Tolkien Lewis Walking Tour, with Magdalen College visit, + Alice!
Explore the fascinating world of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis on this guided walking tour through Oxford. See iconic locations such as Exeter College, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Bodleian Library, and Magdalen College, where the Inklings met. Discover how these writers inspired and helped one another. Enjoy a visit to Magdalen College, where Lewis spent nearly three decades. This tour provides a unique insight into the lives of these authors and the city that inspired them.
- 2.5 hour guided walking tour of Oxford’s literary landmarks
- Visit Magdalen College, where Lewis worked from 1925 to 1954
- Suitable for teenagers and adults; private tours are also available for families with young children
- Learn from an expert guide about the lives of Tolkien and Lewis and their friendship
- Learn how Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) met the young Alice Liddell at Christ Church College and how she inspired him to write Alice in Wonderland!
- Avoid the crowds - maximum group 12 people
Duration: 2 hr 30 min
- Free cancellation
Oxford Private Downton Abbey Tour Including Highclere Castle
This tour is perfect for any fan of Downton Abbey as it takes in more of the filming locations than most other day tours. With entry to Cogges Manor Farm and Highclere Castle's house, grounds and Egypt exhibit included in the cost of the tour, as well as Bampton, Swinbrook, and Shilton this is the ultimate one-day Downton Abbey experience. Starting and finishing, Oxford the tour makes it easy for you to explore the world of Downton Abbey as well as the history, and filming experiences of the locations that you will visit.
With an expert guide with years of experience in delivering Downton Abbey tours who is also incredibly passionate about the series, all of your questions will be answered by the time you return to your accomodation. While on the tour, you will also learn some behind-the-scenes secrets of how the series was filmed and, if you are lucky, meet some of the people who live in the places Downton Abbey also calls home.
Duration: 7 hours
- Private tour
3 Hour Private History Tour to Blenheim Palace in a Rolls Royce
Collected from Oxford in your chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce or Bentley, arrive in style at Blenheim Palace, where you'll spend a morning or afternoon educated and entertained by a former History master.
This is a short but fun-filled and informative, luxury tour.
Entry fees to Blenheim palace are excluded, but morning coffee or afternoon tea is included at Blenheim.
Maximum three people per tour.
Duration: 3 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
New College Oxford Harry Potter Insights PRIVATE TOUR Daily
Test your spell-craft & knowledge of all things Potter with our guide. We are the original Harry Potter in Oxford walking tour- find out why many others copied our success by joining our tour to find out all about how Oxford inspired Hogwarts and JK Rowling's influences and loads of insights about the actors, the producers and of course about Oxford too.
This tour includes entry to arguably one of the most appealing and one of the oldest and likely most haunted colleges called New college. At New college, you can marvel at the gorgeous medieval dining hall, chapel, cloisters, quadrangle and the medieval wall of the city. In the cloisters and garden is where several scenes were filmed in the Goblet of Fire,
Includes £12 entry fee to New college.
NOTICE: see what's Not Included section for partial closures!
10.45am TOURS TO BE BOOKED BY 20.30!
Duration: 1 hr 30 min – 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Cotswolds One Day Guided Cycle Tour - Private Groups
You will see more scenic beauty & experience nature better on a bike tour than by car. This tour is delivered only by myself, Alasdair and my local colleagues. I am the business owner of Visit Oxford Tours. However, for insurance purposes, these tours are actually booked to be conducted privately via myself as a self employed sole trader offering you a personal service. They are not delivered as a product delivered by Visit Oxford Tours Ltd. This legal distinction will be reconfirmed in writing whenever any booking is received.
Default itinerary is 10am to 5.30pm.
The Cotswolds is a scenic part of England located only 10 minutes by train from Oxford or less than 30 minutes tax ride from Oxford. Oxford is only 60 minutes from London Paddington station. It's my pleasure to share these sights & heritage with you on an active cycling tour.
Participants must be fit and aged 14+ as the Cotswolds roads are lots of up and down cycling but the scenery plus the villages here are beautiful.
Duration: 7–8 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
2 Hour Private Walking Tour in Oxford
Visit the stunning buildings of the University, dating back 900 years up to modern day. We will learn how the University works, what makes Oxford unique and the history of the town itself.
We will visit at least one College or University building (depending on availability). I will show you some of the beautiful green spaces Oxford has to offer, as well as the varied architecture.
