What to do in Oxford for a day or two
When it comes to a day trip to Oxford, there are plenty of options. Known as the “City of Dreaming Spires”, its breathtaking skyline of Gothic towers and steeples are some of the oldest in England.
Having recently moved from London to Oxfordshire we’re always fans of a city adventure, so were super excited to team up with Experience Oxfordshire as part of their Escape to Oxford campaign to explore one of England’s most famous cities.
Hello Oxford!
Famed for being home to a prestigious university, 39 colleges, and quite frankly some seriously stunning architecture, it’s clear why this historic city plays host to many tourists each year. Around 7 million a year, no less, which makes it the forefront of the British economy's tourism sector. Very impressive.
Oxford is around 25 minutes from where we live yet we had never had the chance to properly explore it. So one fine Sunday, we were finally getting to play tourist! Playing tourist in your own country is rather fun, FYI.
In this post, we wanted to share what to do in Oxford for a day, so grab yourself a cuppa and get your note-taking list at the ready…
Oxford day trip: Here are a few ideas of what to do in Oxford
First up we parked in Westgate Oxford, this shopping center is home to shops, rooftop bars, and plenty of great restaurants. The carpark is centrally located so made it a good spot to park up and start our day.
It’s worth noting Westgate Carpark was busy so we did queue to get in and it cost us around £11 for 6 hours. But parking - like with most cities - isn’t always easy so this was a stress-free option.
Address: Westgate Oxford, Westgate, Oxford OX1 1TR
We grabbed a coffee to go, this was to fuel our first activity which was the Oxford Official University and City Walking Tour.
Now walking tours are a real must when visiting Oxford. Why? Because the city is surprisingly small!
Our Oxford walking tour started at 1 pm and was due to last 2 hours. We met our specialist official Tour Guide at Broad Street outside Cool Britannia Gift Shop. After a quick headcount and a few safety rules, we set off.
Oxford Official Walking Tours have SafeTravels accreditation from VisitBritain so we knew we were in good hands and the guide expertly guided us down the main streets like a pro.
We visited all the iconic spots including Sheldonian Theatre, Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian Libraries, and some of the oldest colleges (all from the outside). We scooted down hidden alleys and stopped to admire the immaculate Christ Church grounds before swooping past Christ Church Meadows and Christ Church College.
The tour is all outside and covers around 1.5 - 2 miles, you’ll most definitely hit a few cobbled streets so make sure you’re wearing comfy shoes!
Facts about Oxford - Here’s a snippet of what we learnt!
Did you know that although the colleges were built in the 13th century, women weren’t admitted until 1878? They then weren’t officially awarded degrees until 1920. It took until 1974 for the last of the all-male colleges to allow women through their doors.
Everything is old! The University of Oxford is 922 years old which makes it the 2nd oldest university in the world.
Oxford University has produced some mega well-known published authors including JRR Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, CS Lewis, and Mark Haddon.
Where to eat in Oxford?
We felt a tad peckish after the tour so dived into The Crown Pub which was right in the city center and made a great stop off to grab a bowl of chips and a drink.
There are plenty of places to eat in Oxford and the below spots came highly recommended so we’ll definitely be heading back to check them out…
Parsonage Grill - British dishes with a modern touch, great outdoor dining, and a short walk out of the city.
The Perch Oxford - A dog-friendly riverside pub and restaurant serving up classic British dishes.
Cherwell Boathouse - A family-run, iconic restaurant on the banks of River Cherwell (it also has its own punt station!)
Big Society - A cool bar selling beer, tasty burgers, and fried chicken - what’s not to love!
Gees Restaurant and Bar - Beautiful Mediterranean dining in a unique Victorian Glasshouse. We walked past this and it was buzzing - keen to go back and try!
Victors Restaurant - This all-day dining restaurant and bar is inspired by the Hamptons and serves up a modern American menu.
Punting in Oxford
Next up was Punting, how could we visit Oxford without trying our hand at world-famous punting! It has long been a tradition in the city and we were lucky enough to experience it at Cherwell Boathouse.
This iconic, family-run punt station has been going since 1904, and whilst punting does seem slightly eccentric, it’s a quintessentially British way to spend a few hours in Oxford.
We grabbed a snack from The Tea Hut which you’ll see as you walk in, then collected our punts and cushions after being allocated a boat. It was a super smooth service and once we had been given an inside tip of how to actually punt, we were off!
Top punting tip: Push off from the river floor with the punt and use it as a rudder. If the punt gets stuck in the mud from the river floor then let go! Don’t hold on as that‘s when you could go overboard and you don’t want that.
Typically as we set off it started to rain. Only lightly mind and funny enough, it didn’t ruin it!
Matt was a complete punting pro (as you can see over on Instagram, here) and guided us leisurely upstream. Despite the drizzle, it was completely idyllic and we’d totally recommend it.
Address: Bardwell Road, Oxford OX2 6ST
Rounding off our Oxford trip in style
Our day in Oxford was drawing to a close and what had been so wonderful about it all was the amount of time we had spent outside!
We love to explore and spend time in nature, so seeing a vibrant city full of green spaces, beautifully kept gardens and the opportunity to spend time on the water was a real touch.
In keeping with the outdoor vibe, our final activity was an Oxford River Cruise!
The one we were on was the Evening Cocktail Cruise and luckily for us, the beautiful boat we were heading up the river in was covered. Yes, it was still raining!
We made our way back through the city - easily, on foot - to The Folly Restaurant where we boarded our boat, sat back, and enjoyed a cocktail whilst hearing snippets of Oxford history from the Skipper.
The weather wasn’t on our side as sadly there was no sunset but after strolling through the streets on a walking tour and then mustering up the energy to successfully punt, letting someone else do the work was a pretty relaxing way to end the day.
These cruises are very popular so it’s hard to book last-minute around the weather, but that’s OK when you’re exploring the UK, come rain or shine, you’ve just got to go with it and make the most of your adventures.
Thank you so much to Experience Oxfordshire for a really fun day out, whilst this was a press trip we wouldn’t write about it if we didn’t have fun! If you fancy seeing our day out in video form then this Instagram reel showcases everything!
For Fresh Air and Freedom, Arts and Culture, and Time Together itineraries and bookable experiences visit Escape to Oxford.
If you require any further travel information on what to do, where to stay, shop, and eat in Oxford and beyond, go to Experience Oxfordshire.