There are so many amazing things to see in Oxford that it can be difficult to know where to begin sightseeing on your first visit. It can be even harder if you only have a short time or just one day in Oxford to explore!
But I believe one of the best ways to start getting to know a city is with an overview of all the best sights, and because Oxford is a reasonable size you can easily do this with a walking tour. And if you’re looking for a self guided walking tour of Oxford, then you’ve come to the right place!
I’ve compiled all my favorite Oxford sights and all the outstanding historical sights that you need to see, and below you’ll find some information about each place so you can know more about what you’re looking at instead of just knowing its name. There are museums, memorials, and colleges on the list as well as Oxford University sites, churches, and a lot more fantastic sights…so let’s get started!
Self Guided Walking Tour of Oxford
Use this self guided tour of Oxford to help you experience some of the best sights in Oxford! You’ll also find an Oxford city walking tour map at the end of this article to help you navigate all these sights.
1. Carfax Tower
Start your Oxford self guided walking tour at Carfax Tower at the junction of St Aldate’s, Cornmarket Street, Queen Street and the High Street.
This tower is popularly called Carfax Tower, but if you want to be historically accurate it is actually St. Martin’s Tower. This tower is all that remains of the original St. Martin’s Church from the 12th century and still contains six bells that are rung on special occasions by the Oxford Society of Change Ringers.
This church was important throughout Oxford history and was once the official City Church of Oxford (which, among other things, means it is the place where the mayors were expected to worship). However, in 1896, the main portion of the church was demolished to make room for road traffic. Which is a good thing for those walking around Oxford, because when you visit you will likely find that this is one of the most congested street corners in the city!
Looking behind the tower, you will see the gravestone of William Butler. He was a former mayor of Oxford who died in 1865 and was buried with his wife Elizabeth and two infant daughters. Somehow when the church was demolished the grave was left in place and is still there today.
If you would like, you can pay a small fee to climb to the top of this 74 foot high tower and see views of central Oxford. Carfax is most famous today because of its gorgeous views, so it is well worth the small charge to climb it!
2. Saxon Tower of St Michael at the North Gate
Next you will walk up Cornmarket Street to find St Micheal at the North Gate. This church with its Saxon Tower is Oxford’s oldest building, likely constructed between 1000-1050. (You can even find it mentioned in the Domesday Book). It has been the current City Church of Oxford since the early 1970s.
There are several historical highlights that make St Michael’s a great place for a quick stop. First, John Wesley delivered the Michaelmas sermon here in 1726 and the pulpit he used is still in use and on view today. Second, you can find the oldest pieces of stained glass in Oxford here These four medallions date from 1290 and hang above the altar, depicting St Nicholas, the Virgin and Child, St Edmund of Abingdon, and St Michael.
A third reason to visit is because this church imprisoned the Oxford Martyrs (Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley) near here in the Bocardo Prison in 1555 before burning them at the stake nearby. Today you can see their cell door in the church tower if you decide to climb it. Climbing the tower costs a small fee, but it can be worth it for its historical merit and for the view.
3. Martyrs’ Memorial
After visiting the Saxon Tower and seeing the cell door of the Oxford Martyrs, it’s time to continue onto Magdalen Street and see the Martyrs’ Memorial.
This memorial is a tall stone monument that commemorates the three Anglican bishops who were burned at the stake under Queen Mary’s rule (aka Bloody Mary) in the 1550s. As mentioned above, these three bishops were Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley.
The martyrdom of these three bishops was part of the larger political and religious upheaval that followed upon King Henry VIII’s break with the Roman Catholic Church. Cranmer was actually one of the men who helped with Henry’s annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which directly put into motion the series of events that would lead to Cranmer’s death at the hands of Bloody Mary years later.
4. Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaelogy
Across the street from the Martyrs’ Monument is the Ashmolean Museum. This is an excellent and free museum to explore! Take a few minutes (or return later) to see some of the treasures inside, including the Alfred Jewel and the Eqyptian mummies.
