If you’re planning a weekend in Oxford, you’ll find no shortage of fun things to do and places to visit in this ancient university town. Discover the locations that inspired TV and film dramas like Morse and Harry Potter, or go punting with a Pimms on the river. Here are our suggestions for a 48 hour Oxford itinerary.
As you wander the streets of Oxford, dodging students on bicycles, you can almost feel the centuries of learning vibrating in the honey coloured stone, the domes and dreaming spires.
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Saturday morning – Soak up the atmosphere
When I visit somewhere new, I like to wander around, soaking up the atmosphere and generally getting my bearings. So, you may like to walk around and explore the neighbourhood of your hotel.
If you only have 48 hours in Oxford as I did, another great option is to take a walking tour, especially those that have expert local guides. They can show you the interesting places you might not find on your own. You’ll also get recommendations on where to eat or have a drink later during your Oxford weekend break.
Get your bearings with an Oxford Walking Tour
There are plenty of options for a walking tour of Oxford, some of which give you an overview of the history and places of interest. Others have a specialist theme such as the detective TV series Morse, Lewis and Endeavour that were filmed in Oxford. Or, the Harry Potter films where some locations were inspired by Oxford Colleges.
I took the 90 minute walking tour with Oxford Walking Tours whose guides have all attended Oxford University. They run a number of tours throughout the day, which start at the front gate of Trinity College.
The tour was excellent for seeing the major landmarks of Oxford. We wound our way through the alleyways where numerous films and TV series such as Morse have been filmed.
Later we explored the beautiful New College chapel, Great Hall and gardens. The advantage of these tours is that you will get to explore one or more of the Oxford Colleges. Normally there’s a charge to visit, so you’re saving a bit of money too.
Visit some Oxford Colleges
If you prefer to explore on your own, you can also visit some of the Oxford Colleges individually and at your own pace. Among the most popular are Magdalen or Christ Church, with its impressive quad and chapel.
These are the most expensive to visit, so you may prefer to visit later in the day for Choral Evensong which will give you free entrance. Most of the other colleges such as Balliol, New College, Brasnose, Trinity, Merton or Oriel are less expensive and the ticket may include a leaflet or plan of the college. Others are free to visit, so it’s worth checking at the porter’s lodge.
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Saturday lunchtime – lunch in the covered market
During your Oxford weekend, you may have spotted and interesting cafe or pub you’d like to stop for lunch. If not I’d pop along to The Covered Market which runs from High Street to Market Stree.
It is open daily but closed in the evening. This interesting old covered market with a glazed roof is home to an eclectic mix of independent shops and good value eateries.
I stopped at Sasi’s Thai which was busy serving a wide range of lunchtime specials served with rice and the food was excellent. You might also try Pieminster for a hearty lunch of pie, mash and gravy. Or stop by at Alpha Bar for a sandwich or salad with lots of veggie and vegan options.
If you’re planning to spend the afternoon at the museums, and want a more leisurely and elegant lunch, you might try the Ashmolean Museum’s rooftop restaurant. This restaurant is light and airy and also has an outdoor terrace.
As the Ashmolean is free, you don’t need to pay to visit the museum to eat there. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday it opens until 10 pm so you could also have an early evening dinner there.
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Saturday afternoon – the Museums in Oxford
The excellent museums provide some of the best free things to do in Oxford. I’d recommend spending some of your 48 hours in Oxford exploring one or two of them, depending on what interests you most.
I especially love the Ashmolean Museum which houses countless collections of antiquity. Everything is beautifully displayed in a light and modern setting.
There’s a section on the Lower Ground Floor that’s devoted the curiosities that were donated to Oxford University by the museum’s founder Elias Ashmore in the 17th century. Explore galleries of art from the ancient civilisations of Greece, Rome and Babylon. On the upper floors are collections from Japan and China, and paintings from the Pre-Raphaelite to Impressionist periods.
The Museum of Natural History is a tall, open space, with displays of animal skeletons and dinosaur bones. I’s where you can find out about the dodo that featured in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
The original stuffed Dodo, a bird that’s now extinct, is no longer on display. But, there’s a model and some information near the entrance telling you all about it.
From the Museum of Natural History in Oxford, you can walk through to the adjoining Pitts River Museum. It’s packed with cases of anthropological artefacts from tribes around the world.
Best known for the displays of shrunken and mummified heads (now taken off display), it’s a fascinating place to visit if you love rich textiles and objects from daily life that give an insight into other world cultures.
Choral Evensong in an Oxford College
Most of the college chapels have Choral evensong services which are free to attend. The best known is at Christ Church Chapel, although you could also attend the services at New College or Magdalen College.
I attended the Christ Church evensong at 6 pm and the stained glass windows glowing in the candlelight. The choral music made a magical setting to feel the centuries of history in Oxford and a relaxing end to a day of sightseeing.
