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Favorite Places in Oxford, UK 🇬🇧
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items Favorite Oxford haunts, particularly for those with a literary bent
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A must for bibliophiles, history nerds, and architecture admirers. It’s worth taking the guided tour so that you can see the Duke Humphrey Library (used as the film location for the Hogwarts library in Harry Potter), which is the oldest “chained libr...
Bodleian Library
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Cozy atmosphere inside with a crackling fireplace and comfortable seating, beautiful view of the River Thames (called the Isis River in Oxford) outside. The food was excellent and the cider was tasty.
The Head of the River
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The Oxford College where C.S. Lewis taught for many years. Also has Addison’s Walk on its grounds (where Lewis & Tolkien would take walks and discuss philosophy and religion and everything else). Magdalen is also the only college with its own dee...
Magdalen College
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The college where J.R.R. Tolkien was a professor of philology. Beautiful grounds!
Merton College
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If you’re a fan of Percy Bysshe Shelley, his wife, Mary Shelley, or any of his poetic ilk, this memorial that’s housed at University College (where Shelley attended for a year before getting kicked out!) is worth a visit. The artistry is impeccable a...
Shelley Memorial - University College Oxford (Univ)
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The market is a great place to browse shops, especially on a rainy morning or afternoon, but it’s also a great place to find a cafe or small restaurant to kill some time while enjoying some delicious fare. Browsing the produce stands, the butcher, th...
The Covered Market
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A must-visit for book lovers! Go down into the cavernous Norrington Room where you can browse shelves upon shelves of books.
Blackwell's
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The front door is tucked into the end of a corridor in a building that’s right across from Christ Church College. It’s a tiny bookshop with an excellent selection of texts, focusing primarily on religion and philosophy. Very friendly staff.
St Philip's Books
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Finally reopened, the Eagle and Child pub (also known as The Bird & the Baby) was the meeting place of The Inklings, the literary group which included manners such as Tolkien, Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, Owen Barfield, and others. Good food, good d...
Eagle and Child: Plan to protect Oxford's Tolkien and Lewis pub
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Fascinating exhibits featuring extraordinary pieces from Ancient Greece, paintings from various masters, and some fun children’s exhibits. The quality of art is equal to what you’d find in a museum of any larger city.
Ashmolean Museum
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The restaurant at the top of the building offers indoor and outdoor dining with a view of the notable Randolph Hotel across the street (Morse fans will appreciate it). The food is fantastic. Fine dining in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Café and Restaurant - Oxford
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Dinosaur skeletons and other fascinating finds from the ancient world! The architecture of the place is also beautiful with gorgeous light following through from above.
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
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If you love Lewis or just want to learn more about him, you must visit his home, The Kilns. You’ll get a tour of the inside, including Lewis’s bedroom and (heartbreakingly) the room downstairs in which he died. It’s used as a residence for scholars, ...
Tour C.S. Lewis's Home
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For a nice cup of tea or a light lunch, try this cafe on the bottom level of University Church (St. Mary’s Cathedral). You can sit inside and enjoy the medieval vaults or outside and enjoy a view of the gardens and the Radcliffe Camera.
Vaults & Garden Café - Oxford
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The only official cathedral that’s part of any college in Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral is loaded with history. They do evensong services daily at 6:00 pm, which are open to all.
Christ Church Cathedral
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Now famous as one of the filming locations for Harry Potter, this college has such rich history (Henry VIII & Cardinal Wolsey) and literary significance (Lewis Carrol, most notably). The grounds are beautiful and the architecture sublime. Visit t...
Christ Church
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A perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in Oxford. The gardens are right next to the river where you can watch people punting by. The different greenhouses offer interesting specimens from around the world. Definitely worth meandering through for an...
Oxford Botanic Garden