Oxford Private Day Trip from London: Lunch & Colleges Option
Description
Explore the charming city of Oxford on this private walking tour from London. Visit prestigious universities, including Christ Church College, with skip-the-line tickets. Your local guide will showcase the best of Oxford, from its iconic Colleges to a bookstore renowned worldwide and a blackboard featuring Einstein’s preserved formulas. Enjoy a traditional British lunch in a historic 14th-century tavern. Stroll through medieval streets, discovering stunning churches, bridges, and historic buildings while soaking in the city’s intellectual and scholarly atmosphere. With your expert guide, dive into the rich history and culture of Oxford, making this an unforgettable experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
See Oxford's 1000 year old castle and prison, a piece of Oxford´s history.
Discover the only remaining ruin of a 12th-century church in the center of Oxford.
Find out the tragic story around the Martyrs' Memorial.
Appreciate the architecture of the oldest college of Oxford University.
See Einstein's Blackboard, the masterpiece of the oldest museum in the United Kingdom.
Check out the University library, one of the largest in Europe, with more than
Visit Divinity School: enter the University's oldest purpose-built teaching and examination room. It is also a location made famous from featuring in the Harry Potter films.
Take a look at Oxford's most popular bridge, better known as the Bridge of Sighs.
See the circular dome of the Radcliffe Camera, the distinctive landmark of the city.
Climb the 127 steps to the top of the 13th-century tower, the oldest part of the church, and enjoy the best views across the heart of the university city.
Lunch Break. Enjoy a traditional English lunch and a beer in this typical 14th-century British tavern, very popular with students, including several celebrities who studied at Oxford. (Full Option)
See the 13th-century chapel stands at the heart of one of the ancient Oxford Colleges.
Upgrade you tour visiting the most prestigious College of Oxford University, which provided the location for many Harry Potter scenes and inspired the story of Alice in Wonderland.
You can return to London with the guide, or if you wish to continue enjoying Oxford, you can say goodbye to the guide at the Christ Church College and return on your own using your return train tickets. During the tour your private host will give you all the tips you need to know about the local life, the things you can do, to make the most of your visit to the city!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- You can return to London with the guide, or if you wish to continue enjoying Oxford, you can say goodbye to the guide at the Christ Church College and return on your own using your return train tickets
- Christ Church College tickets and lunch inluded in the Full Option
- Children must be over 8 years old to climb the tower of Saint Mary Church
Reviews(17)
We had a wonderful tour with Emma. She is so knowledgeable and shared her passion for Oxford with us. With all the historical details and fascinating stories she shared along the way, we felt like we discovered some hidden sides of this beautiful place and truly connected with the city. Thank you, Emma.
This is a deep immersion into the centuries of history that have formed and shaped Oxford over the years. Our tour guide was Maria. She was very knowledgeable. Her presentation style was not a memorized speech. It was that of a family friend showing us a new city. Highlights included churches: St. Mary’s and then Christ Church. We saw the Martyr’s monument, as she narrated the history of Henry VIII as he established the Anglican faith and outlawed Catholicism. We saw several of the colleges, each anchored by a church. This was a very enlightening tour for us. I’d highly recommend it.
This was a well thought-out immersive experience of seeing Oxford: The centuries old town, the colleges, and the churches that are integral parts of them. We saw St. Mary’s and then Christ Church. Those visits were meaningful. The history of Henry VIII’s conversion from Catholicism to the Anglican faith is noted there as we saw the Martyr’s Memorial. Other old buildings and museums provided historic context and an insight into people’s lives there today. We were especially blessed to have Maria as our guide. She was incredibly knowledgeable and presented a huge amount of knowledge to us in an easy conversational manner.
Amazing Tour with Guide Milena!
My friend and I had a fantastic tour. Our guide, Daniel, was outstanding; his knowledge was impressive, and he brought the history to life with engaging stories and a great sense of humor. The itinerary was interesting, and I left with a stronger appreciation for Oxford’s university heritage. I definitely recommend this tour!
Very educational and our guide Emma was really nice and funny! This is a really good option if you’re looking to learn more about Oxford’s history and explore the iconic colleges. The meeting point was easy to find and the walking route was simple with lovely scenery. Thank you!
It was honestly such a moving visit. Exploring the university grounds went way past anything we had pictured. Our leader, Toby, was so bright and hilarious, which turned the entire walk into a real laugh. He was very calm and explained everything perfectly. We genuinely had a blast even though the temperature was absolutely freezing. Cheers to Toby, we wish him nothing but the best!
Great overview of Oxford and inside look at Christchurch college. The architecture is historic, beautiful and very old.
I booked this private Oxford tour expecting an in-depth experience with a knowledgeable guide, but unfortunately it did not meet the standard or value of a private tour. From the beginning, the guide ( Maria Sol) did not appear confident or experienced. At Paddington Station, she seemed unfamiliar with the train system—she couldn’t find the correct gate, and even though our seats were allocated, she took us to the wrong carriage and asked us to sit in seats that were not ours. The actual seat owners later arrived, and we had to rush to our correct carriage right before the train departed, which was quite stressful. At Oxford, the explanations were superficial and lacked the depth I was hoping for. Several key sites, such as the Bodleian Library, were only viewed from the outside because she had not arranged the necessary reservations in advance. The only location we were able to enter was "Christ Church College ONLY". I was also expecting a guide with clear British pronunciation, but due to her strong Argentine accent, many names and details were difficult to understand (she did acknowledge this and apologized). Overall, the tour did not offer the advantages typically associated with a private experience. I sincerely feel that a regular walking group tour would have been more informative and better organized. The only reason I am giving one star instead of zero is because she was punctual, kind and I believe she genuinely tried her best—she simply was not a professional guide. I would not recommend this tour for those seeking a high-quality, informative private Oxford experience.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry that the experience did not meet your expectations, and we would like to clarify several points to provide a more accurate picture of what occurred. Regarding the train, the guide made a brief mistake when reading the carriage number, which caused a two-minute delay while moving to the correct seats. We fully understand that if this small error affected the start of the tour, it may have influenced how the rest of the experience was perceived. Concerning the language, the guide speaks excellent English and has been working professionally in tourism for many years in the UK. She only mentioned her Argentine origin when asked, but her English is fluent. Since the guests were Korean, she adjusted her speech to simplify communication and ensure everyone could follow along. About the Bodleian Library: this attraction does not include entry tickets in our tour, as clearly stated in the description. The guests wished to enter, but tickets were unavailable on the spot, which is beyond the guide’s control. Additionally, the guests chose not to enter an attraction that was included, but later wanted to purchase tickets for another site that is not part of the experience. For this reason, only one attraction was visited from the inside. Our guide followed the itinerary, adapted to the group’s requests as much as possible, and did her best throughout the day. We believe the initial issue with the train may have affected the overall impression, despite her professionalism and effort. We appreciate your comments, but we remain confident in the high quality and dedication of our guide. Nonetheless, your feedback helps us continue improving our services.
It was such an entertaining and educational experience — honestly one of the highlights of our trip! I left feeling like I finally understood Oxford’s stories and quirks. And our guide, Elin, was absolutely lovely the whole way through. Happy to give her all the extra credit she deserves!
