Private | Oxford University Colleges Guided Punting Tour
Description
Nothing captures the charm of England quite like a peaceful punt gliding along the calm waters of a river, surrounded by nature, meadows, and striking historic buildings. This 30-minute punting tour on the River Cherwell departs from the boathouse and passes some of Oxford’s most scenic spots, including the Botanic Gardens, Magdalen College School fields, Christ Church Meadows, and the gardens of St Hilda’s College — offering a chance to experience some of the most idyllic corners of Oxford.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Make your own way to Magdalen Bridge Boathouse, where a manager will meet you and direct you to the departure point for your punting tour!
See sites of famous literary inspiration as you glide along the River Cherwell with your guide.
Start your relaxing trip by being chauffeured past the UK’s oldest botanic garden, with the dreaming spires of Oxford peeking over the trees.
Continue your peaceful trip through the nature of Oxford by passing Christ Church Meadow, a large area owned by the College which allows access to many of the cities boathouses.
One of several extensive College Gardens, St Hilda’s boasts rich wildlife and seasonal colour year-round, perfect to appreciate on your serene trip along the River Cherwell!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchairs and strollers can be left at the punting station and retrieved at the end of the tour.
- In autumn and winter, Oxford’s rivers can experience high or low water levels. Tours may be cancelled in such cases, with a refund or alternative option provided. These conditions are beyond our control.
Reviews(44)
What a lovely way to spend half an hour in Oxford. The boat is safe and comfortable, and our guide was very experienced and friendly. The gentle pace and picturesque views create a truly romantic atmosphere! We loved it!
A must-do experience in Oxford. We loved it and had the most wonderful guide, Alfie. Beautiful scenery and we learned a lot about Oxford.
Such a beautiful trip on the river. I highly recommend getting someone experienced to do the punting. Percy expertly maneuvered the punt while we watched individuals spin in circles 😁
Punting was a great experience. Our guide Jude was very friendly and we had fun chatting with him. A must do if you are in Oxford.
Tabitha was very nice but we felt her tour was lacking energy and it was difficult to understand her. She seemed to be on her phone texting a lot whenever we had down time. I have taken many tours and thought this was very expensive for what we got.
Dear customer, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback. I'm pleased to hear that you found Tabina friendly, but I'm sorry that the tour didn't meet your expectations overall. I'd just like to clarify one point regarding your comment about her being on her phone. During the tour, we did have a guest who was running late, and Tabina was communicating with our management team to coordinate and try to accommodate them. I completely understand, however, that from a guest's perspective this may have appeared distracting, and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention. Your comments regarding the energy, clarity of delivery, and overall experience are also very valuable to us. We regularly review feedback with our guides, and we'll certainly discuss these points with Tabina as part of her ongoing training. Thank you again for your honest feedback. We genuinely appreciate it as it helps us continue improving our tours. Can you please email us at info@alumni.tours so that we could make things right for you? Kind regards, Monich Alumni Tours
Beautiful exoerience knowledgable and friendly guide
Morgan was a great guide. He knew a lot of facts. He was happy to answer any and all questions that we had and we would 100% go again.
It was fun, particularly watching those that hadn't hired a guide to punt for them. Nick our guide made it a very relaxing experience with some entertainment thrown in by way of some interesting facts that he used to quiz us.
The punting was good, very relaxing and enjoyable scenery. One thing that could be improved is the ‘guided’ part. The workers were all very young, which is great, I appreciate young people wanting to work and earn money. However there was very little local knowledge and we would have really appreciated hearing a bit more information about Oxford on our trip. Especially as it was sold to us as a guided private tour. There were a few instances where we asked questions or for recommendations and the answer was ‘there’s really not a lot to do around here’. Maybe the workers could be given a little bit of information and facts to read up on so they are prepared to answer questions or give information rather than just a relatively silent 30 minute punt.
Nice boat and setting, but we were expecting some history from the guide, and we got very little of that.
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re very sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations. We aim to provide a strong balance of historical knowledge and engaging storytelling, and all of our guides are local students or alumni who are trained to deliver accurate and insightful content. It’s disappointing to hear that this wasn’t your experience on this occasion. We truly value feedback like yours, as it helps us improve. If you’d be willing, please do email us at info@alumni.tours with a few more details about your tour, so we can look into this further and take appropriate steps to ensure a better experience in the future. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
