Oxford Day Trip from London, England
Are you thinking of taking an Oxford day trip from London, England?
Oxford is one of the easiest and best day trips you can take from London. This historic university city is located just 60 miles northwest of London, making it easily accessible if you want to visit on a day trip.
It’s a compact and walkable city, which makes it great for exploring in just a day.
If you want to spend more than just a day, I also have a guide on where to stay in Oxford.
Oxford is famous for being the home of Oxford University, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, dating back to 1096. It’s also been a filming location for the Harry Potter movies.
As a university town, Oxford is also full of lively pubs and bars, cool restaurants, and unique shops.
It’s the perfect place to visit on a day trip from London if you want to get out of the big city and explore a new destination. Here’s everything you need to know about taking a day trip to Oxford:
Getting to Oxford
As I mentioned, Oxford is just 60 miles outside of London. The simplest way to get to Oxford is by train.
From Paddington Station in London, trains leave to Oxford every 30 to 60 minutes all day. There are two train companies that you can choose from: Great Western Railway and Chiltern Railways.
GWR trains are faster (taking 45 to 50 minutes) but tickets typically cost more. Chiltern Railways takes longer (closer to 1.5 hours) but you can usually find tickets that are quite a bit cheaper. You’ll want to book your tickets well in advance to get the best price. Round-trip tickets can cost 25 GBP to 80 GBP.
Oxford Station is located just a 10-minute walk from the city center.
Another option for getting to Oxford is by bus. This can sometimes be more affordable option than the train, but it also takes a little longer. You’ll still want to buy your tickets for the bus in advance.
Round-trip bus tickets can cost 25 GBP to 50 GBP. The two main bus companies are Oxford Tube and National Express, and the journey takes 1.5 hours or more if there is traffic on the roads.
The coach bus station is also very close to the city center in Oxford.
Personally, I recommend taking the train. As long as you buy your tickets in advance, it can be the same price (or even cheaper) than the bus, and it’s usually a faster journey. Both options are good though.
You can book train or bus tickets using Omio to get the best price.
Things to Do in Oxford
Once you’ve arrived in Oxford, how should you spend your day? Here are the best things to do:
Start at a coffee shop. Need a quick caffeine fix? Some of the best cafes and coffee shops in Oxford to check out are Vaults & Garden, Missing Bean, Queen’s Lane Coffee House, and Colombia Coffee Roasters.
Take a Harry Potter walking tour. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, this walking tour is a must-do activity in Oxford. You’ll visit some of the top filming locations, including Bodleian Library and New College.
Take a city and university walking tour with an alumni guide. Not as interested in the Harry Potter connection? This walking tour is another great option. You’ll explore the grounds of the university, as well as the town itself, with an alumni guide who can offer lots of insight into life at Oxford.
Go punting on the river. You can’t visit Oxford without punting on the Thames. If the weather is nice, there’s nothing better than renting one of these boats and rowing yourself. If you aren’t in the mood for rowing, you could also book an electric boat tour and relax while taking in the sights by water.
Visit the Ashmolean. The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology is an excellent museum dating back to the 17th century, and it’s the perfect place to wander around for a couple of hours in Oxford.
Have lunch or dinner at a pub. Finish off your day trip to Oxford with a meal at a pub. The White Rabbit is a great place to eat if you’re in the mood for pizza, while Turf Tavern is another option with classic pub fare. Dishoom is a popular Indian restaurant in London that also has an outpost in Oxford.
Tours to Oxford
Although Oxford is very easy to get to independently on the train from London, you might be interested in booking a tour to Oxford if you want to experience the destination with a guide instead of on your own.
Tours to Oxford often also include stops in other destinations around England. However, it’s important to note that most of these tours offer limited time in Oxford — usually just a couple of hours.
If you’re short on time and don’t care to spend a full day in Oxford, and would like to combine a few hours in Oxford with a visit to another destination or two, booking a tour can also be a good option.
Here are my top picks for the best tours to Oxford from London:
Option 1: Harry Potter Studio Tour and Oxford Day Trip
For Harry Potter fans, this full-day tour combines a visit to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour with a visit to Oxford. You’ll travel by coach from London to Oxford, where you’ll take a guided walking tour and have one hour of free time, before spending the rest of the day at the immersive Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
Option 2: Cotswolds and Oxford Guided Day-Trip
If you want to get a taste of the Cotswolds and visit Oxford in one day, this guided tour is a good option. You’ll spend 2.5 hours in Oxford, as well as visit two charming villages in the Cotswolds region: Burford and Bourton-on-the-Water. The tour includes a guide and transportation by coach from London.
Option 3: Windsor, Oxford & Stonehenge Full-Day Trip
One more tour to consider is this full-day trip that includes Windsor, Oxford, and Stonehenge. Traveling by coach from London, you’ll start by visiting Windsor Castle, before heading over to the mysterious Stonehenge monument. You’ll finish the day with 1.5 hours to explore Oxford before returning to London.
Oxford Day Trip from London, England
This guide showed you how to take a day trip to Oxford from London.
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