Best places to visit and things to do in Oxford as tourists or new students.

Activities | Colleges | Gardens | Gifts | Maps | Libraries | Museums | Other | Streets | Tea | Tours | Views

Maps:

• First thing's first: you'll need a map! The best option is to obtain the free, red bus-tour maps abundantly available from the tourist stand near the "Oxford Information Centre" on Broad Street view map. Other, more detailed maps are also available for a price at the centre.

Tours:

• There is an official bus tour and a number of walking tours with many interesting themes. More information can be found in or around the "Oxford Information Centre" on Broad Street view map.
• Self-guided walking tours are also a great option, brochures can be purchased from the Information Centre
• The tours offered by the Bodlein library are affordable and excellent insight into the forces that have shaped the university's history. Highly recommended!

Reem's Quick Pick: If you only  have time and money for one-two, I would highly recommend a tour of the Bodlein Library. I would also recommend the official bus tour since it gives a great overview of the entire city in less than an hour while allowing tourists to "hop on and hop off" at designated stops all day on the same ticket, should one want to stop and explore further

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Particular Colleges:

Each college has it's own unique charm and history. Although they are not open to the public, many offer their own tours (for a small fee). Others are accessible to students using their student "bod" card - but generally you must present a valid reason for needing to go inside the college (e.g. visiting a particular student or attending an event). The following is a very rough overview list:

• For Beauty: 
  • Christ Church College (particularly the chapel and dining hall)
  • Magdalen College (particularly the gardens and hearing the bell tower)
  • Hertford College (no need to go inside, at least check out the bridge of sighs)
  • New College
  • Trinity college (great location right on Broad Street - don't bother paying for a tour though - the view through the gates off of parks road right outside Wadham College is stunning enough - view map)
• For Fame:
  • Lady Margaret's Hall (home to Benazir Bhutto)
  • St. John's College (home to Tony Blair, rumored to be the richest college - stunning courtyards and breadth of property)
• For Unique Charms:
  • Worcester College (only college with its own lake complete with swans!)
  • Green Templeton (beautiful gardens! wonderful observatory - but further away from the city centre)
  • Keble College (beautiful architecture - but further away from the city centre)
  • All Souls College (known as the largest war memorial in existence, best view to the public is from its gates on Radcliffe Square off of Catte Street view map, entrance is only allowed the very competitively selected, small number of fellows)

Reem's Quick Pick: If you are limited by time, just visit Christ Church College and peek at All Souls College and Trinity College from the views recommended above.

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Meadows & Gardens:

• Christ Church College Meadows (near the college itself) and its boat houses by the river (just next to the meadow)
• Botanic Garden (near magdalen and christ church meadow public entrance) (oldest botanic garden in Europe)
• Magdalen College Meadows - including its own deer park! (pronounced "Maudlin") (either a bod card or small fee may be needed for entry)
• University Parks

Reem's Quick Pick: If you are limited by time, just visit Christ Church Church Meadows after taking a gander at Christ Church College.

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Notable Streets:

Pensive & Romantic:

• Parks Rd (be tween Holywell and S. Parks Rd.)
• Hollywell
• New College Lane/Queen's Lane
• Turl Street
• Bear Lane
• Merton Street
• Rose Lane

• High Street
• Broad Street
• Cornmarket Street
• Little Clarendon

Views of the Dreaming Spires:
(aka City Skyline)

• Church of St. Virgin the Mary tower  (free to go in the church, but a small fee for view from the tour)
• Carfax Tower (small fee)
• Also: there's a stunning mini-view of the Radcliffe courtyard and All-Soul's college from a balcony within Exeter College. Not-to miss!

Reem's Quick Pick: I haven't tried either of the first two, but I've vaguely heard the church's view is the best.

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Museums:
(All Free)

• Ashmolean Museum (oldest museum in Europe, newly renovated)
• Museum of Natural History
• Pitts River Museum of Anthropology and World Archaeology (attached to the natural history museum)

Libraries:

• Radcliffe Camera (only viewed from the outside by public)
• Bodlein Library (tours available - and excellent! the self-guided one is particularly affordable and not to miss!)
• For Oxford University students: see Academic section of the website for favorite libraries to study in

Other Notables:

• Oxford University Press (tour available)
• Rhodes House
• Oxford Union (famous debate venue - venue for 1964 speech by Malcolm X and many others )
• Cowley Road (hub for many multicultural businesses)
• Academic Centres such as the Said Business School (most are hard to access by the public and particularly on the weekends)
• Islamic Studies Centre on George Street
• New Islamic Studies Centre (under construction - not yet open to the public - stunning architecture)

Tea & Scones:

• Vaults and Garden (by radcliffe camera)
• Queen's Lane or the tea place right in front of it (both claim to be the oldest ever)
• The Old Parsonage (a bit out of the way but really classy (expensive!) and a very historical building
• See Lifestyle (Dining) section for more recommendations!

Fun Activities:

(in addition to partaking in the above categories)

• Punting (an Oxford tradition, punts available at for students colleges and other locations for the public. (See the Daily Info's Guide to Punting)
• Berry Picking near Port Meadows
• Blenheim Palace and its renowned gardens
• Scenic Bike Rides
• Covered Market  - see Lifestyle Section for specific Shopping and Dining suggestions at the Covered Market!
• Selecting a book from Blackwells bookshop (broad street) to enjoy in a meadow
• Historic city center: Cornmarket Street
• The Castle (costs money to tour) + mound (free to walk up!)