Oxford's Historic Pubs: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

5.0 (5 reviews) 1 h 30 min – 2 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

5 reviews

5.0

Oxford's Historic Pubs: A Self-Guided Walking Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Oxford's Historic Pubs: A Self-Guided Walking Tour, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Oxford’s historical streets are full of interesting and unusual pubs, some of which have been providing refreshment for over 700 years. On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll visit a few of the oldest and quirkiest pubs the city has to offer. Starting at the Head of the River pub near Folly Bridge, you’ll wind through cobbled lanes and hidden passages to discover ten of Paul Coyne favourite pubs, each with a story to tell. The audio guide will lead you through the ancient streets where students and townspeople have all enjoyed an ’Education in Intoxication’. You’ll see where a Tuesday afternoon pub brawl took 600 years to be finally reconciled, and learn which pub had a camel. You'll also see a few historical landmarks like Hertford Bridge, Carfax Tower, and Radcliffe Square. By the end of the tour, in front of the Grapes on George Street, you’ll have learnt the differences between an alehouse, a tavern, and an inn.

Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Audio Guides Cultural Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours New Product Short term availability

At a glance

Duration: 1 h 30 min – 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Audio guide: English
Written guide: English
Operated by: VoiceMap Audio Tours

Ages: Adults (6–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Included: Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Included: App for Android and iOS
Included: Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Included: Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start

Not included

Not included: Smartphone and headphones
Not included: Food and drinks
Not included: Transportation
Not included: Personal expenses for attractions not included during the tour

Itinerary

Stop 1

Passing by

The start of the Oxford Historic Pub Tour, with a lovely riverside garden. Learn about the Oxford University eights races & how the pub got it's name.
Stop 2

Passing by

Discover if The Bear is truly the oldest pub in Oxford dating from 1262. Learn more about The Bear's collection of over 4,500 snipped neckties.
Carfax Tower

Passing by

Learn about the St. Scholastica Day riot which started with a pub brawl at the Swindlestock Tavern.
Stop 4

Passing by

William Shakespeare was a frequent visitor to the The Crown Inn and it's alleged that he became very friendly with the landlord's wife.
Stop 5

Passing by

A hidden gem of Oxford that can be difficult to find, but our clear audio directions will lead you right there. The Turf has many stories of celebrity drinking exploits.
Stop 6

Passing by

Learn about the Kings Arms' reputation of having the "highest IQ per square foot of any pub in the world".

A very atmospheric pub with back rooms and a real log fire in the winter.
Oxford Covered Market

Passing by

Trading since 1774 the Covered Market has modernised in recent years with many craft ale bars and shops. Well worth a visit to soak up the historic atmosphere and perhaps have a craft ale & some food.
Stop 8

Passing by

Probably the smallest pub in Oxford and has appeared in Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series many times.
Stop 9

Passing by

Hertford Bridge links two parts of Hertford college in Oxford. It's commonly known as 'The Bridge of Sighs' and is a great place for picturesque photos when touring Oxford.
Stop 10

Passing by

The last pub on the Oxford Historic Pub Tour, a time to reflect on the ten pubs you will have visited.

A Victorian pub in style with over 40 keg & 8 cask ales to enjoy.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

This tour starts outside the Head of the River Pub on St. Aldates. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

This tour end outside The Grapes Pub on George Street.

Using your ticket

VOICEMAP CODE

───

Please check your email at the address you provided when you made this booking. You've been sent an eight character code you'll need to redeem your tour.

This code can be used by every member of your party. If you've booked for three people, for example, three people can download this tour using the same code.

DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

───

Once you've received your code, please follow these steps:

Install the VoiceMap Audio Tours mobile app

Create an account

Select Tour Codes from the menu, then select Enter Codes

Enter your code then select Download Now

PLEASE NOTE

───

You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point.

This tour follows a set route and includes turn-by-turn directions. It works best if you start it in the right place and follow the directions from one location to the next.

When the download completes, you’ll see a screen with a photo of the starting point and directions to it. The red start button will become active when you are at the starting point.

Remember to bring your own headphones, unless you have booked a driving tour.

SUPPORT

───

For technical support and other queries, please email [email protected]