Tickets and attractions
What to do in Oxford?
Oxford offers several ways to explore its history, university heritage and riverside setting. The experiences available on this page range from a guided visit to Oxford Castle and Prison to walking tours focused on the university, filming locations, literature or local ghost stories. You can also see Oxford from the Thames on a sightseeing cruise or combine a university walking tour with punting.
Oxford Castle and Prison
An Oxford Castle and Prison ticket combines general admission with a one-hour guided tour in English. It also provides access to the Castle Mound and time to explore the premises after the guided visit. This option suits travellers looking for a structured historical experience centred on one of Oxford's distinctive landmarks.
Oxford walking tours
Walking tours provide the widest choice of themes and formats in Oxford. A live-guided university and city tour offers commentary while exploring the city on foot, while a university walking tour focuses on the Oxford University campus with a student-led guide. For an independent visit, the city audio guide app combines a self-guided podcast tour with a geo-localised map and on-screen pictures.
Specialist tours offer a different focus. You can follow an Oxford Harry Potter film locations walk, discover sites connected with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, or join a guided tour centred on Oxford's ghost stories. An on-screen guided walking tour explores filming locations including the Radcliffe Camera and the Bodleian Library. A combined university walking and punting tour adds a punt tour to a guided college walk.
Choose a standard university or city walk if you want broad commentary, a self-guided audio tour if you prefer to explore independently, or a themed experience based on your interests. The combined walking and punting format brings two ways of seeing Oxford together in one activity.
Oxford sightseeing cruises
Oxford sightseeing cruises offer two distinct ways to experience the Thames. The 45-minute cruise focuses on sightseeing with live commentary in English. The longer afternoon tea cruise combines a Thames cruise with afternoon tea, finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and other sweet treats served on board.
The shorter cruise is suited to a sightseeing-focused outing, while the afternoon tea option adds a dining experience to the river journey. Both formats offer a different perspective on Oxford from a walking tour.
How to choose your Oxford experience
- For a historical attraction: choose Oxford Castle and Prison, with a guided visit, Castle Mound access and time to continue exploring independently.
- For university and city highlights: select a live-guided walking tour or a university-focused walk.
- For independent sightseeing: the city audio guide app lets you follow a self-guided route with map support.
- For a themed visit: choose a Harry Potter, filming-location, literary or ghost tour.
- For walking and the river: combine a university walking tour with punting.
- For a Thames experience: compare the commentary-led sightseeing cruise with the afternoon tea cruise.
Together, these options make it possible to organise an Oxford visit around the city’s history, university character, themed stories or riverside scenery. Start with the type of experience that best matches your preferred pace and interests, then explore the relevant attraction or activity for the available formats.