Top 6 things to do in Oxford

Who here hasn’t heard of the British city of Oxford? All you have to do is take a train from London and in barely an hour you’ll have arrived at your destination: the city that the poet Matthew Arnold affectionately nicknamed the “city of dreaming arrows”. There are many reasons to love Oxford. It’s a multi-faceted city that can be perfectly adapted to your desires. Are you a museum visitor? A gastronomic stroll? Shopping day? Don’t worry, Navaway knows you well and has put together the six activities you should try during your stay in Oxford. We’ll tell you all about them below.

What to do in Oxford

1. Visit the University

Category: €€/Cultural

Description: Oxford is best known for its legendary university, the one that turns many heads and arouses the curiosity of visitors. After all, it’s one of the best-known university cities in the world, with a history stretching back almost 800 years. It is home to Britain’s oldest university, which welcomes a huge number of students every year. Some say it’s “the most splendid and prestigious” university in the world: now’s your chance to experience it for yourself! You’ll be won over by its beige buildings and amazed by its structure: both firm and artistic. Not forgetting (and this is the icing on the cake) that you can visit some of the rooms from the famous Harry Potter films ^^.

2. Stroll around the city centre and sample the local specialities

Category: €€/Cultural/Gastronomic

Description: It’s so much fun to wander around this beautiful, historic city of Oxford! Not to mention that, if you’re travelling on foot (there’s nothing like walking for sightseeing), the pedestrian walkways are perfectly laid out for users on foot. Described as an open-air museum, Oxford has a lot to offer in terms of monuments and cult buildings (which can be seen in some very famous films) but is also known for its covered market. Yes, the Covered Market is an old market dating back to 1770, which still attracts as many visitors as ever: shops and stalls are on the menu, and it’s time to treat yourself and try some of the city’s typical dishes, such as shortbread or the famous English breakfast. That’s what holidays are all about – strolling around and enjoying yourself!

3. The Ashmolean Museum

Category: €€/Cultural

Description: Art has always played an important role in society. Today, the vast majority of personalities who have left their mark on the world are artists. The Ashmolean Museum is the art and archaeology museum of Oxford University. It’s a must-see, not least for its world-renowned collections. Wondering what lies behind its doors? You’ll find yourself wandering between the sarcophagi of Egyptian mummies and exhibitions of contemporary art. It’s a real journey through time, passing through several different eras. A little anecdote to keep in the back of your mind during your visit: the Ashmolean Museum is the first university museum in the world and the oldest public museum in the whole of Great Britain. Exciting stuff!

4. A boat trip

Category: €€/Cultural/Insolite

Description: There’s nothing more original and romantic in Oxford than a boat trip. This is a great way to discover the city from a new angle, and it’s so popular with the locals that it’s quite affordable. The means of transport offered is typically English: you will board a ‘punt’ where you will be comfortably seated, and set off to explore along the Cherwell. Between visiting museums, wandering around the city in search of a little treat or visiting the city’s cult buildings, it’s also good to know how to take a little break and relax while letting yourself be carried along by the waves and the breezes. You’ll also see some of the landscapes that inspired Lewis Carroll’s famous novel Alice in Wonderland. Enjoy the show!

5. Blenheim Palace

Category: €€/Cultural

Description: What makes visitors open their eyes wide and go B-mouthed as soon as they enter the grounds of Blenheim Palace? That’s the question. And to answer it, you’ll have to experience it for yourself! If you haven’t yet realised that you’re in Oxford, on English soil, then you’ll understand the moment you set foot in this building. The sublime English Baroque architecture seems to have come straight out of a fairytale: you’ll love strolling along its lake, and admiring the garden, which is tended and trimmed to the millimetre. The interior, meanwhile, is, according to the experts, “a true model of British exuberance and excess”. That alone gives you an idea of what to expect. So it comes as no great surprise that UNESCO has declared the building a World Heritage Site.

6. The Bodleian Library

Category: €€/Cultural

Description: The Bodleian Library is a place where all readers must visit at least once in their lives. There are no fewer than 26 libraries across Oxford, and each one is as prestigious as the next. If you want to find out more about the city’s history, the twists and turns it has gone through, the trials and tribulations it has overcome, then this is the place to be. Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than devoting an afternoon to novels and non-fiction. You’ll come away better educated than ever….And as a bonus, the Bodleian Library was the location for some of the scenes in the Harry Potter films. In particular, the scenes in which the three young wizards are in the Hogwarts library. The building is huge, with countless books on every subject, so you’re bound to find something to entertain you.