Walking Tours of Oxford
Welcome to Explore Oxford Tours , the friendly, personal sightseeing service that can offer you the kind of sightseeing tips around the famous city of Oxford that your friends and colleagues would give you!
The Cotswolds + Oxford Walking Tour
With careful planning it should be possible to combine a walking tour of Oxford with one of our half-day Taster or Rover mini-bus tours of the Cotswolds. If the idea appeals to you, please contact us, and we’ll see what we can arrange!
Oxford Walking Tours
In addition to our bespoke guided tours of Oxford, on foot, for private parties and groups through our associate company, Explore Oxford Tours, we are also able to offer daily walking tours of the historic university city.
These are the perfect way to see Oxford if you’re not a member of a large group, and just want to pay per person. You can join one of these scheduled walking tours with fully qualified and very experienced guides, secure in the knowledge that all the guides are members of The Institute of Tourist Guiding.
Please note. Clicking any of the “Book Here” links will take you to a separate website where you can complete the booking process.
Simply Oxford – 2 Hours
Experience the very best of Oxford. This tour explores some of the iconic sites of Oxford university, telling the story of how it all began, visiting inside a college (subject to availability), and seeing stunning buildings and the marvellous architecture.
The tour starts at Christ Church memorial gardens on St Aldates and includes: The Bodleian Library; The Weston Library, The Old Schools Quadrangle and The Radcliffe Camera, The Clarendon Building, The Museum to the History of Science, The Sheldonian Theatre, The Bridge of Sighs, The University Church, All Souls College, Brasenose College plus many other secrets and surprises along the way.
Ideal for families, individuals, couples or anyone that wants to get the very best from their time in Oxford. The tour finishes on or around Broad Street where recommendations will be made for lunch, shopping, further sightseeing and additional colleges you may like to visit.
Staged: February – October: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Starts: 11:30am.
Cost: £15 per person (+ booking fee).
Simply Oxford University + Christ Church Tour – 2 Hours
Take it a step further, with an exploration of Oxford and a visit inside Christ Church, with its deep and interesting history. Probably the city’s most famous college, not least because of its connections with the Harry Potter films and its iconic dining hall.
Starts at Christ Church memorial gardens on St Aldates. From here we meander through cobbled streets and quaint alleyways to the heart of Oxford University, passing sights such as University Church, Radcliffe Camera, Old Schools Quadrangle and The Bridge of Sighs.
During the two hour tour, your guide will explain the history of Oxford from its humble beginnings to the world-class university which we know today.
The tour will finish on or around Broad Street where your guide will offer advice on where to go for lunch, to do some shopping, or embark on further sightseeing.
Staged: Thursdays and Fridays from 21st March until end of October.
Starts: at 2:00 pm.
Cost: £20 – £25 per person (+ booking fee, depending upon date)
Morse, Lewis & Endeavour – 2 Hours
Discover some of the many filming sites around Oxford and hear the stories behind them as we explore the enduring world of Morse and Lewis, two of Oxford’s most famous Police inspectors.
Created by local author Colin Dexter, the ITV broadcast the first episode of Inspector Morse starring John Thaw in 1987, and produced 33 episodes through to 2000. The spin-off Lewis series with Kevin Whately in the role of Robbie Lewis began in 2006, and continued through to 2015, overlapping with Endeavour, featuring Shaun Evans as the younger Morse. This started in 2012, and continues to be made.
All episodes are filmed in and around Oxford, and feature many iconic sites, views and buildings from the city. Our guides have not only witnessed filming but have also met the cast, and can offer a personal insight into the making of these ever-popular dramas.
These tours are often booked weeks in advance, so please book well ahead to be sure of securing a place!
Staged & Start Times:
Winter: 1st November-28th Feb – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday @ 2pm.
Summer: 1st March-31st Oct – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday @ 2pm.
Cost: £19 per person (+ booking fees).
Harry Potter & The Silver Screen – 1 hour 45 mins
Embark on a magical journey through the streets and buildings of medieval Oxford to visit some of the key filming locations for the Harry Potter films, as well as many other locations used in film and television.
Each tour is unique and the best route will be chosen on the day to get the most out of your time in Oxford and to take account of any closures or events. We aim to visit two locations used in the filming of scenes from Harry Potter, as well as including locations featured in other movies that used Oxford’s ancient architecture as the backdrop.
