Items | Oxford College Gardens Public Walking Tour
Oxford College Gardens Public Walking Tour
(3) Reviews
Oxford
About
Entry worth £10 per person is included to Magdalen college and deer park, as and when it is open. See what is excluded section for any dates of closures.
Besides introducing Oxford heritage, this tour is led by one of Oxford's most experienced local guides and it introduces the best college gardens off the beaten route of most tourists visiting Oxford. For anyone interested in herbalism, this can be a focus interest too, if made known in advance before the tour. You will visit inside at least one or more college -see details of which colleges in the main tour description. This tour is suitable for all ages but it will appeal especially to anyone who has a special interest in gardening.
Highlights
2 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
2 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Entry inside at least one or more colleges such as St Johns, Exeter, Balliol or Wadham
Entry worth £10 per person to Magdalen college is included- except any dates published closures
Magdalen college entry ticket for £10 is not included in tour & is an optional add
Colleges may be closed on graduation dates- see dates below...
2026 graduation dates of likely closures of some or all colleges:
Feb 28, March7, May 15+16+23, July 18+28+31, Aug 1+8, Sep 25+26, Nov 6+7+13+14 of 2026
2027 graduation dates of likely closures of some or all colleges:
Jan 23, Feb 27, March 6, May 14 + 15+ 22 of 2027
Magdalen is always closed during Christmas from about December 21 until December 31
Meeting Points
Departure
15-16 Broad St
Meet myself, Alasdair, your guide wearing red lanyard. Meeting next to our black sign, OUTSIDE Oxford Tourist info centre, 15 Broad street, OX1 3AS. This is also next to the Oxfam shop which has a green sign above its shop.
Return
Important Information
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Wheelchair accessible
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Service animals allowed
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Public transportation options are available nearby
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Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
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Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
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Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
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This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
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Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
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Entry to Magdalen worth £10 per person is included in the tour. This is probably the gem of Oxford college gardens and it's also famous for where CS Lewis & JRR Tolkien used to walk and talk in the gardens.
The college also has a deer park.
Note that on any dates, when Magdalen is closed, we will replace instead with entry to another college. See dates of any closures under the section.
Magdalen is closed every year from usually about December 21 until December 31st.
45 minutes
2
Balliol College
This college dates back to 1263! We usually visit this college too- unless it's closed.
This college has an amazing dining hall which looks like Hogwarts hall!
This college is where Adam Smith studied plus four prime ministers.
Entry worth £5 per person included
3
Magdalen College
Magdalen is ONLY included in our tour, if you agree to pay the extra £10 cost directly to the college. We can discuss the option of whether to include this or not in the tour, on the day but please be aware that it's at least 20 minutes walk away.
This college has the most expansive and probably the most pleasant gardens.
Addisons Walk is also where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien used to walk and talk. Magdalen is where Cs Lewis taught.
4
Bridge of Sighs
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
5
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
6
Brasenose College
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
7
All Souls College
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
8
Hertford College
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
9
Trinity College
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
10
Bodleian Library
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
11
Wadham College
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours. If however Exeter or St Johns or Balliol college is closed, we may instead visit this college chapel and garden. Its entry fee is £3 per person.
This is the college which JK Rowling applied to but she was turned down.
12
St John's College
This college is always on our tour to visit inside and see the medieval quadrange, the gardens and the chapel. Its free entry. However, it's only open from 1pm to 5pm.
13
Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
We walk past and introduce this sight on our tours
14
Exeter College
This is easily one of Oxford's college gems, founded in 1314 and the student college of Tolkien plus of the pre Raphaelites artists, William Morris & Edward Burne Jones.
The chapel is gorgeous & so is the Old Fellows Garden.
This college is also where they often filmed Inspector Morse & Lewis shows.
This college is usually closed to the public but as a guide, I can get you access with me, as and when the college is open. It is usually closed in term time though.
On dates when Magdalen college is closed, we usually replace with entry to Exeter college instead.
Exeter alongwith most colleges is closed during Christmas period from about December 20 till about January 4.
Entry worth £10 per person is included to Magdalen college and deer park, as and when it is open. See what is excluded section for any dates of closures.
Besides introducing Oxford heritage, this tour is led by one of Oxford's most experienced local guides and it introduces the best college gardens off the beaten route of most tourists visiting Oxford. For anyone interested in herbalism, this can be a focus interest too, if made known in advance before the tour. You will visit inside at least one or more college -see details of which colleges in the main tour description. This tour is suitable for all ages but it will appeal especially to anyone who has a special interest in gardening.
Highlights
2 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
2 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Entry inside at least one or more colleges such as St Johns, Exeter, Balliol or Wadham
Entry worth £10 per person to Magdalen college is included- except any dates published closures
Magdalen college entry ticket for £10 is not included in tour & is an optional add
Colleges may be closed on graduation dates- see dates below...
2026 graduation dates of likely closures of some or all colleges:
Feb 28, March7, May 15+16+23, July 18+28+31, Aug 1+8, Sep 25+26, Nov 6+7+13+14 of 2026
2027 graduation dates of likely closures of some or all colleges:
Jan 23, Feb 27, March 6, May 14 + 15+ 22 of 2027
Magdalen is always closed during Christmas from about December 21 until December 31
Meeting Points
Departure
15-16 Broad St
Meet myself, Alasdair, your guide wearing red lanyard. Meeting next to our black sign, OUTSIDE Oxford Tourist info centre, 15 Broad street, OX1 3AS. This is also next to the Oxfam shop which has a green sign above its shop.