5. Martyrs’ Cross
As you leave the Ashmolean, head back down Magdalen Street and turn left on Broad Street. Near Balliol College on Broad Street you will see a plaque on the wall about the Oxford Martyrs. When you do, look in the middle of the road and you will see a cross made of bricks which marks the actual execution site of the three bishops.
Latimer and Ridley were executed here on October 16, 1555…and legend claims that Latimer turned to Ridley and said: “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”
Thomas Cranmer, meanwhile, had recanted his Protestant ways…but Bloody Mary was not convinced and sentenced him to death anyway. He was burned at the stake on March 21, 1556, and before his death stories say that he put his right hand into the fire first because he had “signed with [his] hand what [he] did not believe with [his] heart” when he recanted his faith before.
6. Balliol College
Next, it’s time to explore Balliol College. Balliol is right next to the Martyrs’ Cross and is one of Oxford’s oldest colleges, founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol. When he died, his wife continued setting up the college, using her own independent wealth for this purpose, as well as making the college statutes and giving the college its first seal. Because of her work she is honored as the co-founder of this beautiful college.
Want to know more about Balliol and other colleges at Oxford? Check out this handy guide!
7. Trinity College
As you continue walking down Broad Street, you will also pass Trinity College on your left. It is a gorgeous Oxford college and one of the more prestigious with all sorts of famous and notable alumni. If you have the time, this is a fun place to wander.
8. Blackwell’s Bookshop
Soon after passing Trinity, you will arrive at Blackwell’s Bookshop. This is a perfect place for bibliophiles and is a great place to pop in to look at books for a few minutes. Blackwell’s Art & Poster Shop is just across the street, and is also an excellent place to browse…especially if you’re looking for fun cards or postcards.
Check out these books you should read before visiting Oxford!
9. Sheldonian Theatre
After leaving Blackwell’s, on the right hand side of Broad Street across from the bookshop you will find the Sheldonian Theatre which was designed by the famous English architect Sir Christopher Wren.
This building is the official ceremonial hall of the University of Oxford (it is where all students matriculate and graduate) and is also a concert venue and used for many different events. You can check out the Sheldonian’s schedule to see what events you might like to attend here!
When the theatre is not in use, however, it is open for the public to explore. Take some time on your walking tour to explore inside and see the stunning painted ceiling, the beautiful organ, and climb up to the cupola. This is one of my favorite views of Oxford so I think the small entrance cost to explore the theatre is definitely worth it!
10. Bridge of Sighs
As you leave the Sheldonian, take a right onto Catte Street. Up ahead on the left you will see the iconic Bridge of Sighs. This bridge joins two parts of Hertford College together (and is far more interesting from the outside than it is from the inside). On some occasions, like May Day, the Hertford Choir sings from inside the bridge and invites the public to stand on New College Lane and Catte Street to enjoy their singing.
11. Bodleian Library
Enter through the ornate gate opposite the Bridge of Sighs on Catte Street, and then walk straight and turn left when you get to a doorway. You are now at the Old Bodleian Library.
The Bod contains over 12 million items and is the second-largest library in England (after the British Library). It’s quite impressive in its size of collections, and is an impressive building to see in person too! Make sure you look up to see the beautiful carvings and funny gargoyles carved up high on the Bodleian walls.
At this point, you can decide whether you want to take a library tour and explore the inside of these hallowed halls. If it helps sway you, this library complex contains the gorgeous Duke Humfrey’s Reading Room as well as the Divinity School, both of which were used in filming Harry Potter and are must-sees on a self guided Harry Potter walking tour.
12. Radcliffe Camera
As you exit the Bodleian Library to the south, you will see a big round building. This is the Radcliffe Camera, another beautiful library that you can enter with a library tour.
The money to build the Radcliffe was donated by John Radcliffe, a former student and fellow at the university who became a high-profile doctor. Today, this building is the most iconic building in all of Oxford!
