Our Day Trip to Oxford, England | An Easy Itinerary
One of the hardest things about living abroad is being so far away from family. However, for the last year, we’ve had some family living just outside of London, and it’s been amazing!
London is a quick flight from where we live in Denmark, so we’ve made the trip over multiple times since they arrived. Since they live just outside of the big city, we always rent a car and take a few day trips.
Some of our favorites were a day trip to the Cotswolds and this day trip to Oxford!
We were taking our two kids (2 and 5) to spend a day in Oxford, so we knew we needed an easygoing itinerary.
The main site we wanted to see was Christ Church College that is part of the University of Oxford because of its ties to the filming of Harry Potter (yes, I’m sure there are more cultural reasons for wanting to see Christchurch College, but this was our reason 😅 You can even book Harry Potter tours of Christ Church!).
Along with Christ Church College, we wanted to walk a bit through town to see some other sites, but not far enough to tucker out the kids.
Below you’ll find our tried-and-true Oxford day trip itinerary. I felt like we got to see the top things we wanted to see without having too big of a day.
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✈️OUR TRIED-AND-TRUE FAVORITES✈️
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking,Expedia,VRBO,Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
Is it worth it to visit Oxford?
If you’re interested in seeing one of the oldest universities in the world, then Oxford is a great place to visit! The University of Oxford was founded almost 1,000 years ago and is one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Touring Christ Church College of the University of Oxford feels like stepping into a Harry Potter movie because of its old, ornate structures (plus it was the filming location for some scenes!).
Is this One Day Oxford Itinerary for You?
If you’re looking for a slow and easy Oxford itinerary that still hits some of the top things to see, this itinerary is for you!
We had a few hours to spend on our day trip to Oxford and wanted to get a good feel for what the city has to offer. However, we didn’t want to feel rushed, and we didn’t want to walk too much.
From those requirements came this itinerary! We had a great time in Oxford and hope you do too.
How to get from London to Oxford by Train
I’m sure one of the most common ways to visit Oxford is on a day trip from London. We were staying in the greater London area, so we didn’t take this route, but I looked into it, and it’s pretty straightforward.
To get from London to Oxford, you can take the Chiltern Railways train directly from either Marylebone Station or Paddington Station.
The ticket from Marylebone is only about £15 while the ticket from Paddington station is a whopping £40. And be sure to check whether the train your booking is direct or requires a transfer (both options are available).
Depending on the number of stops, your ride may be 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. You can check the routes and buy your tickets on the Chiltern Railways website here. (You can’t tap on and tap off at all Chiltern Railways stations like you can in Central London.)
If you’re coming from London and want to make it even easier, you may want to book one of these Oxford day trips from London. Some of them even include a few villages in the Cotwolds or Stonehenge!
Parking in Oxford
Since we were staying outside of London, we took our day trip to Oxford by car.
My in-laws have been living outside of London for the last year and a half and have taken a LOT of visitors to explore Oxford. Most of the time, they arrive by car, so they’ve tried their fair share of parking lots.
Their favorite car park is the West Gate Mall Car Park. because it has the most parking available, is the cheapest, and is just about a 10-minute walk to Christ Church College.
Map of our walking Route Through Oxford
*Use this interactive map to discover our walking route during our day in Oxford. Click on the full-screen icon in the top right corner to have this map open in your own Google Maps app or click on the arrow in the top left corner to see a pullout list of all points on the map*
Our Easy 1 Day Oxford Itinerary
First Stop: Explore Christ church College (with Harry Potter Filming Locations)
Our first stop in Oxford was Christ Church College (our main point of interest for visiting the city). Christ Church College is a part of The University of Oxford, which was established almost 1,000 years ago in 1096, with Christ Church College specifically created in 1546
The college is still a current college with students living, eating, and studying there, but you can take a self-guided tour with a headset to see a lot of it!
The headsets come with a small device that shows little videos and images while you listen. They even have a ‘family tour’ option for kids with more animated videos and stories geared towards them. It kept the kids entertained when we needed it!
The self-guided tour includes information about the history of Christ Church, the current situation of students living and studying there, plus information about various Harry Potter filming locations at the college.
If you want to learn about university life at Christ Church College (plus other colleges in Oxford) this tour led by an Oxford University alumni has really high reviews.
And if you want to learn more about Harry Potter filming locations in Oxford, this Harry Potter Oxford tour including Christ Church looks great!
I loved seeing the large staircase used as the entrance to Hogwarts in the first film, the dining hall used as the inspiration for the Great Hall, and the cloisters (covered walkway with a collonade on one side) also used for filming.