Saturday night – Where to eat in Oxford
There are numerous bars, restaurants and pubs around the centre of Oxford. Where you stop for lunch or dinner may depend on where you happen to be at the time.
To get more of a neighbourhood feel, I’d recommend Gees where I had dinner when I visited. It’s a Mediterranean style restaurant that’s in an old Victorian greenhouse, with excellent cocktails and food. The restaurant is a 20 minute walk from the centre of Oxford, so you may prefer to get a taxi.
Where to stay – boutique hotels in Oxford
Vanbrugh House Hotel
I stayed at Vanbrugh House Hotel, an elegant Oxford townhouse that was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh. Vanbrugh, an 18th century architect also created the very grand Blenheim Palace just north of Oxford.
The luxurious boutique hotel extends into an adjoining building of the same period. This building was once the vicarage for the nearby church of St Michael’s at the North Gate.
The hotel is stylish and contemporary in decor, with period features such as original fireplaces, wooden beams and a decorative painted alcove in the reception area. All the rooms are named after Oxford connections.
The Lewis Carroll room is named after the writer of Alice in Wonderland who studied and worked here. An Oxford Union Suite is named after the student debating society across the road.
My room was the Vicarage Suite on the ground floor, with wooden panelling painted in a soft green-grey and an enormous white painted four-poster bed. An adjoining large bathroom included a walk in shower and two roll top baths.
The lower ground floor restaurant in the Vanbrugh House Hotel is a hidden gem that’s open to everyone at lunchtime. It serves delicious and beautifully presented dishes on the set menu, which changes each season. There’s a pretty courtyard garden leading off the restaurant that would be a sheltered spot to dine Al fresco in good weather.
You can read my review of the Vanbrugh House Hotel.
Vanbrugh House Hotel: Check prices and book | Vanbrugh House Hotel website
Other boutique hotels in Oxford
Other boutique hotels in Oxford that you may enjoy include;
The Old Bank (91-94 High Street) – A luxurious hotel in the heart of historic Oxford
Old Parsonage Hotel (1 Banbury Road) – A boutique hotel in a historic parsonage building that’s a short walk to the centre of Oxford.
Malmaison Oxford (3 Oxford Castle) – A converted Victorian prison which is now a boutique hotel, close to Oxford Castle.
Sunday morning – our Oxford itinerary
Punting in Oxford
A fun Oxford activity on a fine day is to hire a punt, especially if there is a group of you to take turns in punting down the shallow river, with a long wooden pole to push you along. Head to Magdalen bridge where you can hire a punt for a maximum of 5 people.
Be entertained by the squeals and laughter, as people get accustomed to wielding their pole while trying not to fall in the river. If you’re more cautious, you could join a chauffeured punt for half an hour with maximum 4 people. Or rent a pedalo or rowing boat which is a little more secure and less likely to end in a dunking.
An alternative spot to go punting in Oxford from March to October is at Cherwell Boathouse. Here there’s also a Tea hut bar to buy a jug of Pimms, that favourite English summer tipple. Enjoy your drink on the riverbank or take with you in the boat.
Sunday afternoon – Oxford Botanic Gardens
Just beside Magdalen Bridge is the Oxford Botanic Garden which is a beautiful place to visit, especially in fine weather. As you enter the gardens there are ornamental trees and planted beds. The glass houses overlooking the river are full of water lilies, cacti and tropical plants, demonstrating the different plant habitats around the world.
At the furthest end of the gardens from the entrance is an area backed by high walls with kitchen garden plants and beautiful herbaceous borders. This is an ideal place to sit on the grass with a picnic for families.
Sunday afternoon – Walk through Christ Church meadows
It’s a pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll to follow the lane beside the botanic garden and walk along the footpath towards the river and Christ Church Meadow. On the way back to town, you can observe different punting techniques as boats pass by on the river and you get a great view of the backs of the Oxford Colleges.
How to get into Oxford
If you’re flying into the UK, the nearest airport to Oxford is London Heathrow (1 hour drive). The train to Oxford from London takes around an hour from either London Marylebone or London Paddington stations.
There’s also a frequent and efficient bus to Oxford from London called the Oxford Tube which runs around every 15-30 minutes, 24 hours a day, from close to Victoria coach station.
If you are driving to Oxford, there are city centre car parks, but they are generally expensive. So if you’re in Oxford for a day or more, I’d recommend leaving your car in one of the five park and ride car parks on the outskirts of Oxford, with a shuttle bus to take you into town.
I left my car in the Sea court park and ride, with a shuttle bus that ran every 10 minutes and dropped me right in the centre of town. The only issue I had when I arrived late morning, was that nearly all the parking spaces were taken and I had to drive around for a while to find a space.
Read Next
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This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com
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Miranda Rost
Wednesday 14th of February 2018
I haven't been to Oxford yet, but I will try to visit it when I got to the UK to start our traveling around Europe. Christ Church Meadow in Oxford looks so stunning.