Relax in the beautiful scenery of Oxford on a punting trip with a student guide along the River Cherwell. Discover the grounds that inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland as you pass the Botanic Garden and Christ Church Meadow before having the option to see the River Thames. Make your way to the bouthouse to meet your friendly guide for the day. Listen to the serene sounds of the river as you climb into the boat and set off along the River Cherwell. Have a chat about life in the city for locals and students as you cruise past the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, one of the oldest scientific gardens in the world. Be inspired as you pass Christ Church Meadow where Lewis Carroll once taught his students. Reach St. Hilda's College gardens and decide to head back to the boathouse or spend some more time on the river. If you're feeling adventurous continue south and ride in the punt along the River Thames.

You will begin in central Oxford, with a brief and engaging introduction which will lay the foundation for the vast periods of history to be covered! Then the tour will enter a college renowned for having the most beautiful lawns in Oxford along with an iconic dispute with its neighbour - resulting in a supposed theft of the College tortoise (Oxford Annual Tortoise Race explanation included!). Then the group will visit the Sheldonian Theatre, where students experience the most iconic ceremony at Oxford University. You can hear from your student guide how the experience was for them. Next you will enter a historic museum -complete with a chalkboard used by Einstein in Oxford - and visit the Weston Library, a great example of a hybrid historic and modern interior. This tour will then cover sites that none of our other tours do! Including Rhodes House, the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. The latter is known to have one of the most exceptional collections in England, including Victorian shrunken heads. The tour stops for lunch at the Eagle and Child pub, a second home to J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis while they were members of the Inklings. After lunch, you can get a photo under the Bridge of Sighs before gazing up at the first round library in England, where your Oxford student guide will give you rare insights into the labyrinth of underground tunnels students. Not to be forgotten, All Souls College. With entrance exams as complex as they are bizarre, this site will highlight how exclusive a College can be and how influential its members are. Heading down to the southern part of Oxford, we visit a hidden door depicting the most famous characters in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Before entering the largest College at Oxford, Home to Oscar Wilde and C. S. Lewis, and its own deer park. Explore the iconic grounds which have been home to Oxford’s most influential writers, complete with medieval cloisters. The tour will head over to Merton College, home of Tolkien, to discuss not only its literary importance, but it’s multi million pound kitchen, funded by the current Emperor of Japan! The tour will then go to Christ Church College, exploring the unique meadows - such a stunning expanse of land incredibly rare in a medieval city. Here you will learn about its close connection to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - along with its decision to be held to a different time zone than the rest of Oxford. Those who have selected the option to enter Christ Church will then have their pre arranged tickets given to them, and they will be free to explore the college at their own pace. The guide will be at hand before entering to offer further advice and guidance. Please note - the structure on the day may differ.

Meet your guide outside Oxford's famous Ashmolean Museum with its fine collections of art and artefacts and start your walking tour. Pass by the Martyr's Memorial, dedicated to the Oxford Martyrs, and sop in Broad Street, close to where the old city wall used to be. From here you begin to expand your knowledge about the history of the University.  Get a chance to visit a typical college of the university with its quaint quadrangles and see how the students live and work. Continue your tour and pass by the Sheldonian Theatre, the University's ceremonial hall and then head to the quaint Bridge of Sighs.  Enjoy some time for a photo in front of the bridge and before visiting the Old Schools Quadrangle of the Bodleian Library, where Harry Potter was filmed.  Stop at charming Radcliffe Square with its cobblestones and the splendid Radcliffe Camera. See several colleges in this area before the tour continues to Christ Church Meadows. Marvel at the location of Christ Church College, where Alice in Wonderland was inspired and Harry Potter was filmed.  Walk back towards the Carfax Crossroads, the very centre of the city and have a chance to window-shop as you walk through Oxford's Victorian Covered Market. Your tour finishes in the Cornmarket, giving you an opportunity to enjoy lunch in one of Oxford's pubs, cafes or restaurants or to explore the shops in the Covered Market or the modern Westgate Centre.

Embark on an extended 3-hour tour of the best Oxford has to offer with a local student guide. Go behind closed doors with an energetic and knowledgeable student guide who will help you to peel back the complex layers and mystique of this world-famous institution. First, visit one of the oldest colleges at Oxford University for a peek inside this restricted world of academia. Stroll the gardens, unearth the peculiar Oxford traditions, and see from a real student, how this elite educational institution operates. Then, head over to the Bodleian Library - a colossal site that houses over 13 million books. Enter the first purpose-built lecture room at Oxford, where you can admire some of the most ornate medieval architecture in Europe. Listen as your guide explains the early rituals and tests students underwent, how the British Parliament was held in the building by King Charles I and later King Charles II. Discover the library’s role in the most defining ceremony at Oxford and see the locations where multiple scenes of the Harry Potter movies were filmed. Along with these focal points, also cover the most famous landmarks in Oxford city and at Oxford University. Your private tour can be tailored to the specific locations or subjects you wish to cover. Just contact the operator in advance if you have anything specific in mind and they will do their best to incorporate anything that’s available to the public on the day (additional entrance fees may be required for such requests).

Whether you’re coming for a family holiday or a day trip with friends, Oxford is the perfect historic destination. If you know where to look, you’ll find Harry Potter filming locations; the alma maters of some of the world's most famous literary figures, politicians and philosophers; the pub in which the first copies of 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe' were handed out; and much, much more. But how do you make the most out of your time in this magical city? A private tour is a great way to get an intimate and tailored insight into Oxford and the beautiful university. You can completely tailor the experience: from meeting and starting points to any particular themes you wish to be covered (please email the local supplier in advance with any requests). Speak to your guide if you would like to visit any paid sites  this can be discussed and arranged for you. Depending on what you would like to see, there may be additional entrances fees but your guides can discuss all available options for you at the start of the tour. Your guides have a great insight into Oxford and are committed to providing interesting and enjoyable tours of this beautiful city, rather than tours which put people to sleep. Most of your guides have themselves studied at The University of Oxford and can provide you with details on how the institution really works. Cover the highlights of Oxford to ensure you see the best the city has to offer. A typical itinerary includes: • Balliol College • Trinity College • Sheldonian Theatre • The Divinity School • Bridge of Sighs • The Bodleian Library • The Radcliffe Camera • The University Church of St Mary The Virgin • Christ Church College • All Souls College • Oriel College • Merton College