Oxford City & University Walking PRIVATE GROUPS Tour
- 1.5–2 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 10 languages
- Private tour
Highlights
Oxford & England's history will be brought alive on this private guided walking tour of the city and university traditions. Storytelling about student life, college traditions, Henry VIII, Bloody Mary, CS Lewis, Tolkien & even Harry Potter! You may request any special interests for the tour eg sciences or arts or writers in Oxford etc. We generally always include entrance into at least one Harry Potter film site on this tour too (where and when possible). Requests for a tour in your foreign language must be received at least 48 hours notice & are therefore also subject to whether a bilingual guide happens to be available or not. Requests for a tour in a foreign language also have a marginal additional cost to book. Includes entry fees inside one or more colleges or the Divinity school at the Bodleian.
Inclusions
What's included
- If you book at least 2 days ahead & request a foreign language tour, sometimes this is possible.
- Entry worth up to £5 per person is paid by the guide to enter at least one venue
- Please see EXCLUSIONS section below for any dates with limited college entry eg graduations, Xmas
- This tour includes entry to one college but option to pay for extra entry fees of extra colleges too
What's not
- Christmas notice: colleges are usually all closed from approx Dec 21 to Jan 2nd
- GRADUATION DATES: we cannot always guarantee entry inside any colleges or venues
- 2026 Graduation dates, there may be few or no colleges open includes....
- Sep 25+ 26, Nov 6 + 7 + 13 + 14 of 2026 plus Feb 27, March 6, May 14 + 15 + 22 of 2027
- Tours are only offered in foreign languages, if adequate advance notice 2 days ahead & at £250 cost!
- If you wish to visit Divinity school at Bodleian library, note dates 2026 below, it is closed:
- Sep 10 + 14+ 15+ 16 + 17+ 20+ 21+ 22+ 23+ 24+ 25 + 26, Nov 6 + 7 +13 + 14 of 2026
- Note that we cover the cost for you of either entry inside one college OR entry into Divinity school
Itinerary
We will introduce this venue but please note that the Bodleian library never permit guides to take tours inside the library.
Which college we will see inside will vary from day to day, depending on what is open but generally we see inside one to two colleges and we pass by and introduce many other colleges too
This is one of multiple colleges which we will introduce on the route. There are 38 colleges at Oxford university and which colleges we may visit inside varies from one day to the next, depending on which colleges may be open. Exeter has a £3 entry fee.
This is one of multiple colleges which we will introduce on the route. There are 38 colleges at Oxford university and which colleges we may visit inside varies from one day to the next, depending on which colleges may be open. Wadham has a £3 entry fee, if you enter with the guide. It's otherwise free entry without a guide.
This is one of multiple colleges which we will introduce on the route. There are 38 colleges at Oxford university and which colleges we may visit inside varies from one day to the next, depending on which colleges may be open. Balliol has a £3 entry fee. If we visit inside this college, we usually spend about 20 minutes here.
This famous landmark is always featured on our tours
We always introduce this famous Oxford sight.
This is one of multiple famous sights which we will introduce on the route. This venue is never open to visit inside.
This is one of multiple colleges which we will introduce on the route. There are 38 colleges at Oxford university and which colleges we may visit inside varies from one day to the next, depending on which colleges may be open. This college is not open to public.
This is one of multiple colleges which we will introduce on the route. There are 38 colleges at Oxford university and which colleges we may visit inside varies from one day to the next, depending on which colleges may be open. Sometimes we visit inside this college. It is free entry, when open.
This is one of multiple colleges which we will introduce on the route. There are 38 colleges at Oxford university and which colleges we may visit inside varies from one day to the next, depending on which colleges may be open. This college is not open to the public.
We often stop by this famous pub- this is where Bill Clinton never inhaled....
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 516
- 41
- 31
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 18 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Meet your guide wearing red lanyard. Meeting next to our black sign, OUTSIDE Oxford Tourist info centre, 15 Broad street, OX1 3AS. This is also next to the Oxfam shop which has a green sign above its shop.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Visit Oxford Tours
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Average duration 90-120 minutes and tour to cater to your special interests (let us know on the day or in advance).
- Tours are in English but where possible and with at least 24 hours notice, we may be able to provide a tour in a foreign language.
- Please note that as the university colleges are private institutions, we can't always guarantee entry to colleges but it is very rare that we cannot get entry into at least 1 or 2 colleges on the tour. Please take note of any advertised university graduation dates mentioned below, as those dates can have less options of colleges to visit.
How it compares in Oxford
- Its from-price is 25% above the median of the 267 experiences we list in Oxford.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 75 of 267.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Oxford
Oxford is England's famous university city, with honey-coloured colleges, libraries, museums and river meadows beside the Thames and the Cherwell.
Oxford has been a university town since the 12th century, and its dreaming spires belong to colleges that stand shoulder to shoulder around quadrangles and gardens. The Radcliffe Camera, a round domed library, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre and Christ Church, whose dining hall inspired scenes in the Harry Potter films, are the best known. The Hertford Bridge, a covered footbridge nicknamed the Bridge of Sighs, links two parts of one college.
Top-ranked sights in Oxford: Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera, Trinity College .
Special offers in Oxford
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
