Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle sits on a hill above the River Thames, a short journey from central London, and remains a working residence of the British royal family. Originally built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, its walls have been reshaped over nearly a thousand years by successive monarchs, resulting in a mix of medieval fortress and refined state residence. It's the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world still in royal use, and a visit here gives you a rare look inside a building that continues to serve its original purpose.

The castle is arranged across three sections. In the Upper Ward, the State Apartments hold centuries of royal furniture, paintings, and treasures, with the Waterloo Chamber among the grandest of its rooms. The Middle Ward centres on the Round Tower, once used to hold royal prisoners and now home to the royal archives, ringed by the Rose Garden. Down in the Lower Ward, St George's Chapel is the architectural highlight of the visit — a Gothic masterpiece known for its fan-vaulted stone ceiling and stained glass, and the setting for numerous royal weddings.

A multilingual audio guide is included with entry, giving context to each room and courtyard as you make your way through the castle grounds at your own pace. Because Windsor Castle remains an active royal residence, certain areas can occasionally close for state occasions, so it's worth checking ahead if there's a particular part of the castle you don't want to miss.

Your visit begins in the Lower Ward, where St George's Chapel sets the tone with its soaring fan-vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows — a highlight for anyone interested in English Gothic architecture. From there, the route leads up through the Middle Ward, where the Round Tower rises above the Rose Garden, before continuing into the Upper Ward for the State Apartments. Each room here functions almost like a small gallery, with royal furniture, artwork, and decorative pieces spanning several centuries.

Throughout the visit, the included multilingual audio guide fills in the history behind each space, from the castle's origins under William the Conqueror to its role as a residence for the modern British royal family. Most visits move at a self-guided pace, allowing you to spend more time in the rooms or courtyards that interest you most before making your way back out through the Lower Ward.