Oxford Tours
Oxford University Walking Tour With University Alumni Guide
5

Oxford University Walking Tour With University Alumni Guide

By Footprints Tours Oxford
Recommended by 97% of travellers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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About
Let a guide bring one of the world’s oldest universities to life on an Oxford University walking tour. Unlike other tours, your guide is a university student with first-hand knowledge of the prestigious campus. Receive information crucial to understanding the history of the institution, and explore in a small group for a personalized experience. Choose a tour time, and delve deeper into the history of Oxford than if you were to explore independently.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-100, max of 100 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Explore Oxford University with a current student on a walking tour
  • Receive first-hand knowledge from a guide who knows the campus intimately 
  • Listen to information crucial to understanding the history of Oxford 
  • Receive personalized attention in a small group limited to 15 people
Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024

  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Professional guide
  • Entry/Admission - Exeter College
  • Entry/Admission - Oxford
What's not included
  • Gratuities

Greet your guide and small group at a central Oxford meeting point at the tour time you selected at checkout. Embark on a walking tour of one of the world’s oldest universities, visiting colleges such as Trinity, All Souls, Hertford, and Merton. Learn about famous alumni and the history’s striking past from your guide as you stroll the campus. Catch sight of Oxford landmarks such as Radcliffe Camera and the Church of St. Mary. Your guide leads you to the Bodleian Library, where you can marvel at the ancient books. Other highlights during this Oxford tour include the pub where J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis spent much of their time, as well as filming locations of some of the Harry Potter films.

Start:
  • 16 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AS, UK
    Please be at 16 Broad Street (Oxford Tourist Information) 15 minutes before the start of the tour
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Pushchair accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    • Infant seats available
    • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
    • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 22673P1

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • After 2 years of closures, we are attempting to include entrances back into the tour. It is possible that the sites will not be possible on the day, the guide will inform you at the start of the tour, and you are able to get a full refund in these very rare circumstances
    • Group Sizing In Line With Social Distancing Rules
    • Guides Temperature Taken Before Tour
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 22673P1

