We rolled into Oxford UK as part of a longer England road trip, and well, we didn’t give it enough time. Oxford is one of those cities that looks manageable on a map but rewards every extra hour you give it. The colleges are spread out, the history is layered, and the pubs…well, we’ll get to those.
If you’re planning an England road trip and wondering whether Oxford deserves more than a rushed afternoon stop, the answer is yes. Here’s exactly what to do in Oxford, where we stayed, and what we’d do differently if we went back.
To help you find these places, here is our Google Map for Oxford.
Where to Stay in Oxford UK
We stayed at Newton House, a guesthouse that worked well as a base. It was comfortable, good value, and walkable to a pub (important criteria). It’s about a 20-minute walk to the main college area, which is worth knowing upfront: Oxford is more spread out than you’d expect, and the majority of the things worth seeing cluster around the university.
If you’re driving in (as we were), book accommodation with parking arranged in advance. Central Oxford parking is limited and the city is much easier to navigate on foot once you’ve dropped the car.
If you are into luxury or plan on spending a bit more per night, The Store is Oxfords new hotel and is getting rave reviews as well as the Old Bank Hotel in the city center. Both are somewhat out of our price range, but visitors love these places.
The Bodleian Library and Divinity School Tour
This was the first thing on our list and absolutely the right call. The 30-minute Bodleian Library and Divinity School tour gives you access to the Divinity School, which was one of the most beautiful Gothic rooms in England and, yes, the one used as the hospital wing in the Harry Potter films.
The tour moves quickly and is packed with history: the library has been operating since the 14th century, the Divinity School dates to the 1400s, and the sheer density of stories in that building is remarkable. Our guide was excellent: specific, knowledgeable, and genuinely entertaining.
What to know before you go:
- The 30-minute tour does not include the Selden End or Duke Humphrey’s Library (also used in Harry Potter). For those, book the longer extended tour in advance — it sells out.
- Most tickets are only available to buy in person on the day of the tour, however, you can book your tour online ahead of time. Tickets go on sale exactly 1 month in advance for the tour. Walk-up availability is limited, especially in summer.
- Photography rules vary by room, so listen to your guide.
After the tour, we sat outside in the courtyard with coffee and sandwiches and just watched the world go by. That half hour of doing nothing in particular felt entirely in keeping with Oxford’s pace. Don’t rush it.
Other tours of Oxford University
There are so many walking tours of the area, you would be hard pressed not to find what you are looking for.
For Harry Potter Fans, there is the Harry Potter Walking Tour (including New College) and the Oxford Walking tour with Magic, University, and Harry Potter Sites. You can also do the Oxford Harry Potter Insights which includes entry to the Divinity School.
For the Tolkien and CS Lewis fans, there are tours that offer entry to the Magdalen College where Lewis taught and/or Exeter College where Tolkien studied. These tours are a little more private and depend on whether the colleges are open or not
There are also a whole group of Oxford University Tours:
- Oxford University and City Walking Tour with Alumni Guide: You will learn about architecture, daily life at the university and visit a Harry Potter film site.
- University Walking Tour with Christ Church Visit: This one seems to offer the most with entrance to both the Bodleian and Weston Libraries, Christ Church, and New College.
The Ashmolean Museum
Free to enter and genuinely impressive, the Ashmolean is the oldest public museum in the UK, founded in 1683, and it punches well above its weight. We spent about an hour wandering through exhibits covering ancient Greece, Egypt, and beyond, and didn’t come close to seeing everything.
For road trippers with limited time, pick a section and go deep rather than rushing the whole collection. If you have a particular interest in ancient civilisations, the Egyptian and Greek galleries are outstanding. Entry is free, so there’s no pressure to “get your money’s worth.” Just enjoy what you have time for.
But if you are interested in learning more about what you are seeing, take a guided tour with an art historian. This tour is a couple of hours, but will bring the museum to life!
New College and the Bridge of Sighs
We walked from the Bodleian toward the Bridge of Sighs, Oxford’s own version of the Venice landmark, and genuinely lovely, and then into New College, where we paid £11 per person to explore.
It was worth every penny. The cloisters were used in Harry Potter (you’ll spot them immediately if you’re a fan), but the real highlight for us was stumbling into the chapel where the boys’ choir was rehearsing. We stood quietly in the doorway and listened for a few minutes. It was one of those unexpected travel moments that you can’t plan for and can’t forget.
The gardens at New College are beautiful, especially if you visit on a good weather day, as we did, and the college as a whole has a particular tranquillity that’s different from the busier, more tourist-trodden colleges.
