Destination guide
Windsor
United Kingdom
Windsor and Eton are twin towns, in Berkshire, in the South East of England, separated by the River Thames and joined by Windsor Bridge. Windsor is an ancient town most famous for its castle, construction of which began in 1075, and which is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world.
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Skip the long ticket lines at Windsor Castle by booking your entry online in advance; if you are purchasing tickets on the day of your visit, aim to arrive after midday to avoid the worst of the queues.
For the most impressive perspective of the royal residence, Eton College, and the surrounding meadows, take a boat tour on the River Thames; the view from the water offers a vantage point unavailable from the town center.
Avoid driving into town on summer weekends or on days when there is horse-racing at the Royal Windsor Racecourse, as traffic congestion can become severe; the town is compact enough that walking is the most efficient way to navigate the central area.
When visiting the Guildhall, inspect the pillars closely; they were built with a deliberate gap between the stone and the roof to prove a point about structural necessity, a subtle detail often overlooked by visitors.
If you are dining out, visit the Viceroy of Windsor for highly-rated Indian cuisine, but be aware that their hot curries are genuinely spicy.
How we vet these picks
Every pick is drawn from real sources — YouTube creators, Wikivoyage, and Wikipedia. We only surface sources that actually exist and that we've checked for authenticity — no filler, no dead-end searches.Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
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Best time to go
Best window: April–October
Kind weather all year — there is no month to avoid.
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
By bus
Windsor has a reasonable bus service, both within the town and to the surrounding area, although frequencies can be quite low with little service in the evenings or on Sunday. First Berkshire, , provides most bus services in the area.
By car
Neither Windsor nor Eton is big enough to get really congested, although traffic delays can be severe on summer weekend mornings and evenings, when Legoland is popular, and on evenings when there is horse-racing at Windsor racecourse.
By foot
Neither Windsor nor Eton is desperately large and walking is a good way around the central area. For example it will take you no more than 15 minutes to walk from Eton College Chapel to Windsor Castle.
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check.
Windsor Castle
7 sources agreeAlso recommended by Lonely Planet and 6 others
The world's oldest continuously occupied fortress, where you walk through the State Apartments and can time your visit to the Changing of the Guard.
Vetted sources
Eton College
Worth itAlso recommended by One Shot Adventures and 1 other
Eton· Moderate
The most prestigious school in the United Kingdom, and also one of the most expensive, but only admits boys. See School Yard and the College Chapel (building started in 1441 and one of the finest examples of 15th-century Perpendicular…
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St George's Chapel
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
A soaring Gothic chapel within the castle walls where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married, and where ten monarchs including Henry VIII are buried.
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Queen Mary's Dolls' House
Worth itAlso recommended by Royal Collection Trust
A perfectly detailed 1924 miniature royal residence built to 1:12 scale, down to running water and a wine cellar stocked with tiny real bottles.
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Windsor Parish Church
by the Guildhall
St. John the Baptist, built 1822, replaced earlier church edifices that stood since 1084 on the site, 80 m from the Henry VIII Gate of Windsor Castle.
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Brocas Meadows
Eton· Free
Just across Windsor Bridge. These attractive meadows offer a spectacular view across the river of Windsor and the Castle.
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Changing of the Guard
Windsor Castle· Free
The guards are stationed at Victoria Barracks and march up to and from the Castle accompanied by the guards band playing traditional military marches as well as popular songs.
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Guildhall
by Windsor Parish Church
Built by Sir Christopher Wren, it is famous for its pillars, which were insisted on by the towns burgesses, even though Wren insisted they were unnecessary.
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What to do
The Long Walk
Worth itAlso recommended by Royal Collection Trust and 1 other
A tree-lined avenue running three miles dead straight from the castle gates to a hilltop statue, laid out in the 17th century for royal carriage rides.
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Royal Windsor Racecourse
Maidenhead Road, Windsor· Cheap
Accessible on race days by the X77 shuttle bus from Windsor & Eton Riverside station (round trip or boat shuttle from Thames Promenade (round trip.
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Theatre Royale
Thames Street, Windsor
Excellent, medium-sized Victorian theatre, that always has a variety of touring productions, with a host of well-known British actors.
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French Brothers Boat Tour
Windsor Promenade, Windsor· Cheap
Run 40-minute and 2-hour trips, principally up-river and with views of Windsor Castle, Eton College, Brocas Meadows, Windsor Racecourse, Bray Film Studios (2-hour trip only) and Monkey Island (2-hour trip only).
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City Sightseeing Open Top Bus Tour
in front of Windsor Castle· Cheap
Provides a hop-on, hop-off service visiting Windsor Castle, Victoria Barracks, The Long Walk and Eton College.
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Salters Steamers Boat Tour
Thames Side, Windsor· Cheap
Run half-day trips down-river to Staines and up-river to Maidenhead.
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What to eat
The Boatman
Worth itAlso recommended by London Pass
Windsor's only riverside pub, where you eat classic fish and chips looking straight out over the Thames.
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Viceroy of Windsor
49-51 St Leonards Road· Pricey
Well-established Indian restaurant, a "Top Hundred Restaurant" in the British Curry Awards. Locally voted "Restaurant of the Year 2008-9". Very popular. Hot curries are very spicy.
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Gilbey's Bar & Restaurant
High Street, Eton· Pricey
Well known for fine wines and cuisine. The bistro and bar overlooks the High Street, whilst the conservatory restaurant adjoins the courtyard garden at the rear.
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Browns Restaurant & Bar
The Promenade, Windsor· Pricey
With views across the Thames, this famous listed building offers a reasonable atmosphere and low end food and drink.
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Nando's
10 Thames Street, Windsor
Portuguese peri-peri chicken house, with many other food varieties on offer.
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Vansittart Arms
105 Vansittart Rd, Windsor SL4 5DD
Though it does get busy, this Fuller's pub has nice outside seating.
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Caffe Nero
Royal Train Station (Concourse area)
Nationwide coffee chain, very good coffee.
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Where to stay
Beaumont Estate
Burfield Road· Expensive
This is a hotel and event venue offering over 400 bedrooms and 75 event suites. It was built as a family home from the 14th century, and is made up of several buildings - including an old school house and an iconic white mansion…
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Holiday Inn Express Windsor
71 Alma Rd
Within walking distance of town in a good neighbourhood. Good rooms and reasonable breakfast included. Limited covered parking available for fee.
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Little Acre Serviced Apartments
Windsor, SL4 4AZ
An executive apartment in an impressive building on Hermitage Lane backing onto Windsor Great Park.
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Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.