Day Trip to Winchester

Did you know that Winchester is the ancient capital of England? Whether you're interested in cathedrals, Jane Austen or King Arthur, there' just so much to see and do on a day Trip to Winchester from London Waterloo by train. (I've actually been several times!)

Winchester is an ancient city with a rich history. It has strong links to Jane Austen as she is buried there (and was born in Hampshire) and is also connected to King Arthur and his Knights.

Because a picture paints a 1000 words, here is my Winchester day trip Youtube vlog:

I personally find that taking a guided tour makes me enjoy a place a lot more as it gives more context to what I'm seeing: this Winchester walking tour brings you down the River and High Street to the Cathedral, whilst sharing about King Arthur's connection to Winchester. (Alternatively, there's also this other tour which has been known to proceed even when there's only 1 participant!)

There is an entrance fee for Winchester Cathedral, which has the longest medieval nave in England, but you can attend services for free. You can also take this guided tour of the Cathedral and Winchester Great Hall.

When we visited on 16 October 2025, there was a Jane Austen 250th Anniversary Commemoration service. (Jane Austen died in College Street and is buried in Winchester Cathedral.)

The service was very meaningful: besides the hymns, readings and The Lord’s Prayer, the highlight was the reading of the excerpts from Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, read by 2 actresses and an actor from the iconic 1995 BBC drama. (Joanna David- Mrs Gardner, Susannah Harker- Jane Bennet and Adrian Lukis- Wickham)

After the service, the newly commissioned Jane Austen statue (shown above), showing the author beside her writing desk, was unveiled.

Located in College Street/ Kingsgate Village, this is one of the oldest bookshops in England. It had a very enticing window display of Jane Austen's works. (Apparently, the Austen family had an account here so Jane likely bought her books from this shop!)

I bought a Blind Date with a book, which was quite fun (the book is wrapped so you don't know what book you'll get but you can choose based on topic, such as romance, fantasy etc.) I've seen this concept before, but it was £3 for a hardcover here, which felt quite reasonable.

Winchester City Mill

Have a drink and relax at the garden of this pretty ancient watermill, set along the Itchen River

The High Street

The High Street has some quaint historic houses and a few independent shops. However, I personally wouldn't travel to Winchester just for the shopping. (I prefer the Covered Market in Oxford.)

With its rich history, Winchester has its share of ghosts and hauntings: take this ghost tour to hear all about the dark side of this beautiful town!

Housed in a 13th-century gatehouse, The Westgate Museum has panoramic views of the city. This small museum features exhibits about the city’s medieval defences, and the admission ticket also give you entry into The Great Hall, which is home to King Arthur’s Round Table.

Winchester City Museum

Here you can learn about the city's history, from the Iron ages to the time of Alfred the Great.

This lovely restaurant is housed in a medieval building with oak beams. It actually stands lower than the road so you have to stoop and step down to get in!

We ordered the set lunch which was very tasty: pumpkin ginger soup & terrine for starters (healthy and creamy for a cold day) then the mains of venison casserole and flounder.  

On some of my train trips (e.g. Guildford and Boys Hall), the meals have been rather lacklustre, but I'm happy to report that this was not the case here and we'd love to return for the food!

The service was also great, the interiors beautifully quirky in the most British of ways, and the ambience cozy.

Even the toilets were elegantly decorated- there was an antique chandelier hanging in the toilet!

It's a direct train from London Waterloo to Winchester, taking just over an hour (About 1 hour 10 minutes.)

There are taxis outside the station but you don't need them as Winchester train station is within easy walking distance of Winchester Cathedral and the city centre.

Almost everyone! There is so much to see and appreciate in this cathedral city that is chock full of historic sites.

Plus, as 2 female travelers of color, we felt safe during our daytime explorations of the city centre.

Any questions about visiting Winchester? Let me know in the comments!