Oxford College Gardens Public Walking Tour

4.8 (4 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation

out of 5

4 reviews

4.8

Oxford College Gardens Public Walking Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Oxford College Gardens Public Walking Tour, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Entry worth £10 per person is included to Magdalen college and deer park, as and when it is open. See what is excluded section for any dates of closures.

Besides introducing Oxford heritage, this tour is led by one of Oxford's most experienced local guides and it introduces the best college gardens off the beaten route of most tourists visiting Oxford. For anyone interested in herbalism, this can be a focus interest too, if made known in advance before the tour. You will visit inside at least one or more college -see details of which colleges in the main tour description. This tour is suitable for all ages but it will appeal especially to anyone who has a special interest in gardening.

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At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 15 people
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Visit Oxford Tours

Ages: Adults (14–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Entry inside at least one or more colleges such as St Johns, Exeter, Balliol or Wadham
Included: Entry worth £10 per person to Magdalen college is included- except any dates published closures

Not included

Not included: Magdalen college entry ticket for £10 is not included in tour & is an optional add
Not included: Colleges may be closed on graduation dates- see dates below...
Not included: 2026 graduation dates of likely closures of some or all colleges:
Not included: Feb 28, March7, May 15+16+23, July 18+28+31, Aug 1+8, Sep 25+26, Nov 6+7+13+14 of 2026
Not included: 2027 graduation dates of likely closures of some or all colleges:
Not included: Jan 23, Feb 27, March 6, May 14 + 15+ 22 of 2027
Not included: Magdalen is always closed during Christmas from about December 21 until December 31

Itinerary

Magdalen College

45 min Admission included

Entry to Magdalen worth £10 per person is included in the tour. This is probably the gem of Oxford college gardens and it's also famous for where CS Lewis & JRR Tolkien used to walk and talk in the gardens.

The college also has a deer park.

Note that on any dates, when Magdalen is closed, we will replace instead with entry to another college. See dates of any closures under the section.

Magdalen is closed every year from usually about December 21 until December 31st.
Balliol College

Passing by

This college dates back to 1263! We usually visit this college too- unless it's closed.

This college has an amazing dining hall which looks like Hogwarts hall!

This college is where Adam Smith studied plus four prime ministers.

Entry worth £5 per person included
Magdalen College

Passing by

Magdalen is ONLY included in our tour, if you agree to pay the extra £10 cost directly to the college. We can discuss the option of whether to include this or not in the tour, on the day but please be aware that it's at least 20 minutes walk away.

This college has the most expansive and probably the most pleasant gardens.

Addisons Walk is also where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien used to walk and talk. Magdalen is where Cs Lewis taught.
Bridge of Sighs

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
Brasenose College

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
All Souls College

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
Hertford College

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
Trinity College

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
Bodleian Library

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
Wadham College

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours. If however Exeter or St Johns or Balliol college is closed, we may instead visit this college chapel and garden. Its entry fee is £3 per person.

This is the college which JK Rowling applied to but she was turned down.
St John's College

Passing by

This college is always on our tour to visit inside and see the medieval quadrange, the gardens and the chapel. Its free entry. However, it's only open from 1pm to 5pm.
Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology

Passing by

We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
Exeter College

Passing by

This is easily one of Oxford's college gems, founded in 1314 and the student college of Tolkien plus of the pre Raphaelites artists, William Morris & Edward Burne Jones.

The chapel is gorgeous & so is the Old Fellows Garden.

This college is also where they often filmed Inspector Morse & Lewis shows.

This college is usually closed to the public but as a guide, I can get you access with me, as and when the college is open. It is usually closed in term time though.

On dates when Magdalen college is closed, we usually replace with entry to Exeter college instead.

Exeter alongwith most colleges is closed during Christmas period from about December 20 till about January 4.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Meet myself, Alasdair, your guide wearing red lanyard. Meeting next to our black sign, OUTSIDE Oxford Tourist info centre, 15 Broad street, OX1 3AS. This is also next to the Oxfam shop which has a green sign above its shop.

End point

Meet myself, Alasdair, your guide wearing red lanyard. Meeting next to our black sign, OUTSIDE Oxford Tourist info centre, 15 Broad street, OX1 3AS. This is also next to the Oxfam shop which has a green sign above its shop.