A university city of colleges, libraries and museums on the Thames and the Cherwell
Oxford is a compact city in Oxfordshire built around the University of Oxford. Its colleges, libraries and museums stand close together, and the rivers Thames and Cherwell run through green meadows on the edge of the centre.
Most visits begin around Radcliffe Square and the Bodleian, then follow the High Street to Magdalen Bridge or go south to Christ Church. West of the centre are Jericho, Oxford Castle and Port Meadow. Colleges set their own visiting rules, so check each one before you go.
Areas
Each area has its own mini guide with 54 sights, places to eat and drink, and where to stay across the city.
The Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian and the museums and colleges of the old university centre
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Colleges along the High Street, Magdalen Bridge and the Botanic Garden, then the shops and restaurants of Cowley Road
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Christ Church and its meadow, the quiet colleges on Merton Street and the river at Folly Bridge
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Oxford Castle, the streets of Jericho and the open common of Port Meadow
Open the mini guide →Sights
A sight from each area. Every area guide lists the rest, with directions and official links.
Circular domed library in Radcliffe Square, designed by James Gibbs and now a reading room of the Bodleian Libraries.
The University's church on the High Street, with a medieval tower and a view over Radcliffe Square.
Large college founded in 1546, with Tom Quad and Tom Tower on St Aldate's. Check the college's visit page for tickets and closures.
Medieval castle site and former prison, with an Anglo-Saxon tower, a crypt and prison cells open to visitors.
The University of Oxford's main research library, founded in 1602, with its Old Schools Quadrangle on Broad Street.
Graduate college founded in 1438, on the corner of the High Street and Catte Street. Visiting hours vary: check the college.
Cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford, also the chapel of Christ Church, with origins in the 12th century.
College founded in 1714 with gardens and a lake on its western side. Visiting hours vary: check the college.
1 / 12Theatre
8 theatres and performance venues across 3 areas: see where each one is, how to get there and where to find what is on.
Filter 8 venues by area, type of show and step-free access.
Open the directory →One link to each venue's own programme page, plus seasonal highlights.
See what's on →A commercial ATG theatre on George Street with a capacity of about 1,785, staging touring shows since 1934.
Venue page →Itineraries
Short routes that stitch the areas together.
Getting there
Oxford has a railway station on Park End Street, coach services from Gloucester Green and Park & Ride sites around the ring road. Heathrow and Gatwick are linked by coach. Always check the operators for current times, fares and disruption.
Oxford station is on Park End Street and is managed by Great Western Railway, according to National Rail. Experience Oxfordshire says trains from London Paddington take as little as an hour. Oxford Parkway, north of the city, has trains to London Marylebone, according to Oxford City Council.
The Oxford Tube runs coaches between Oxford and London and says they run 24 hours a day, up to every 10 minutes. National Express runs routes from Oxford bus station at Gloucester Green, according to Oxford City Council.
Oxford has no commercial airport. Oxford Bus Company runs The Airline services to Heathrow and Gatwick, and National Express lists transfers to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, according to the City Council.
Oxford City Council lists five Park & Ride sites around the ring road: Pear Tree and Oxford Parkway to the north, Thornhill to the east, Redbridge to the south and Seacourt to the west. The city centre has a Zero Emission Zone with a daily charge for many vehicles.
We do not publish timetables or fares. The journey time from Paddington is Experience Oxfordshire's headline figure. A guide to visiting Oxford from London is in our Day trips section at /day-trips/oxford/.
Radcliffe Square, Broad Street, the High Street and Christ Church are close together, and most of the main sights can be reached on foot.
Buses run from the Park & Ride sites into the city centre. Oxford City Council lists the five sites and the Oxford Bus Company lists its Park & Ride services.
Drivers in the central Zero Emission Zone pay a daily charge unless they have a discount or exemption, according to Oxfordshire County Council. Check the map and rules before you drive in.
Oxfordshire County Council runs traffic filters in parts of the city. Check its page for locations and rules before you drive.
Oxford Bus Company and Park & Ride
Best time to go
Oxford works all year. The centre is busiest in the summer holidays and on fine weekends, and colleges may close to visitors during exams.
Gardens and meadows come into leaf. Some colleges close to visitors in the exam weeks, so check ahead.
Long days for Port Meadow, Christ Church Meadow and the river. Book rooms and popular museums ahead.
Good light on the stone and the start of the university year, with quieter streets in the evenings.
Short days, but libraries, museums, cafés and pubs are good places to be.
Day trips
Ideas for a day away from Oxford. Check the operators for times and tickets.
A large country house and park at Woodstock, north-west of Oxford. Experience Oxfordshire says Hanborough station is a rail stop for Blenheim.
blenheimpalace.com →
A railway museum of Great Western steam locomotives, reached from Didcot Parkway station, according to Experience Oxfordshire.
didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk →
A wildlife park and gardens around a manor house near Burford, west of Oxford.
cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk →FAQ
One day covers Radcliffe Square, the Bodleian and a college or museum at a brisk pace. Two or three days leave time for the High Street, Christ Church, Jericho and Port Meadow.
Yes. Experience Oxfordshire says Great Western Railway trains from London Paddington take as little as an hour, and the Oxford Tube runs coaches between Oxford and London. Our Day trips section has an Oxford guide at /day-trips/oxford/.
Many colleges admit visitors, but each sets its own hours, fees and closures, and some close for exams or events. Check the college's own website. Christ Church, for example, links to a Known closures page from its visit pages.
The Bodleian Libraries run a Radcliffe Camera and City of Oxford walking tour that goes inside, according to its visitor pages. Check the Bodleian site for tours and booking.
Oxford Bus Company runs The Airline to Heathrow and Gatwick, and National Express lists transfers from Oxford to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, according to Oxford City Council.
Oxford City Council lists five Park & Ride sites around the ring road: Pear Tree, Oxford Parkway, Thornhill, Redbridge and Seacourt. Buses run from the sites into the city.
The central Zero Emission Zone has a daily charge for many vehicles, with discounts and exemptions, according to Oxfordshire County Council. The county also runs traffic filters. Check both pages before you drive.
Radcliffe Square and St Giles puts you beside the Bodleian and the museums, with George Street close by. The High Street and Cowley Road have more independent places to eat, and Jericho is quieter, with the station and Port Meadow nearby.
Nearby places
Our closest other guides, by straight-line distance between centres. Road and rail distances are longer: check a journey planner.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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