Add dates

Oxford Walking tours

Our most recommended Oxford Walking tours

Oxford: University and City Walking Tour with Alumni Guide

1. Oxford: University and City Walking Tour with Alumni Guide

Step inside Oxford University and explore the grounds on a guided walking tour. Admire the iconic architecture and learn about university life from your student guide. Visit one of the university’s oldest colleges and the Bodleian Library. Learn about the history of the university colleges, including All Souls College, Trinity College, Oriel College, Hertford College, and Merton College, the Radcliffe Camera, and the University Church of St. Mary. Get an equally in-depth history of the town. Hear about ceremonies at Oxford, famous graduates, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and also how the most powerful Archbishop of Canterbury was burned at the stake in Oxford.

Oxford: University and City Walking Tour

2. Oxford: University and City Walking Tour

Join a university-educated guide, with years of experience and local knowledge of Oxford City and colleges. See the dreamy spires of one of the oldest universities in the world on a guided walking tour. Go inside some of the city’s most historic colleges, such as New College, founded in 1379 and more recently seen in the Harry Potter films and television productions of Inspector Morse and Lewis. Visit Exeter College, founded in 1314, and another favorite on most tours. Stop by Hertford College, with its romantic façade and Bridge of Sighs, instantly recognizable from Brideshead Revisited. See the University Library and learn about the collegiate system unique to Oxford and Cambridge. Discover famous alumni who studied and taught at the university, including the infamous Dr Spooner, whose portraits hang in New College Dining Hall and whose name is given to the playful linguistic phenomenon of spoonerisms.

Oxford: Harry Potter Tour with Divinity School Entry

3. Oxford: Harry Potter Tour with Divinity School Entry

Follow in the footsteps of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and other characters from the Harry Potter movies. J.K. Rowling applied to study at Oxford University and so she was familiar with Oxford. When they were producing the films, Rowling walked the producers around Oxford, pointing out various sights which they could use, such as the statue that looks like 'Nearly Headless Nick', and Turf Tavern Lane, which looks like Knockturn Alley. This tour showcases where the Harry Potter movies were filmed in Oxford. It includes entry to the Divinity School film site, where they filmed the classroom, dance, and infirmary scenes. You will be passing the city's famous sights and colleges from the outside. You will also be provided with lots of insights about the actors, the producers and about JK Rowling's inspirations. As you walk around, you will take part in a Harry Potter quiz to test your knowledge of the books and films. The guide will also describe how student life in Oxford compares with Hogwarts.

Morse, Lewis and Endeavour Walking Tour of Oxford

4. Morse, Lewis and Endeavour Walking Tour of Oxford

Go beyond the dreaming spires of Oxford and explore the university city from a different perspective. Follow in the footsteps of the TV series "Inspector Morse" and its spin-off shows "Lewis" and "Endeavour." Enter the fictional world of the author Colin Dexter and his famous detectives as you visit sites where scenes were filmed in the old city center. Start at the stone monument of the Martyrs' Memorial outside Balliol College, and continue to venues such as the luxury Randolph Hotel and the traditional White Horse pub. Venture down Broad Street, learn about the streets and other places familiar to fans of Morse, and get behind-the-scenes information about how the characters were developed.

Oxford Uni: Walking Tour Led By Alumni w/ opt Christ Church

5. Oxford Uni: Walking Tour Led By Alumni w/ opt Christ Church

Walk through pivotal moments of in Oxford history in this tour of Oxford University. Follow your Alumni guide and hear stories about the campus and admire architectural masterpieces.  See the lamp-post which inspired the world of Narnia and the architecture which inspired the book His Dark Materials. Marvel at some of the world’s greatest examples of Gothic and Baroque architecture. Enter Bodleian Library, which is one of the oldest in Europe and go into Jesus College.  Discover Oxford from a graduate that has first-hand experience with going to and getting into this prestigious institution. Enjoy hearing about what students really get up to on this classic 90 minute tour.

Oxford Castle and Prison: Guided Tour

6. Oxford Castle and Prison: Guided Tour

Step into 1,000 years of Oxford’s history with a costumed tour guide. Climb the Saxon St. George’s Tower, descend deep underground into the 900-year-old Crypt, explore the Victorian Prison D-Wing and Debtors' Tower, and scale the Mound of the 11th-century Motte-and-Bailey castle. Built in 1071 and only closed in 1996, Oxford Castle & Prison is a site with so many fascinating tales to tell. From the modern day stretching all the way back to the barbaric medieval era. The site has links to the birth of education in Oxford, the famous legends of King Arthur, the valiant escape of Empress Matilda and the infamous modern-day cases of murderers and criminals. For hundreds of years, the site has held both famous and infamous residents, serving time as a religious site, a home for royalty, and a center of justice as the county jail. After your 50-minute tour, you will be led into the exhibition wing where you can explore at your own leisure.

