Discover Windsor: Castle, museum and Thames

Windsor brings together several focal points for a stay: castle history, local history at the museum, outdoor activities and things to do on the Thames. If you’re looking for a hotel in Windsor, you can start by considering which of these themes you want to shape your stay. Options include an audio trail featuring stories from local residents, guided paddle trips and boat excursions of varying lengths.

Castle history and museum

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. William the Conqueror founded it in the 11th century. Anyone interested in the castle’s history will find both a specific founding period and a unique distinction among inhabited castles.

Windsor Guildhall Museum offers interactive exhibitions on the history of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Its collection includes a 100,000-year-old mammoth tusk. Its age long predates the castle’s founding in the 11th century, offering a different timescale alongside the castle’s history. The museum’s audio trail adds stories from local residents about their lives and Windsor’s changing landscape to the exhibitions. In this way, the museum combines local history with personal stories from the area.

Landscape and trails

Windsor Great Park is an ancient royal landscape, with opportunities for cycling, walking and running. These activities offer different ways to spend time outdoors. When planning, you can first consider which type of activity you’d like to include in your stay.

The Queen’s Walkway connects 63 of Windsor’s top attractions, points of interest and viewpoints. While Windsor Great Park focuses on a range of outdoor activities, the Walkway links numerous places in Windsor. This offers a different approach to planning your day: you can choose between a particular type of activity and a route connecting attractions, points of interest and viewpoints.

Things to do on the Thames

Canoe & Kayak Adventures offers guided canoe and kayak trips on the Thames, with views of Windsor and Windsor Castle. The provider also rents out open Canadian canoes, single and tandem kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards. When planning, you can first choose between a guided trip and renting a watercraft; among the rental options, single and tandem kayaks are two distinct choices.

French Brothers operates sightseeing boat trips on the Thames from Windsor. For day visitors to Windsor, the provider lists a 40-minute round trip and a longer, two-hour return trip. The difference in duration can help with planning: consider whether a short circuit or a longer return trip better fits your day. Seasonal operations may vary, so check in advance which trip is available during your visit.

Practical planning for your stay

There is no visitor parking at Windsor Castle. Bear this in mind when planning your journey if you intend to visit the castle.

Windsor Leisure Centre offers family fun swims and lane swimming sessions. This gives you two different swimming options. If you’d like to include swimming in your stay, consider whether you’re looking for a family fun session or lane swimming.

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

For the broader travel overview: Windsor And Maidenhead.