Inner Hall at Windsor Castle revealed and Queen Mary's Dolls' House reopens

WINDSOR CASTLE

Windsor Castle’s Inner Hall, created by George IV in the 1820s as a space to receive official guests, has been restored and opened to the public.

Now, for the first time since its closure by George’s niece, Queen Victoria, the Inner Hall serves its original purpose as a magnificent welcome area for visitors to the Castle. From the Inner Hall, visitors can explore the State Apartments and Semi-State Rooms, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and the newly-revealed State Entrance hall, which is also a new addition to the visitor route. From here, for the first time, visitors can see the State Entrance, where guests of Her Majesty The Queen are welcomed to Windsor, and enjoy the spectacular view of the two-and-a-half mile Long Walk, created by Charles II in the 1680s. The opening of the Inner Hall coincides with the reopening of Queen Mary's Dolls' House, which had been closed whilst these restoration works took place. In this area we have also completed new toilet facilities, ensuring that visitors to the Castle have the best possible experience. LEARN MORE

24 Hour Hop On Hop Off Tour Around London and Trip to Windsor Castle

Highlights

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• Hop on Hop off service with over 60 stops on 3 different routes
• All Open Top buses and coaches include free Wi-Fi
• FREE Walking Tour (Worth £10) Voucher Valid for Two Days
• FREE River Thames Boat Ride (Worth £7.15)
• The Best London Sights
• Live English Speaking Guide on the Essential Route
• Entry to Windsor Castle State Apartments with Return Transportation
• Audio Guides in many languages available
• The two parts of this package can be used on different days.
• View Details - Buy Tickets

Description

Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
See London at your leisure! This 24 hour hop on hop off bus tour gives you the freedom to experience London and do what you want, when you want to.

Check out St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street and much much more. The choice is yours!

The Routes
The Essential Tour (Blue route): Covering all the main Central London sights, this route includes a live English speaking guide! See Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and so much more, as your live guide informs and entertains every step of the way.
The Classic Tour (Red route): Covers all the main Central London sights and visits London’s Museum Quarter.
The Grand Tour (Orange route): This route passes Madame Tussauds and Kings Cross, as well as many other Central London sights.
The Pick Up/Drop Off Route (Yellow route): Operating in the morning, this route travels from the popular hotel districts to Central London

Click here to view route map

Windsor 
Windsor Castle is the Queen’s favourite weekend residence, and this is your chance to find out why! See the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world during this afternoon tour and bask in the fortress’s royal setting.

Have a peek at the lavish State Apartments and St George’s Chapel. The State Apartments display the impressive artwork by celebrated painters Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci! Where St George’s Chapel is the resting place for many past monarchs, including Henry VIII and his favourite wife Jane Seymour, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother

This tour is unescorted and you will spend approximately 2 hours in Windsor Castle.

From London - Windsor Express - Morning Departure

Highlights

• Round trip transfer from central London on a luxury Mercedes-Benz coach
• 4 hour stay in Windsor
• Free map of Windsor
• Free "Envy" card - offering up to 30% discount in retail outlets in Windsor Royal Shopping only
• Flexible entry ticket to Windsor Castle: see Queen Mary's Dolls House and visit St. George's Chapel 
• Audio Guide available in nine languages 
• More Information - Book This Tour

Windsor

Historic Windsor is crowned by the stunning Windsor Castle - the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Linked by the beautiful River Thames, this Royal Borough boasts a rich mix of history, culture, heritage making it a 'must see' for any visit to the UK.

At Windsor Castle itself, you can enjoy the magnificent State Apartments, the 14th-century St. Georges Chapel, and the stunning castle grounds.

Our 'Windsor Express' offers guests a direct service from central London at an easy pace with extra time to explore: you can either include or exclude the Castle entry by choosing one of our flexible options below.

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Windsor Castle and The London Eye

More Information and Booking

Highlights:

Morning tour to Windsor Castle
Visit the State Apartments, St. Georges Chapel and Queen Mary's Dolls House
Free time to explore Windsor town and buy souvenirs
Transportation To The London Eye
The Tour:

After your courtesy pick-up, we head out to Windsor Castle where over 900 years of royal history are waiting for you. From William the Conqueror all the way through to our current Queen, successive monarchs have lived here and left their mark on what is now the largest continuously occupied castle in the world. Your ticket allows entrance to the castle, so you can see for yourself the splendour of St. Georges Chapel and the sumptuous state apartments. Windsor itself is a pretty town full of traditional shops and historic pubs. Shakespeare is said to have written his play The Merry Wives of Windsor in one of them!

