Must-see attractions in Oxford

  • United Kingdom, England, Oxford, Courtyard of Christ Church

    Christ Church

    Oxford

    With its compelling combination of majestic architecture, literary heritage and double identity as (parts of) Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, Christ Church…

  • Duke Humfrey's library, the Bodleian Library

    Bodleian Library

    Oxford

    At least five kings, dozens of prime ministers and Nobel laureates, and luminaries such as Oscar Wilde, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien have studied in Oxford's…

  • Inside the grounds of Magdalen College.

    Magdalen College

    Oxford

    Guarding access to a breathtaking expanse of private lawns, woodlands, river walks and even its own deer park, Magdalen ('mawd-lin'), founded in 1458, is…

  • Front entrance to the Ashmolean Museum in Beaumont Street.

    Ashmolean Museum

    Oxford

    Britain’s oldest public museum, Oxford’s wonderful Ashmolean Museum is surpassed only by the British Museum in London. It was established in 1683, when…

  • Displays in the Pitt Rivers Museum.

    Pitt Rivers Museum

    Oxford

    If exploring an enormous room full of eccentric and unexpected artefacts sounds like your idea of the perfect afternoon, welcome to the amulets-to-zithers…

  • Exterior of Merton College.

    Merton College

    Oxford

    Founded in 1264, peaceful and elegant Merton is one of Oxford’s three original colleges. Like the other two, Balliol and University, it considers itself…

  • Outside the New College chapel

    New College

    Oxford

    New College isn’t really that new. Established in 1379 as Oxford’s first undergraduate college, it’s a glorious Perpendicular Gothic ensemble. Treasures…

  • Outside the castle walls, Oxford Castle.

    Oxford Castle and Prison

    Oxford

    Little now remains of Oxford Castle, which was built for William the Conqueror in 1071, and largely destroyed after the English Civil War because the…

  • B8MNY5 St Margaret's Well, Binsey, Oxford, England

Church of St Margaret of Antioch

    Church of St Margaret of Antioch

    Oxford

    Binsey’s small 12th-century church stands half a mile west of the Thames (and The Perch pub), in a splendid rural setting that’s only slightly marred by…

  • Looking over to All Souls College, founded in 1438, the souls in question are those of soldiers who died in the Hundred Years' War, Oxford

    All Souls College

    Oxford

    One of Oxford’s wealthiest and most tranquil colleges, All Souls was founded as a centre of prayer and learning in 1438. Much of its facade dates from…

  • 16th century Brasenose College.

    Brasenose College

    Oxford

    Small, select and elegant, Brasenose College was founded in 1509. A Brasenose Hall, belonging to Oxford University, already stood here by 1262, however,…

  • The spire of Church of St Mary the Virgin, a 14th century tower that offers great views of Oxford and Nuffield

    University Church of St Mary the Virgin

    Oxford

    The ornate 14th-century spire of Oxford’s university church is arguably the dreamiest of the city’s legendary ‘dreaming spires’. Otherwise, this is famous…

  • Outside the Sheldonian Theatre

    Sheldonian Theatre

    Oxford

    Built from 1663 onwards to provide an appropriately grand setting for the university’s degree ceremonies – a function it still performs – this monumental…

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    Radcliffe Camera

    Oxford

    Surely Oxford’s most photographed landmark, the sandy-gold Radcliffe Camera is a beautiful, light-filled, circular, columned library. Built between 1737…

  • Outside the Union

    Oxford Union

    Oxford

    Famed worldwide as a debating society, and also known for attracting prominent international speakers, Oxford’s legendary Union is largely off-limits to…

  • Outside Balliol

    Balliol College

    Oxford

    Dating its foundation to ‘about’ 1263, Balliol College claims to be the oldest college in Oxford, though its current buildings are largely 19th-century…

  • Outside the museum

    Museum of the History of Science

    Oxford

    Students of science will swoon at this fascinating museum, stuffed to the ceilings with awesome astrolabes, astonishing orreries and early electrical…

  • The Trinity Chapel, the college was founded in 1555, but most buildings date from the 17th century

    Trinity College

    Oxford

    Founded in 1555, this small college boasts a lovely 17th-century garden quad, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Its exquisite chapel, a masterpiece of…

  • The front of the Exeter College

    Exeter College

    Oxford

    Founded in 1314, Exeter is known for its elaborate 17th-century dining hall, which celebrated its 400th birthday in 2018, and ornate Victorian Gothic…

  • The front of the Queens College on High Street

    Queen's College

    Oxford

    Known for its musical excellence, this college is steeped in esteem and heritage. Although founded in 1341, its main claims to architectural fame are the…

  • The door to the St Edmund College

    St Edmund Hall

    Oxford

    Founded at some point before 1317, St Edmund Hall is the sole survivor of Oxford’s original medieval halls, the teaching institutions that preceded the…

  • A side view of door in St Mary's Passage with the Radcliffe Camera in background.

    St Mary’s Passage

    Oxford

    With a doorway sporting a lion’s head knocker, flanked by two golden fawns, this tiny alley is often said to have inspired elements of CS Lewis’ magical…

  • Outside the main St Peter's College building.

    St Peter's College

    Oxford

    As Oxford colleges go, St Peter's is modest in age, size and decoration. Founded in 1929, it comprises a handful of architecturally contrasting buildings…

  • The covered entrance to Modern Art Oxford

    Modern Art Oxford

    Oxford

    Showcasing stimulating temporary exhibitions in its bright white airy galleries, and graced with a spacious cafe and a good shop, this excellent museum is…

  • The Bridge of Sighs

    Bridge of Sighs

    Oxford

    As you stroll along New College Lane, look up at the steeped Bridge of Sighs linking the two halves of Hertford College. Completed in 1914, it's sometimes…

  • Carfax Tower

    Carfax Tower

    Oxford

    All that remains of St Martin's Church, demolished in 1896, this 13th-century landmark looms over what has been a crossroads for 1000 years. Climb the 99…

  • Christ Church Cathedral

    Oxford

    Christ Church Cathedral, entered from the quad, doubles, uniquely, as the college chapel and the city’s cathedral. From the 8th century onwards, this site…

  • Botanic Garden

    Oxford

    Stretching beside the River Cherwell, Oxford's small, peaceful botanic garden was founded in 1621 for the study of medicinal plants. The oldest of its…

  • Godstow Nunnery

    Oxford

    The ruined chapel is all that remains of Godstow Nunnery, on the Thames’ west bank 3 miles northwest of Oxford, near The Trout pub. Founded in 1145 by…

  • Port Meadow

    Oxford

    Although archeologists have identified traces of Bronze and Iron Age settlements bulging from this marshy Thameside meadow, northwest of Jericho, it has…

  • Story Museum

    Oxford

    Conceived in celebration of Oxford’s unparalleled storytelling heritage, the Story Museum sprawls its way through a courtyard complex that includes…

  • Weston Library

    Oxford

    Opened as the New Bodleian Library by King George VI in 1946, and renamed following a modernist overhaul in 2015, the Weston Library remains an extension…

  • Christ Church Picture Gallery

    Oxford

    Long one of Oxford’s wealthiest colleges, Christ Church has amassed an exceptional art collection. Drawn from the 14th century onwards, it’s displayed in…

  • Christ Church Meadow

    Oxford

    Christ Church Meadow, a lush expanse bordered by the Cherwell and Thames (or Isis) rivers, stretches away south and east of Christ Church. It's ideal for…

  • Tolkien’s Resting Place

    Oxford

    Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien (1892–1973) is buried with his wife Edith at Wolvercote Cemetery, 2.5 miles north of Oxford city centre. Their…