Oxford has a long and varied history that I look forward to sharing with you. I love telling the amusing stories and strange traditions we have here.
Duration: 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Harry Potter in Oxford Tour Divinity School entry Private Tour
As this is a private group tour, you have ample opportunities to investigate the Dark Arts and to identify where to source a magic potion, while testing your knowledge of all things Potter with your half blood private guide.
How does studying at Oxford University compare with studying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? A fun tour for Muggles of all ages, the guide will cater the tour according to everyone's interests so it is also a tour that is fun for adults who happen to be interested in learning about Oxford University heritage.
Ponder how studying at Oxford University compares to being a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and learn a bit about Oxford's history.
Entry worth £3 per person the Divinity school is included in ticket. Tour duration is 90-120 minutes. Please see section for dates of any closures.
Notice:
Requests for any tours in a foreign language must be sent to us at least 2 days in advance!
Please see closures under Exclusions
Duration: 1 hr 30 min – 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Oxford : Punting - Oxbridge Tours
Punting is a great leisure activity, a great tradition amongst the people in summer. An experienced punter will guide you down the Idilic river Cherwell whilst you enjoy the beautiful scenery and if you so choose you can bring along a picnic. Feeding the waterfowl (swans, ducks, moorhens and geese) is allowed but please refrain from touching the waterbirds are some are protected species.
Duration: 1 hour
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
The wonders of Christ Church Oxford: Private Tour
Christ Church is home to many wonders, and I'm lucky enough to be one of the few guides accredited to take private tours inside. The college caps these at 5 people, so they are very exclusive!
Christ Church is the most famous college in the world's oldest English-speaking university, unique in having a chapel that's also a cathedral.
It has been a place of worship for 1300 years, founded by a feisty Saxon saint before Oxford even existed.
Over time it became home not just to thousands of scholars but to the real Alice in Wonderland and, more recently, a famous boy wizard.
I invite you to travel back in time via the spectacular Tudor dining hall, miraculously rescued ancient shrine, carved throne of doomed King Charles I, fabulous Hogwarts staircase and rare medieval stained glass windows to get a history of not just the college, but England itself.
IMPORTANT: I'll need to check the college's availability before confirming.
Duration: 1 hr 30 min
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Stonehenge & Bath Private Luxury Tour from Oxford – Hotel Pickup
A private journey through 5000 years of British history.
Discover two of England’s most remarkable historic destinations on a luxury day tour from Oxford, with your own dedicated driver-guide and convenient pickup from your hotel or agreed meeting point.
Travel through the English countryside to Stonehenge, the extraordinary prehistoric monument that has fascinated visitors for thousands of years. Explore the ancient stone circle, discover the stories and theories surrounding its construction, and learn more about the people who built it. Visit the reconstructed Neolithic houses and exhibition centre to gain a deeper understanding of life in prehistoric Britain.
Continue to the beautiful city of Bath, celebrated for its elegant Georgian architecture, Roman heritage and charming streets. Enjoy time to explore at your own pace, whether you would like to visit the world-famous Roman Baths, admire Bath Abbey, browse the shops or relax over lunch in one of the city’s traditional cafés.
Duration: 9 hr 30 min
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Oxford Explore the Cotswolds Private Tour by Black Cab
There is nothing better than spending time in the country. The stunning scenery, including golden fields in the spring, the vibrant rainbow-coloured country gardens in the summer, and the myriad of dark crimsons, yellows, & silvers in the autumn & winter, always take our breath away. Add the gorgeous historic towns & villages made of soft creamy sandstone, many of which regularly top the best places to visit in the Cotswolds & the UK, plus the local wildlife of ducks, geese, bees & even the odd snake, & the fantastic food and you have the perfect refresher to staying in the noisy city.
Visiting many of the villages that are annually voted the best places in the Cotswolds, this tour offers you the opportunity to see some of the prettiest parts of Britain with someone who is passionate about the past, loves to eat (and knows the best places to stop for food), and who knows where to take a photo that will make your friends back home jealous of this unique, almost perfect, day out.
Duration: 7 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Private Transfer between London and Oxford - Meet & Greet
Immerse yourself in a tailor made journey that transcends ordinary travel. Our commitment revolves around comprehending and fulfilling the distinctive requirements and preferences for you and your family, ensuring a flawless and safe journey. enhance our services and surpass expectations, reaffirming our commitment to hospitality excellence.
