Bucket list experience:
A royal home and fortress for over 900 years, Windsor is the largest occupied castle in the world, and remains a working palace, with over 150 staff. Rumoured to be the Queen’s favourite address, she spends most of her private weekends at the castle.
The ornate state apartments, lined with works of art by painters such as Van Dyck, Holbein and Rubens, were built for Charles II and his Queen, Catherine of Braganza, as an attempt to rival the achievements of his cousin, Louis XVI, at Versailles. Visitors can also see the semi-state rooms – the private apartments of George IV.
The Changing of the Guard at Windsor is a spectacle worth seeing, with guards marching up to the castle complete with a band. It takes place at 11am on different days each month, and last 30 minutes. Check the website for specific dates and time your visit accordingly.
A visit to Windsor gives you two classic slices of British history in one; alongside the castle, the town of Windsor is also home to Eton College, the UK’s most renowned boarding school and alma mater of twenty British Prime Ministers. Take a walk from the castle across the river and along Eton High Sreet, and you’ll find yourself stepping into a bygone era, with masters and boys from the world-famous school strolling past in gowns, with shopfronts that haven’t changed in over a century.
Follow the Eton Walkway, a 2-mile / one-hour circular walk, following bronze markers set into the pavement, that connects 18 points of interest in the town starting at Windsor Bridge.
Windsor is about a 1-hour drive from London. Trains from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside take about an hour.
Book tickets in advance on the website to guarantee entry. Allow about 1.5-2 hours for your visit.
Free audio tours are available with admission (take your own headphones if possible). Before you go, read the informative sections on the website about who built the castle and why and who has lived there.
Windsor Castle is open all year round, Thursday to Monday. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. More rooms are open in the winter months.
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
London, United Kingdom (UK)[21.1 miles]
A lovely, tranquil retreat for those who want to dip in and out of central London. Richmond Park, Hampton Court and The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are on your doorstep.
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London, United Kingdom (UK)[21.6 miles]
A colourful and stylish ‘countryside retreat’ atop leafy Richmond Hill, overlooking the Thames and just 20 minutes from the city centre. Kew Gardens and Hampton Court are virtually next door.
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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom (UK)[17.2 miles]
A great day out for car enthusiasts, with Mercedez-Benz cars dating back 100 years, driving displays, F1 and Concorde simulators and racing experiences.
Best for ages: 5+ | Free | 5 hours
London, United Kingdom (UK)[20.5 miles]
England’s greatest Tudor estate and the former home of Henry VIII and his succession of wives, preserved for the public to explore.
Best for ages: 4+ | £25
London, United Kingdom (UK)[21.4 miles]
Legendary botanical gardens dating back to 1759, now housing more than 30,000 species of plant. The original, biggest and best botanical garden in the world.
Best for ages: 4+ | £13
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Chertsey, Surrey, United Kingdom (UK)[10.8 miles]
The UK’s second biggest theme park (behind Alton Towers). Main attractions include The Colossus, Nemesis and Inferno rollercoasters and the UK’s fastest rollercoaster Stealth.
Best for ages: 4+ | £35 | 12 hours
Sunningdale, Berkshire, United Kingdom (UK)[11.4 miles]
A terrific test of golf that couldn’t be more beautifully situated, surrounded by glorious pines and sturdy oak trees. The surfaces are carpet-like and fast and it all comes together with remarkable elegance, best appreciated on the elevated 10th hole.
Best for ages: 13+ | £275
London, United Kingdom (UK)[23.4 miles]
Charles I’s deer-roamed royal park that remains little changed since the Middle Ages. Woodland, grassland, and cycleways make for a rural treat of a city retreat.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Chessington, Greater London, United Kingdom (UK)[25 miles]
One of Britain’s best adventure parks, boasting thrilling rides, a sea life centre and an impressive zoo.
Best for ages: 4+ | £30 | 1 day
Round-ups that include this experience
Multiple countries
The great civilisations of the past have left a legacy of constructions that still stand out and inspire. Built without the wonders of 20th-century technology, many are also monumental feats of engineering; others offer such grace and beauty, that they’ll literally take your breath away.
