Visiting Oxford
Our guide to visiting Oxford
Are you thinking of visiting and need some guidance about what to do in Oxford, where to stay, or how to make sure you see all the highlights of the city? This page is the perfect guide to visiting Oxford, with all the information you will need about travelling to the city, picking your accommodation, and deciding which sites to visit.
We reccommend all visitors begin with an Oxford walking tour - our City and University tour runs daily and serves as the perfect introduction to the city for visitors, while our Student Life Tour provides an immersive experience with a current student or University alumnus as your guide. We guarantee entry into one of the most historic Oxford colleges on our tours, and will provide you with the perfect introduction to both the city and the University of Oxford.
Getting to Oxford
By Train
Getting to Oxford by train is easy. Trains leave from both London Paddington and London Marylebone stations, taking between 1-1.5hrs total.
Simply get off at Oxford station.
We recommend booking your ticket early through Trainline, to ensure the best price. Expect to pay about £34.00 for a return ticket, but sometimes there are sales and you can set a price alert.
By Bus
Taking a bus to Oxford is usually the most economical and flexible option.
The Oxford Tube bus runs every 10 minutes, leaving from a number of different stops in London, including Victoria, Marble Arch, Notting Hill Gate, and Shepherd’s Bush.
Travel takes between 2-2.5hrs depending on where you are located in London and a return ticket costs £18.00-£20.00.
By Car
If you are driving into Oxford, there are several options for parking.
The easiest and least expensive option is to use one of the four Park and Ride car parks, then take a bus in. Parking costs vary but are around £5.00 for the day, including a return bus ride.
Other options include the Westgate Car Park (£4.20/hour), the Gloucester Green car park (about £5.00/hour), and the Oxpens car park (£3.90/hour).
How to visit Oxford University?
Many people ask us how they can take a tour of Oxford University. The answer is easy - take a tour with us!
All our tours go into the University of Oxford - and our Student Life tour is always led by a current student or university alum.
Tours of Oxford University are not offered by all companies - many of the tour companies in the city do not want to cover the cost of admission to a college. We do. We have been working closely with the University and its colleges since we started giving tours many decades ago, which means we know the best sites to visit, how to get into all the colleges, and the secret sites with the most beautiful views and interesting stories.
Our City and University tour runs daily and will give you the perfect introduction to Oxford. If you want to go a bit deeper, we offer regular themed tours as well, including a Harry Potter Tour, Literary Tours, evening ghost tours, and special seasonal tours. Check out our full tour schedule, or explore further to learn what we cover on each tour.
Where to stay
There are a lot of different options in Oxford, but for a truly excellent experience, we recommend these:
Best Location
This brand new hotel in the heart of the city features 101 rooms and is perfectly located for easy access to all the central city sites.
You can walk to our location in under 3 minutes for the City and University tour.
Luxury Self Catering
These two historic five star properties are centrally located and offer exclusive accommodation for travellers who want their own hideaway in the vibrant heart of Oxford.
Avoid the crowds and book an exclusive private tour to complement your stay!
Most Haunted
This historic building has been converted into a luxury hotel, but still hosts one of the most notorious ghosts in the city.
Learn more about its haunted history on our Oxford Ghost tour!
The Student Experience…
When the students are out of term, colleges offer bookings in dormatories. We recommend booking early!
Why not combine your stay with one of our immersive Student Life tours?
Where to eat
Famous Pubs
Turf Tavern
White Horse
The Bear
Local Independents
The White Rabbit
Gees
Parsonage Grill
Uniquely ‘Oxford’
The Perch
Randolph Hotel
Malmaison Bar & Grill
Top things to do
Visit the Duke Humphries Library
A trip to Oxford isn’t complete without a tour of the historic Duke Humphries library, used as the forbidden section of the Hogwarts library.
Tours are run exclusively by the Bodleian librarians and can be booked on their website. They sell out fast so we reccommend booking ahead!
Visit one of the university colleges
The University of Oxford has 43 constituent colleges. Not all of them are open to the public, but many allow visiting during set hours or for a fee. Here are our top recommendations.
New College
Balliol College
Christ Church College
St. Hugh’s College
Visit the Oxford University website for full information on visiting each college.
Visit the covered market
The covered market is one of the central markets in the city, full of local independent shops, produce, and vendors with a number of interesting items to view.
Find entrances on High and Market streets.
Visit Blenheim Palace
A trip to Oxford isn’t complete without a visit to the spectacular Blenheim Palace. Located just up the road in Woodstock, you can visit and learn about its long history as the residence to the Duke of Marlbourgh and as the ancestral home and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
We offer half and full day tours of the Palace, get in touch to book.