The best things to do in Oxford, from university colleges to castles
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Most of Oxford's attractions cluster around the compact city centre. The university is made up of 38 colleges, each of which has its own character. Christ Church and Magdalen (pronounced "mawd-lin") are the grandest, but smaller colleges, such as Corpus Christi or Merton, have a more intimate charm. Once you've seen the colleges, seek out the city's world-class museums, modern art gallery, and Victorian covered market.
City centre
Follow in Alice's footsteps at Oxford's largest college
Aristocratic Christ Church is the largest and most impressive of all the Oxford colleges. It was founded in 1525 and counts 13 British prime ministers among its alumni. Charles Dodgson (also known as Lewis Carroll), the author of Alice in Wonderland, taught mathematics here and was inspired by many of the college's quirks. If you can, come for evensong in the college cathedral.
Insider's tip: Look out for the stained glass window celebrating Dodgson's work along with Alice, the daughter of dean, who was his inspiration. You can also see two long-necked brass firedogs in the Great Hall, supposedly the inspiration for Alice's long neck.
Contact: 01865 276150; chch.ox.ac.uk
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 2pm-5pm
Price: ￡
Discover treasures and curios from around the world
A treasure trove of blowpipes, magical charms, feather cloaks, shrunken heads and trophy scalps, the Pitt Rivers Museum is a dimly-lit wonderland for the curious. Its Victorian glass cases hold more than 18,000 objects collected from around the world, all arranged by theme rather than geographical area. Don't miss the witch in a bottle.
Insider's tip: If you're visiting with children ask for a wind-up torch and treasure trail to seek out the toy mice hidden among the displays. Better still, visit between 10.30am and 12.30pm on a Saturday and you get to handle the displays.
Contact: 01865 270927; prm.ox.ac.uk
Opening times: Tues-Sun (and bank holidays), 10am-4.30pm; Mon, 12pm-4.30pm
Price: Free
Soak up Oxford's finest architecture
The cobbled Radcliffe Square is the heart of the university, formed by a trio of great architectural gems: the medieval University Church of St Mary the Virgin, the 15th-century Bodleian Library and the Palladian-style Radcliffe Camera. You can visit the Bodleian's Divinity School, the oldest teaching room in the university, and climb to the top of St Mary’s tower for magnificent views.
Insider's tip: Most of the library is closed to the public but book an extended tour and you can get access to Duke Humphrey's medieval library, the Radcliffe Camera and its original, as well as its modern, reading rooms.
Contact: 01865 277162; bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Opening times: See website
Price: ￡ (Divinity School and St Mary's tower)
Wander around Britain's oldest botanic garden
The Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum – a haven of stone-walled peace in the heart of the busy city centre – is Britain's oldest. The Walled Garden houses scientific and heritage collections, while the Lower Garden is more ornamental. On a chilly day head for the heated greenhouses, which house 1,200 different species. Plants are well labelled with additional species information on the website.
Insider's tip: Look out for a bench under a tall black pine by the River Cherwell. This is where Lyra and Will from Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials meet at midday on midsummer's day every year – in the books, that is.
Contact: 01865 286690; botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk
Opening times: See website
Price: ￡
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Explore an art gallery with one of the head curators
Modern Art Oxford, which opened in 1965 and is hidden behind one of Oxford's prime shopping streets, has developed an international reputation for its displays of contemporary visual arts. Painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, installations, design, crafts and performance are all represented in a changing programme of exhibitions that features local as well as international artists. There is also a café and small shop.
Insider's tip: Visit on Tuesdays at 1.30pm for a 30-minute guided tour of the gallery with one of the head curators. Walks explore the exhibition in more detail and are suitable for all ages.
Contact: 01865 722733; modernartoxford.org.uk
Opening times: Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 12pm–5pm
Price: Free
See Guy Fawkes' lantern in person
The oldest public museum in England, the Ashmolean, was founded in 1683 to house Elias Ashmole’s collection of antiquities. A major refit in 2009 doubled display space and transformed the building’s interior into a light, free-flowing exhibition space linked by walkways with galleries. The collection covers everything from Guy Fawkes' lantern to Michelangelo's studies for the Sistine Chapel.
Insider's tip: Although this is a museum of antiquities, you can also head for the third floor to see the Ashmolean's growing collection of modern art featuring work by Barbara Hepworth, Sir Henry Moore, Stanley Spencer and Paul Nash.
