Our verdict
Best overall
From London: Windsor Castle Half-Day Tour
Castle entry, the multimedia guide and your choice of coach or train transfers for about £57. 4.5★ from 6,100+ reviews — the most-booked Windsor tour from London. Free cancellation up to 14 days before.
4.5★ · 6,142from £57 Headout →
Best value
Windsor Castle Admission Ticket
The official-price ticket (about £32) rated 4.7★ by 8,200+ visitors. Add a train return from about £17 and you’ve done Windsor for around £49, on your own schedule.
4.7★ · 8,236from £32 GetYourGuide →
Best private option
Blue Badge driver-guide, half day
From £530 for the group under the Guild’s 2026–27 rates — a licensed guide who also drives. Ask whether they can guide inside the castle. Worth it for three, or for Windsor plus Hampton Court in one go.
Skip it if
Your only free day is a Tuesday or Wednesday
Windsor Castle is closed to visitors on both, apart from two Tuesdays at Christmas. If a combo tour runs on those days, check whether “Windsor” means the castle or just the town.
Do you need a tour to visit Windsor Castle from London?
Most people don’t. Windsor Castle tours from London mainly sell convenience: Windsor is about 30 minutes from Paddington with a change at Slough, or 56 minutes direct from Waterloo, and the castle is a short walk from either station. Where tours earn their keep is in combinations — Windsor with Stonehenge, Oxford or Hampton Court — that would be awkward to string together by train.
| Option | Length | From (pp) | Rating | Included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Castle half-day tour | Half day | ~£57 | 4.5★ (6,100+) | Entry, multimedia guide, coach or train | Everything booked in one go |
| Windsor Castle with transport | 5.5 h | ~£39 | 4.2★ (1,000+) | Transport; check entry | Cheapest coach |
| Royal afternoon sightseeing tour | 5.5–6 h | ~£69 | 4.3★ (300+) | Tickets, transport | An afternoon slot |
| Windsor & Hampton Court Palace | 7–9 h | ~£89 | 4.6★ (150+) | Guide | Two royal palaces |
| Stonehenge & Windsor | 9.5 h+ | ~£69 | 4.5★ (380+) | Coach; check Windsor entry | Royal + prehistoric |
| Admission ticket only | You choose | ~£32 | 4.7★ (8,200+) | Entry | Going by train |
Prices are today’s “from” prices in our partner feed, per person. The castle ticket on the platform costs the same as booking with the Royal Collection Trust direct (£32 for an adult in advance).
Windsor Castle tours and tickets you can book now
Windsor Castle Admission Ticket
from £32
See on GetYourGuide
From London: Windsor Castle Half-Day Tour
from £57per person
See on Headout
Windsor Castle: Entry Ticket
from £32
See on Tiqets
From London: Windsor Castle with Transport
from £39
See on GetYourGuide
From London: Stonehenge & Windsor Tour
from £69
See on GetYourGuide
From London: Windsor Castle Royal Afternoon Sightseeing Tour
from £69
See on GetYourGuide
London: Windsor Castle & Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace
from £89
See on GetYourGuidePrices and ratings checked 21 Oct 2026; they change daily.
Windsor: tour vs train vs private driver
| Option | £ per person | Time on the road | Time at the castle | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-day tour with entry | ~£57 | Coach or train, there and back | Set by the tour | Low |
| Train + advance ticket | ~£49 (return ~£17–£18 + £32 ticket) | ~30 min from Paddington or ~56 min from Waterloo, each way | As long as you like, until closing | High |
| Blue Badge driver-guide, half day | from £530 per group + tickets | Door to door | Your call, with a guide | Total |
The train fares are the lowest returns National Rail’s planner showed for a Thursday morning in early November: about £16.60 from Paddington via Slough and £17.80 direct from Waterloo, both priced on contactless pay-as-you-go. The driver-guide rate is the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides’ 2026–27 starting fee; vehicle size varies, so ask how many it seats.
Paddington or Waterloo?
Paddington is faster — GWR’s quickest service takes 22 minutes, with a change at Slough onto the shuttle to Windsor & Eton Central, and trains run almost every 20 minutes. Waterloo is slower at about 56 minutes but direct to Windsor & Eton Riverside, so there’s no change to worry about with luggage or children. The two Windsor stations are only a few hundred metres apart, but they’re on different lines, so buy the ticket for the route you’ll actually use. Check GWR for weekend engineering work on the Slough branch before you travel.
When to visit Windsor Castle
- Open: Thursday to Monday. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except 22 and 29 December 2026.
- Hours: 10:00–16:15 from 1 November to 28 February (last admission 15:00); 10:00–17:15 from 1 March to 31 October (last admission 16:00). The State Apartments close 30 minutes after last admission.
- Sundays: St George’s Chapel isn’t part of the visit — it’s open for worship only.
- Closures: 24–26 December 2026, plus short-notice closures because it’s a working royal palace. Check the Royal Collection Trust’s site the day before.
- Inside: the State Apartments, Semi-State Rooms (usually open autumn to spring), Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and St George’s Chapel, where ten kings are buried, including Henry VIII and Charles I.
The castle sits at the top of a steep hill and much of the visit is outdoors, which matters with small children or limited mobility. Free access companion tickets can be booked online.
Windsor combos worth considering
- Windsor and Stonehenge — the classic pairing; see Stonehenge tours from London.
- Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath — the most-booked day trip from London, but long; see Bath day trips.
- Windsor and Hampton Court — two royal palaces, one Tudor-heavy, with a guide.
- Windsor and Oxford — see Oxford and Cambridge tours.
If you’re planning a royal theme in London too, our Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace tours page covers the London side. For other easy rail trips, see day trips by train.
Questions people ask
How do I get from London to Windsor Castle?
How much are Windsor Castle tickets?
When is Windsor Castle closed?
Is a Windsor Castle tour worth it?
Can I get a discount on Windsor Castle tickets?
How long do you need at Windsor Castle?
Sources
- Royal Collection Trust — Windsor Castle (prices, opening times, closures, discounts) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GWR — trains from London to Windsor (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- South Western Railway — trains to Windsor (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- National Rail — journey planner, Paddington and Waterloo to Windsor (Thu 5 Nov 2026, searched 21 Oct 2026) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Guild of Registered Tourist Guides — guide fees 2026–27 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Headout — Windsor Castle half-day tour (inclusions, cancellation) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide — Windsor Castle (partner feed)
Written and checked by the Private Tours London desk