Private Tours
City and University Highlights Tour
Book a private guided tour of the main sights across both the city and University.
Itinerary
Meet your guide
Meet your guide at the Oxford Walking Tours sign on Broad Street. Alternatively, we are happy to meet you somewhere centrally in the city if you prefer, just let us know after you book.
Uncover the long history of Oxford
Your guide will walk you through more than a thousand years of history in the beautiful city centre, highlighting the architectural wonders, including the old city walls and the former execution square.
Learn about the founding of Oxford University
Oxford University emerged during a time of power, conflict, and tension in English history. On your tour, you will discover how a rural river town developed into a world-renowned academic centre.
Visit the Weston Library
Visit the beautiful Weston Library, the central library at the heart of the Bodleian Library system. The Weston Library is an architectural masterpiece and holds the archival gems of the University.
See the Old Schools Quad
Walk into the Old Schools Quad and learn about the construction of the first University libraries at the start of the Enlightenment. Your guide will point out the hidden messages in the architecture.
Visit the Divinity School (optional)
The Divinity School is a stunning building within the Old Schools Quad of the Bodleian Library. Visits must be booked in advance, but you can simply add the option at checkout.
Visit an Oxford college (optional)
Oxford has 43 colleges, each with its own unique history, design, and culture. You can choose which college you would like to visit at checkout, or simply ask your guide on the day.
Discover a hidden pub
Oxford is a city full of secrets, and your guide will lead you through the hidden alleyways of the old town, uncovering where bloodshed ravaged the city during the English Civil War, and discovering a hidden pub that once hosted illegal gambling dens.
Themed tours and specialty experiences
Why book a private tour?
A bespoke, private tour is the best way to get know Oxford. You will have the full attention of a local knowledgeable guide and access to more spaces across the city – small groups can often enter buildings that larger ones cannot.
Pique your curiosity as you wander through the limestone landscape of this beautiful city and listen to one of our expert guides. Learn about the historic rivalry between the city and university, the founding of various academic colleges, the many strange customs still practiced today during university ceremonies, and the continued legacy of many great thinkers who studied at Oxford.
All our tours are available for a private group booking and we are happy to focus on specific areas of interest you may have, whether its Harry Potter, CS Lewis/JRR Tolkien, literature in general, architecture, film and screen, politics or a specific college. We can also provide tours in French and in Italian.
Whatever you choose, we will curate the perfect bespoke tour right for you and tell the hidden stories that reveal the heart of one of the oldest university cities in the world.
“In spite of Keble College, and the tramways, and the sporting prints, Oxford still remains the most beautiful thing in England, and nowhere else are life and art so exquisitely blended, so perfectly made one”
- Oscar Wilde
STUDENT LIFE TOUR
Join us for the ultimate Oxford experience.
Conducted by either an alumnus or current student of the university, this tour will take you behind the gates of several Oxford colleges, exploring their beautiful quadrangles, cloisters, gardens, chapels, and dining halls. You will go into the breathtaking Divinity School and the Bodleian Library, explore the back streets of the medieval city and finish the tour with an intimate lunch with your guide at one of the most historic spots in Oxford - a favourite for students.
The cost of lunch is included in the price, and during term time, you will be dining amongst the students.
With a maximum group size of six, this detailed, premium tour lasts just under three hours, providing plenty of opportunity to soak up the full flavour of student life at Oxford. Your guide will provide you with unique personal insight into the myths and metaphors of undergraduate life, and you will hear their own personal experiences and anecdotes.
This tour is ideal for prospective students at Oxford (and/or parents thereof) as well as tourists, or residents who seeks more than a glimpsing experience of what life is really like as an Oxford University student.
Learn more about our tours
City & University Tour
Our classic tour will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the city and university, covering all the main highlights with a knowledgable and entertaining guide. Optional additional entry to one of the historic colleges can be added when booking.
Oxford Ghost Tour
Death is anything but dull and our specialist guides provide first-hand stories of Oxford’s streets which have played host to agony and horror, torment and terror for centuries. Our ghost tour is a fun and thrilling walk through the dark streets at night.
Harry Potter Tour
Discover the magical world of Harry Potter! We will take you into the medieval buildings that inspired the eight films and share some of the behind the scenes stories of student life at Hogwarts. Admission to New college and the Divinity Schools included.
Morse & Lewis Tour
In 1986, the iconic Inspector Morse hit the streets to investigate a set of brutal murders in Oxford. Learn more about this hit detective series as we show you around the key sites from the show and point out where the most iconic scenes were filmed.
C.S. Lewis & Tolkien Tour
Literature fans will enjoy this tour of the lives of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Walk with us as we unpack the friendship between these two literary giants and meet some of their most iconic characters.
Student Life Tour
Join us for the ultimate Oxford experience. Conducted by an alumni or current student, this small private tour takes you behind the gates of numerous Colleges and finishes with an intimate lunch in one of the most historic dining spots in the city.
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.