When you entrust us with your booking, we understand that you anticipate more than just a driver, you expect a comprehensive and seamless experience. What distinguishes our service is not just the transportation, but the personalized touch and level of care we offer.
We're proud recipients of awards like the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Best of the Best Award and the Certificate of Excellence, which reflect our dedication to exceptional experiences and positive guest feedback. These accolades motivate us to continually enhance our services and surpass expectations, reaffirming our commitment to hospitality excellence.
Duration: 1–2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Private | Oxford Tour by Alumni™ with optional New College
Walk through Oxford with someone who knows it from the inside. Our guides are Oxford students or graduates who combine personal experience with a deep knowledge of the city’s history and architecture. The 90-minute tour includes landmarks like the Sheldonian Theatre, Radcliffe Square, and the Bridge of Sighs.
The tour is entirely outdoors, focusing on Oxford’s streets, squares, and college exteriors. If selected when booking, AFTER THE WALKING TOUR ENDS, your experience can be enriched with a self-guided visit to New College, one of the university’s most historic and picturesque colleges.
You’ll pass through quiet college lanes and meadows where Lewis Carroll imagined Alice in Wonderland, C. S. Lewis envisioned the gateway to Narnia, and where Tolkien and J. K. Rowling studied, lived, and found inspiration. Along the way, you’ll admire the city’s striking mix of Gothic and Baroque architecture.
Duration: 1 hr 30 min – 2 hr 30 min
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Inspector Morse Oxford Small Group Public Tour at 13.00
Our Inspector Morse's Oxford tours are usually much smaller & thus more personalised than our competitor's.
See Inspector Morse's Oxford as well as Lewis and Endeavour filming locations on this approximately 2-hour private Oxford walking tour, as you explore the making of this famous character and the TV series. Gain insights into not just the detective but also what life is like to study and work at Oxford university, as you see some of the most famous Oxford sights.
Tour includes entry inside either Wadham, St Johns, Exeter or Balliol college- presuming at least one of these colleges is open.
Our primary guide, Tom, averages a 5 star review from 50% of all his clients who book this tour, as Tom has an incredible knowledge and passion for the subject.
Duration: 1 hr 45 min – 2 hours
- Free cancellation
Airport Coach Service from Oxford to Heathrow
Your day and night coach service between Oxford and Heathrow & Gatwick airports. Travel in style and comfort, day and night, 365 days a year. With loads of legroom, free WiFi and power sockets, the airline is the perfect way to start and finish your trip in comfort and style.
Duration: 1 hr 20 min – 1 hr 30 min
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
Prospective Oxford Students Entry Advice- Private Group tour
If you are considering studying at Oxford, then what better way to acquaint yourself with the application process and to find out what student life is like, than to book our private tour plus Q and A session with our Oxford or Cambridge educated university alumni guides?
Expected total activity duration is about 150 minutes walking tour plus up to one hour Q and A session led in person and/or by online process.
Duration: 2 hours – 2 hr 30 min
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Private Walking Tour in Oxford with Spanish Speaking Guide
This tour lasting up to 2 hours can cater to your interests made known to us, when you book or when you meet us. For example, it can be more general tour focused on the city and university heritage or we can deliver a tour with special focus for Harry Potter fans, on the inspirations of JK Rowling and why she persuaded Warner Bros, to film the moves of Harry Potter in Oxford. The tour includes the cost of entry up to £3 per person to visit inside one of the colleges of the university or inside Divinity school Hogwarts infirmary film site at the Bodleian library. Any venues costing more, will cost extra. We are a team of currently just over 25 guides & we each lead our own specialist themed tours and we each speak different respective languages. Some of us are students or alumni of Oxford university.
There are many tour companies in Oxford but since 2011, we have excelled with hundreds of 5 star reviews, by offering mostly niche tours in small personalised groups and private tours.
Duration: 1 hr 30 min – 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace tour from Oxford
The Cotswolds and Blenheim tour combines this wonderful palace with one of the most beautiful regions in the country – The Cotswolds.
Blenheim Palace is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful palaces in the UK. With over 300 years of history and over 2000 acres of landscaped gardens and grounds. It was also the birth place of Winston Churchill. You will discover wonderful paintings and tapestries as well as stunning examples of baroque architecture. If that wasn’t enough then perhaps just to gaze out over the enchanting lakes towards the surrounding forests.
This is then combined with a wonderful combination of villages in the Cotswolds region. We visit some of the famous highlights and then get off the beaten path to see secluded villages that only the locals know about.
