Things to Do in Windsor in September
September weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
September Weather in Windsor
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
75°F (24°C)
High Temp
60°F (15°C)
Low Temp
0.1 inches (3 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is September Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + September hands Windsor back to the locals. River cruisers still keep their full timetables. Yet half the summer hordes have vanished, leaving you elbow room on the French Brothers boat for unobstructed castle shots.
- + Hotel prices crash the moment the August bank holiday ends. Georgian piles along the Thames that demanded peak rates suddenly drop to sane levels, most of all those within 400 m (1,312 ft) of Windsor Bridge.
- + Early September paints the Long Walk gold. Horse chestnuts flanking the 4.8 km (3-mile) stretch from Windsor Castle to the Copper Horse statue swap green for bronze, gifting Instagram-ready frames minus the tour-bus scrum.
- + Windsor Great Park's deer range stays open until 7 pm all September, two bonus hours over October, serving warm evening light for shots and full-on rutting action from the red stags.
Considerations
- − September humidity sticks at 70 percent. That Thames Valley cling turns the climb up Castle Hill into a slog through soup by midday.
- − After the first September week, some riverside restaurants fold their terraces early. Prime-castle-view spots pull up waterfront seating sooner than you'd guess.
- − From mid-September, Changing of the Guard slips from daily to every other day. Miss the slot and you cool your heels 48 hours for the next full ceremony with band.
Best Activities in September
Top things to do during your visit
Thames riverside cycling routes
September's soft temperatures suit the 13 km (8-mile) riverside path from Windsor to Maidenhead. Morning mist lifts off the water while the trail stays dry, and you can slide into 17th-century pubs in Bray without jostling summer beer-garden crowds. The route ducks under three historic bridges and skirts the back gardens of Eton College rowing houses where students still pull oars at dawn.
Booking Tip: Reserve bikes 2-3 days ahead through local outfits (see booking section below). Weekday slots hold steady in September. Weekends draw London day-trippers. Pick providers who throw in helmets and Thames-side route maps.
Windsor Castle extended access tours
September is the final month of stretched summer hours. The State Apartments welcome visitors until 5:30 pm instead of 4 pm, and the masses thin sharply after 3 pm when tour groups head back to London. At 4:30 pm, September light cuts through St George's Hall stained glass at the exact angle for killer photos.
Booking Tip: Lock in castle tickets online 7-10 days ahead for September. Book direct for timed entry or grab tour packages that bundle transport from London (see booking section below). Show up 15 minutes early for security.
Eton College heritage walks
September brings fresh blood to Eton. Watch new boys in tailcoats sprint to 600-year-old classrooms during guided walks through the college's medieval lanes. Visitor numbers dip just as term starts, handing you unfiltered slices of life at the planet's most famous boarding school.
Booking Tip: College tours run twice on weekdays, once on Saturdays. Reserve 48 hours ahead through licensed guides with college access. September outings often swing through the rare book library, shuttered to visitors in October.
Windsor Great Park deer photography expeditions
September is rut month for the park's 500 red deer. Stags' guttural roars roll across ancient oak woods at dawn, and the herd stays on the move all day. The 7 pm closing time pours golden light without summer's harsh glare, and bracken flips to bronze for dramatic backdrops.
Booking Tip: Dawn outings (6:30 am start) deliver the best wildlife action. Book with naturalist guides who know deer habits and park rules. Check the booking widget below for small-group photo tours that supply tripods and telephoto lenses.
Thames afternoon tea cruises
September's steady skies make afternoon tea on the river a safe bet. Boats keep enclosed lower decks for passing showers but leave upper decks open for the 70 percent of afternoons that stay dry. You glide past Windsor's riverside mansions while working through scones and clotted cream, timing the run so you slip under Windsor Bridge as afternoon light strikes the castle walls.
Booking Tip: Reserve afternoon departures 3-5 days ahead. September dishes up ideal tea-cruise weather yet seats are scarce. Choose operators offering both indoor and outdoor tables (see booking section below).
Where to Stay in Windsor in September
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for September travellers.
September Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Mid September
Royal Windsor Horse Show
The royal calendar's last big hurrah lands mid-September inside the castle's private grounds. You can watch international show jumping in the same quadrangle where Prince Charles first sat a horse. The fixture packs in military displays with the Household Cavalry and hosts exclusive night sessions where floodlights turn the castle walls liquid gold.
Throughout September
Windsor Festival
This classical music festival fills September nights in venues from St George's Chapel to Eton College's 15th-century school hall. The chapel's Gothic vaults turn string quartets otherworldly. Evening concerts wrap in time for riverside suppers, and many gigs spill into post-show receptions in college courtyards.
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View Windsor Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Skip the obvious tourist strip for castle views. Instead duck behind Windsor Bridge into the warren of backstreets where 19th-century pubs like The Two Brewers hide upper-floor tables with direct sightlines to the battlements that most visitors never clock.
Arrive Tuesday through Thursday in September just after the gates open at 9:30 am and you'll find the crowds sliced in half compared with weekend mornings, leaving St George's Hall gloriously empty for unobstructed photographs.
Save on parking by slipping into the residential streets south of Windsor & Eton Central station after 10 am. The unrestricted bays sit only a seven-minute stroll from the castle gates and spare you the hefty premium charges.
Eton High Street's antique bookshops slash prices the week after students return each September, shops like Tunes of Eton wheel out crates of discounted rare travel books and vintage maps that make perfect castle-area souvenirs.
Avoid These Mistakes
Don't bank on the Changing of the Guard every day in September. From mid-month it drops to alternate days, and the smaller Guard Mounting ceremony without the band fills the gaps.
Reserve that riverside dinner table only after you've checked sunset times, September darkness falls by 7:30 pm, so an 8 pm booking forfeits the castle views you're paying premium prices for.
Leave the heels and dress shoes at the hotel. Cobblestone paths and the steep castle hill will chew them up, and you'll rack up more than 200 steps between the State Apartments and the Round Tower.
Book Experiences in Windsor
Top-rated things to do in Windsor this September
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