    From
    AU$59.69
    per adult
    Select date and travellers
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    Itinerary
    • 16 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AS, UK
      Please be at 16 Broad Street (Oxford Tourist Information) 15 minutes before the start of the tour
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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Footprints Tours Oxford
      8,990
      United Kingdom
    • aadityag02
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome experience!
      Olivia was very knowledgeable and made the tour fun by taking a quiz. She showed us around with great enthusiasm. Will definitely recommend to any Harry Potter fan I meet!
      Written 13 September 2024
    • F3160EBstuarth
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent tour
      Excellent tour. Our guide (Martin) was informative and entertaining, who kept it lively and answered all questions. As Martin was an actual student, he provided interesting insights regarding life at Oxford.
      Written 13 September 2024
    • 83sophiaz
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Good but…..
      The tour itself was good. I just wished the tour guide would have relayed more historical knowledge than pop culture. And she was always apologizing that Oxford started as religious colleges instead of academic one. I thought it was annoying.
      Written 13 September 2024
    • J2056CHjudys
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Thoroughly recommended
      Freya was our guide on the tour and was very knowledgeable and informative. They were trialling the use of the guide having a microphone fed into ear pieces so that everyone could hear well and we found it to be an excellent addition to the tour experience. Being on the tour allows access to places that are closed to the general public, at least whilst the colleges are between terms. Having been a student Freya was able to give an insight into what it is like to be a student at Oxford as well as pointing out other places of interest that we could later explore on our own, including the best pub! The tour ended at Christ Church, where we were given self-guide audio guides to complete the experience. I was a bit concerned about the amount of time that I would be walking, but it was so interesting that the time just flew by.
      Written 11 September 2024
    • whitneysB3225CJ
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Magical and Muggle-Friendly Adventure ✨
      Really fun, informative and MAGICAL tour. It was great seeing some of the filming locations. Our tour also included information about Oxford which feeds into some of the core of the Harry Potter series. The tour allows for magical photo opportunities! Finally, don’t forget to tip your tour guide! Thanks again, we loved it ✨
      Written 9 September 2024
    • I6041VFkarenc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Harry Potter rocks, but so does Luke!
      Luke is a terrific guide, and he doesn’t need impressive biceps to impress! He was very engaged with the group, and encouraged us to interact, which we did. I was very impressed that he was so concerned about not disturbing actual Oxford students. I had a wonderful tour, and highly recommend it!
      Written 8 September 2024
    • 936patrike
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Harry Potter Tour
      It was a very nice walk and a fantastic guide. I learned a lot about all the colleges in Oxford and about the Harry Potter movies.
      Written 8 September 2024
    • Tour05730310167
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent Tour
      The tour was really informative not only with Harry Potter references and filming locations but also historic sites of Oxford colleges. The tour guide Olivia was absolutely brilliant, she put everyone at ease and sorting us all into to houses for the house cup quiz. I would definitely recommend taking this tour if you love Harry Potter.
      Written 8 September 2024
    • duderuss14
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Nice tour
      What stroked me was the customer service offered by the owner/employee of the company. We were late by 15mins because of the traffic and the late inbound of the coach in London so we arrived late as well but they took an extra effort to find out where the group tour was and luckily found them and took us in the tour. As for the HP tour, they could have provided anything that could symbolise a HP in other words people should be in a HP mode either wearing a robe or a hat representing each elements or houses. Just a recommendation. Overall, Liv was lovely and let us borrowed her robe so we can take picture that resembled close to reality. Thank you
      Written 8 September 2024
    • norarK7331KQ
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      After Harry
      Our amazing tour guide, Olivia, made the tour super enjoyable with fun facts and activities. We have learnt some interesting things about Oxford and my 10 to said she loved the tour.
      Written 6 September 2024
    • R5615UQfatimab
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Extended Tour with Nick - Excellent! Highly Recommend!
      My husband and I attended the Extended: Oxford University & City Tour with Christ Church. Nick was our guide and he was excellent! We had a great time. Nick was very knowledgeable about both the city and the University. He had a great sense of humor, involved the entire group, and made everyone laugh. He answered all our questions, and helped everyone feel included. The pace of the tour was perfect. Highly recommend the tour and Nick as the guide!
      Written 6 September 2024
    • Izzy K
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Enjoyable and informative - and worth it
      We enjoyed this informative walking tour with our guide Martin, a rising senior at the university. We also loved being able to roam the halls of beautiful Christchurch.
      Written 5 September 2024
    • N1314TIkevinh
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience
      Our guide goes above and beyond just being a guide his knowledge is second to none and he is very friendly too. Would recommend this experience to anyone.
      Written 3 September 2024
    • margaritaaP7980WC
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      One of the most enjoyable tours I’ve ever been on
      Imogen is a fantastic guide. She told us so much about life as a student and we found her knowledge and humor very refreshing. Thanns for the tour Imogen. We had a great time and would without doubt do it again!
      Written 3 September 2024
    • Davis F
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A great Harry Potter tour
      Olivia, our tour guide was very knowledgable and charming despite identifying as a Hufflepuff. The tour was well organised and provided a nice quick overview of student life at Oxford and also Harry Potter trivia
      Written 3 September 2024
    See all 8,990 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles5,064 reviews
    Excellent
    4,671
    Very good
    273
    Average
    54
    Poor
    32
    Terrible
    34

    ClarabellaJ
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2020 • Couples
    I know Oxford and have visited friends here in the past, however it was wonderful to go on this tour. Trevor was so knowledgeable and pitched the content so well that two hours in the February cold and drizzle just flew by. The pace was well handled so that information came across clearly at key sites. My husband and I are both very interested in history and were fascinated by all of the facts noted in addition to the architectural and literary references. I would definitely recommend this tour if you are visiting Oxford.
    Written 19 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We are pleased to hear that Trevor's tour was not dampened by the weather! We hope you can join us at one of our other locations (Cambridge, York, Bath) soon.
    Written 12 March 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Thomas H
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2020 • Couples
    Our tour guide Trevor made an already captivating city all the more enthralling. The weather came down on us hard within the first five minutes, but Trevor remained undeterred in providing the group with a experience to remember.

    The group size was small, which in the current situation was reassuring, but also made for a more personal experience. It’s clear that the safety of the group was a priority for Trevor.

    I would recommend this tour as a must for any visitor to Oxford, especially those unfamiliar with the city’s unique history. It was refreshing having a tour guide who clearly loved the city he was describing.
    Written 1 November 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Jade
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2020
    Our family really enjoyed our walking tour. Even our 7 year old lasted the whole 2 hours, and enjoyed it. Our guide Trevor was superb- he was clear, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. Definitely recommend this walk during your visit to Oxford- it was definately the highlight of our day and we gained such unique insight to hear from a student of the city. A visit to oxford isn’t complete without this unique tour.
    Written 21 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for your kind words! We are beyond delighted to hear that Trevor's tour was fun and engaging for the whole family and left you with unique insights into life at Oxford. We hope to see you soon at one of our other locations (Cambridge, York, Bath) soon!
    Written 12 March 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Lauren H
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2020 • Family
    Our tour guide Jack was brilliant, he gave an amazing insight onto the city’s history as well as the university system. He did an incredible job tailoring the tour to us which as a perspective student I found so helpful. I would definitely recommend this tour, being shown around by someone who genuinely loves the city made it all the more interesting.
    Written 13 September 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We are pleased to hear that Jack's love for the city came across during his tour and that you found it informative. That is exactly the kind f experience we aim to provide :)
    Written 2 October 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Kevin B
    Bath, UK44 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2020
    We've taken walking tours abroad where it's been obvious that the guide has said the same script a thousand times.

