Before You Book Windsor Castle: Every Cost, and What's Worth It
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Prices last checked 2 November · 3 min read
Windsor Castle, the oldest occupied castle in the world, is an easy day trip from London, and the cost depends mainly on when you book. There are advance and on-the-day prices, free entry for under-5s, a 1-Year Pass, £1 tickets for some benefit recipients, and the train out of London. Most of them sound worth knowing. You don't need the most expensive option to have a great visit. In this guide we walk through what each one costs, what you really get, and how to choose the right one, whether that's a quiet Friday or a packed Saturday.
At a glance
Adult, advance
£32 (£36 on the day)
Child 5-17, advance
£16 (£18 on the day)
Under 5
Free
Included
State Apartments, St George's Chapel, the precincts
£1 tickets
In some months, for Universal Credit and some benefits
Open days
Check: the castle has closed some weekdays outside summer
Quietest
Mornings, and Fridays in our data
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The real total: basic entry vs what most visitors pay
An adult ticket costs £32 booked in advance and £36 on the day; children 5-17 pay £16 in advance or £18 on the day, and under-5s are free, according to the Royal Collection Trust. Booking ahead saves £4 per adult. Add the train from London.
Visitor
What they buy
Price
Planner
Adult, advance
£32
Walk-up
Adult, on the day
£36
Child 5-17
Advance
£16
Under 5
Free
£0
Tickets: what each option gets you
Cost
Price (£)
Type
How to cut it
Adult, advance
£32
≈ US$43
Unavoidable
£4 cheaper than on the day.
Child 5-17, advance
£16
≈ US$21
Unavoidable
Under-5s are free.
Adult, on the day
£36
≈ US$48
Avoidable
Book ahead instead.
What the ticket includes
The ticket covers the State Apartments, St George's Chapel and the castle precincts. Some events are included with standard admission. Our verdict: one ticket is enough for a full visit; time it with the Changing of the Guard if you can.
£1 tickets
In some months, tickets cost £1 for people on Universal Credit and some other benefits. Check the Royal Collection Trust site if you qualify.
What visitors say
Visitors love the State Apartments, St George's Chapel and Queen Mary's Dolls' House, and say the audio guide is good. The most common complaints are queues at security and crowded State Apartments at weekends, so the advice is to book ahead and arrive at opening.
Prices last checked: 2 November. Prices vary with the season, peak and off-peak dates and promotions, and we recheck them every month. Visitor-reported costs are marked as estimates, and US$ figures are rough conversions.
The crowd tax: what busy hours cost you
Our crowd data shows Windsor Castle moderate in the morning, busy around midday to early afternoon on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, and busy from about 11 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. Fridays are moderate all day. The castle has been closed on some weekdays outside summer, so check the open days before you go.
When
Crowds (our data)
What to do
Friday
Moderate all day
Best day
Any morning
Moderate
Arrive at opening
Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm
Busy
Go early or another day
Crowds by day and time
From the typical weekly visitor pattern for Windsor Castle, based on Google’s popular-times data.
Quietest time
Friday, 5-6 pm
Busiest time
Guides and tours: official, licensed or touts?
Day tours from London bundle transport with Windsor, often with Stonehenge or Bath, at a higher price. Our verdict: the train and an advance ticket are cheaper if you only want Windsor.
Short on time? What you'd regret missing
The State Apartments.
St George's Chapel.
Queen Mary's Dolls' House.
The Changing of the Guard, on scheduled days.
Getting there
Trains run from London to Windsor & Eton Central and Windsor & Eton Riverside, both a short walk from the castle.
Rules and closures
The castle is a working royal palace and can close at short notice for official events. Check opening days before you travel.
What can go wrong
You buy on the day: £4 more per adult.
The castle is closed on your weekday: check first.
Saturday afternoon: busy in our data.
What one adult really spends
Level
What's included
One adult
Planner
Advance ticket
£32
Walk-up
On-the-day ticket
£36
Plus the train from London. A child 5-17 adds £16 in advance.
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other. Crowd figures come from our own crowd data. Prices last checked 2 November. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
Saturday, 11 am-5 pm
When
What to expect
Verdict
Weekdays, 10-11 am
A steady flow of visitors, short waits at the main spots. Fairly even with the rest of the day.
Best
Weekdays, 11 am-3 pm
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Peak sightseeing hours, when most visitors are on site.
Worst
Weekdays, 3-6 pm
A steady flow of visitors, short waits at the main spots. Crowds thin out after the midday peak.
Best
Saturday and Sunday
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Busier than weekdays, as locals join the visitors.
Worst
📍 Live crowd check
See how busy Windsor Castle is right now, plus today’s hourly forecast.