London Eye

A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye's capsules can see up to 40 kilometres in all directions

It took seven years and the skills of hundreds of people from five countries to make the London Eye a reality.  The London Eye can carry 800 passengers per revolution - equivalent to 11 London red doubled-decker buses. Each rotation takes about 30 minutes, meaning a capsule travels at a stately 26cm per second, or 0.9km (0.6 miles) per hour - twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting; allowing passengers to step on and off without the wheel having to stop.

The height of the London Eye is 135m (equivalent to 64 red telephone boxes piled on top of each other) making it the fourth tallest structure in London after the BT Tower, Tower 42 and One Canada Square in Canary Wharf.

Queen Mary's Doll House

Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is the largest, most beautiful, and most famous dolls’ house in the world. Built for Queen Mary, consort of King George V, by the leading British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1921 and 1924, it includes contributions from over 1,500 of the finest artists, craftsmen and manufacturers of the early 20th century. From life below stairs to the high-society setting of the saloon and dining room, a library bursting with original works by the top literary names of the day, a fully stocked wine cellar and a garden created by Gertrude Jekyll, no detail was forgotten – the Queen’s Dolls’ House even includes electricity, running hot and cold water and working lifts. Each room, is fully furnished in every way, and waiting to be explored.

The Dining Room of Queen Mary's Doll House, Windsor Castle

Perambulator

c.1924
The International Baby Carriage Stores
Enamelled metal and leather
11.9 x 10.5 x 6.0 cm
Copyright reserved/The Royal Collection  
View The Main Wed Site

The Queen 60 Photographs for 60 Years opens today

The Drawings Gallery, Windsor Castle
4 February - 28 October 2012

2012 marks the Diamond Jubilee of the accession to the throne of Princess Elizabeth, on the death of her father King George VI on 6 February 1952. Queen Elizabeth II is only the second British monarch to have achieved this anniversary. Her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria (r.1837-1901) celebrated her own Diamond Jubilee in 1897. More...

Windsor Castle and Conquer the Tower tour

1 August - 30 September 2011

This brand new ticket includes standard admission to Windsor Castle and a guided tour to the top of the world-famous Round Tower.  From here, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the Castle and Windsor Great Park, the Thames Valley and the London skyline.

Important information when booking your ticket

The Conquer the Tower tour takes approximately 45 minutes and involves climbing 200 steps.

Sensible shoes must be worn.  Flip flops are unsuitable.

The tour is unsuitable for those suffering from vertigo (fear of heights) or claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces).

If you have any health conditions that may affect your ability to climb, we recommend that you consult your doctor before booking. 

Children under the age of 11 are not permitted to participate in the Conquer the Tower tour. Identification may be required.

Children between the ages of 11 and 16 inclusive must be accompanied in the ratio of one adult to every two children. Babies cannot be carried on the tour.

Please click here for more detailed guidelines.

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Windsor Castle

A visit to the Castle includes the State Apartments, St George's Chapel, Queen Mary's Dolls' House and a special exhibition to mark the 90th birthday of His Royal Highness Prince Philip (on 10 June 2011).

Visitor Information

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Windsor Castle, plus a Great Kitchen tour

1 August - 30 September 2011

This special combined ticket includes standard admission to Windsor Castle and a guided tour to the Castle's Great Kitchen.  The tour includes the State Entrance and the medieval Undercroft, areas not normally open to the public.

Important information when booking your ticket

Tickets for the Great Kitchen tour are timed. 

When booking your ticket, you will be asked to select the date of your ticket and then a time.  This time refers to the time slot of your Great Kitchen tour.

If you book a 10:45 Great Kitchen tour, you will have to visit the State Apartments after your guided tour.

You must arrive at Engine Court at least 15 minutes before your Great Kitchen tour start time (as printed on your ticket).

We regret late-comers cannot be admitted.

The guided tour is in English only.

The Great Kitchen tour may not be suitable for young children. 

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Exclusive Evening Tour of Windsor Castle

Enjoy an exclusive visit to Windsor Castle, once the doors have closed to the public.  Explore the sumptuous State Apartments in the company of an expert guide and go 'behind the ropes' in selected rooms.

Visitor Information

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Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo 2011

Organisers of the Royal Tattoo have today announced that France will take part in this year’s military musical spectacular in the private grounds of Windsor Castle (12-15 May 2011.) 250 personnel from the French Army, Navy, Air Force and Gendarmerie will come together to perform alongside the UK’s Armed Forces for the first time in the event’s history. The Band of The French Foreign Legion, The Mounted Band of La Garde Republicaine, The French Navy Celtic Band and The French Air Force Band are all set to perform.