is generally just before 11 a.m. This takes place in the open ground, and you can take photographs here and anywhere outside the castle. Photography and filming within the castle with any device (including drones and wearable devices) is strictly prohibited.

Changing of the Guards Ceremony

Travelling to Windsor Castle

You can travel by car or board a bus or train. Information on the bus routes and nearest stations are available on the official site. We travelled from Slough with a 30-minute bus ride to the Windsor town's centre. If you travel by car, note that there are no parking facilities. You can use the parking spaces in the town.

Where to go first

It is suggested to visit the Queen Mary's doll's house as there is a queue there also, with staff sensibly controlling the number of persons who could go in at a time. The doll's house is impressive, as the books, crockery etc are all authentic made to size and by the renowned artists and manufacturers of that time. You cannot touch it, of course! 

Rooms inside the Castle

There are a number of large rooms to see during the castle tour. There are State Apartments which include ceremonial rooms and historic rooms, including the throne room, grand reception rooms, the dining room, etc. There are beautiful ornate ceilings and lots of artwork and stained-glass windows. The rooms are a bit gloomy and hence require lighting even during the daytime. The good thing was that there is seating inside the State apartments so you can take breaks in-between.

The Castle Grounds

View of the Castle

Coming back outside, you can see the St. George's Chapel within the castle grounds. Here, too, you can take photos from outside only. 

St. George's Chapel

On the east side of the castle is the Venus Garden, which we did not visit as were unsure of any seating areas to rest in that vast space.

Windsor Town

There are quite a few pubs, cafes and shops in the town centre. A good place to visit are the charity shops, where you can happily browse through (and buy if you so wish!) books, ceramic crockery, cutlery etc and clothes which is the major product for sale in these shops.

Travel tips:

• As mentioned at the start, try to arrive early to avoid the rush of visitors and long queues
• Advance booking of tickets is cheaper than on-site booking
• The ticket includes a complimentary multimedia audio guide. It is advisable to check it is working before you go in
• It is advisable to use public transport as parking facilities are not available and it would be some distance from the public parking car parking space in the town
• Wear comfortable footwear as the tour involves a lot of walking, and a cap for outdoors (an umbrella, too, if required)
• The approach path to the castle is up a steep hill
• Pets are not allowed (guide, assistance animals are permitted)
• Wear comfortable clothing as applicable to the weather, such as a puffer jacket is most useful when there are strong, cold winds
• Eating and drinking is not permitted within the State rooms and St. George's Chapel (bottled water is allowed). You can refill your bottle of water at the drinking fountain outdoors on exiting the security hall
• There is an on-site cafe serving sandwiches, soups, salads, tea, coffee, and more
• Washrooms and baby-care facilities are located after the Security Hall, on the North Terrace and adjacent to the cafe

For more information visit the official website: https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle