Windsor Castle Opening Hours and Visitor Guide

Windsor Castle is open from 10 am on most days, and Google Maps lists 4:15 pm as the closing time, with Tuesday and Wednesday closed. The chapel shuts earlier, at 4 pm, and not at all to visitors on Sunday. This guide covers the Windsor Castle opening hours by day, the closing times of the chapel, the best time to visit, how to get there from London and the rules at the gate. If you want the tickets, my full comparison of Windsor Castle tickets lists all 10 options with prices.

Windsor Castle Opening Hours

Today, Saturday 7 November 2026, the Windsor Castle opening hours per Google Maps are 10 am to 4:15 pm. Here is the full week, as Google Maps lists it.

Day	Hours per Google Maps
Monday	10 am to 4:15 pm
Tuesday	Closed
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	10 am to 4:15 pm
Friday	10 am to 4:15 pm
Saturday	10 am to 4:15 pm
Sunday	10 am to 4:15 pm

The Royal Collection Trust site is the official source, and its ticket booking tabs include the opening times. I could not read the opening times tab when I checked, so these Windsor Castle opening hours are the Google Maps hours and the facts the official practical information page does state. That page says St George’s Chapel closes at 16:00, and the castle can close at short notice because it is a working royal palace. When the two sources differ, trust the official one.

Windsor Castle Closing Time

The Windsor Castle closing time on Google Maps is 4:15 pm, the last of the Windsor Castle opening hours each day, but the visit does not end all at once. The chapel closes to visitors at 4 pm, evensong is at 5:15 pm for worshippers and visitors who wish to attend, and the State Apartments route has a one-way system, so you cannot go back for something you missed. I would aim to be through security by about 2 pm if you want the full castle and the chapel on one ticket.

The closing time matters more in winter. Open-Meteo data for the castle’s coordinates gives sunset at 3:53 pm in December and 4:13 pm in November for 2025, so the outdoor precincts are dark about when the castle shuts. Plan the outside photography first, because inside the State Apartments you cannot take any.

Windsor Castle Hours Open

The Windsor Castle opening hours vary by weekday more than by season, going by the data I have: five days a week, two days closed. A GetYourGuide tour listing, the Golden Tours Royal Afternoon Sightseeing Tour, says the castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and that a walking tour of Windsor runs on those days. That matches Google Maps. On Sunday the castle is open, but the chapel is not, so a Sunday visit loses one of the headline sights that the standard admission ticket covers.

That makes Thursday to Saturday and Monday the days when, within the Windsor Castle opening hours, the whole route is open, going by Google Maps and the official chapel notice. I could not find a published list of closure dates in the pages I could read, so use the official closure checker for your date.

Windsor Castle Visiting Hours

Windsor Castle visiting hours are the same on every open day according to Google Maps, so the opening hours at Windsor Castle make planning simple: arrive near opening, and expect airport-style security first. The official practical information page suggests 1.5 to 2 hours inside, and the GetYourGuide admission ticket listing says to allow 2.5 to 3 hours. A reviewer on a coach tour wrote:

“We're glad they gave us 3 hours at the castle, as it takes about 1/2 hour once you're at the coach park to walk up to the Castle and go through security.”

So for visiting hours on a tour from London, the time at the castle is closer to two hours of actual visiting. The half-day tours run 5.5 hours, with the rest spent on the coach and in the town. If you book one of the full-day trips that add Stonehenge or Bath, the Windsor stop is shorter.

Royal Collection Trust

Windsor Castle Admission Ticket

• ★ 4.7 (8,291 reviews)
• 24-hour ticket
• Free cancellation

My pick: The ticket that fits any opening hours: admission with a multimedia guide and the chapel (not Sundays), $43, 4.7 from 8,291 reviews.

What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say

Included

• ✓ Windsor Castle admission ticket
• ✓ Multimedia guide
• ✓ Access to St. George's Chapel (except on Sundays)

Not included / not suitable

• ✕ Transfers
• ✕ Tour guide
• ✕ 1-Year Pass

Meeting point: Windsor Castle. Windsor SL4 1NJ, UK

Duration: 1 day

Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund

“Loved the castle! Was so beautiful and the staff were really friendly.” – GetYourGuide review

from

$43

Check availability

Is Windsor Castle Open to the Public

Yes, Windsor Castle is open to the public as a visitor attraction, and the Royal Collection Trust says it is open to visitors throughout the year. It is also a working royal palace and an official residence of the King, which is why parts can close at short notice. The standard admission covers the Castle precincts, the State Apartments and St George’s Chapel, and the multimedia guide, introduced by the King, is free at the start of your visit.

The guide is available in English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish, plus British Sign Language with subtitles, per the official practical information page. A family version for ages 7 to 11 is in English.

Windsor Castle Timings

The simplest timings within the Windsor Castle opening hours are these. On a self-guided visit: arrive for 10 am, clear security, take the State Apartments first, then St George’s Chapel before it closes at 4 pm, and finish with the outside areas. On a half-day coach tour from London, the Golden Tours listing states about 2 hours at the castle, the Premium Tours half-day options leave Victoria Coach Station at 7:45 am, and the Evan Evans option lasts 5.5 hours.