The tour will end at Christ Church, a third filming location for Harry Potter, where you have the option to head inside independently. Entry to Christ Church is not included but your guide will advise you about what to see.
Staged: Wednesdays from 17th April.
Starts: at 13:45 pm.
Cost: from £25 per person (+ booking fee).
Literary Greats Tour – Approximately 2 Hours
Some of English literature’s most popular stories have been penned by Oxford authors, or they have used Oxford as the backdrop to their books. Writers such as CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Philip Pullman and Lewis Carroll have worked and walked beneath the spires and towers of Oxford, and with this tour, we shall show you the places where they met, talked, dreamed and drew their inspiration.
The tour starts at 2:30 pm from (outside) The Eagle and Child pub on St Giles. This pub has long had associations with The Inklings, the writers’ group of which CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien were leading lights during the 1930s and 40s.
The route and content may vary slightly, depending upon events and the specialism of the individual guide, but will pass many of the colleges, pubs and locations associated not only with CS Lewis and Tolkien, but also other writers who have lived and studied here. You will learn about Narnia and Middle Earth, and what it is like to go down the Rabbit Hole, as well Deborah Harkness’ more recent Discovery of Witches (recently filmed for Sky TV) and Philip Pullman’s Lyra’s Oxford, from His Dark Materials series.
The tour finishes at Magdalen College, which you will be welcome to explore independently.
Please note: This is not a University tour and is a themed tour to focus on the Authors of Oxford. If you would like a general overview, then we suggest booking in conjunction with our morning ‘University & College Tour’ at 11.30am.
Staged: Most Saturdays May to August, including 4th May, 11th May,18th May, 25th May, 1st June, 8th June, 15th June, 22nd June, 29th June, 6th July, 13th July, 20th July, 27th July.
Starts: 2:30 pm.
Cost: £21 per person (+ booking fee, all tickets) and includes entry to Magdalen College (subject to availability).
Exclusive Morse, Lewis & Endeavour – 2 Hours
Exclusive tour only available on website
Audio headsets to hear guide at all times
College/university building entry (subject to availability)
Small group – numbers restricted and / or headsets provided
Please note that whilst every effort is made to visit inside a college OR university building, as Oxford is a working university, we cannot guarantee entry.
Staged & Start Times:
Winter: 1st November-28th Feb – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday @ 2pm.
Summer: 1st March-31st Oct – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday @ 2pm.
Cost: £19 per person (+ booking fees).
CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and other Oxford Authors – 2 Hours
Due to popular demand … we are delighted to introduce a group public ‘Literary Greats tour’ every Wednesday afternoon throughout the season (subject to availability of our guides).
The tour will start (outside) The Eagle and Child pub on St Giles. This pub has long had associations with The Inklings – the writers group of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien so is a great place for lunch or a drink before joining the tour.
As with all our tours, the route and content will vary slightly on a weekly basis. This is because each guide is different and we adapt to closures or events taking place in Oxford. However, we will pass (from the outside) many of the colleges, pubs and locations associated with not only CS Lewis and Tolkien but other writers who have lived and studied here.
On this tour you will travel to Narnia, journey through Middle Earth, see what it is like to go down the Rabbit Hole and discover Lyra’s Oxford.
Many of these works have of course been adapted for the screen. In 2018 Sky TV launched the series ‘Discovery of Witches’ written by Deborah Harkness, with Oxford as a backdrop and 2019 saw the release of the movie ‘Tolkien’ as well as BBC adaptation of ‘His Dark Materials’. In 2020 they have been filming for a new movie about CS Lewis ‘The Most Reluctant Convert’.
The tour finish near to Magdalen college where you may wish to explore independently (not included in tour cost). They have a lovely coffee shop overlooking the river for refreshments or perhaps you might like to try punting on the River Cherwell which is located right there and we would be happy to arrange.
Please note: This is not a University tour and is a themed tour to focus on the Authors of Oxford. If you would like a general overview, then we suggest booking in conjunction with our morning ‘University and college tour’ at 11.30am
Staged: 6th April-31st October – every Wednesday.
Starts: at 2:00 pm.
Cost: £25 per person (+ booking fees).
Enjoy an Unforgettable Experience in the Cotswolds and Oxfordshire
Experience the beautiful landscapes of the Cotswolds; explore the secrets of Oxfordshire. Our tours have something for everyone!
