Tours of Oxford
Explore the city and colleges in the company of an official and highly qualified guide, either by open topped bus or on foot.
Official Guided Walking Tours of Oxford
Walking tours of the city centre, conducted by the Guild of Guides, depart from the Oxford Information Centre (unless otherwise stated) and last between 1.5 and 2 hours. As well as introductory guided walking tours, specially themed tours are also available – walk in Harry Potter’s footsteps or take in Oxford’s architecture.
Tickets, prices and more details are available from the Oxford Information Centre, 15-16 Broad Street, Oxford. Telephone 01865 252200. Numbers are limited to 19 people per tour and tickets are sold on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Introductory Tours
Current introductory walking tours of Oxford include:
University and City Tour
This is our most popular introductory tour, taken by the majority of visitors. The guide will lead you through the heart of the historic city centre illustrating the history of Oxford and its University and describing the architecture and traditions of its most famous buildings and institutions. This tour departs daily at 10.45am (except on Christmas Day & New Year’s Day) and 2pm with additional tours at 11am and 1pm in peak seasons. Tours at 10.45am may include the Divinity School except on a Saturday. This will be confirmed on the day.
Inspector Morse Tour
Follow in the footsteps of the city’s celebrated TV detective and his successor, Lewis, created by Oxford author Colin Dexter. Visit the scenes of their best-known cases with lots of lively anecdotes along the way. This tour departs at 1.30pm every Saturday.
Family Tour
Fun in Oxford for all the family! Take part in this informal tour and share in a light-hearted look at the surprises and delights Oxford has to offer children and adults alike. Have even more fun with our free activity sheet!
Themed Tours
Themed tours run on set dates and times from February to November. Contact the Oxford Information Centre for more details.
Current themed tours available include:
Alice Tour
Alice in Wonderland was inspired by Alice Liddell. She spent her early years in Oxford, and her friendship with Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, led to the writing of the two Alice books. Join this tour to explore their Oxford.
American Roots Tour
Find out about the many academic and cultural links between America’s past and present and Oxford. See college architecture that has been copied in American universities. Hear about Oxford scholars who have been founding fathers in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia, and American students who come to Oxford as Rhodes scholars.
C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien Tour
Two highly popular university lecturers and authors, friends J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis wrote some of the most popular books of the 20th century. Share the environment in which they studied, lived and spent their leisure time in their beloved Oxford.
Civil War Tour
Oxford in the Civil War was at the centre of the national stage, with King Charles making his Headquarters at Christ Church. Ramparts enclosed the city, college silver was melted down to make coins and Oxford became a garrison rather than a university town. Join this tour to hear more about life in Oxford during the Civil War.
Garden Tour
Oxford is full of gardens and parks open to the public. The vast expanse of Christ Church meadow, the magnificent University Parks, the Botanic Garden containing the scientifically important hybrid garden, as well as many hidden college gardens. Enjoy their varied beauty in all seasons from stunning carpets of spring bulbs, through magnificent summer herbaceous borders to glorious autumn leaves.
Gargoyles and Grotesques Tour
Symbols, emblems, motifs, animals and demons cling to the roofs and walls of delightful buildings in Oxford. Medieval and modern stonemasons used imagination and humour in creating a wealth of amazing stone carvings. Let our guide highlight the inventiveness and delights to be seen. Bring your binoculars!
Jewish Heritage Tour
Walk around what was once the medieval Jewish Quarter and learn about Jewish life in the city and significant events before the expulsion of 1290. Come up to date with the story of the Jewish population since the 17th century readmission and remarkable facts about the Jewish contribution to Oxford University in the 20th century.
Literary Tour
Over the centuries many famous writers: poets, novelists, critics and children’s authors have studied or lived in Oxford. Explore this rich heritage with one of our knowledgeable guides.
Magic, Murder and Mayhem Tour
An alternative tour of Oxford to find out about secret societies, alchemists, martyrs, traitors, rogues and criminals. Discover too, one of the world’s largest collections of amulets, talismans and magical items.
Oxford Children’s Stories Tour
Explore the Oxford of Alice and the Dodo, Lyra & Will, Prince Caspian & Aslan, characters created by well-known Oxford authors in Alice in Wonderland, The Northern Lights trilogy (filmed as the Golden Compass) and the Chronicles of Narnia. Delight in the make-believe, as you discover places which inspired Lewis Carroll, C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman amongst others.
Oxford Film Sites Tour
Oxford is one of Britain’s busiest and most instantly recognisable film and TV drama locations. See the backdrop for historical recreations and literary adaptations from fantasies to thrillers. Hear of the links with some of the biggest names in cinematic history.
Oxford’s West End Tour
The Western Quarter of Oxford is one of the city’s little known secrets containing a late 18th century prison, now a hotel, and the remains of a Norman Castle. There is evidence of occupation from the Bronze Age and the Roman period and of early Anglo Saxon settlements. The tour covers the area’s long history, its ancient buildings and riveting stories, where friars lived and beer was brewed.
Pottering in Harry’s footsteps Tour
Tour the locations where memorable Harry Potter scenes were shot and enter the magical wizarding world yourself.
Religion at Oxford Tour
Join this tour to learn how religion and faith shaped the early university. Follow in the footsteps of the martyrs, the founders of Methodism and the Oxford Movement, and Oxford’s recent saints.
Science at Oxford Tour
Take a fascinating tour to hear about the study of science at Oxford. By the 14th century Oxford was famous for the work of Bacon and Grosseteste and for developments in mathematics and astronomy. The 17th century saw Harvey, Boyle, Hooke and Halley make their respective ground-breaking discoveries. In the 20th century, it was the penicillin scientists under Professor Florey who made the greatest impact. Find about Oxford’s role at the leading edge of science right up to the 21st century.
Stained Glass Tour
The city of Oxford has some of the finest Stained Glass in the UK. Almost every style and period of English glass-painting is represented, from medieval to modern times including particularly beautiful 17th century windows and a wealth of 19th century glass particularly by William Morris and Co. Enjoy the opportunity of seeing some fascinating craftsmanship. Bring your binoculars!
Tudor Oxford Tour
The Tudor period roughly coincided with the great change in church life known as the Reformation. Walk and hear history in the making in Oxford, from Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries, Queen Mary’s persecution of Protestants for their faith, to Queen Elizabeth I’s encouragement of University revival.
William Morris & Victorian Oxford Tour
The Pre-Raphaelites were closely connected with Oxford. Edward Burne-Jones and Morris studied here and together with Holman Hunt, they left the city with some outstanding artistic works. Join a tour with emphasis on this delightful period of Victorian art.
Women in Oxford Tour
Learn about the many women connected with Oxford and how women fought to become accepted as full members of the University. From St. Frideswide, Patron Saint of Oxford to Empress Matilda; Dorothy Wadham, college founder; to future Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto to authors Dorothy L. Sayers and Iris Murdoch. Oxford owes much to its women and their story is a fascinating one.
Bus tours
Open top bus tours operate regularly through the city.
For a guided tour of Oxford and the colleges try the City Sightseeing Oxford Tour, with daily departures of every 15 minutes in the summer, every 30 minutes in the Winter.
Please also visit our special tours directory pages for links to individual tour company websites.