Oxford Guides

In-depth guides — for families, foodies, architecture and literary pilgrims, runners and budget visitors, plus seasonal events, markets, punting, evensong and day trips.

Who you are

Oxford for Families

Dinosaurs, punting, Alice in Wonderland, and rainy-day museums. Everything you need for a family day out.

Oxford for Architecture Lovers

From medieval cloisters to Arne Jacobsen's modernism. A chronological tour through 800 years of building.

Oxford for Literary Pilgrims

Tolkien, Lewis, Pullman, Carroll, and Morse. Walk in the footsteps of Oxford's storytellers.

Oxford for Runners

Parkruns, river paths, Roger Bannister's track, and post-run pubs.

Oxford for Foodies

From Covered Market stalls to tasting menus. The best eating in Oxford by cuisine and budget.

Oxford for Budget Visitors

Free museums, budget pubs, cheap eats, and free college visits.

Seasonal events

May Morning

Oxford's annual dawn celebration on 1 May. Where to stand, what to expect, and where to eat afterwards.

Events Calendar

The 20 events that define Oxford's year — May Morning, Eights Week, St Giles' Fair, and more.

Alice's Day

The free July festival celebrating Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, from the Story Museum to Christ Church.

Bonfire Night in Oxford

The 5 November fireworks in South Park, and the older Oxford story behind it: the burning of Latimer and Ridley on Broad Street in 1555.

Cowley Road Carnival

Oxford's largest free community event: a procession, music stages and food along a closed Cowley Road every July.

Eights Week in Oxford

Oxford's four-day inter-college bumps regatta on the Isis: what bumps racing is, where to watch, and the pubs at either end of the course.

Oxford Christmas Market

Wooden chalets, mulled wine and a Ferris wheel on Broad Street, from late November to New Year's Eve.

Oxford Literary Festival

The annual week of author talks held across Christ Church, the Bodleian, the Sheldonian, Blackwell's and other central venues.

Oxford Open Doors

The free September weekend that opens colleges, civic buildings and churches that are usually closed to the public.

Oxfordshire Artweeks

The open-studios art festival held across three weeks each May, and how to plan a visit in the city.

St Giles' Fair

The two-day September funfair that takes over St Giles', with its medieval history, dates and road closures.

Torpids in Oxford

The Hilary Term bumps regatta on the Isis: how it differs from Summer Eights and where to watch from the towpath.

Things to do

Oxford Markets

The Covered Market, Gloucester Green, North Parade, and community farmers' markets.

Punting in Oxford

Where to hire, which route to take, and how not to fall in.

Choral Evensong

Hear Oxford's chapel and cathedral choirs at choral evensong.

Day Trips from Oxford

Blenheim Palace, the Uffington White Horse, the Rollright Stones and more within easy reach of Oxford.

Best Pubs in Oxford

Pub picks by what you're looking for: oldest, riverside, literary, real ale and live music.

Oxford's Blue Plaques

Addresses, walking routes and the people behind the buildings, from Tolkien and C.S. Lewis to Dorothy Hodgkin and Roger Bannister.

Oxford's Historic Cemeteries

Holywell, Wolvercote, Osney and St Sepulchre's, and the writers, scholars and scientists buried there.

University of Oxford

What the University is, how to visit it, and the colleges, libraries and traditions worth seeing.