Windsor Castle & Eton Town: Private Full-Day Walking Tour
Enjoy a day exploring the historic towns of Eton and Windsor - including a guided tour of the majestic Windsor Castle. Windsor was said to be the favourite home of the late Queen Elizabeth II and is one of the oldest and largest inhabited working royal castles in the world. Eton is England's oldest and grandest school, famous for its uniform of white tie and black coat-tails, and was attended by Princes William and Harry.
On your private full-day tour of Windsor and Eton you will:
- Meet your private guide at Windsor & Eton Central train station;
- Enjoy a pleasant stroll through the historic town of Royal Windsor;
- Explore the beautiful grounds and gardens of Windsor Castle with your guide;
- Enjoy a fully guided tour of St George's Chapel the medieval gothic church situated within the grounds of the castle;
- See the royal crypt where the late Queen Elizabeth II is buried alongside ten other monarchs;
- Visit inside the majestic State Apartments including St George's Hall;
- Enjoy a well-deserved lunch break in Windsor (not included) and some free time;
- Reconvene with your guide and walk across Thomas Telford’s bridge to visit Eton town;
- See the outside of Eton College, a bastion of traditional British education, where princes and prime ministers have studied;
- Pop into one of the country's most renowned tailors, where the college's famous uniforms are made, and perhaps learn to tie to the illustrious 'Windsor knot'.
- Enjoy some free time in Eton or Windsor Great Park at the end of your tour - or let your guide escort you back to the train station.
After meeting your guide at the train station, your tour begins with a pleasant stroll through the historic town of Windsor, where your guide will tell you about its fascinating thousand-year history. William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales have moved to Windsor - so you might see them on the school run if you're lucky!
After passing through security, enjoy a guided tour of Windsor Castle and its gardens. Construction began in 1070 by William the Conqueror. In 1992 a fire devastated great swathes of the castle. Meticulous reconstruction work was directed by Prince Philip and took 5 years to complete.
Begin with a tour of St. George's Chapel the spectacular medieval gothic church, named for the patron saint of England. the chapel is very special to the royal family and has hosted many royal funerals, baptisms, and weddings. It is where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married, and it is where the final part of the Queen's funeral took place. She is now buried in the royal crypt beneath, alongside her husband, her sister, her parents, and ten other monarchs, including Henry VIII (he of the six wives), Charles I (he who lost his head) and George III (who went mad).
The state apartments are where royal ceremonies take place to this very day - from entertaining visiting heads of state to investitures and awards ceremonies. Your guide will give you a detailed history of the place, before showing you the entrance where you will be given an audio guide, as guides are not allowed to tour inside.
You'll see the grand reception room with its sparkling chandeliers, the grand St George's Hall with its medieval suits of armour, where many royal banquets take place for the Order of the Garter, the various opulent and ornate drawing rooms, Queen Mary's Dolls House famous for its exquisite intricacy, and the impressive Waterloo dining chamber.
After a lunch break in Windsor, wander over the bridge for a guided tour of the pretty town of Eton. See the exterior of Eton College (not open to the public). Eton is Britain's most prestigious school, famous for its traditional uniform of black coat-tails and white tie dating back to the middle ages.
Its famous alumni include 20 prime ministers, Oscar winners such as Eddie Redmayne, writers such as Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, and Princes William and Harry. Explore the town and pop into one of the country's most famous tailors, where the college's uniforms are made, and perhaps learn to tie to the illustrious 'Windsor knot'.
Please note
- As Windsor Castle is a working royal palace, sometimes the entire Castle or the State Apartments within the Castle need to be closed at short notice. We will endeavour to be in touch with you as soon as we have this information.
- The Tailor shop will only be visited on tours running on weekdays (not on weekends or bank holidays) as the shops are closed.
