Private Windsor Castle Tour with Blue Badge Guide
Walk the castle wards and State Apartments with an accredited guide who knows the monarchs' stories
A private walking tour of Windsor Castle with Sarah, a Blue Badge Tourist Guide holding the Windsor & Eton endorsement, covering the castle wards, State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls House, and St George's Chapel. You'll see the Round Tower, views toward Eton College, and the chapel where Queen Elizabeth II rests, with Sarah accompanying you through the State Apartments to point out items from the Royal Collection.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Windsor Castle and Chapel
- Meet guide at Henry VIII Gate
- Enter castle through ticket office and security
- Walk through Middle Ward past Round Tower
- View River Thames and Eton College from upper walkway
- Visit Queen Mary’s Dolls House
- Tour State Apartments and see Royal Collection
- Visit St George’s Chapel and royal tombs
- Finish tour at Henry VIII Gate
- Windsor Castle 30m
- Windsor Castle 1h 30m
- St. George’s Chapel 30m
What’s included
- Private guide in English.
- access to the castle wards, State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls House, and St George's Chapel.
- entry to Windsor Castle included in the tour price (adult tickets cost £35 and should be bought in advance).
- Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 09:30 10:00 13:30 14:00
- Sunday 13:30 14:00
Information
Private walking tour of Windsor Castle with accredited Blue Badge guide Sarah, including the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls House.
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The experience
You arrive at the Henry VIII Gate on Castle Hill, where Sarah meets you and escorts you through the castle entrance and security. Once inside the walls, she guides you through the Middle Ward past the Round Tower. If the Royal Standard flies from the top, the King is in residence. From the upper walkway you see the River Thames below and Eton College across the water, where Princes William and Harry were educated. The tour takes three hours in total and finishes back where it started.
Sarah then walks you through the State Apartments, where you pass through the King's and Queen's State Chambers, the Waterloo Chamber, St George's Hall, and the Grand Reception Room. She points out paintings, tapestries, and furniture from the Royal Collection as you go. Your first stop is Queen Mary's Dolls House, which marks its 100th anniversary this year. Because large groups are not permitted in the State Apartments, the tour takes only small private groups: Sarah is authorized as an accredited Windsor Castle guide to accompany you and answer questions, though formal guiding is not permitted in these rooms. Photography is not allowed here.
The final stop is St George's Chapel, a 15th-century space and home to the Order of the Garter, the oldest order of chivalry in the world. You walk past the George VI Chapel where Queen Elizabeth II is laid to rest alongside King George VI, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret. Entry to the chapel is included in the Windsor Castle entrance fee. Photography is not permitted inside, and the chapel is closed on Sundays. The tour ends back at the Henry VIII Gate.
Top questions
What is Queen Mary's Dolls House and why is it worth seeing?
Queen Mary's Dolls House is a famous miniature palace built in the 1920s and now celebrating its 100th anniversary. It's one of the stops Sarah shows you during the State Apartments section of the tour, and it's notable for its intricate detail and historical significance as a royal artifact.
Can I take photographs inside Windsor Castle?
Photography is permitted in the castle wards and grounds, but not inside the State Apartments or St George's Chapel. This restriction applies throughout the tour.
What can I see from the upper walkway of the castle?
From the upper walkway you see the River Thames flowing below and views across to Eton College, the school where Princes William and Harry studied. The walkway also offers sightlines to check whether the Royal Standard is flying from the Round Tower, which indicates the King is in residence.
Is St George's Chapel always open during the tour?
St George's Chapel is closed on Sundays because it functions as a working chapel, so tours cannot visit it on that day. On other days it is included in the tour and entrance is covered by the Windsor Castle admission fee.
Who is Sarah and what makes her guide different?
Sarah is a Blue Badge Tourist Guide, the highest accreditation for guides in the UK, and she holds the prestigious Windsor & Eton endorsement. This authorization allows her to guide you through the castle wards and accompany you through the State Apartments, explaining the history and sharing stories of the monarchs who lived there.
Operated by Sarah Slater Blue Badge Tourist Guide @ The History Guides. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Private Windsor Castle Tour with Blue Badge Guide
2h–3h · EN
from £ 290 per group
≈ US$ 390 in your currency
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