Explore Oxford as you wish with your own guide on this private walking tour. Meet your guide in the heart of the history-steeped city and hear about its famous past and university as you explore the cobbled streets and squares. Use the flexible itinerary to tailor your sightseeing around your interests, visiting highlights such as the Bodleian Library, Christ Church College, and other landmarks as you please. Entrance fees at own expense.

Private walking tour of Oxford
Enjoy a flexible itinerary and tailor your sightseeing around your interests
Learn about Oxford’s history, university, and architecture
Visit university colleges such as Christ Church to see their quadrangles, chapels, and gardens
Admire the Bodleian Library, and explore cobbled squares, churches, and more
Undivided attention from a private guide
Entrance fees not included

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges
Professional guide

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

OX1 3AJ
Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AJ, UK
Departure Point: Central Oxford Address: (Opposite the Oxford Tourist Information Centre) 15 Broad Street Oxford OX1 3AJ Dates: Daily

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Choose a morning or afternoon departure on booking, and meet your private guide in central Oxford. Then, set out into the elegant streets while learning about the city’s history and university, one of the world’s oldest.

Let your guide know if there’s something you want to see more of. Your tour is private, so your itinerary can be tailored around your preferences or any themes of particular interest. You may, for instance, want to visit some of the colleges used in the filming of the Harry Potter movies. If so, your guide will discuss your options and do everything possible to arrange this for you.

Whatever you choose to see, your guide will have an in-depth knowledge of the city, and will offer interesting background and stories on the sights in a way that’s both illuminating and enjoyable.

Perhaps visit the world-famous Bodleian Library, Oxford University’s principal library, and one of Europe’s oldest. Admire the magnificent buildings of the library, first opened in 1602, and learn how it houses 12 million printed items.

Maybe explore some of the university’s colleges to see their quadrangles, chapels, and gardens, and learn about their distinguished former students, such as Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis.

Alternatively, visit Oxford Castle for stunning views from St. George’s Tower and to discover its 900-year-old underground crypt. Or, see the Sheldonian Theatre, Sir Christopher Wren’s architectural masterpiece dating from 1668. Other places of interest might include Oxford’s museums, the City Walls, and the Hertford Bridge, known as the 'Bridge of Sighs' for its similarities to its Venetian counterpart.

After two hours, your walking tour ends when your guide bids you goodbye in the city center.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

111 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 111 reviews

The guide was very...

Kari_Z, Jul 2023

The guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. However, our guide did not show up on the first appointment, and we were told it was a booking error. We were given a second appointment a few days later. We were under the impression that our tour included entrance to the library, which was not true. We paid another entrance fee. I would not repeat the tour as it was not a good value.

Awesome Private Tour!!!

Terri_L, Dec 2022

Our guide was incredible! She was a current student at Oxford and gave us historical and hysterical insights of the area and the colleges. I highly recommend getting the private/alumni tour…you will learn and laugh the entire time! Well done Izi!!

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Dear Terri, it was fantastic to have you visit us in Oxford! We are so happy to hear that you would recommend the tour and were impressed by Isobel 😊

Wonderful private Oxford tour with Jessica

NORMANLINDER, Jul 2022

Jessica was very knowledgeable and told us about Oxford University and the town of Oxford’s history and challenges. As a fresh graduate of Oxford University, she had the kind of insight and perspective that can’t be found in other guides. Very eloquent and professional. We highly recommend her.

Anastasia was fantastic

kpp5fg5pgq, Jun 2022

Anastasia, our tour guide, was excellent. She put a ton of energy into the tour. Her knowledge was amazing. We asked dozens of questions and learned a great amount about the current Oxford University and its colleges as well as the past… good, bad and ugly. Although we were there to learn more as a prospective student I think anyone would really enjoy the tour. Highly recommended!!

Good tour

LAURENCE_H, Feb 2020

Interesting tour Requires Good English level and British history knowledge Too bad there’s not a French version ! Isn’t there any French speaking guide in Oxford ?

OXFORD WALKINg TOUR

Susan_W, Jun 2019

Excellent tour, it was our tour guide that made it special her name was Siren, she was so friendly and her knowledge was excellent, would highly recommend this tour

Response from Host, Aug 2019

Thanks for this great review of your tour with Siren. We're glad you enjoyed it and look forward to hosting you in another of our historic cities again soon! Footprints Tours

Wonderful Experience!

James_P, Nov 2018

My guide, Jo, was incredible! She made the tour so interesting by combining her knowledge and her personal student experience into an experience I will never forget. The two hours flew by!

Great tour. Our guide Laura was...

Lee M, Aug 2017

Great tour. Our guide Laura was excellent, very friendly and knowledgable. Much better than taking a group tour.

We hit the jackpot with Mark, a...

jane b, Jul 2017

We hit the jackpot with Mark, a fellow at Oxford University who happened to just start doing some tours this summer. He was so informative and wonderful. Highly recommend a private tour of Oxford.

This was an excellent tour. My...

William P, May 2017

This was an excellent tour. My husband and I were first time visitors to Oxford and we had pre-arranged through Viator for a private walking tour. Our guide, Lucy was excellent- she had been a graduate of one of the colleges at Oxford, lived in the area, and was so personal and generous with her time and insight into the life and history of the College system and the town. She also showed us many of the top stops we wanted to see. We saw both free and paid group tours walking throughout the city over the next several days, but we were so grateful we had started our time in Oxford with this most valuable overview. For anyone considering a walking trip- do consider this. Per our voucher, the trip was purchased through Viator and organized by group called Footprints. Thank you, Viator and Trip Advisor for linking us up for this tour. It was a real foundation for our time in Oxford and also appreciating contemporary associations with England - ex. I am real lover of CS Lewis, and she could post not out the Magdalene College where he taught and wrote for over 25 years or showing us the dining hall famous from Harry Potter movies, library where every book published in England is archived.etc.... You will enjoy this walking tour immensely. Kathy and Bill

We took the tour because our...

Gregory M, Mar 2017

We took the tour because our daughter was recently accepted to study at the university, which only gives limited university-sponsored tours. We were very happy to learn that our guide, Mihai, was himself a recent graduate. He really shaped the tour to our daughter's and our interests. In addition to touring the one college Balliol with which Footprints Tours seems to have an agreement, he spoke to the porters at the college that has admitted my daughter, and they were kind enough to let us visit. He showed us all the things that he would show any tour group history, architecture, famous graduates, funny stories, Harry Potter fun facts, etc., but wove in aspects of how that would play out in my daughter's university experience. He was informative and funny, poised and still very much a newly minted graduate. He made the experience for us. The stunning setting and 1000 years plus of history helped.

Lucy was a lovely tour guide. We...

Alan B, Oct 2016

Lucy was a lovely tour guide. We would have liked more information about the city rather than focused on the colleges, but the guide was pleasant and engaging.

We loved our Oxford walking tour...

Dorothy P, Aug 2016

We loved our Oxford walking tour. Catherine was an excellent guide.

Connor was great. He was amazingly...

Philip J, Jul 2016

Connor was great. He was amazingly knowledgeable and very gracious. He shaped the tour around or interests. Highly recommended.

Julian was a wonderful guide. We would...

Vanessa G, Jul 2016

Julian was a wonderful guide. We would highly recommend him!

Intressant och informativt

susanW5269PH, Aug 2018

En snabb, men omfattande introduktion till Oxford och dets historie. Gjorde egen vandring efteråt mycket mera intressant. Kunnig och trevlig guide.