Oxford Official University & City Walking Tour
Walk through Oxford's colleges, hidden alleyways, and literary landmarks with a guide from the city's official tourism board.
- Guided by an expert from Oxford's official city tourism board
- See the Saxon-era tower of St Michael at the Northgate
- Pass Harry Potter filming locations including New College and Christ Church
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Passengers
Morning Uni & City Tour
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September 2026
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What's included
- Guided walking tour of Oxford
- Official city tourism board guide
About this ticket
Your guided walking tour begins in the morning, exploring the heart of Oxford and its university. You'll see the key university and library buildings from the outside while your guide points out architectural highlights. The tour runs with a small group.
What's not included
- Entry to colleges and university buildings
Practical info
This tour is booked for a specific date and morning timeslot and runs rain or shine. Meet your guide outside the Cool Britannia Gift Shop at the junction of Broad Street and Turl Street.
How to redeem
You will receive a PDF voucher. Show the voucher to your guide, who will be holding a sign at the meeting point. The What3Words location for the meeting point is ///visit.blues.text.
Important notes
- This ticket is non-refundable once booked.
This is the morning option for the official guided walk through Oxford's university and city centre.
Choose your date
September 2026
Change the date or party above
Afternoon Uni & City Tour
This is the afternoon option for the guided walk, with the possibility of visiting a college interior.
Guided walking tour of Oxford · Official city tourism board guide · Attempted visit to a college interior
Non-refundable
Check dates for price
What's included
- Guided walking tour of Oxford
- Official city tourism board guide
- Attempted visit to a college interior
About this ticket
This walking tour runs in the afternoon and covers Oxford's main university sights from the outside. Your guide will also try to include a visit inside one of the colleges, such as St John's, Jesus, or Wadham, although this cannot be guaranteed. The tour runs with a small group.
What's not included
- Guaranteed entry into any college
Practical info
This tour is booked for a specific date and afternoon timeslot and runs rain or shine. Meet your guide outside the Cool Britannia Gift Shop at the junction of Broad Street and Turl Street.
How to redeem
You will receive a PDF voucher. Show the voucher to your guide at the meeting point. The What3Words location for the meeting point is ///visit.blues.text.
Important notes
- This ticket is non-refundable once booked.
- A visit to a college interior is attempted but is not guaranteed.
This is the afternoon option for the guided walk, with the possibility of visiting a college interior.
About this experience
Oxford's mix of ancient colleges, cobbled lanes, and centuries-old pubs comes with more stories than any one visitor could uncover alone. This walking tour, led by a guide from Oxford's own tourism board, starts on Broad Street and winds through the city center and university grounds, pointing out details easy to miss and explaining the history behind the buildings you're standing in front of.
You'll pass the Martyrs' Memorial and St Michael at the Northgate, whose tower dates back to Saxon times, before heading into the heart of the university that inspired Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. Along the way, your guide points out the pubs where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis once met as the Inklings, and the old drinking holes that appear in Inspector Morse. The route also takes in Radcliffe Square, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Old Schools Quadrangle outside the Bodleian Libraries, with mentions of museums like the Ashmolean and the Museum of the History of Science.
This is a guided walking tour through Oxford's city center, built around the connections between its architecture, its university, and the writers who called it home. Your guide can tailor parts of the route to your interests, so it's worth mentioning anything in particular you'd like to see or hear about when you meet.
What to expect
The tour begins on Broad Street, where you'll meet your guide and have a chance to mention where you're from and anything specific you'd like the walk to cover. From there, you'll head to the Martyrs' Memorial and St Michael at the Northgate before moving into the university's core, passing colleges that inspired the look of Hogwarts and hearing about the real and fictional Oxford characters tied to the city, from Tolkien and Lewis to Inspector Morse.
The walk continues past Radcliffe Square, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Old Schools Quadrangle outside the Bodleian Libraries, with stories woven in about the city's museums and literary history. If time allows, the route extends to Christ Church Meadows, where punts drift along the river and cattle graze in the fields. Tours run in morning and afternoon slots, giving you the choice of when to explore.
Things to note
- Wear comfortable shoes, as the tour covers cobbled streets and uneven ground
- Bring a light rain jacket or umbrella, given the UK's changeable weather
- Choose between a morning or afternoon tour when booking
- Let your guide know of any specific Oxford interests at the start of the tour
- Most sights are viewed from the outside, so this is not a college interior tour
- Bring a bottle of water, especially if walking during warmer months