The tour has an itinerary but I can happily adapt it on the day if you have any specific areas of interest.
Duration: 7 hr 30 min
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Tolkien, Lewis and the Inklings Oxford Tour
Explore the lives of two of Oxford's greatest writers, and their friendship, with an award-winning guide.
On this tour we will follow in the footsteps of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. We will see where they studied, taught, lived, worshipped, lectured, wrote and - most importantly - drank with their friends the Inklings. Out of these friendships and conversations emerged Aslan, Gandalf and many other much-loved characters and stories.
Both men became extremely famous in their lifetimes, but never gave up their day-jobs of teaching in the English department. We will explore CS Lewis's conversion to Christianity and late-life marriage to Joy Gresham, and hear about Tolkien's student pranks and life-long deep love for trees.
We will end at the beautiful college of Magdalen, where Lewis taught for nearly 30 years and the Inklings met every Thursday. If you want to go inside it, you will need to pay the entrance fee, which is £9.50 adults/£8.50 concessions.
Duration: 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Private | Oxford Harry Potter Locations Walking Tour by Alumni™
Enjoy a 90-minute walking tour through the magical world of Harry Potter, right here in Oxford. Led by a University of Oxford alumnus or current student, this tour is perfect for fans who want to follow in the footsteps of their favourite characters.
You’ll visit the bookshop where J.K. Rowling first presented her books, see where Emma Watson not only acted but also studied, and pass by familiar faces like Nearly Headless Nick. You'll recognise the arches and gothic pinnacles seen in the films — some around the famous Divinity School, others hidden in plain sight throughout the city.
The highlight of the tour is a visit to New College, one of Oxford’s most beautiful colleges, where you’ll find the very tree under which Draco Malfoy was turned into a ferret. From quiet cloisters to scenes straight out of the wizarding world, this is a must for anyone who’s ever dreamed of Hogwarts.
Duration: 1 hr 30 min
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Private Walking Tour in Oxford: Harry Potter Heritage
This private walking tour reveals Oxford’s historic academic heritage. Discover architecture that shaped centuries of learning and storytelling. Walk through medieval streets and scholarly courtyards. Begin beside the legendary Blackwell’s Bookshop. What secrets shaped generations of writers and thinkers? Admire the ancient Bodleian Library. Its classical façade reflects centuries of scholarship. Could this historic hall inspire magical libraries?
Marvel at the Clarendon Building and New College cloisters. Medieval stone corridors echo centuries of academic life. Many visitors recall the atmosphere of Hogwarts.Stand before the Radcliffe Camera. Its architectural harmony defines Oxford’s skyline. Explore the historic University Church of St Mary the Virgin nearby.The journey concludes near Christ Church and the Divinity School.
Please note: The program and attractions may vary based on booking date/time and crowd conditions, ensuring each visit is a unique experience.
Duration: 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Oxford with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems
A fun and different way to see Oxford!
Solve satisfying clues and follow beautiful maps sent to your phones.
Spot things other people take for granted!
You’ll learn interesting facts and stories.
Everything is outdoors and you can do social distancing.
Duration: 2 hr 30 min
- Free cancellation
- Private tour
Haunted Oxford Tour - by Uncomfortable Oxford™
Step into the shadows of history and embark on an uncomfortable ghost tour as we learn about the events that have sparked the eerie and profound tales of hauntings in Oxford. This tour was researched and designed by two historians who study the history of hauntings and ghost stories, and explores how certain moments live on through oral histories.
Our Haunted Oxford tour delves into the structure of stories of the supernatural, revealing the unsettling moments from the past that continue to haunt the present. This unique tour examines haunting through the echoes of gender disparities, oppression, violence, social division, and the powerful grip of memory.
Tour lasts 1.5 hours and runs in all weather so please dress appropriately.
Dogs welcome.
Duration: 1 hr 15 min
- Free cancellation
Oxford: Downton Abbey Day in the Cotswolds Tour By Black Cab
This charming Cotswolds tour of Downton Abbey locations is the perfect way to see both filming locations from the hit TV series and some of the most beautiful parts of the internationally renowned Cotswolds.
Led by one of our highly experienced and very friendly Oxford Guild of Tour Guides guide, they will make your tour a day to remember by revealing a range of stories about the local area, details about the filming of the phenomenally successful series, and hints and tips about how to make the most of your time in the UK.
Duration: 7 hours
- Free cancellation
- Private tour