Oxford Sightseeing Picnic River Cruise
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Mobile ticket
Highlights
This Oxford picnic cruise combines Oxford sightseeing with a leisurely picnic and relaxed experience of river life. Your small group cruise through the city past famous landmarks including Christchurch College and Meadows, the University boathouses and regatta course, the Head of the River and Folly Bridge . From the river you take in a side of Oxford's heritage rarely seen by visitors to the city. Complimented by a delicious picnic hamper.
Inclusions
What's included
- Picnic lunch
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- 3-hour river cruise
- Professional skipper
What's not
- Gratuities
Itinerary
Cruising this ancient and historic waterway passengers enjoy the beauty, peace and tranquility of river life.
The cruise takes in the views of Christ Church Meadow, a beautiful area of open countryside in the heart of Oxford. Beside the meadow are glimpses of Christ Church College, Merton College and Magdalen College
The cruise passes under Folly Bridge, the ancient river crossing from which the city of Oxford grew.
From the river view Port Meadow, a vast area of common land that has remained little changed since prehistoric times and supports plants and bird-life in abundance.
Passing through Osney Lock passengers experience the fancinating system of locks and weirs which have managed the flow of the River Thames for hundreds of years.
Oxford River Cruises offers sightseeing tours, picnic and dining cruises in the heart of Oxford
Cruises embark and disembark at Oxford's renowned Folly Restaurant perched beside the river at Folly Bridge. Guests can order drinks from the restaurant to take aboard the boat and enjoy a meal on their return from the cruise (sold separately).
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.9
- 5304
- 421
- 35
- 22
- 12
Ratings come from 334 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
4Oxford Sightseeing Picnic River Cruise - Sep-2026
While in Oxford, we spent a very enjoyable afternoon touring The Thames river and enjoying a picnic as part of our river cruise. We went via Oxford River Cruises, at the Folly Bridge. Our captain was Joe, and he was just great - a very knowledgeable and pleasant young man, who took lots of time to explain the sights, tell us about the boating life of the river, explain various landmarks along the way, and hand out the delicious picnic. The weather was great, the waters were calm, and the sights to see were many - various birds, lots of other boats, little towns, locks along the way, and a stop at the Kings Arms Pub. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon in Oxford!
5Memorable day on a Oxford River Cruise
Max was brilliant. He was funny, informative, considerate. He arrange a short quiz relating to C S Lewis. For which l won an Alice in Wonderland pin of the cat. The lunch hamper was brilliant and delicious. Attention to detail was excellent. I’m a local but l learnt so much about Oxford. Visited the Perch was charming. Weather was perfect. A very memorable day gifted to Des for his 70th birthday. What a memory. Thank you to all but especially to Max. King regards Kathy/DesGilmore. Oxford.
5Darran was fantastic! He...
Darran was fantastic! He had a great knowledge about Welsh history and very good contacts with local food vendors. Would highly recommend the experience.
5Boat ride on the calm waters of Oxford
We had a lovely time on the picnic cruise. Max our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining with all his stories about Oxford. He even took us to a pub you can only get to by boat. It was great to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. We were even given blankets in case it got a bit chilly but we didn’t need them.
5Life in the Ocean (River) Wave 🌊
Fabulous experience yesterday cruising on the Isis/Thames in Oxford. Very pleasant scenery, delicious food and great company. The best part was our lovely skipper Joe. He was so friendly and informative and gave us lots of interesting information about Oxford and life on the river etc. A fine young man. Thanks Joe :) Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this trip.
5A great trip!
A lovely trip, food great and guide friendly. Would definitely come again!
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 12 travellers
- Operated by
- Oxford River Cruises
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Infant meals not included
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
How it compares in Oxford
- Its from-price is 15% below the median of the 267 experiences we list in Oxford.
- It is longer than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 15 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.
