The Full Arc of English Royal Power
Windsor Castle and the Tower of London are the two oldest and most significant royal residences in England. The Tower was begun by William the Conqueror in 1066 to control London; Windsor Castle was begun by the same king in the same decade to control the Thames Valley west of the capital. Both have been in continuous royal use for over 900 years. Both contain extraordinary collections of royal treasures. And both are working elements of the modern monarchy — the Tower houses the Crown Jewels and hosts ceremonial events; Windsor is the King’s preferred weekend residence and the setting for state occasions, royal funerals, and the Order of the Garter ceremony.
A combined tour of both covers the full spectrum of English royal history in a single day — from the medieval fortress function they share to the divergent paths they’ve taken over the centuries (the Tower becoming a museum and national monument, Windsor remaining an occupied palace). The day requires travel between central London and Windsor (approximately 40 kilometres west), making it a more logistically ambitious combination than the other Tower pairings, but the scope of what you see justifies the effort.
What You’ll Experience
Windsor Castle is the largest occupied castle in the world — over 1,000 rooms across 5 hectares. The visitor route covers the State Apartments (a sequence of grand rooms used for state banquets, receptions, and audiences — richly furnished with paintings from the Royal Collection including works by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Van Dyck), St George’s Chapel (a masterpiece of Perpendicular Gothic architecture and the burial place of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour, Charles I, George III, and most recently Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip), and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House (a miniature palace built in the 1920s at 1:12 scale with working electricity, plumbing, and a wine cellar stocked with real vintage bottles).
The Tower of London receives 1.5–2 hours, covering the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, and the guide’s curated route through the fortress highlights. After Windsor’s State Apartments, seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower completes the picture of royal ceremonial splendour, and the contrast between Windsor’s living-palace warmth and the Tower’s fortress austerity illuminates the different functions these royal buildings served.
Getting to Windsor and Back
By tour vehicle is the most common format for combined tours. The drive from central London to Windsor takes approximately 1–1.5 hours depending on traffic. Guided tours typically depart from central London in the morning, visit Windsor first (allowing 2–2.5 hours inside the castle), return to London for the Tower visit in the afternoon, or vice versa. The guide narrates the journey, covering the history of the Thames Valley, the significance of Windsor to the monarchy, and the context for what you’re about to see.
By train (independently or as part of a tour), Windsor is accessible from London Paddington (change at Slough) or London Waterloo (direct to Windsor & Eton Riverside) in 30–50 minutes. Some tours use the train for one leg and a vehicle for the other.
The full day runs 8–10 hours including travel, both site visits, and a lunch break. This is one of the longer Tower combination tours and requires a full day’s commitment. The scope of what you see — two of England’s most significant buildings, spanning 900+ years of royal history — rewards the investment.
Practical Tips
Start at Windsor. Windsor Castle’s opening hours and the potential for Changing of the Guard ceremony at Windsor (a separate ceremony from Buckingham Palace, running on specific dates at 11:00 AM) make a morning visit practical. The Tower visit in the afternoon catches the late-day Crown Jewels queue at its shortest.
Check Windsor’s State Apartments availability. The State Apartments occasionally close for state events and royal use. When the King is in residence (indicated by the Royal Standard flying over the castle), some areas may be restricted. Most closures are announced in advance — your tour operator will check and advise.
St George’s Chapel is closed on Sundays to visitors (it’s a functioning church with regular services). If the chapel is a priority, avoid Sunday for the Windsor visit.
The two sites share a historical thread that a good guide weaves together. Henry VIII expanded both buildings. Elizabeth I was imprisoned at the Tower and later used Windsor as a retreat. Charles II rebuilt sections of both after the Restoration. The guide’s job is to connect these threads so the day feels like a single story told across two locations rather than two separate visits.
Windsor town is worth a brief exploration. The streets around the castle are charming — independent shops, pubs, the Eton College chapel visible across the bridge — and a lunch stop in Windsor between the castle visit and the return journey to London is more pleasant than eating in transit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windsor Castle worth the trip from London?
Yes. Windsor is the most complete royal residence in England — still occupied, still functioning, and containing one of the finest art collections in Europe alongside St George’s Chapel (which many visitors rate as more beautiful than Westminster Abbey). The combination with the Tower makes the trip doubly worthwhile.
How does Windsor compare to the Tower?
They’re complementary rather than comparable. The Tower is a fortress — military architecture, the Crown Jewels, the stories of imprisonment and execution. Windsor is a palace — residential grandeur, the State Apartments, the chapel, the working monarchy. Seeing both in a day gives you the full range of what a 900-year-old monarchy built, lived in, and used.
Can I do Windsor and the Tower independently in one day without a tour?
It’s possible but requires careful scheduling. Train to Windsor in the morning, castle visit (2.5 hours), train back to London, Tube to Tower Hill, Tower visit (2–2.5 hours). The logistics are manageable for confident independent travellers, but a guided tour eliminates the transport planning, provides narration at both sites, and ensures you don’t lose time to connection delays.
Is Windsor Castle suitable for children?
Yes — the State Apartments are visually impressive (children respond to the gold, the paintings, the scale), the Dolls’ House is genuinely enchanting for all ages, and St George’s Chapel has the tombs of kings they may have heard of (Henry VIII particularly). The combination with the Tower’s armour, jewels, and ravens makes for a child-engaging full day, though the length (8–10 hours) may be challenging for children under 7.