13. All Soul’s College
In the same area with the Radcliffe is All Soul’s College, a very exclusive college at the University of Oxford. It is a gorgeous college to visit! Read more about it and other Oxford colleges, as well as all the information you need to know to visit.
14. St. Mary’s Church
Also in the same area with the Radcliffe and All Soul’s is St Mary’s Church. You can learn more about this church while visiting here, but it does have great historical importance including being adopted as the first building of the university in the early days of Oxford University.
Tourists love this church because you can climb to the top of the spire for what may be the most iconic view over the city of Oxford. I love this church because 1) you can often hear musicians practicing for concerts and church services inside, and 2) there’s a delightful cafe attached called the Vaults and Gardens that serves delicious scones. It’s one of my favorite cafes in Oxford!
15. Magdalen College
From St Mary’s Church, exit onto High Street and take a left to walk to Magdalen College. Magdalen is one of the prettiest colleges at Oxford, and was the college where C.S. Lewis worked. There is a small fee to enter, but if you are going into just a few Oxford colleges this one should definitely be on your list. Inside, you will find beautiful architecture as well as Addison’s Walk (which is where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis often walked and talked together).
16. University of Oxford Botanic Gardens
Across from Magdalen College, you will find the Botanic Gardens. These are beautiful gardens with all sorts of lovely and fascinating plants! If you have been to other botanic gardens, this may not be a stop you wish to explore. But if you haven’t been to a botanic garden before then it is a fun experience!
This stop is also fun for fans of the His Dark Materials series, as you can find Will and Lyra’s bench in a corner of the gardens.
17. Christ Church College
After exiting the Botanic Gardens, turn on to Rose Lane and follow the path by the river until you get to Broad Walk. You’ll then take this walkway through Christ Church Meadows back toward St. Aldates/A420. But before you get to the street you will come across Christ Church College (which visitors enter from the side facing the meadows).
Christ Church College is probably the most popular college to visit, as it is one of the most imposing and stunning colleges in this city. It is also famous because of its use in films like Harry Potter, so you know that this is definitely on the walking tour for Harry Potter fans!
Christ Church is also the place where Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carrol) studied and worked in Oxford, so this is a great college to visit if you love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
18. The Covered Market
When you leave Christ Church, turn right on St. Aldates and then turn right on High Street. On the left side of the street, you’ll find entry ways to the Covered Market. This is a delightful market to explore for souvenirs and trinkets as well as delicious food! Enjoy exploring, and be sure to keep a look out for The Cake Shop, which often makes cakes in replicas of iconic Oxford buildings.
If you’re looking for more city or food recommendations, be sure to take a look at the complete Oxford guide!
19. Pitt Rivers Museum (Bonus Stop!)
After exploring the Covered Market, you’ve made it full circle back to where you started! However, there is one more stop a little further from Oxford center that is worth a visit if you like museums: the Pitt Rivers Museum.
This museum is a hodgepodge collection of fascinating items from around the world, and is arranged far more like a Victorian attic than a museum. This makes it a very unique place to visit! You really could spend several hours or even a whole day just enjoying seeing all the amazing curiosities inside. I highly recommend it if you have the time!
Self Guided Oxford Walking Tour Map
Use the directions and guide above alongside this Oxford walking map on Google Maps to help you navigate your self guided tour of Oxford.
Looking for a place to stay in Oxford? Check out these great options!
- The Old Bank – Best views of Oxford
- Macdonald Randolph Hotel – Elegance in the city center
- Malmaison Oxford – Unique stay (converted Victorian prison)
- Old Parsonage Hotel – Boutique/luxury stay near the city center
- Rewley House – Budget-friendly stay
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A perfect tour: thank you so much for sharing!
It reminds me of all the places I love there and wish to see again soon.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you love Oxford too, and I hope you’ll be able to explore there again soon!