Oxford Audio Guided Walking Tour 2h and 26 audio commentary

Explore Oxford, the city of dreamy steeples, discovering its 26 iconic places of interest in one day. This 5km tour takes you to the heart of history with stops at Covered Market, Oxford Castle and Prison and the famous Bodleian Library. Admire architectural wonders like the Radcliffe Camera and the Sheldonian Theatre, while enjoying captivating anecdotes about the world’s oldest university. This route, ideal for history and culture lovers, guarantees you a total immersion in Oxford's heritage. - 5 km walking tour through the historic centre of Oxford - Discover 26 monuments and major sites of the city - Enjoy historical anecdotes and local legends - Easy access for visitors, ideal for a day of exploration

1. 1

   Oxford Covered Market

   Pass by

   Every visit to a city is complete only when you have discovered its gastronomy and local products. Here you have the Oxford Covered Market, its permanent Covered Point of Sale.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   Pass by

   Here is a new iconic tower of Oxford, and you can easily guess that it is much older than anything you have seen so far. It dates back to the 11th century and was built around the year 1050.

3. 3

   Wesley Memorial Methodist Church

   Pass by

   The charming Rue Saint-Michel takes you straight to the Wesley Memorial Church. Not sure you know the Wesley brothers, but they're the ones who created the Methodist Church.

4. 4

   Oxford Castle Prison

   Pass by

   The city of Oxford may be best known for its incredible university, but it has many other treasures of history to tell you. Perhaps the most important is this Romanesque castle which tells a whole page of the city’s history.

5. 5

   Punting In Oxford

   Pass by

   You follow the Castle Mill Stream for a moment, translate, the Castle Mill Canal. It’s an arm of the Thames and more precisely a backwater, a marigot in French. It is a part of the river in which there is little or no current.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   Pass by

   If you are lucky enough to be in Oxford between Wednesday and Saturday, then St George’s Square must be buzzing. Sorry about those who came on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, you will have to come back later if you want to know Gloucester Green Market.

7. 7

   Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology

   Pass by

   The imposing neoclassical monument you have in front of you, with its 4 large columns supporting the pediment, is the famous Ashmolean Museum. It is the very first public museum in Britain!

8. 8

   Stop 8

   Pass by

   This elegant stone monument, which could easily be part of a religious building, commemorates the 3 martyrs of Oxford: the Bishops of London and Worcester and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The monument was built 300 years after the events of the English Reformation.

9. 9

   Exeter College

   Pass by

   Look up here towards the Exeter College bell tower on your right. It seems that a man, naked in addition, is stationed on the roof. It’s a strange sensation and an original statue to say the least.

10. 10

    Trinity College

    Pass by

    You have Trinity College on your left here. Unlike many Oxford colleges, this one is not entirely hidden and you can, from where you are, admire its gardens and the exterior architecture of its buildings.

11. 11

    Sheldonian Theatre

    Pass by

    On your right, behind its grimacing busts resembling Roman emperors, is the famous Sheldonian Theatre, one of Oxford’s most iconic historical monuments. Its construction dates from the 1660s.

12. 12

    Clarendon Building

    Pass by

    The neoclassical building next to the theatre is the Clarendon Building. At Check-out, the theatre had two functions. It was used for graduation ceremonies, but it also hosted the Oxford University Press Printing House.

13. 13

    Stop 13

    Pass by

    Yes, I know what you think, it’s like suddenly in Italy. Venice, even more precisely. The bridge you see in front of you, while it looks like two drops of water at the Rialto, is nicknamed the Bridge of Sighs.

14. 14

    Stop 14

    Pass by

    You are now at the heart of the Bodleian Library. A highlight of your visit to Oxford. You can immediately feel the presence of the place and the strength of its past. It is one of the oldest bookshops in Europe and with over 13 million items printed, it is the second largest library in England.

15. 15

    Radcliffe Camera

    Pass by

    Another Oxford landmark is the Radcliffe Camera. Or the Rad Cam for the intimates, from the Latin "camera" which means room.

16. 16

    Stop 16

    Pass by

    Oxford’s historic centre is so full of history that you can’t take two steps without facing an important new monument. This is the University Church of Sainte-Marie-la-Vierge.

17. 17

    Brasenose College

    Pass by

    The imposing facade you see belongs to Brasenose College, formerly called Brazen Nose College. It is one of 38 colleges that make up the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1509 by a lawyer and a bishop, and built on the site of Brasenose Hall, a medieval Oxford university hall.

18. 18

    Merton College

    Pass by

    The cobblestone streets of Oxford reveal treasures of heritage at every turn. You have previously come across the magnificent Oriel College, founded in 1324 by King Edward II of England, making it the first college in the city with a royal foundation.

19. 19

    Stop 19

    Pass by

    The narrow alleyway you're using now is called Logic Lane. It was previously called Horseman Lane because it led to an old horse-powered mill. But this Logic Lane runs above all along Oxford’s oldest college, and has educated Bill Clinton and Stephen Hawking among others!

20. 20

    Magdalen College

    Pass by

    Before branching off into Rose Lane, I'd like to draw your attention to Magdalen College. First of all, although it's spelt Magdalen, it's actually Maudlyn. That's how the name was pronounced centuries ago when it was founded.

21. 21

    High Street

    Pass by

    You now reach High Street, the busiest street in the city, lined with beautiful monuments. You have the magnificent facade of Queen’s College, built in honour of Queen Philippa de Hainaut, wife of King Henry III.

22. 22

    Stop 22

    Pass by

    You are now following part of the 13th century defensive wall that surrounded the medieval city at the time. If you climb to your left, you will see what is called a bastion. It was built to project from the wall so that those inside could fire on attackers from all directions.

23. 23

    Alice’s Shop

    Pass by

    You now join Saint Aldate’s Street, formerly Fish Street and renamed in honour of the Bishop of Gloucester considered a saint. Check out the shop with the red door at number 83. It is called Alice’s Shop and is much more interesting than just a souvenir shop.

24. 24

    Stop 24

    Pass by

    Finally, here you are, in front of the undisputed Rising Star of Oxford, its largest and most famous college, from which emerged no less than 13 English Prime Ministers: the famous Christchurch College. If you only have to visit one, it is this one.

25. 25

    Stop 25

    Pass by

    This is Oxford City Inn. The beautiful stone façade you are currently observing reveals the third building designed to accommodate the Municipality of Oxford. The very first, already installed there, dates back as far as 1290.

26. 26

    Carfax Tower

    Pass by

    Here you are now in front of the Carfax Tower, all that remains of St. Martin's Church which was the main parish of the city since 1122. Seven centuries later, the city has evolved and has different needs. In 1896, space was needed to move around. It was then decided to demolish the main part of the church, but to keep the bell tower.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.