How to Spend a Rainy Day in Windsor
The United Kingdom is one of the rainiest destinations in the world, and sometimes you’ll just have to make the most of the weather. Windsor is an easy day trip from London, less than an hour on the train from Paddington Station. Even if you end up visiting Windsor on a rainy day, there are still tons of things to see and do.
1. Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is one of the most visited sites not only in Windsor, but also in all of the United Kingdom. This is an ideal activity for a rainy day, as you could spend hours exploring all of the artefacts gifted to the Royal Family from foreign dignitaries. If you’re intent on visiting a specific room in the castle, it would be worth it to check in advance if it will be available for viewing. Since Windsor Castle is a working royal residence, parts of the castle may be closed for private events.
Admission to the castle also includes admission to St. George’s Chapel, which you may have seen in the royal wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The grounds of the castle are also beautiful and offer a great view over the town of Windsor. Admission costs between £25-£30 depending on the day of the week.
2. Rainy Day Lunch at Windsor & Eton Brewery
The Windsor & Eton Brewery is fantastic place to escape rainy weather. It’s just a short 10-15 minute walk from Windsor Castle. You can enjoy some of their classic British style beers in their tap house. They also have a kitchen serving pub food, so this could be a great place to grab lunch. Most of their beers are named after the towns of Windsor and Eton, such as Father Thames, Eton Boatman, and Knight of the Garter. My favourite is the Windsor Knot, their IPA-style beer.
You can also find their beers available on tap at restaurants across the city, such as Summer River House at Oakley Court.
3. Cocktails or Lunch at River House at Oakley Court
River House is an ideal spot for lunch or cocktails on a rainy Windsor day. They have a beautifully decorated riverside yurt, which will keep you dry, but still allow you to enjoy some peace and quiet on the River Thames. River House is a Soho House property, which means you’ll need a membership (or a friend with a membership) to gain access. This location is a bit different from some of the other Soho House properties across the UK. It was created to be a pop-up, with no permanent building or other club facilities.
It’s located on the estate of Oakley Court, a luxury hotel a few kilometres out of the city centre. If the rain holds up, it’s a lovely 40-minute walk through residential neighbourhoods and country roads. Ubers are also readily available throughout the city, and it costs about £7 to get from city centre to the Oakley Court hotel. Summer River House also serves a selection of beers from Windsor & Eton Brewery.
4. Windsor Double Decker Bus Tour
Try out an iconic British double decker bus that will take you through the sites of Windosr and Eton with Tootbus. It’s the perfect way to see all of the sites on a rainy day in Windsor.
Buses depart opposite the Theatre Royal and take you to sites such as Eton College, Datchet Village, Windsor Farm Shop, The Long Walk, and of course Windsor Castle.
The tour takes 60-minutes and costs £15 for an adult ticket. They can be purchased online in advance, or even from the driver on board any of the buses. Buses come every 30-minutes in the high season, and every 60-minutes in the low season.
5. Rainy Day Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is a quintessential British tradition, and the perfect thing to warm up on a cold, rainy day. Windsor has an array of options to suit everyone’s afternoon tea style. If you’re looking for something casual or low key after a large lunch, check out Enigma Café. It’s located in Eton, which is just across a short pedestrian bridge from the city of Windsor. It’s also a short walk from Eton College, the boarding school attended by many Prime Ministers, and even Prince William and Prince Harry.
If you’re looking for something a bit more traditional, check out Castle Hotel or MacDonald Hotel.
6. Eton College's Natural History Museum
If you happen to be visiting Windsor on a Sunday, you can visit Eton College’s Natural History Museum. The museum houses a collection of artefacts to support the learning of their pupils and other students across the UK.
They are only open to the public on Sundays from 2:30pm – 5:00pm, so you’ll have to wait for a return visit if you’re in Windsor from Monday – Saturday.
Admission to the museum is free, and highlights include their fossil collection, and their collection of over 1400 bird eggs.
7. Boat Ride on the Thames River
Explore the Thames River on a French Brothers boat cruise. The boat company has covered boats that will let you experience a piece of the British countryside while staying dry. The boats leave right from the city centre, just a short walk from Windsor Castle. The boat company offers a 40- minute tour with return back to central Windsor, or a 2-hour tour. The 40-minute tour costs about £10, and the 2-hour tour costs about £19.
Check Out my Rainy Day in Windsor video on TikTok
@buckethalffull How to spend a rainy day in Windsor 🌧🏰 #lovegreatbritain #windsorcastle #windsorandeton #windsoruk #visitwondsor #visitgreatbritain #visitengland ♬ Water Under the Bridge – Adele
If you’re spending some time in London, check out my other posts about afternoon tea at The Wolseley, and the Notting Hill Gin Tour with Gin Journey.
