48 hours in . . . Oxford, an insider guide to the City of Dreaming Spires
Study hard, play hard
Scholars have flocked to Oxford since the 13th century when the first of its 38 university colleges were established. As you wander down its cobbled backstreets lined with medieval halls and ornate chapels, the weight of academic achievement seems to seep from the walls. History has a very conspicuous presence here, whether you walk in the footsteps of prime ministers, literary giants and media megastars, browse the collections at its world-class museums, wobble down a waterway in a flat-bottomed punt or sip a pint in one of its atmospheric old pubs.
It’s not all dusty old institutions however. With an ambitious modern art museum, talent-launching live music venues and a host of quirky independent shops, the city has a more cosmopolitan, hipster side too in the trendy bars and restaurants of Jericho and the student hangouts, boho health-food stores and unpretentious gastropubs of edgy East Oxford.
Hot right now . . .
Etain O'Carroll, our resident expert, offers her top tips on the hottest things to do and places to eat and drink this season.
Drink
Sip on a fig-leaf-infused vermouth at East Oxford’s newest boozer, the chic Terruño(72 Cowley Road; 01865 244257), which serves cocktails made with homemade oils, infusions and seasonings; biodynamic, organic and vegan wines; and pinchos worth lingering over.
• The best bars and pubs in Oxford
Do
A portal to the fields, vineyards, kitchens and dining rooms of the ancient Romans, Last Supper in Pompeii offers an absorbing insight into culinary life in Pompeii and runs at the Ashmolean (Beaumont Street; 01865 278000) until January 12, 2020.
Piecing together the evidence of Earth’s early animals from hidden genetic code and unique fossil remains from the Cambrian explosion, First Animals at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Parks Road; 01865 272950) runs until February 24.
• The best things to do in Oxford
Eat
With an extended dining room and ambitious new menu, it’s worth a stroll along the river to the tiny village of Binsey where you’ll find The Perch (Binsey Lane; 01865 728892), a 17th-century thatched pub in a glorious setting.
• The best restaurants in Oxford
48 hours in . . . Oxford
Day one
Morning
Start your day by climbing the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin on the High Street. It offers sweeping views of the city to help you get your bearings and an unparalleled vantage point for photos of Oxford’s most recognisable landmark, the Radcliffe Camera. The circular Palladian library is part of the 15th-century Bodleian Library (Broad Street; 01865 277162), the nerve-centre of Oxford student life. Most of 'the Bod' is off limits to the public so it’s well worth taking the extended tour for an insight into student life past and present and access to Duke Humphrey's medieval library and the Radcliffe Camera, as well as its modern, subterranean, reading rooms.
Once you emerge, nip into Blackwell’s (01865 792792) on Broad Street to browse their enormous collection of books and see the Norrington Room, which has three miles of shelving hidden beneath Trinity College. Beside Blackwells is the Weston Library (Broad Street; 01865 277094), which hosts remarkable temporary exhibitions on the university’s collections.
Afternoon
Stop for lunch at the nearby Turl Street Kitchen (16-17 Turl Street; 01865 264171), a trendy, charity-run café with a changing collection of work by local artists and a short, seasonal menu with tempting veggie options.
From here head over to the Ashmolean (Beaumont Street; 01865 278000), Britain’s oldest public museum, founded in 1683 to house Elias Ashmole’s collection of antiquities. A major refit in 2009 doubled display space and transformed the building’s interior into a light, free-flowing exhibition space linked by walkways with galleries. The collection covers everything from Guy Fawkes' lantern to Michelangelo's studies for the Sistine Chapel. Head for the third floor to see the Ashmolean's growing collection of modern art featuring work by Barbara Hepworth, Sir Henry Moore, Stanley Spencer and Paul Nash.
Once you’ve had your fill, continue down St Giles to The Eagle and Child (49 St Giles'; 01865 302925), where Tolkien and his literary buddies (known as the Inklings) used to meet to discuss their work. Order a pint of Brakspear's Oxford Gold beer, rest your legs and soak up the atmosphere.
LATE
Once you’ve recouped wander down trendy Little Clarendon Street to Walton Street for a pre-dinner cocktail at Raoul's (32 Walton Street; 01865 553732) before strolling the backstreets of Jericho made famous by Phillip Pullman in the His Dark Materials trilogy.
Head to The Old Bookbinders (17-18 Victor Street; 01865 553549), a gem of a pub hidden down a backstreet, for a dinner of surprisingly good French cuisine. Spend your evening drinking here or wander back up through Jericho for some live music at The Jericho Tavern (56 Walton Street; 01865 311775) where Radiohead and Supergrass launched their careers.
Day two
Morning
Start your day with a visit to aristocratic Christ Church (St Aldates; 01865 276150), the largest and most impressive of all the Oxford colleges. It was founded in 1525 and counts 13 British prime ministers among its alumni. Charles Dodgson (also known as Lewis Carroll), the author of Alice in Wonderland, taught mathematics here and was inspired by many of the college's quirks.
