Oxford University Tour by Alumni™ with optional New College
Description
This is the original Alumni Tour™ — the first of its kind and the most professional experience in the city. Our tours are led by Oxford students and graduates who combine genuine personal experience with a deep knowledge of the city’s history and architecture. The 90-minute tour includes iconic landmarks like the Sheldonian Theatre, Radcliffe Square, and the Bridge of Sighs. The tour is entirely outdoors, focusing on Oxford’s historic streets, squares, and college exteriors. If selected when booking, your experience can be enriched after the walking tour ends with a self-guided visit to New College, one of the university’s most historic and picturesque colleges. You’ll pass through quiet college lanes and meadows where Lewis Carroll imagined Alice in Wonderland, C.S. Lewis envisioned the gateway to Narnia, and where Tolkien and J.K. Rowling found world-famous inspiration. Available in English, 中文, and Español upon request.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet the guide OUTSIDE the address, not inside. The location is not part of our business. The meeting point is the RED PILLAR MAILBOX in front of 11 Broad Street. Your guide wears a royal blue item of clothing with a heraldic shield—this may be a jacket, cap, beanie, scarf, or polo shirt.
Gain an overview of one of the oldest universities in the world while admiring the first of many architecturally grand buildings.
Take a look into some of the strange traditions that come with an old and prestigious university. From pranks to tortoises, student life certainly isn’t boring here!
Learn about the 13 busts visible atop the pillars, and get an insiders’ correction of a common misconception.
Hear about the intricacies of the Oxford graduation ceremony, and, if possible, take a look inside the Divinity School which was famously used in the Harry Potter films.
A library with a long history, find out about some of the treasures kept among the 12 million books here.
A dome that is famous for being one of the Oxford Dreaming Spires, and a Camera which has nothing to do with photography? Contradictions abound here, and your guide will make sure you don’t get lost in them!
All Souls is a very prestigious college which requires an incredibly stringent examination to be completed by all prospective students. Your guide can give you examples of past questions; how do you think you would fare?
The University Church is a great location to understand some of the tensions between so called ‘Town and Gown’, and of course is a stunning building to appreciate!
A controversial piece of university history, learn why there have been protests against honouring one of the main funders of the College.
One of the most famous sites in Oxford, there are many powerful figures associated with this college!
##IMPORTANT: This option is available only if selected at the time of booking. Access times for New College – Spring/Summer 2025 (10th March to 14th October): Open daily from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Last entry at 4:30 pm. All visitors must leave the premises by 5:00 pm. The self-guided visit to New College takes place at the end of the walking tour. Access involves a short walk to the entrance on Holywell Street. Please keep these timings in mind when booking this option.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- 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
- ##IMPORTANT: Before booking New College, please note the following timings: Spring/Summer 2025 (10th March to 14th October): Open daily from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm Last entry at 4:30 pm All visitors must leave the premises by 5:00 pm If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to contact us.
- New College is generally 10 to 15 minutes away from the tour’s end point. Please keep this in mind before booking.
- Wheelchair users are welcome on the tour. Please note that one small area is inaccessible, though it only accounts for a few minutes of the route. Some parts of New College may also be difficult to access. We advise caution due to uneven surfaces, curbs, and potential trip hazards. Please also be mindful of vehicles and bicycles, particularly in busy areas.
- Not recommended for travellers who cannot complete a 90-minute walk
Reviews(367)
Thanks to our tour guide, Francesco, we had a wonderful and enjoyable tour.
I have been on a Walking Tour of Oxford before and it was very good but the tour we had with Marcus Rees was absolutly brilliant. So knowleadgeable, so clear and easy to understand, took the time to answer all our questions which so much kindness. My family and I learnt so much and are very grateful.
Shanvi was a wonderful guide. We learnt a lot about the University of Cambridge. Full 5 stars...
Tejas was informative about the life, study habits and schedule of a student. He was quite knowledgeable about Oxford, and showed us the beauty of the town.
What a great experience! Adam knows lots of good stories and fun details about Oxford’s colleges. He allowed us to take our time between stops. We weren’t moving so quickly and he never made us feel rushed. He even adjusted the tour to accommodate our stamina. Fabulous way to see Oxford.
Scarlet was an excellent guide! She answered all of our questions and gave many recommendations for other things to see while in Oxford. She also helped us to stay in the shade during a blazing-hot day. We were grateful to the office for helping us to rebook a tour after we missed our original tour due to a travel complication. Thanks for a wonderful visit to Oxford!
It was easy to find the meeting point and locate our tour guide Caitlin, who was a great tour guide! She gave us a lot of information about the colleges and campus history. To be honest, I was expecting more from the tour locations. We arrived to the City Center about an hour and a half earlier and got to walk around, we saw most of what was in the tour, the only exception was that we entered the Bodleian Library. Other than that, we were able to walk the grounds ourselves beforehand and the only plus of the tour was the facts Caitlin presented to us. I would suggest to add more tour exclusive experiences, otherwise it seems that I paid for information only.
I was especially looking forward to this tour because I studied abroad at Oxford 20 years ago and wanted to share the experience and history of the university with my husband on our first visit back together. Unfortunately, the tour fell well below our expectations. The tour started about 20 minutes late, which was disappointing and cut into our sightseeing schedule. Our guide was friendly and enthusiastic, but it was often difficult to understand the commentary because of their limited English proficiency. More importantly, the historical information was fairly basic and lacked the depth and insight I expected from an alumni-led tour of one of the world’s most historic universities. After giving the tour a fair chance, we ultimately decided to leave early because we felt it wasn’t a good use of our limited time in Oxford. That was particularly disappointing given how much I had hoped to revisit the university and introduce my husband to its rich history and traditions. Oxford itself is an extraordinary place, and I would absolutely encourage visitors to explore it. However, if you’re looking for a knowledgeable, engaging, and historically rich alumni-led experience, I would recommend considering other tour options.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're very sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, especially given how meaningful this visit was to you after studying at Oxford 20 years ago. We completely understand how disappointing that must have been. We take comments like yours very seriously and are continually working to improve our guide training and the overall experience we provide. We would really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your experience and see if we can make things right. Please could you contact us directly at info@alumni.tours with your booking details? We'd be grateful for the chance to discuss your concerns with you. Thank you again for your honest feedback, and we hope to hear from you soon.
It was very cool and the pathing was nice and it didn’t feel like we were just wandering aimlessly at any points “Sushi” was good
Oxford was one of our favorite stops during our week in England. It started with a tour conducted by an alumni with a focus on pointing out the various sights and inspirations for Harry Potter. But more so, I am inspired by the atmosphere of academia. Our guide explained the college and department structures and shared his own experiences as a student of Oxford University. We also stayed in a lovely 8 room hotel which accommodated our family with small extras that felt like home. Things like a private entrance to the back yard (and first floor rooms) to toys and activities for outdoor play.
