You will begin in central Oxford, with a brief and engaging introduction which will lay the foundation for the vast periods of history to be covered! Then the tour will enter a college renowned for having the most beautiful lawns in Oxford along with an iconic dispute with its neighbour - resulting in a supposed theft of the College tortoise (Oxford Annual Tortoise Race explanation included!).
Then the group will visit the Sheldonian Theatre, where students experience the most iconic ceremony at Oxford University. You can hear from your student guide how the experience was for them. Next you will enter a historic museum -complete with a chalkboard used by Einstein in Oxford - and visit the Weston Library, a great example of a hybrid historic and modern interior.
This tour will then cover sites that none of our other tours do! Including Oriel College, Merton College and iconic literary giants from Oxford's history. You can get a photo under the Bridge of Sighs before gazing up at the first round library in England, where your Oxford student guide will give you rare insights into the labyrinth of underground tunnels students. Not to be forgotten, All Souls College. With entrance exams as complex as they are bizarre, this site will highlight how exclusive a College can be and how influential its members are.
Heading down to the southern part of Oxford, we visit a hidden door depicting the most famous characters in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Before entering the largest College at Oxford, Home to Oscar Wilde and C. S. Lewis, and its own deer park. Explore the iconic grounds which have been home to Oxford’s most influential writers, complete with medieval cloisters. The tour will head over to the home of Tolkien, to discuss not only its literary importance, but it’s multi million pound kitchen, funded by the current Emperor of Japan!
The tour will then go to Christ Church meadows - a stunning expanse of land incredibly rare in a medieval city. Here you will learn about its close connection to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - along with its decision to be held to a different time zone than the rest of Oxford.
Finally, the tour will enter one of the most lavish, and famous Colleges of all those at Oxford University; Christ Church. Famed for its literally links, and scenes used in the filming of Harry Potter; it is such an iconic site that many mistake it for representing the entire University. Wonder through the dining hall which inspired that used in Hogwarts, and see where some of the greatest philosophers, writers and royalty have studied. The guide will provide a comprehensive overview of its history, before you enter accompanied with a multimedia guide, to explore the College at your own pace. Please note - the structure on the day may differ.
