Discover Windsor through a range of different interests: castle history, local history at the museum, outdoor activities in the park and experiences on the Thames. This selection can help you plan your stay around your interests, rather than trying to fit every activity into a single itinerary.

Castle History and Town Museum

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. It was founded in the 11th century by William the Conqueror. This gives Windsor a distinctive historical landmark. There is no visitor parking at the castle. So don’t plan to park directly at Windsor Castle, and bear this in mind when arranging your journey.

The Windsor Guildhall Museum has a different focus: its interactive exhibitions explore the history of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The collection includes a 100,000-year-old mammoth tusk—an individual object with a story that reaches far beyond the more recent history of the town. An audio walk adds stories from local residents about their lives and Windsor’s changing landscape to the museum visit. The exhibitions, collection and personal stories thus offer different ways to explore the town’s history.

Park, Walks and Routes

At Windsor Great Park, you can cycle, walk or run. As an ancient royal landscape, the park offers a distinct focus alongside the castle and museum. These three activities provide different ways to spend time outdoors and tailor your stay to the kind of activity you want.

Another way to discover Windsor is the Queen’s Walkway. This route links 63 of Windsor’s best attractions, features and viewpoints. The distinction is useful when planning: Windsor Great Park focuses on the landscape and various outdoor activities, while the Queen’s Walkway connects places of interest, features and views. This can help you decide whether to set aside more time for activity in the park or for a route through Windsor.

Experiences on the Thames

French Brothers operates sightseeing cruises on the Thames from Windsor. Day visitors can choose a short 40-minute round trip or a longer two-hour return trip. Seasonal operations may vary, so check in advance which cruises are available on the date of your visit.

The two cruises differ in both duration and format: the shorter option is a round trip, while the longer one is a return trip. This comparison can help you decide how much time to set aside for a river excursion, without treating the two options as if they were the same length.

Canoe & Kayak Adventures offers guided canoe and kayak tours on the Thames, with views of Windsor and Windsor Castle. Unlike the sightseeing cruises, these experiences focus on guided tours by canoe or kayak. The river experiences therefore differ not only in duration but also in format.

Windsor Leisure Centre also offers two different swimming options: family fun swims and lane-swimming sessions. If swimming is part of your plans, you can choose between these formats. Check the sessions for the day of your visit in advance.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Old Windsor, Maidenhead, Hurley, Cookham, Sunninghill, Wraysbury, Ascot, Sunningdale.

Go to the main travel overview: Windsor And Maidenhead.