Castles · Tour

Private Windsor Castle Tour with Runnymede and the Magna Carta Memorial

The stop that sets this apart is Runnymede, which most Windsor half-day tours leave out. The Magna Carta was first sealed there by King John in 1215, and the meadow now holds two memorials: the Magna Carta statue, designed in 1957 to honour democracy and liberty and still tended by the American Bar Association, and the John F. Kennedy memorial, on an acre of ground the UK gave to the United States. Windsor Castle is the main visit. Thirteen acres, a family home to British kings and queens for over 1,000 years, and the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. Queen Elizabeth II spent most of her time here and is buried in St George's Chapel. The State Apartments are part of the route. Watch the flagpole on the Round Tower: the Royal Standard means King Charles III is in residence. The walking is what a private guide makes possible. Out of the castle and into the small town, the quaint streets and shops, including the narrowest street in the UK. Then along the Thames past the boats, the wildlife and the King's Swans, over the bridge that separates Windsor from Eton College, where Prince William went to school. There is a view of The Long Walk entrance, and one towards Frogmore, where Harry and Meghan once lived. On the way back to central London the drop-off can be Kensington Palace, with a walk through the Royal Kensington Gardens and an introduction to the grounds. Princess Diana lived there, as did William and Catherine with their young family before Windsor. Entry to the palace and museum is optional and by ticket only. The itinerary can be tailored, with a lunch stop added, or run as a layover tour from Heathrow.