Things to do in Oxfordshire

Searching for things to do in Oxfordshire? Whether you are looking for Bicester Village – the world’s most popular luxury shopping outlet, the UK’s only crocodile zoo, the world’s oldest public museum – Ashmolean Museum and the oldest Botanic Garden in the world, the oldest University in the English-speaking world, Britain’s oldest chalk figure or picture-perfect villages – don’t look any further, as we’ve got them all!

Explore the city of Oxford and the wider county to discover world-class arts and culture in stunning venues, the University of Oxford, museums, country houses and gardens such as Blenheim Palace and beautiful landscapes full of walking, cycling and boating opportunities.

Oxford and Oxfordshire have also provided backdrops for countless international films including Harry Potter filmed at Christ Church and James Bond’s Spectre filmed at Blenheim Palace, to name just a few. Many places across the county may look familiar to fans of shows like Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders and Inspector Morse.

Oxfordshire is famous for its excellent local produce and delicious food. From Michelin-starred restaurants such as Belmond Le Manoir, cosy rural pubs, farmers’ markets, social enterprise cafés and international cuisine, you will not be short of places to eat and drink.

If you are travelling with family, Oxfordshire is the perfect place to enjoy a big day out. With fantastic farms, wildlife parks such as Cotswold Wildlife Park with over 260 different species of animal. Magical museums and amazing mazes, the county’s got activities for children of all ages. You can enjoy real-life escape games at City Mazes, explore and climb the historical Oxford Castle and Prison, or visit Cogges Manor Farm, a Scheduled Ancient Monument with over 1000 years of history, for something special.

There are also many tours you can take, by foot, bike or even boat, to explore the county and discover its hidden secrets.

If Oxford is your first stop, the Oxford Visitor Information Centre offers somewhere to gather friendly local information and help, as well as a place for you to store your luggage while you explore Oxford and Oxfordshire.

Great things to do

Didcot Railway Centre

Didcot Railway Centre is a living museum of the Great Western Railway in Didcot, Oxfordshire. See the unique collection of Great Western Railway steam engines, coaches, wagons, buildings and small relics; and a recreation of Brunel's broad gauge railway. Visit the Didcot Railway Centre and enjoy the rural setting based around the original 1930s engine shed. Opening...

MINI Plant Oxford Tours

Take a journey through more than 100 years of Oxford’s car building history and discover how BMW creates over 1,000 one-of-a-kind, made-to-order MINIs every day. - Visit MINI’s production halls where human skill and state-of-the-art technology combine to build a new MINI every 67 seconds. - See MINI’s Visitor Centre where 58 years of rich MINI heritage...
enigma-machine

Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park, once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers, is now a vibrant heritage attraction, open every day to visitors. Step back in time to experience the stories of the extraordinary achievements of the men and women who worked here. A place of exceptional historical importance, Bletchley Park is also the birthplace of modern...

The Oxford Artisan Distillery

Welcome to The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD, to those in the know), this ancient city’s first distillery – and one of the world’s very few true craft distilleries. We cultivate, craft, create and curate the very finest spirits using sustainably grown populations of ancient heritage grain. In fact, the rare and distinctive subtleties in our spirits are...