Walking Tours of Oxford Takes Us on a Memorable Stroll
It’s one of our favorite walking tours to date! Walking Tours of Oxford had us captivated from beginning to end. It helps that Oxford is one of the world’s most beautiful & historic locations. Throw in a fun guide and a few famous Harry Potter and Narnia settings, and you’ve got yourself a fucking brilliant (said in a proper English accent) tour!
Let the Walking Tour of Oxford Begin!
Mathew, an Oxford graduate, was our tour guide. His knowledge and first-hand reminiscing of the campus were delightful. He told us stories and showed us little details that only students or longtime locals would know. The day we visited was quite cold, and even in the cold, the two hours flew by in no time. It was the first tour that I didn’t get bored or space out and start playing with my phone.
The tour is also a great way to get a lay of the campus and town. If you only have a short time in Oxford, deciding what to see and skip can be overwhelming. As Mathew walked us around, he made recommendations for places to eat & drink and places to visit that weren’t part of the tour and emphasized which locations were worth a revisit. After the tour, we stopped in at every place he mentioned, and every place was spot-on and worth our time.
Oxford Highlights
We took the Bodleian Library & Oxford City Tour, which consists of about 30 locations. The 2 hours are not filled with constant walking or distances too far. The streets are flat, and the only part you may exert yourself is to climb the tower in the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin after the tour. The longest single stretch of walking was to Christ Church College, roughly a 0.5 mile/0.8 km distance.
I won’t detail or name every location we viewed, but I will tell you that many places’ historical stories and architecture will leave you in awe. A few of our favorite facets were learning about the different colleges within Oxford. Each college catered to a particular type of student based on their sex, religion, upbringing, wealth, etc. Each college had a place of worship within the dorm area, and each was more intricate and captivating than the next. The details & the meanings behind the details inside each college and church/cathedral were astonishing.
More Oxford Highlights
The Bodleian Library is one of the main stops of the tour and for a good reason. Here you will visit the Divinity School, built between 1427–1483. The room was originally built for theological teachings but is currently used for special events. The room is spectacular, and if it looks familiar, you may recognize it as the dance hall in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Other famous locations include the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, the Twin Towers in Lord of the Rings, and a few different Harry Potter locations. Plus, there are a few spots & stories of famous people such as Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Felicity Jones, TS Eliot, Hugh Grant & many more who have galavanted around campus.
Extra Tip: It’s not part of the tour, but if you get a chance, go back to see Duke Humfrey’s Reading Room afterward. We didn’t make it back and have regretted it ever since.
My Favorite Location in Oxford
My favorite tour location was easily the door and lamppost, which inspired the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I wasn’t aware of this part of the tour, and when we stepped into the alley, it was the entrance to Narnia.
Matt’s Favorite Locations in Oxford
I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so the dining hall at Christ Church College brought me the closest to a real-life Harry Potter moment. A feeling hits you as you emerge into the hall, and you don’t need to know any information before entering. Otherwise, there wasn’t a single destination on the tour that I didn’t like.
Oxford Tour Extras
Mathew showed us two places but did not take us in: the Blackwell Oxford Book Shop and the Museum of History of Science. These are two places you should make sure to return to after the tour. The Blackwell Book Shop is the largest bookstore in the U.K. You don’t need to spend a lot of time (unless you want to), but it’s definitely worth the walk around to get a feel of the enormity of the bookstore.
The Museum of the History of Science is a smaller-sized museum packed with scientific gadgets. The museum’s coolest masterpiece is a chalkboard with a scientific equation written by Albert Einstein on 16 May 1931 during one of his lectures at the University of Oxford.
Suppose you are headed to Oxford and have 2 hours to spare. Sign up for a walking tour if you want to be entertained and educated as you learn about the city streets.
What to Bring on Your Oxford Tour
- Good walking shoes
- Water
- Camera
- Hat, jacket, umbrella — check the weather
- Great attitude
- Cash for tip
Travel Basics
Website — Oxford University Walking Tour With University Alumni Guide
Price — $28.18
How to get there — 5 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AJ, UK. It will be outside Fudge Kitchen — look for guides in bright green jackets.
Travelationship Rating
4.5 out of 5 Travelationship High Fives. The history of Oxford is endless. At the end of the tour, we were left wanting more, which isn’t the tour’s fault. You must be interested in history, architecture, or famous locations to get the most out of this tour. For travelers who like adventure, romance, history, bucket listers, famous places, and architecture.
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Copyright 2024, Heather Holmes — All rights reserved.
Originally published at https://travelationship.com
