Windsor, Stonehenge & Oxford Full-Day Trip from London

Windsor Castle and the State Apartments

Windsor Castle has been a royal residence for more than nine centuries, since William the Conqueror began building it around 1070, and it is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. It is one of the official residences of the King, and the royal standard flies from the Round Tower when the monarch is in residence. A Windsor Castle tour is one of the best-known day trips from London, and the default option here includes your entry ticket.

Inside, the State Apartments are lavishly furnished and used for state occasions, and highlights include St George's Hall, the Grand Staircase and Queen Mary's Dolls' House. Because it is a working palace, opening arrangements can change with little notice, and the castle is normally closed to visitors on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Ask us about your date if the castle is important to you.

St George's Chapel and the town of Windsor

Within the castle grounds, St George's Chapel is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, begun in the 15th century and finished in the early 16th. It is the church of the Order of the Garter and the burial place of ten monarchs, including Henry VIII. It also hosted royal weddings in recent years. The chapel is closed to sightseeing on Sundays, when it is used for worship.

Outside the gates, the town of Windsor has cobbled lanes, cafes and views of the castle walls, and you can walk to the River Thames nearby. Windsor is the first stop of the day, so it is a gentle start before the drive west. Your guide explains what to see and how long you have, and your audio headset helps you stay with the group.

Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain

Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric monument in Britain, a ring of standing stones raised on Salisbury Plain around 5,000 years ago. The huge sarsen stones came from about 25 miles away, and the smaller bluestones were brought from the Preseli Hills in Wales, some 150 miles distant. How and why they were moved remains debated, and the alignment with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset suggests a ceremonial purpose.

The default option includes entry, so you can walk the path around the circle with the audio guide, which is available in ten languages. The visitor centre has a museum and reconstructed Neolithic houses, and a shuttle takes you between the centre and the stones. You can walk around the stones but not touch them. Allow about an hour, and note that the stop is short compared with a dedicated Stonehenge half-day trip.

Oxford, the city of dreaming spires

Oxford has the oldest university in the English-speaking world, where teaching has taken place since the 11th century. Its skyline of towers and domes earned it the poet's name of the city of dreaming spires. Our guided walking tour of about 75 minutes takes you past the Bodleian Library, the round Radcliffe Camera, the Bridge of Sighs and the colleges, with stories of the scholars and writers linked to them.

Oxford is also familiar from film and literature. Christ Church inspired parts of the Harry Potter films and is linked to Alice in Wonderland, and many colleges appear in period dramas. College interiors are not included in the walking tour and are often closed to visitors, but the streets alone are worth the visit. After the tour you have free time for lunch and shopping before the drive back.