Contact: 01865 278000; ashmolean.org
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm; bank holiday Mon, 10am–5pm
Price: Free
Tour a historic castle and prison
Oxford’s 1,000-year-old castle and former prison have both been redeveloped, with part of the old prison transformed into the Malmaison Hotel and the remainder, plus the original castle, reopened as a museum (the Oxford Castle & Prison) that tells the story of the castle from 1071 until 1996, when the prison closed. Tours guided by 'characters' from the prison’s history bring the story to life.
Insider's tip: On Friday and Saturday evenings at 6.30pm you can join Bill Spectre's Ghost Trail in the castleyard for an evening walk. It's a spooky but fun performance with props and illusions to bring tales of the city's ghosts to life.
Contact: 01865 260666; oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk
Opening times: Daily from 10am; last tour at 4.20pm
Price: ￡￡
Enjoy a classical music concert
The Holywell Music Room has been hosting recitals for more than 250 years – it is said to be the oldest custom-built concert hall in Europe. The acoustics are excellent for chamber music, with events throughout the year performed by individuals and ensembles from around the world. Particularly delightful are the Oxford Coffee Concerts, held at 11.15am every Sunday.
Insider's tip: Holywell Music Room is just one of many music venues in Oxford used for public concerts. Look out for posters advertising other events on boards propped up outside and against the walls on Broad Street.
Contact: 01295 810683; coffeeconcerts.com
Opening times: See website
Price: ￡
Find out how your favourite spirits are made
Oxford's first craft distillery – The Oxford Artisan Distillery, or TOAD – employs the skills of an 'archaeo-botanist' and a couple of steam punk-style riveted copper sills to create fine hand-made gin, absinthe, vodka and rye whiskey from ancient heritage grains. Find out more by joining a guided tour for a look at the processes that go into creating the spirits – and a chance to try them out.
Insider's tip: The distillery produces its alcohol from scratch using grain grown from seed salvaged from 16th- and 17th-century thatched roofs in Oxfordshire. Join the extended Founder's Tour for a more in-depth look at the details behind the spirits produced here.
Contact: 01865 767918; spiritoftoad.com
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 10am-3pm
Price: ￡￡
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Discover Oxford's secrets on a guided walk
The best way to see Oxford is on foot and a guided walking tour will reveal the history behind the city's quiet cobbled backstreets and secret corners. Several organisations offer tours from professional outfits to student guides who’ll also give you an insight into university life. Themed tours of the university, literary locations, Alice in Wonderland, or Inspector Morse, Lewis and Endeavor locations are all available.
Insider's tip:Oxbridge Tours (01865 522570), a social enterprise run by students, offers tours led by undergraduates or postgraduates at noon daily from June to August. Meet outside Balliol College on Broad Street.
Contact: 01865 252037; experienceoxfordshire.org
Opening times: See website
Price: ￡￡
Take to the water in quintessential English fashion
Hire a punt from one of the three punt stations on the Rivers Thames(or Isis, as it's locally known) and Cherwell, and float serenely past the college gardens and through the university meadows to the countryside beyond. If you don’t know how to punt, then hire a pro – otherwise you’ll waste much of your time going round in circles and bumping into other river traffic.
Insider's tip: If you're feeling intimidated by punting or simply fancy a more leisurely trip up the river, Oxford River Cruises (08452 269396) offer sightseeing tours, picnic and dinner cruises in small private boats.
Contact: 01865 202643; oxfordpunting.co.ukor 01865 515978; cherwellboathouseco.uk
Opening times: Mid-March to mid-October, 10am-dusk
Price: ￡￡
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Around Oxford
Wander around Churchill's birthplace
Blenheim Palace is an extravagant Baroque mansion and World Heritage Site that is surrounded by undulating Capability Brown parkland. It was originally created for John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, after the battle of Blenheim in 1704, and it later became the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The estate sits 10 miles north-west of Oxford in the handsome village of Woodstock
Insider's tip: After visiting the room in which Sir Winston was born and seeing early photographs and extracts from his speeches, follow the trail though the palace and gardens to visit his favourite places, including the spot where he proposed to Clementine Hozier.
Contact: 0800 8496500; blenheimpalace.com
Opening times: See website
Price: ￡￡
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Have high tea and search for antiques in a Cotswold village
Twenty miles west of Oxford is the archetypal Cotswold market town of Burford, with one of the best medieval 'wool churches' in the country; in the late Middle Ages, England’s wealth came from wool, and was used to build and adorn magnificent churches. St John the Baptist is a gem, while the high street is worth exploring for its antique shops and tea rooms.
Insider's tip: Wander off the high street and explore the village's winding back lanes to discover lop-sided old cottages, handsome stone townhouses and Elizabethan treasures. For food and old-world charm, head for the Lamb Inn (01993 823155) on Sheep Street.
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