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.

Click Here to Explore the Bodleian Libraries with the new Augmented Reality App.

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...

Bletchley Park Trust

Bletchley Park is a place of exceptional historical importance. It remains highly relevant to our lives today and for the future. It is the home of British code breaking and a birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major role in World War Two, producing secret intelligence which had a direct and profound influence on the...

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...

St. Michael at the Northgate Church

St Michael at the North Gate is an ancient place. The Saxon Tower, built c1040, is Oxford’s oldest building. On your climb to the top, you will see the door of the Bocardo prison cell as well as a wealth of treasures and artefacts. The Church is the City Church of Oxford playing an important...

Golf at Heythrop Park Resort

Open 365 days of the year the Bainbridge Championship Course at Heythrop Park, with a 7088 yard par 72 course throughout the 440 acres of beautiful estate and provides the perfect challenge for all golfers. The 18 hole course meanders over ridges and through valleys that are studded with ancient woodland, lakes and streams. The course...

Host

Host Students is located just south east of the city centre in the middle of historic Oxford, a popular student area surrounded by a wide range of bars, restaurants and shops, all within walking distance. Host Students combines modern architecture with contemporary living comprises of four floors. You can choose between studio apartments and en-suite...

Heythrop Park Resort Spa

The Heythrop Park Spa has a selection of different packages available to provide an escape from everyday life, and a place to relax and revitalise. Enjoy one of their many ESPA treatments and restore your body, mind and soul. The Spa is also conveniently located just 12 miles north of Oxford on the outskirts of Chipping...

Salter’s Steamers Boat Trips

Salter’s Steamers is a family run firm that has provided first-class hospitality on the Royal River Thames for almost 150 years (est. 1858). As one of the longest established firms on the Thames, Salter’s Steamers own one of the largest and most exclusive fleets operating on the river. Their cruises combine traditional style, contemporary comforts...

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...

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Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

A fantastic day out for all the family. Stroll around the Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, enjoying uninterrupted views of the animals, so it feels as though you are in a wild setting. Watch the daily Lemur & Penguin Talks, take a ride on Bella the Train (extra cost) or explore the large adventure playground, with...

Oxford Bus Museum

Oxford Bus Museum & Morris Motors Museum

We’re a local Museum completely run by volunteers that have a passion for Oxfordshire’s transport history. Our Bus Museum hall is packed with vehicles: buses, coaches, charabancs. We even have a horse tram from the 1880’s. The story of the development of public transport across both the city and county is also told in a...

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Oxford Official Walking Tours

Oxford Official Walking Tours are a fun and informative way to learn about Oxford’s history, visit the University of Oxford, and explore the filming locations used in Harry Potter and Inspector Morse, Lewis and Endeavour. Your tour will be led by professionally trained green and blue badge guides. They are for all walking abilities and...

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum

SOFO offers visitors engaging and immersive experiences through a changing exhibitions programme and main galleries including a recreated Great War trench, a mock up section of a Horsa Glider from D Day and Afghan Alley. The galleries take visitors through the life of a ‘21st Century Soldier’, the ‘Blood and War’ of the frontline, Winston Churchill...

Blenheim Palace

Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and his family and the birth place of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting a long and diverse history. A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, landscaped Parkland and stunning Formal Gardens, Blenheim Palace provides an awe-inspiring experience for visitors. Explore over 2000 acres of...

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Bodleian Library

The Bodleian Library is one of the worlds oldest libraries at the heart of Oxford’s historic University. The Library opened in 1602 and has since been used as a working library belonging to the University of Oxford. Discover the Divinity School, a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture and the oldest teaching and examination hall in the University....