It was also really interesting to learn about how students are still living and studying at this majestic college today!
I’d recommend allocating around 1-1.5 hours for your visit to Christ Church. And be sure to book tickets in advance because they sell out. You can see available tickets on their website here.
You can book a guided tour via the Christ Church website, however, they are limited and sell out quickly. You may have a better chance of booking an Oxford/Christ Church tour on Get Your Guide or Viator (my two favorite sites for booking tours/experiences.)
As I mentioned earlier, if you’re coming from London and want to make it even easier, you may want to book one of these Oxford day trips from London. Some of them even include a few villages in the Cotwolds or Stonehenge!
Second Stop: Pick up Food from George and Danver (G&D)
We wanted to swing by a yummy cafe for some light food and/or ice cream (as is always a must when traveling with kids). We asked a local for recommendations, and they suggested we visit George and Danver (or G&D as it seems to be known).
G&D felt like a total college-town food joint with amazing homemade ice cream, delicious baked goods, and super good bagels/bagel sandwiches.
If you’re looking for a delicious treat in Oxford or a chill lunch, I definitely recommend George and Danver.
Third Stop: Stroll St. Mary’s Passage to See The ‘Narnia Door’ & Lampost
Although not ‘officially’ the inspiration for C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia‘, it’s fun to think that this whimsical door and door frame in Oxford may be what inspired Mr. Tumnus and/or Aslan.
C.S. Lewis spent decades in Oxford both as a student and a Fellow at the University of Oxford. You can learn more about C.S. Lewis in Oxford here.
Just a few steps down from the door is an old, black lamppost that looks a lot like the lampost also from Chronicles of Narnia.
It’s fun to speculate that since C.S. Lewis spent so much time in this area, that these everyday sightings could be what inspired his now-famous writings.
Fourth Stop: Climb the Tower of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin for 360° Oxford Views
If you’re up for a bit of cardio, you can climb the 127-step medieval turret staircase of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin for amazing 360° views of Oxford. Radcliffe Camera Camera is situated RIGHT in front of the tower, making for some epic views.
We didn’t climb the tower because kids must be 8+ years old to enter, however, our family has done it and says it’s a must-do thing in Oxford!
Tickets are £6 per person, and you can check their opening times here.
Fifth Stop: Stroll past Radcliffe Camera and the Bodleian Library (or book a tour)
We only saw Radcliffe Camera from the outside but would have loved to have seen the inside and the Bodleian Library. The Bodleian Library dates back to the 1400s and has seen the likes of Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
A guided tour is required to see the inside which you can learn more about here. If you book a tour, I’d suggest booking one that also visits the Divinity School, as it was used as the filming location for the infirmary (hospital) in Harry Potter. If we ever make it back to Oxford, we’ll definitely do that.
If you are coming from London and want the ultimate Harry Potter experience, this full-day tour to Christ Church, Bodleian Library, and Lacock Abbey (in the Cotswolds) would be perfect.
Sixth Stop: Meander Through the Covered Market
Our last stop of the day was The Covered Market. The Covered Market in Oxford is a super cute area of adorable shops and eateries established in 1774. It’s pretty hidden away, so you’ve got to spot one of the entrances to tuck into the market and see all of the amazing stalls it has to offer.
If you’re looking for another delicious treat (one can never have too many), I’d recommend picking up some Ben’s Cookies from The Covered Market. Ben’s Cookies are a must when visiting the greater London area!
Additional things to do in Oxford in one day
- Bridge of Sighs (like the Venice Bridge of Sighs)
- Oxford Botanical Garden
- Oxford Castle and Prison
- Climb Carfax Tower (another viewpoint if you’re a sucker for a good view)
- The Story Museum (looks amazing for young kids!)
Guided Day Trips of OXford
If you’re like me and love a good tour once in a while, here are some great options for guided tours of Oxford. My favorite places to search for experiences/tours are Viator and Get Your Guide:
- Harry Potter Filming Locations at Christ Church, Bodleian Library, and Lacock Abby from London: See top Harry Potter filming locations all in one day!
- Oxford University Walking Tour With a University Alumni Guide: Get the inside scoop about university life and history from an actual alumni guide!
- Oxford and Traditional Cotswolds Villages Small-Group Day Tour from London: Experience both Oxford AND the Cotswolds on this full-day tour from London!
And that was all that we did during our easy day in Oxford! Of course, there are more things you can do in this great city, but this is a great start! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions! I’ll be sure to get back to you.
Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:
- Our Cotswolds Day Trip Itinerary + What We Would Change
- 8 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting The Cotswolds in England
- Is it Worth it to Visit The Cotswolds in November?
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