Guided and Self-Guided Walks in Oxford
Guided and self-guided walks in Oxford
The centre is compact, so the real choice is between paying a guide, joining a tip-based tour or following a themed route on your own. Fares below are in pounds sterling, and the right option depends on whether you want to go inside buildings.
Choose by what you want
| You want | Best fit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| A cheap first overview | Footprints free tour | Tips |
| A longer guided history | Official Oxford Walking Tours | About £28 to £34 |
| The inside of the Radcliffe Camera | Bodleian walking tour | £30 |
| A literary or TV theme | A self-guided trail below | Free |
The free tour
Footprints runs a tip-based tour of about 2 hours at 11:00 and 14:00. It meets at Oxford Tourist Information, 16 Broad Street. Pay what you think it was worth at the end. The schedule is on the Footprints Oxford page .
Paid guided tours
Official Oxford Walking Tours are led by members of the Guild of Guides. Published adult prices for the University and City tour range from about £28 to about £34, so confirm the price when you book. College entry is normally charged separately. Neither the Footprints nor the Guild walks usually include college interiors, so set aside extra money and time if you want to go inside.
The Bodleian’s Radcliffe Camera and City of Oxford Walking Tour is the exception. It runs Saturday and Sunday from 13:30 to 15:30 at £30, with about 30 minutes inside the Camera followed by a walk of 60 to 90 minutes. Book through the Bodleian tours page .
Self-guided: the Inklings
Begin at the Lamb and Flag, 12 St Giles, a community-run pub that is open. The Eagle and Child at 49 St Giles is closed, so look at the outside only. Then walk into Magdalen College for Addison’s Walk, and on to Pembroke and Merton colleges. If you have time, Tolkien’s grave is at Wolvercote Cemetery on Banbury Road, reached on buses 6 or 7 from St Giles. Entry is free and the stone is inscribed with the names Beren and Luthien. It is an optional extra.
Self-guided: Alice
Number 83 St Aldate’s is Alice’s Shop. From there you can follow Christ Church Meadow down to Folly Bridge.
Self-guided: His Dark Materials
Exeter College stands in for Jordan College. At the back of the Botanic Garden is a bench linked to the books, although it carries no sign. A Lyra’s Worlds display is on at the History of Science Museum.
Self-guided: detective settings
The Randolph Hotel has the Morse Bar, which makes a handy starting point for the settings of Morse, Lewis and Endeavour. Treat them as places that appear in the series rather than hunting for a particular episode.
A solemn stop
The Martyrs’ Memorial on St Giles and the iron cross set into Broad Street commemorate the burnings of 1555 and 1556. Pause briefly, keep conversation quiet and avoid joking photographs.
Practical tips
Wear shoes that cope with cobbles. Colleges close for exams from late April to June, so any tour’s college stops can change at short notice. If you would like alternatives, GetYourGuide lists more guided walks. Read more: Oxford sightseeing and the Oxford city guide .