Footprints ToursGuided walk
Oxford through student & alumni eyes
- Our pick for a first visit
- Around two hours with a student or alumni guide
- College entry and University stories
From£35 per personBook Now
Walk the streets. Meet the University.
Oxford University Tours
Follow the dreaming spires into a world of college traditions, celebrated writers and student life. An Oxford university tour brings the city’s extraordinary buildings to life with stories from a student or alumni guide — and time to discover what lies beyond the college gates.
Student & alumni-led walksCollege-entry optionsA first visit to remember
Oxford, beyond the postcard
There’s a whole University behind that photograph.
The Radcliffe Camera draws your eye. The lanes around it draw you further: past college gates, beneath Hertford’s Bridge of Sighs and into the Oxford where people still study, teach and make their home.
Walk with a student or alumni guide and discover the life behind the architecture. Hear about the traditions, rivalries and routines that make this city unlike anywhere else. The famous views are only the beginning.
Find your Oxford
Three walks. Three ways to make it yours.
Meet Oxford through student and alumni eyes, make time for Christ Church, or enjoy a shorter introduction before exploring on your own.
Footprints ToursGuided walk
Your day at Oxford, with Christ Church
- For the interiors you came to see
- Small-group walk with multiple admissions
- Explore Christ Church with its multimedia guide
From£80 per personBook Now
Oxford Walking ToursGuided walk
A little Oxford. A lasting impression.
- A shorter introduction, with time to explore afterwards
- 90-minute city and University walk
- One college admission included
From£27 per personBook Now
Starting prices vary by date and option. Check the named admissions before booking; college closures can change which spaces are available.
Our first-visit favourite
The buildings bring you here. The people make you curious.
Why does Oxford have so many colleges? What is it like to study here? The student or alumni-led walk connects the sights with the lives behind them. With around two hours and college entry included, it is our choice for visitors who want to come away with stories as well as photographs.
- University history with a student or alumni perspective
- A guided introduction to the city and its colleges
- Around two hours for the regular Oxford departure
From£35 per personBook Now
Along the wayDreaming spires.
Dreaming spires.
Stories at street level.
Oxford rewards a closer look. These are some of the places that give a University walk its character; the exact route and college visit can change with access.
- Broad Street & the Sheldonian
Begin among the landmarks of academic Oxford, where the Sheldonian Theatre brings centuries of University ceremony into the heart of the city.
- The Bodleian quarter & Radcliffe Camera
Recognise the skyline, then discover the libraries and traditions behind it. This is the Oxford you have seen in photographs, with a story to accompany the view.
- College gates & hidden courtyards
Discover how college life shapes Oxford, with an included college visit adding another perspective to the streets outside. The college visited depends on the departure and opening arrangements.
- The city between the colleges
Follow the lanes around Hertford, Oriel and Merton, where the University meets everyday Oxford. The pleasure is in discovering how much lies between the landmarks.
Picture your afternoon
A turn down a lane. Another reason to stop.
College stone, grand doorways and the curve of the Radcliffe Camera: Oxford’s best-known views sit within walking distance of one another. Give yourself time to enjoy them, with a guide connecting the places and people along the way.
Book Now
Make it a day to remember
What will you take home from Oxford?
A favourite view, a story you want to retell, a new curiosity about the people who studied here. Choose the walk that gives your interests room.
Choose the student or alumni-led walk for University traditions and a personal perspective on life among the colleges.
Choose the premium tour if the Hall Staircase and historic interiors are high on your wish list. After your guide’s introduction outside, continue inside with the official multimedia guide.
Choose the 90-minute introduction if you would like a guided start, then time for the Covered Market, a museum or a leisurely lunch.
The student & alumni-led walk
Your tour, at a glance
Included
- Guided city and University walking tour
- Student or alumni guide
- Entrance fees for the selected tour
Plan separately
- Tips, if you wish to leave them
- Christ Church — choose the premium tour above
- Specific Bodleian library rooms — book an official library tour
Your walk starts here
Meet your guide on Broad Street
For regular Oxford departures, head to Oxford Tourism Information at 16 Broad Street and look for the Footprints Tours guide’s white and green umbrella. Your booking confirmation has the final meeting instructions.
Regular Oxford departures
Oxford Tourism Information
16 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3AS
Look for the Footprints Tours guide with a white and green umbrella.
Open in Google Maps →Separate 08:00 London collection
Gloucester Road Underground Station
Gloucester Road, London SW7 4SF
Meet outside the station at the corner of Gloucester Road and Courtfield Road.
Open in Google Maps →Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Use the meeting point in your GetYourGuide confirmation if your departure details are updated.
Before you set offA little planning.
A little planning.
More time to enjoy Oxford.
Choose your date, wear comfortable walking shoes and check the meeting point on your confirmation. Three details are worth settling before you arrive.
The regular student or alumni-led departure lasts around two hours. The shorter city walk takes 90 minutes. London collection follows a separate schedule.
For Christ Church, choose the premium experience. For Duke Humfrey’s Library or the Radcliffe Camera interior, arrange the specific official Bodleian tour.
University events can change interior access. Divinity School visits are particularly restricted in summer. Check the admissions and closure arrangements for your selected option.
Traveller perspectives
What recent travellers noticed
Recent visitors praised the patient explanations, pace and anecdotes that made the University easier to understand.
★★★★★
Amin appreciated a patient guide who gave a detailed account of both Oxford and the University.
★★★★★
Liz found the pace and humour held up even in poor weather, with anecdotes making the two hours pass easily.
★★★★★
Tapasi valued the informative commentary and the anecdotes that made the university story memorable.
Good to know
A few questions before you book
Which Oxford University tour should I choose?
For a first visit, start with the student or alumni-led walk. Choose the 90-minute city introduction if you have less time, or the premium tour if Christ Church is a priority.
Will we go inside a college?
The 90-minute introduction includes one college admission. The student or alumni-led overview also includes entrance fees, while the premium experience includes multiple admissions and Christ Church. The exact college and spaces available can change with closures.
Will my guide be a current student?
The recommended tour is led by a student or alumnus. Your guide may be studying at Oxford now or may have graduated.
Is Christ Church included?
Christ Church is included in the premium tour, not the recommended student or alumni-led overview. Your guide introduces it outside before you explore independently with Christ Church’s official multimedia guide.
Where do we meet?
Regular Oxford departures meet at Oxford Tourism Information, 16 Broad Street. Look for the white and green Footprints Tours umbrella. The separate 08:00 London collection starts at Gloucester Road Underground Station; check your confirmation.
Can I visit the Bodleian Library’s historic rooms?
Historic rooms such as Duke Humfrey’s Library and the Radcliffe Camera have specific official tour arrangements. A general University walk does not automatically include them. Compare Bodleian visits.
Stay a little longer
What else would you love to see?
Pair your walk with a college visit, a historic library room or a little exploring at your own pace.
Visiting Oxford colleges
Find a college that matches your interests, from medieval quads to gardens and literary connections.
Read the Guide →Bodleian Library tours
Discover which official tour takes you inside the library room you want to see.
Read the Guide →Self-guided Oxford
Follow a free central route, with shorter and longer options for the time you have.
Read the Guide →Historic FootstepsTake home more than
Take home more than
a photograph of Oxford.
Walk the streets you came to see. Discover the lives behind them. Join a student or alumni-led tour and make your first Oxford visit one you will want to talk about.
Book NowBook through GetYourGuide · Student & alumni-led walk from £35 per person