Official ticket prices matter for planning too, alongside the Windsor Castle opening hours. For 2026 an adult pays 32 pounds in advance or 36 pounds on the day, per Royal Collection Trust. Booking ahead saves 4 pounds and fixes your timings.

Is Windsor Castle Worth Visiting

I think it is, for a visitor with an interest in royal history. The castle was founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, according to the official site, and Wikipedia describes it as a royal residence about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London that embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. Google Maps rates it 4.7 from 64,797 reviews. The State Apartments and the chapel, which the official site says holds the burial place of ten kings including Henry VIII and Charles I, are what most tickets are for.

Do not expect a quick stop, whatever the opening hours for Windsor Castle suggest. The castle is at the top of a steep hill, the route covers long distances, and the official advice is to wear comfortable shoes. If you have under three hours in total, I would pick a half-day tour that handles the transport, and read my Windsor Castle tickets comparison first.

Best Time to Visit Windsor Castle

The official site does not publish crowd levels on the pages I read, so I can’t name a quiet day with certainty. What the data supports is the weather and the days, not a change in the opening hours at Windsor Castle. Open-Meteo data for 2025 at the castle’s coordinates shows November with 4.3 hours of sunshine a day and 18 rainy days, against April with 11.2 hours and 4 rainy days, and June with 12.8 hours of sunshine and 9 rainy days. July had 12 rainy days. The outdoor parts are best in late spring, and the winter months are shorter on daylight.

There is one seasonal difference in the rooms. The admission listing says the Semi-State Rooms created by George IV are added to the visitor route in winter, so the visit changes a little through the year. For the chapel, choose a day other than Sunday and arrive well before 4 pm. I found no source that names a quiet day, so I would not pay extra to chase one.

How to Get to Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is about 25 miles (40 km) from central London, per Wikipedia. By coach, the half-day tours leave from central London: Evan Evans from 258 Vauxhall Bridge Road, Premium Tours from Gate 20 at Victoria Coach Station, and the Hampton Court combination from Bulleid Way in Victoria. Your confirmation shows the meeting point for the option you pick.

By train, Windsor has two railway stations in the town centre, and the castle is a short walk uphill from either. Check times and fares on National Rail for the day, because I have not verified a journey time. By car, there is no visitor car parking at the castle, so use a town centre car park, with details on the Windsor town website.

Google Maps puts the castle at Windsor SL4 1NJ, and lists a Learning Centre Entrance about 0.2 km away, around a 3-minute walk by my estimate (straight-line distance times 1.3 at 4.8 km/h). I would not use that entrance without checking, because I do not know whether visitors may. The admission ticket’s meeting point is the castle address.

Windsor Castle Audio Guide

The $43 admission ticket includes a multimedia guide, and the listing excludes a live tour guide. One reviewer of a transport-plus-entry listing says the audio guides inside have all the details, and advises leaving time to hear the extra detail in each room. Another says the audio takes a long time, so the tour was short on time. The Royal Afternoon listing says audio guides come in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish. The Windsor Castle opening hours cap the time you have, so start early.

Windsor Castle Dress Code

I found no dress code for Windsor Castle in my data, and I could not read the Royal Collection Trust page, so check rct.uk before you go. The castle is a working royal palace, which is why parts close at short notice, so I’d treat the visit like a church or palace tour: comfortable shoes for the hill and the Upper Ward, and a layer.

Windsor Castle Free Entry

My data shows free entry only for some visitors: under-fives are free, and disabled visitors get concessionary rates with a free access companion ticket. The standard admission ticket is $43, rated 4.7 from 8,291 reviews. I found no free day for the general public, so check the Windsor Castle opening hours and prices at rct.uk.

Things to Do Near Windsor Castle

My places data lists only a Learning Centre entrance beside the castle, so I can name no other sight with confidence. The listings add what the day trips cover: Hampton Court Palace in a $119 combination, Stonehenge and Bath in longer day trips of 10 to 12 hours, and the London Eye in a half-day tour. See the Windsor Castle map for the castle grounds.

What to Know Before You Go

Everyone goes through airport-style security, so bring as little as you can. Per the official practical information page, large bags that cannot fit through the security scanners, bicycles, skateboards and drones may not come in, pushchairs and large backpacks must go to the cloakroom in the China Museum before the State Apartments, and pen knives, scissors and alcohol in sealed containers are checked in on arrival. Eating and drinking is not allowed in the State Apartments or St George’s Chapel, except bottled water, and the Undercroft Café is the place for lunch.

The castle is described as accessible, with concessionary rates for disabled visitors, a free access companion ticket, toilets and a Changing Places facility. Under-fives are free.

Hours and closures can change at short notice, so check the Windsor Castle opening hours on the day. When you are ready to compare the options, my full list of every Windsor Castle ticket I compared has the prices, durations and what each includes, and the home page lists the other attractions on the site.