Windsor Castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, St George's Chapel shuts to sightseers on Sundays, and closures can happen at short notice. Here's how to plan around all three.
Windsor Castle is the easiest royal day trip from London, but it catches out a lot of visitors for one simple reason: it isn't open every day. Here's the calendar, the closures to watch for, and how tours and trains fit around them.
Which days is Windsor Castle open?
Windsor Castle is open five days a week, Thursday to Monday, and closed to visitors on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, according to Royal Collection Trust, which runs visits. Hours are shorter in winter than in summer, and the castle closes over Christmas (December 25–26), so check the exact times for your date on rct.uk.
Allow 1½ to 2 hours inside. That's Royal Collection Trust's own suggestion, and it covers the State Apartments, St George's Chapel and the precincts at a steady pace. The castle sits on a hill with long walking routes, so wear comfortable shoes.
The St George's Chapel Sunday rule
A castle visit includes St George's Chapel, but only on the days the chapel is open to sightseers. The chapel lists visiting on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and it is closed to visitors on Sundays, when it's used for worship. It also closes at 4pm, earlier than the rest of the castle, and the chapel warns that access may be limited after 2:30pm on busy days. If the chapel is a priority, see it first.
You can still attend a Sunday service. Services are free and don't need a ticket; the chapel asks worshippers to be at the King Henry VIII Gate 15 minutes before the start. Just treat it as a service, not a sightseeing visit.
Short-notice closures: it's a working palace
Windsor Castle is a working royal palace, and Royal Collection Trust warns that security and opening arrangements can change at short notice. Sometimes the whole castle closes; sometimes just the State Apartments.
Tour operators build this into their small print. Premium Tours says that if the State Apartments are closed you'll see Queen Mary's Dolls' House and the precincts instead, and on its Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath day Premium Tours gives you free time in Windsor town on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and December 25–26. Two habits help: check rct.uk the day before, and book refundable. Every tour on our Windsor Castle tours page offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Changing the Guard at Windsor
The Household Division schedules Changing the Guard at Windsor Castle at 11am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, weather permitting, and never on Sundays. It lasts about 45 minutes and takes place inside the castle precincts, so you need a castle ticket to watch. With the castle closed on Tuesdays, that leaves Thursday and Saturday as the practical days.
Get through security well before 11am, and check the Household Division calendar the week you go, since the schedule can change. For the bigger ceremony at Buckingham Palace, read our Changing of the Guard guide.
The best day to go, at a glance
- Thursday or Saturday: castle open, St George's Chapel open, Changing the Guard scheduled. The best days.
- Monday or Friday: castle and chapel open, no guard change.
- Sunday: castle open, chapel closed to sightseers, no guard change.
- Tuesday or Wednesday: castle closed. Visit the town, or go somewhere else.
Whatever the day, check rct.uk and the chapel's diary for one-off closures before you set out.
Tour or train?
By train, Windsor is under an hour from London. There are two stations, both less than 10 minutes' walk from the castle: Windsor & Eton Central (from Paddington, changing at Slough) and Windsor & Eton Riverside (direct from Waterloo, with a steep walk up). Buy castle tickets on rct.uk; for 2026, adult admission is £32 booked in advance or £36 on the day. The train gives you control over timing, which matters if you want Changing the Guard and the chapel on the same visit.
By tour, you trade flexibility for zero logistics. The strongest option is Evan Evans Tours's Stonehenge and Windsor day, rated 4.87 from 2,536 reviews, which pairs the castle with Stonehenge and gets back to Victoria in the early evening.
Which tours handle your castle tickets?
This is where people get caught out. Many Windsor tours are sold with several options, and whether you get inside depends on which one you pick:
- Entry included: Premium Tours's half-day Windsor tour includes castle entry, with the State Apartments and St George's Chapel, from $131.
- Entry depends on the option: Evan Evans Tours's Stonehenge and Windsor day, its Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath day, and its Windsor, Stonehenge and Oxford day all come in versions with and without Windsor entry. Evan Evans Tours's half day also comes with or without admission, and inside you're on your own with the multimedia guide.
- Entry not included: Timescape Tours's private half day and Walking Tours in England's town walking tour. You book castle tickets yourself.
If your free day is a Tuesday or Wednesday
Don't book Windsor. Go west instead: our Stonehenge tours and Bath day trips aren't tied to Windsor's Tuesday and Wednesday closures, and Oxford is an easy train ride. Still deciding? Our guide to which day trip from London to pick lays out the trade-offs.