From Christ Church it’s a short walk to Modern Art Oxford (30 Pembroke Street; 01865 722733), where the changing exhibitions of contemporary visual arts are always worth a visit. Nearby is Oxford Castle and Prison (44-46 Oxford Castle; 01865 260666) where you can visit the 1,000-year-old castle and former prison to hear the grisly tales of past inmates.
Afternoon
Meander back along Queen Street to the High for lunch in buzzing Quod (92-94 High Street; 01865 202505) where a lively vibe, large-scale contemporary artworks and a rewarding set lunch menu await.
From here, head back across Radcliffe Square and down Parks Road to the Pitt Rivers Museum (South Parks Road; 01865 270927). Set behind the Victorian-Gothic Museum of Natural History (Parks Road; 01865 272950), this dimly-lit wonderland for the curious is packed with glass cases and wooden drawers containing a treasure trove of blowpipes, magical charms, feather cloaks, shrunken heads and trophy scalps. If you're visiting with children ask for a wind-up torch and treasure trail to seek out the toy mice hidden among the displays.
Once you’ve had a look around, head back towards town, turning left at the Bodleian under Hertford Bridge (better known as The Bridge of Sighs though it’s actually modelled on the Rialto Bridge in Venice) and look out for a tiny laneway, Saint Helen’s Passage, on your left which leads around blind bends to The Turf (4-5 Bath Place; 01865 243235), an 18th-century pub hidden behind the medieval city wall. Its low beams, flagstone floor and real ales make it a great place to recall all the famous names who've nursed a pint here before you.
LATE
Leave the Turf and walk under Hertford Bridge for an atmospheric stroll down New College Lane into Queens Lane where imposing gargoyles giddily survey the passersby. You’ll emerge onto the lower end of the High Street. Turn left to reach Magdalen College (01865 276000) – pronounced ‘mawd-lin’ – one of Oxford’s most prestigious colleges. Start your evening by attending evensong here (check for dates and times here), a spine-tingling, candle-lit choral service in the ornate college chapel.
From here, cross Magdalen Bridge and head up lively Cowley Road for tapas and cocktails at Kazbar (25-27 Cowley Road; 01865 202920) and late night drinks or live music at any one of the bars and clubs on Oxford’s liveliest road.
• The best nightlife in Oxford
Where to stay . . .
Luxury Living
The Old Bank is a smart, 42-room hotel in historic, old buildings with a buzzing, brasserie-style restaurant and a city-centre location that’s hard to beat, next to some of Oxford's oldest colleges. It is within walking distance of of shops, the theatre and the city’s Botanical Gardens and Christchurch Meadows.
Doubles from £145. 91-94 High Street; 01865 799599
Boutique Bolthole
With its almost perfect location in the centre of Oxford, amidst colleges and quaint old pubs, Old Parsonage enjoys an interesting mix of guests, such as academics visiting the university, parents visiting their student children, and tourists who have come to drink in one of the prettiest cities in the country.
Doubles from £195. 1 Banbury Road; 01865 310210
Budget Beauty
Once belonging to the Knights Templar, this historic manor is now the superb Voco Oxford Thames Hotel set among manicured lawns along the River Thames. There’s plenty of old-world character, complemented by contemporary furnishings and great spa facilities, making it a good base for exploring Oxford and beyond, or a destination in itself.
Doubles from £120. Henley Road; 01865 334444
What to bring home . . .
The Oxford Artisan Distillery (Old Depot, South Park; 01865 767918), or TOAD, in South Park produces gin, absinthe, vodka and rye whiskey from ancient grains. Pick up a bottle direct from the distillery or in city off-licences.
Take home a little slice of Oxford in Hannah Elizabeth Design’s 1930s-style prints of the city available at Covered Arts Framing Services (Market Street; 01865 249995) in the Covered Market.
When to go . . .
There is no best time to visit Oxford, as every season has its charms. In early spring the trees of North Oxford drip with blossom, though May is when Oxford perhaps looks her loveliest. The trees are in full leaf, the students are in celebratory mood and the famous 'Bumps' (boat race) is taking place along the river.
In summer the student throngs melt away, leaving the city to residents and tourists, and you can punt and picnic on the rivers Thames (or Isis, as it’s known here) and Cherwell. There’s an air of lazy romance about the city, although it’s also the time when crowds of boisterous foreign students clog the shopping streets. Autumn, when the students return and the trees are burnished bronze, is mournfully beautiful and Christmas, when the streets are eerily quiet and the medieval buildings frosted in snow, can be magical.
Know before you go . . .
Essential Information
Oxford’s Tourist Information Office
Address: 15-16 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3AS
Contact: 01865 686430
Quick tip
If you’re planning to explore further afield than the walkable historic city centre, it's worth investing in a SmartZone bus pass, which allows unlimited travel on Oxford’s three main bus companies. One day and one week passes are available, either online or in person from the Oxford Bus Company Travel Shop (44-45 High Street).
Author bio
Etain can often be found poring over the cabinets in the Pitt Rivers or running along the river. Oxford has been her home for 15 years and she’s still smitten by the diminutive city’s cultural clout.
Experience Oxford with The Telegraph
Telegraph Travel's best hotels and tours in Oxford, tried, tested and recommended by our Oxford experts.