Oxford’s Literary Pubs: The White Horse and Beyond
Oxford’s pub culture is inseparable from its literary history, and we made sure to spend time in a couple of the good ones.
The White Horse on Broad Street is small, characterful, and was used as a filming location for A Discovery of Witches, which made me very happy. It’s a proper old Oxford pub: dark wood, low ceiling, good beer. Go for a pint and soak it up.
Oxford also has strong connections to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Inklings, the literary group that met regularly at The Eagle and Child on St Giles’ Street. If you’re a Tolkien or Lewis fan, add that one to your list.
If you are staying the night (which we highly recommend) you can do a pub crawl (I love these!). Belly up to the bar and then listen to stories about writers, historic moments, and maybe even a few ghosts!
Oxford’s Blackwell’s Bookshop
We ended up at Blackwell’s almost by accident and left with a copy of Alice in Wonderland. It felt like the right thing to do since Lewis Carroll was heavily influenced by his time in Oxford, and the Blackwell’s on Broad Street is exactly the kind of bookshop you want to spend time in: independent, gloriously overstocked, and full of unexpected corners.
The famous Norrington Room in the basement is worth a look even if you don’t plan to buy anything. It’s one of the largest single rooms of books in the world and has a slightly dizzying, very satisfying quality to it.
What We’d Do Differently (And What We’d Tell a First-Timer)
Book the longer Bodleian tour. The 30-minute version is good, but we left wishing we’d seen Duke Humphrey’s Library. It books up so plan ahead.
Check out Oxford Castle and Prison. We didn’t make it, but multiple people have recommended it since. A thousand years of history in one site, and apparently a fascinating guided tour.
Visit the Covered Market. A Victorian indoor market in the heart of the city with independent food stalls, cafés, and shops — we walked past but didn’t go in. Rookie mistake.
Consider Christ Church College. The dining hall inspired Hogwarts. Enough said. There’s an entrance fee and it can be busy, but it’s worth building in if you have the time.
Don’t try to do everything in a day. Oxford from London is doable as a day trip, but you’ll feel rushed. One or two nights lets you slow down, walk without a schedule, and discover things you didn’t plan for like a boys’ choir rehearsal in a 14th-century chapel.
Practical Tips for Visiting Oxford
Getting there: Oxford is well connected by train from London Paddington (about an hour). You can take a bus directly from Heathrow airport (our friends did this).
If you’re on a road trip, note that central parking is expensive and limited. If you can, use a Park & Ride or make sure your accommodations have parking. This city was the ONLY place we received a parking ticket because we stayed over our allotted time in a parking garage.
- Getting around: Walk. The city is compact once you’re in the college area, and most of the main sights are within a 15-minute walk of each other.
- Best time to visit: Spring and early summer are lovely. August gets busy with tourists and the end of the academic year is a quieter, different kind of Oxford.
- How long do you need: One full day is the minimum. Two nights gives you a proper feel for the city.
A Quick Oxford Itinerary (1–2 Days)
Day 1:
- Morning: Bodleian Library and Divinity School tour (book in advance)
- Late morning: Walk to Bridge of Sighs, explore New College
- Lunch: Coffee and sandwiches in the Bodleian courtyard or grab something at the Covered Market. There are also lots of food vendors in and around Gloucester Green.
- Afternoon: Ashmolean Museum
- Evening: Pint at the White Horse, dinner near the city centre
Day 2 (if you have it):
- Morning: Christ Church College and Christ Church Meadow
- Late morning: Blackwell’s Bookshop, browse at your own pace
- Lunch: The Covered Market
- Afternoon: Oxford Castle and Prison tour, or the Botanic Garden
- Evening: The Eagle and Child for a literary send-off before you hit the road
Oxford earned its place on our road trip itinerary, and it’ll earn a return visit from us too. The history is dense, the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else in England, and there’s something quietly magic about walking streets that Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Lewis Carroll all walked before you.
Listen for more about Oxford, London, and other places we have visited in the UK!
Our podcast tells you all about the adventures that aren’t mentioned in the post, such as how scary it is to drive in England in 5 O’clock traffic. And stay tuned for our road trip itinerary!
Have you been to Oxford? What did we miss? Drop your recommendations in the comments — we’d love to know.
Shelley is a full-time traveler, writer, and podcaster based in Portugal, where she lives with her wife and their beloved bulldog, Scoot. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Shelley is a former history teacher who swapped the classroom for cobblestone streets and passport stamps. These days, she explores Portugal and Europe in search of fascinating stories, unforgettable sights, and local flavor—then shares it all through her blog and podcast, Wandering Works for Us, where curiosity meets adventure (and sometimes wine).