Royal Christmas & Virginia Water and Windsor Castle - Deer Park 24km

📏 Key Info:
• Distance: 15 miles (24km)
• Grading: Intermediate
• Ascent: 280m
• Hiking time: 6 to 6.5 hours
• Cost: £31 plus Eventbrite fee they charge including the guided hike and return train travel, click “Get Tickets” to join.

Payments are refundable upto 7 days in advance, after that they are non refundable and non transferrable.

• Toilet Breaks: On the train back, mid hike, and at the end pub

📍 Meeting Point
• Location: Paddington station. Meet at the entrance of the main ticket office - MAP
• Time: Meet 8:10am, leave 8:25am for the 8:38am train
• Return: 6:21pm arrival back in London (you’re committed until then)

🌟 Highlights
• Admire Windsor Castle from outside — the world’s largest inhabited castle
• Explore the exquisite Windsor Great Park, with lakes, ponds and a vast deer park
• Visit Cumberland Lodge, a 17th-century royal residence
• Discover Virginia Water Lake, designed as a royal pleasure ground
• Wander through the enchanting Valley Gardens with landscaped flower valleys
• Experience the iconic mile-long view of The Long Walk towards Windsor Castle

🥾 Hike Description
Our royal adventure begins in the town of Windsor, where we pass the mighty Windsor Castle, dating back nearly 1,000 years and still home to the Royal Family today. From here we set out along the world-famous Long Walk, a spectacular tree-lined avenue stretching through the Royal Estate’s Windsor Great Park, heading towards the 17th-century Cumberland Lodge.

The route then takes us into woodland trails and past tranquil lakes including Obelisk Pond and Wick Pond, before reaching the picturesque Virginia Water Lake. Originally created as a royal pleasure ground, its shores are among the park’s most scenic spots. Nearby we explore the magnificent Valley Gardens, a series of landscaped valleys filled with vibrant displays of flowers and exotic plants.

Continuing through the vast deer park, we may spot some of the park’s 500 free-roaming deer as we cross sweeping lawns framed by ancient oak trees and wide vistas. The park’s 5,000 acres are steeped in history and were once the private hunting grounds of the monarchy.

Our return route takes us once again along the Long Walk, offering one of the most iconic views in England — the straight mile-long avenue leading directly to Windsor Castle, framed by its grand towers in the distance. We finish back in Windsor town, concluding a hike filled with royal landscapes, historic landmarks and timeless views.

🧭 Guide:
• Leader: GRAHAM
• Contact (hike day only): 07796 098487

🍽️ Food:
• Bring a packed lunch
• Pub visit after the hike (drinks optional)

🎒What to Bring
• Hiking boots/shoes
• Water (2 litres minimum)
• Packed lunch
• Waterproofs (jacket and trousers)
• Hat and gloves if cold
• Train tickets are arranged – just meet us at the meeting point

⚠️ Safety
Your guide is a trained hike leader and Outdoor Activity First Aider

❓ Want to Know More?
• New to Our Trips? (perfect for first-timers, answers “what to expect”)
• About Us (who Outdooraholics are, credibility, history)
• FAQs (covers common queries)

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