Frequently Asked Questions

On a daily basis, we have two scheduled Oxford University & City Walking Tours in the morning at 10.30am and 11.30am then two in the afternoon at 1pm and 2pm.

If you are booking a private or group tour you can request a start time to suit you.

We do not offer college entrance on the morning scheduled tours.

Our afternoon tours include a college visit, such as St John’s College, Wadham College or Jesus College.
N.B We cannot guarantee this as colleges can close at short notice.

If you are booking a private or group tour you can let us know what colleges you are interested in seeing and we will do our best to arrange this for you, subject to closures. You can usually pay in advance but on occasion the fee will need to be paid at the College entrance.

For all scheduled tours the Meeting Point is outside the Cool Britannia gift shop on the corner of Broad Street and Turl Street. OX1 3DH. What3Words.com ///visit.blues.text

For group and private tours we will arrange a meeting point that is convenient for your group.

Just show your Oxford Official Walking Tour confirmation number and you will receive a 10% discount on all of your purchases.

We would recommend using public transport or the Park & Ride system to reach the centre of Oxford. We would recommend leaving at least an hour before the start of your tour to travel into Oxford. Leaving plenty of time will allow for a comfort break and refreshments ahead of the tour.

The Park & Ride buses stop along George Street or Magdalen Street, which is a less than a 5 minute walk to Broad Street.  For more information on the Oxford Park and Ride system please click here.

From the main station, Broad Street is a 15-20 min walk (0.6 miles / 1 km) in a straight line from Oxford Station.

If you are alighting at Oxford Parkway Station (and Park and Ride), the number 2 buses and the Park & Rides will take you directly into Magdalen Street in central Oxford.

Please allow plenty of time to reach the meeting point.  However if you are going to be late please email our office in the first instance, officialtours@experienceoxfordshire.org or call the office on 01865 686422. We are open Monday to Thursday 8:30am – 5pm and Friday 8:30am – 3:30pm.

Our guide will endeavour to contact you and wait for up to 5 minutes before moving off with the group.

Our scheduled tours are only in English, however if you would like to book a private tour in another language please go to our Private & Specialist Tours booking page

Group sizes are limited to 20 people for your safety and comfort.

Our guides are experienced in ensuring that the tours are inclusive and can adapt their tour for all ages. If you would like a tour specifically tailored towards children or young adults, please enquire about a Private & Specialist Tour here.

Tours go ahead unless there are severe weather warnings in place, or an event that closes the city centre, e.g. parades. Please come prepared and suitably dressed. If we are unable to run the tour we will contact you as far in advance as possible to rebook a date for you.

The booking will be registered under the Cardholder’s name/or name of the person booking. Your tickets are non-transferrable and are valid for the date and time booked only. If you are not able to travel or take your tour due to illness or Severe Weather Warnings we will be happy to rebook your tour tickets for a later date. Please note we require 48 hours notice and notification by email to officialtours@experienceoxfordshire.org

If you need to cancel please let us know 48 hours in advance by email on officialtours@experienceoxfordshire.org to be refunded in full.

Private and Group Tour cancellations must be made 14 days prior to the tour date in order to qualify for a full refund.

Oxford Official Walking Tours are wheelchair accessible. Please advise us in advance if you have any mobility issues that would be helpful for your Guide to be aware of at officialtours@experienceoxfordshire.org or on 01865 686 441 (weekdays only).

Assistance dogs are welcome on all Oxford Official Walking Tours. Unfortunately, other pets are not allowed.

Click here to view our accessibility page

Your tour will cover 1.5-2 miles in the open air. It stops every so often to see colleges and University buildings (from the outside) and overall does not involve walking further than 15-minutes away from the city centre.

Our scheduled tours are 2 hours. We also offer 1 hour or 2 hour private and group tours.

Please ask your Guide if you need a comfort break during the tour, however you are best advised to make use of facilities before starting your tour and large coach groups are advised to make a comfort stop before entering the city.

Some of the ancient streets and alleyways are cobbled, please ensure you wear comfortable footwear.