Oxford

Like most students in UK, visiting Oxford was a dream. And why not? It is after all, home to England’s oldest and respectable university. The architecture of its 38 colleges in the city’s medieval center led poet Matthew Arnold to nickname it 'The City of Dreaming Spires'

Getting around the city:

The city is well connected and getting around is easy. Multiple hop-on-hop-off buses are available. All you need is a ticket, which is also available over-the-counter and you’re ready to go.
A walking tour is almost always a great way to get to know a new city but you can choose whatever you prefer.

Tours and tourism:

Multiple tours are offered by the tourism board in Oxford. It’s best to take a small 2 hour tour which covers the University and City Centre, and then spend the day discovering the tiny hidden lanes yourself. These tours run several times in the day and cost approximately £14-16 per adult.

If you’re a literary lover, you might want to check out the tours offered by Blackwell’s Bookstore. Trading since 1879, Blackwell of Oxford is the largest academic and specialist bookseller in the UK. In addition to these generic tours, there are select tours that focus on the town’s history and culture, architecture, as well as the Harry Potter tour and so on. These options are available at the city centre/tourism board.

Things you DONOT want to miss:

• The Covered market: The Covered Market is a historic market with permanent stalls and shops in a large covered structure in central Oxford, England. Fish lovers - you have a special store in the covered market – so go get yourself a treat. 

• Ben's Cookies – The bestest-besttttt-besty-bestum-bestiest cookies in the worllllldd !! Excuse me for the over-praise, but they really are very good. They aren’t just good, they are great. The store in the covered market was the first and original store of the Ben’s cookies chain. You might even get a chance to meet old Uncle Ben sitting there enjoying his cookies. My personal favourite is the chocolate chip and nut cookie but there are multiple flavors such as milk chocolate, white chocolate, triple chocolate chunk, praline, peanut-butter, cranberry, ginger-ginger, oatmeal and raisin. Pick any that you like!

• Try punting – Oxford sits at the convergence of two rives, the Cherwell and the mighty Thames. You can enjoy boat rides or punting around the Cherwell. The good thing about punting is that it is a slow-going process and you can choose to stop mid-way, just snack in the middle at a riverside bar and start again. You can rent a boat from the boat-house and they are happy to offer tips on where to stop etc. Fun fact: In the past, there was a women only nude bathing spot called as the Dames Delight and a men's bathing spot named Parsons Pleasure which could be found alongside the river. However these have been shut in the recent decades.

• Explore the university buildings - Oxford University comprises of 38 colleges, each of which is independently governed. Access to visit the colleges is restricted but select colleges are open to visitor’s basis a ticket. However, this access is dependent on whether the college has exams, meals, summer breaks going on – so it’s best to do a quick online check before you head. During my visit to Oxford, we were keen on visiting the Divinity school, which is a 15th century medieval building and the Christ church college. All thanks to Shray and his re-search, we decided to do so because these colleges form part of the Harry Potter shooting locations. [Oh! Shray is my friend who did the Oxford trip with me. Or shall I say, I did my Oxford trip with him..!! 

• A detailed guide to visit specific Harry Potter locations can be found on this link here

• Friends who are planning to stay over in Oxford, remember that you can stay in one of the university residence halls which are rented out by some colleges during holiday and summer breaks – room availability can be checked here

• Attending a performance or Festival – Being a student town, Oxford always has a recital, play, film, art-exhibition going on. Going to the theatre is a popular thing to do in Oxford. You’ll usually have a list of events for the day available at the Oxfordshire Tourism Board or Oxford City Guide. Just check out their websites or you can even visit individual theatres such as the Old Fire Station and Oxford Playhouse. Try and buy tickets in advance and don’t miss the student discounts.

• Get a drink – When you’re in a student town, you do as the students do. The Eagle and Child (tourist famous) and The King’s Arms (oldest pub in Oxford) are the most visited pubs. If you’re looking for a traditional and healthy meal, then my personal favorite is the vaults and garden. The location also plays a big part in the Vaults' popularity. It's housed in a 14th-century hall, the "congregation house", built as Oxford University's original administrative centre, within the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, while the gardens – actually the graveyard – look out on to the famous circular Radcliffe Camera library and several university colleges.

Other restaurant options to look out for would include the Mission Mexican Grill, The Nosebag Restaurant, The Big Bang and Branca.

Money saving tips:
Get cheap food – Student housing areas like Cowley road and Jericho offer a local flavour taste and good-value meals.
Burton Taylor Theatre (near the bus station) should be visited if you’re looking to watch some cheap cutting-edge theatre for couple of pounds.
Walking around the city always helps
Couchsurf – Couchsurfing is a great and cheap way to get a local feel


Other Popular sights for those who plan to be in oxford for longer than a day:

• The Ashmolean Museum – Britain’s oldest public museum. Admission is free. 
• University of Oxford Botanical Gardens – One of the scenic spots in town for a quite stroll at just 5 GBP
• Hertford Bridge – The locals call this the ‘bridge of sighs’ because students would sigh under it on their way to exams. It’s a beautiful walk and a pretty bridge to get a view of students over a pint.
• St Mary’s church – You need to get a boat to get here because it’s located on the Thames. Sounds exciting!
• Blackwell’s Books – The 10000 sq ft store (largest store in Europe) will lighten the bookworm in you

Hope this helps to plan your trip and do leave questions/comments if you need more details.

Eat, Dream, Discover!