Oxford: Morse/Lewis and Endeavour Walking Tour

7. Oxford: Morse/Lewis and Endeavour Walking Tour

Meet your qualified green (or blue) badge guide at Martyrs Memorial on St Giles for a 2-hour walking tour of Oxford with emphasis on the filming of Morse/Lewis and Endeavour. Your guide will give a brief introduction to the city and the university, and from here you will head off through the very heart of Oxford to explore locations associated with the filming. You will see many of the colleges (from the outside), as well as The Bodleian Library, Old Schools Quadrangle, The Weston Library and The Radcliffe Camera.  Other sites will include The Bridge of Sighs and many of the pubs where the words ‘pint Morse’ were often spoken! Each tour is different, a script is not followed, and the best route will be chosen on the day to give you the very best experience.

Oxford: Inspector Morse Lewis Endeavour Small Group Tour

8. Oxford: Inspector Morse Lewis Endeavour Small Group Tour

Join a guided tour around Oxford to discover the sights visited by Inspectors Morse, Lewis, and Endeavour on the hit TV show, Inspector Morse, filmed at approximately 100 locations in Oxford. Visit colleges at the University of Oxford. This tour is aimed at fans of Inspector Morse, Lewis, and Endeavour, but even if you are not a big fan, this tour is still a good opportunity to get insights into the University of Oxford and the history and traditions of each college you visit. Get to know Oxford city and the university's heritage as you take an in-depth look at John Dexter's characters. Dive into his vision for his characters as you explore places visited in the series.

Oxford: Christ Church Harry Potter Film Locations Tour

9. Oxford: Christ Church Harry Potter Film Locations Tour

Enjoy a walking tour introducing the making of Harry Potter in Oxford and an audio-guided tour inside Christ Church College. See and hear about both Harry Potter and Lewis Carroll’s legendary characters, such as Alice and the Mad Hatter.  First, admire the views of Christ Church Meadows. Take in the borders of the rivers of Cherwell and Isis. Next, see longhorn cattle graze and the dreamy spires of Merton College and Corpus Christi. Then, see the Bodleian Library, one of the oldest libraries in Europe. See Christ Church's cloisters and staircase that were used as inspiration for the Great Hall, or visit New College. Also enjoy entry to either the Divinity School or the New College film site.

Oxford: Official University and City Walking Tour

10. Oxford: Official University and City Walking Tour

Explore Oxford, the city of Dreaming Spires, on a walking tour with an expert guide from the city’s tourism board. Be shown the city’s most famous sights, uncover its hidden history, and enjoy all the astonishing stories about Oxford's key characters- real and fictional. Meet your guide at the grand and very old Broad Street (once the city's ditch) let them know where you come from and any special Oxford interests you may have and they will do their best to incorporate those.  Go to Martyrs' Memorial, the scene of terrible religious retributions in medieval times, and on to the oldest tower at St Michael of the Northgate built in Saxon times. Then, make your way to the very heart of the University and the inspiration behind Harry Potter's Hogwarts School. Pass by the pubs where the Inklings used to meet to discuss their writing as well as the pubs where Inspector Morse was filmed and the most popular student drinking holes in days of old. Discover the city that is home to several of Britain's most famous literary characters - both fictional and real - such as JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, Philip Pullman, and Colin Dexter as well as some of their most famous creations like Lyra and Will, and Inspector Morse. Admire Oxford's stupendous architecture, gargoyles and grotesques, so wonderfully preserved from every historical period and style, and take a stroll through the breathtaking Radcliffe Square. Cross the whimsical Bridge of Sighs as it's fondly known, just like the ones in Venice and Cambridge. See the Bodleian Libraries from the outside in the splendid Old Schools Quadrangle. Learn about the city’s famous museums including the Museum of the History of Science, containing Einstein's blackboard, The Pitt Rivers, once home to shrunken heads, and the fabulous Ashmolean, which was one of the very first ever museums in the world. If time allows, walk as far as to the beautiful Christ Church Meadows, where punting happens and cattle graze; a truly pastoral and quintessential English scene.

38 activities found
Sort by:
Page 1 of 3

Frequently asked questions about Oxford

What are the best day trips and excursions from Oxford?

The best day trips and excursions from Oxford are:

Burford

What are the best deals and discounts on activities and attractions in Oxford?

Other Sightseeing Options in Oxford

Want to discover all there is to do in Oxford? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Oxford

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 3,490 reviews

The tour was excellent, we enjoyed finding out the history of the places we have seen and the guide, Rob, was amazing and he answered all the questions.

Tom was wonderful. Vast knowledge of Morse, Endeavor and Oxford colleges. I would highly recommend him.

we enjoyed the whole tour. we learned so much about oxford from out tour guide.

Amazing well done. Guide‘s knowledge of the area and advice was superb.

Guide was extremely well informed and very articulate.