    This was so NOT like that.

    Jack has an MA and PhD in History from Oxford, and teaches there now. So he really had the inside scoop on lots of things, past and present. AND he was witty, engaged, theatrical, enthusiastic and genuine - he answered every question we had (I ask a lot), he engaged with every member of the group personally at various points, and he made the entire tour full of fun and laughter. I can see Jack hosting history shows on TV - he would go down a storm.

    Extra detail is that we'd brought my daughter to Oxford because she's planning to apply next month to study there, and Jack was full of additional tips, ideas and background info that really helped her get a sense of undergraduate life in Oxford, some of the differences between the colleges, etc.

    We score Jack A*A*A*!
    Written 28 September 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We are delighted to hear that Jack made such a great impression and he could help your daughter with application tips. I will make sure he sees this amazing review :) Thank you for choosing us to show you around Oxford!
    Written 2 October 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    RebeccaG05
    Lincoln, UK2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2020 • Solo
    We had the most wonderful tour with our guide, Trevor, and to say he was knowledgeable would be an understatement! Trevor was brilliant with all the members of our cosy group: he kept the younger members engaged by including them with relevant facts and chatted personally with the older members as we moved from location to location. The tour encompassed the more famous colleges such as Magdalen, Christ Church and Radcliffe through to some of the lesser well known ones with some excellent anecdotes about their more notable alumni. Serious points were scored with the JRR Tolkien facts! As a resident of the city I will pass the iconic buildings and features again but with new respect and appreciation for their history thanks to this enchanting tour. (Trevor, I hope you get your beer from the boss!)
    Written 22 August 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We are delighted to hear that Trevor made such a good impression! He is an outstanding tour guide and a natural story-teller. I will tell our boss about the beer :)
    Written 3 October 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Annelies V
    Paris, France3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2020
    What a great walk. This is a must do if you want to understand Oxford. Trevor is an eloquent storyteller, who never hesitates or misses his storyline and has a great sense of humor. A few times a bit difficult to follow if your not a native English speaker and if you are in your teens ;-) , but we highly recommend the tour and Trevor!
    Written 27 January 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We a delighted to hear that you enjoyed Trevor's tour. He is a talented story-teller indeed :) Thank you for your kind words and recommendation!
    Written 30 January 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    JoRay3
    Weymouth, UK7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hannah was an excellent tour guide. She spoke clearly and was extremely knowledgeable. Her manner was friendly and pleasant and answered all of our questions. We would recommend this tour without hesitation as you always learn far more from a tour guide than trying to read leaflets etc if you don't have very long in a city.
    Thank you Hannah 😊
    Written 5 August 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We are pleased to hear you found Hannah's tour engaging and easy to follow. That's exactly what we aim to provide :)
    Written 9 August 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    peter b
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2020 • Couples
    Great tour by Trevor, he was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the city and delivered the information in a confident and friendly manner throwing the odd joke or witty observation.

    This tour is a must at the start of any city visit and I highly recommend this one.

    Would have been five stars but for a lot of places being understandably closed to visitors due to covid.
    Written 30 August 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed Trevor's tour despite the restrictions. He is a natural story-teller and knowledgeable historian :)
    Written 3 October 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    AdamD
    27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was a brilliant tour and an excellent way to see some of the most interesting sights that Oxford has to offer. Our tour guide, Trevor, seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the city and its attractions; how anyone can store that much information I'll never know! However Trevor knew how to present this information in a way as to be interesting, funny and never dull.

    Despite the rain we had an incredible time on this tour, which can only attest to just how much fun it was. We even managed to see inside certain locations such as the Divinity School, despite the obvious logistical challenges thrown up by COVID.

    All in all, this tour was a brilliant way to spend 2 hours seeing the city centre and some of its most interesting locations - well worth the money!
    Written 4 August 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for your kind words Steve! Trevor is a skilled guide and knowledgeable historian indeed. I will make sure he receives your compliments :)
    Written 9 August 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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