The day trip is the way that travel is headed towards these days, so I’ve been trying to take advantage of this time by exploring cities close to London. My first day trip from London was to Oxford. About an hour from London, there are so many things to do in Oxford that are fun and unique.
Oxford, most famously known for being the home to Oxford University, is a quaint little town in Oxfordshire. It’s easily reachable from London and many people commute from this city to the capital. Trains depart frequently from London Marlybone or Paddington Stations. As always, the further you book in advance, the cheaper your train tickets will be. I always book using Trainline!
Things to do in Oxford
1. Wander Through The Streets
One of the first things you should do when visiting Oxford is just wander through the streets. The architecture throughout this city is stunning. You can’t go inside of all of the buildings, especially with COVID happening, so it’s great to wander in and out of the streets to soak it all up.
2. Get Your Harry Potter Fix
Harry Potter was filmed in Oxford and many of the sets at the Harry Potter Studio Tour are based off of buildings that make up the university. If you’re interested in seeing as much as possible, you need to book a tour as most of the buildings are not open to the public. Unfortunately because of COVID we were unable to take a tour on the day we visited. But, we still went to the Divinity School, which is part of the Bodleian Library. This is where many scenes were filmed in the movies, it was home to the hospital wing as well as a backdrop for the forbidden section of the library. Entry costs 2 pounds.
3. Visit The Museum of Natural History
While this Museum of Natural History is not nearly as big as the one in London, it’s still fascinating to visit. The Skeleton Parade is beautiful and all of the information throughout the museum is very interesting. In the back, you can visit the Pitt Rivers Museum. In here you’ll find really cool artifacts from all over the world arranged in glass cases.
Admission is free but you must book a time slot in advance due to COVID.
4. Take a Stroll in the Botanic Gardens
I won’t say that this is even close to being the nicest botanic garden I’ve visited. In fact, it’s probably the smallest. Tickets only cost 5.45 pounds, so it’s not too steep. It’s a pretty place to take a stroll, enjoy a picnic lunch, or just enjoy the sunshine. Due to COVID not all of the greenhouses are open to visit.
5. Row down the Canals
Rowing and punting is very common in Oxford. There are several places near the canals where you can rent a boat to enjoy the views from the water. There is one across the road from the botanic gardens where you can either have someone punt for you or you can rent your own boat. It cost 22 pounds for an hour on your own row boat!
6. Grab a Pint in the Turf Tavern
Now I couldn’t really figure out if the Turf Tavern is touristy or not. It seems kinda touristy but it also seems like it must be a huge hangout for Oxford students. It’s also been a big hang out for Harry Potter stars which is pretty cool. It’s located down a tiny little alleyway which makes it super unique. Grab a pint here and enjoy reading all of the funny signs located about talking about the famous clientele!
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