Tours 

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. Tel: 01865 726871. 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 (2 hours)
The most popular introductory tour taken by the majority of visitors. The guide will take you through the heart of the historic city centre, illustrating the story of Oxford and it university. Describing the architecture and traditions of its most famous buildings and institutions. Tours depart daily at 11am and 2pm, with additional tours at busy times.

Family Tour (1.5 hours)
A delightful opportunity for all the family to enjoy Oxford. Maybe step in the footprints of a dinosaur, or be surprised at the strange and quirky treasures at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Discover the difference between a gargoyle and grotesque, or hear more about Lewis Carroll, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Philip Pullman and their creations. Tours depart during the school holidays at 1.30pm. Please check in advance for actual dates and note that there should be at least one adult to every four children.

Inspector Morse Tour (2 hours)
Follow in the footsteps of the city's celebrated TV detective, created by Oxford author, Colin Dexter. Visit the scenes of Inspector Morse's best-known cases, with lots of lively anecdotes along the way. Tours depart Saturdays at 1.30pm. Please note that this a very popular tour and advance booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.

Pub Tour (2 hours)
Learn about the history of Oxford's fascinating pubs and inns through the convivial atmosphere of an evening pub tour. Visit the hostelries where the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien, Churchill and C.S. Lewis drank; be regaled with pub tales and let yourself be introduced to the delight of English ales. Tours depart Wednesdays and 7pm.

Ghost Tour (1.5 hours)
Take a walk on the dark side of Oxford's streets and alleyways in search of the city's ghosts and ghoulish past. Tours depart Fridays and Saturdays from June to October inclusive 31st October (Halloween) at 7.45pm.

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:

Valentine's Oxford
That sweet city with her dreaming spires, how many have visited and fallen in love with Oxford. Muriel Beadle came to Oxford with her husband and wrote the book, 'These ruins are inhabited'; coming from America she could not believe that life existed behind these high walls. Could you?

Oxford Immortalised
Oxford has inspired scriptwriters and filmmakers. Discover the famous sights of Oxford made familiar by your favourite films and television programmes.

Inspector Lewis
The Morse series featured two symbols: Oxford and the red Jaguar. The latter has gone, as has its owner, leaving to his successor, Lewis, the great buildings of the city. The walk features many of the sites familiar from the filming.

Women in Oxford
This tour will revive the stories of many women connected to Oxford. From Saints to Mistresses: St Frideswide, Patron of Oxford; Medieval Empress Matilda; Mrs Wadham, instrumental in a college creation; future Prime Ministers Indira Ghandi, Margaret Thatcher, and famous authors from Dorothy Sayers to Iris Murdoch.

Literary Tours
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 knowledgable guides.

Oxford's West End
The Western Quarter of Oxford is one of the city's little known secrets containing a late 18th Century prison (now a hotel), the remains of a Norman Castle, the sites of the first college and the original Thames. There is evidence of occupation from the Bronze Age, the Roman occupation and early Anglo Saxon settlements where friars lived and beer was brewed. The tour covers the area's long history, its ancient buildings and riveting stories.

Stained Glass
The city of Oxford holds one of the finest collections of Stained Glass in the UK. Almost every style and period of English glass-painting is represented, from Gothic to modern times, including 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.

Pre-Raphaelites
The Pre-Raphaelites were closely connected with Oxford. From patron Thomas Combe, art critic John Ruskin, to artists Holman Hunt and Rossetti. Burne-Jones and Morris studied here, gained much inspiration from the medieval colleges and left the city with some outstanding works. Join a tour with emphasis on this delightful period of Vicotrian art.

Architecture
Oxford has as fine a collection of religious architecture as any place in Britain. Explore and enjoy buildings from the Saxon and Norman periods, to a vast domination of gothic architecture and wonder at the dedication of crafts people and patrons. See Classical, Victorian and Modern buildings - some of which are prime examples of their architectural periods.

Garden Tours
Oxford is full of gardens and parks open to the public. They include the vast expanse of Christ Church meadow, the oldest Botanic Garden in Britain with its great diversity of plant life, the magnificent University Parks, containing the scientifically important hybrid garden as well as many college gardens. Enjoy the varied beauty in all seasons.

Pottering in Harry's Footsteps
Many children's stories have been set in Oxford. Recently the city has been the location for some scenes from the films of the latest children's and adult's hero, Harry Potter.

J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien spent the majority of his life, from days as an undergraduate, as a lexicographer for OUP, as distinguished professor and eminent author in his beloved Oxford. Share the environment in which he lived, worked and found inspiration.

Philip Pullman
Both a student and resident of Oxford, author Philip Pullman has created a magic world in his Dark Materials trilogy. Explore the Oxford of Lyra and Will and the locations of the film, The Golden Compass.

C.S. Lewis
'Breezy, tweedy, beer-drinking and jolly' was John Betjeman's description of C.S. Lewis, the highly influential lecturer and celebrated author of The Nania Chronicles, The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity. This tour will follow a trail of some of Lewis' places of study, life and leisure in Central Oxford.

Charles Wesley
This walk celebrates the centenary of the birth of Charles Wesley who founded the Methodist Movement, whilst at Christ Church. His brother, John, was later to become the leader of this Movement, preaching in most of the city churches. Charles wrote the words of 6,000 hymns which reach outside the Movement, and remain popular today.

The Rivers and Rowing Regatta
Enjoy a walk around Christ Church Meadow, which has provided both an inspiration and place of relaxation for university members and townspeople alike. Walk beside the river Cherwell and along the Thames Path seeing the traditional annual competitive sport of colleges' bumping races.

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 indivdual tour company websites.