Holiday in Oxford
City in the United Kingdom — tips, highlights & best time to visit 🇬🇧
Country
United Kingdom
Type
City
Best time to travel
May to September (15-22 °C, college gardens in full bloom). March to June for punting season. December for atmospheric college chapels at Christmas.
Budget/day
100-230 €
Getting there from Germany
Flight to London (2 h), then Oxford Tube bus from Victoria (1.5 h, from £15 return) or train from Paddington (1 h). Alternatively, flight to Birmingham (BHX), then train (1 h).
Deals for Oxford:
What makes Oxford special as a destination?
Oxford is the city of dreaming towers — the oldest university in the English-speaking world, whose 39 colleges have produced scholars, poets, prime ministers, and Nobel laureates for over 900 years. The honey-colored limestone colleges, Gothic chapels, and green courtyards create one of the most beautiful urban landscapes in Europe. The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest and most beautiful libraries in the world: The Divinity School (1488) with its spectacular ribbed vault served as the Hogwarts infirmary in the Harry Potter films. The Radcliffe Camera, a round Baroque building from 1749, is Oxford's most photographed building. Christ Church is the largest and most famous college: The Great Hall with its portraits and wooden ceiling inspired the Great Hall of Hogwarts, the bell tower (Tom Tower) chimes 101 times every evening (for the 101 original students), and Alice Liddell — the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland — was the daughter of the dean. The Covered Market (since 1774) is Oxford's culinary heart: an indoor market with butchers, cheese merchants, the legendary Ben's Cookies, and Palm's Deli, nestled between historic streets full of bookstores, pubs, and antiques.
What are the top highlights in Oxford?
The top highlights in Oxford include Bodleian Library & Radcliffe Camera, Christ Church College & Great Hall, Ashmolean Museum, Punting on the Cherwell, Pitt Rivers Museum.
The places you absolutely must not miss.
Bodleian Library & Radcliffe Camera
One of the oldest libraries in the world: Divinity School (1488, Hogwarts filming location), Radcliffe Camera (1749) — Oxford's most iconic building.
Christ Church College & Great Hall
Largest and most famous college: Great Hall (Hogwarts inspiration), Tom Tower, Alice in Wonderland connection, and the magnificent cathedral.
Ashmolean Museum
Oldest public museum in the world (1683): from Egyptian mummies to Michelangelo's drawings to Turner and Picasso — free admission.
Punting on the Cherwell
Oxford's most romantic tradition: punt ride on the River Cherwell past overhanging willows and college gardens (approx. £25/h).
Pitt Rivers Museum
Victorian anthropology museum: shrunken heads, totem poles, and 500,000 artifacts in densely packed glass cases — like a cabinet of curiosities.
University Church (St Mary the Virgin)
Tower climb (127 steps) for the best view over Oxford's towers and domes: from here you can overlook Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian, and All Souls.
Hotels in Oxford
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Reise-SIM für Oxford
Günstig surfen im Urlaub mit travSIM
Pauschalreisen & Rundreisen
Berge & Meer – 170 Tage Cookie
When is the best time to visit Oxford?
The best time to visit Oxford is May to September (15-22 °C, college gardens in full bloom). March to June for punting season. December for atmospheric college chapels at Christmas.. 15-23 °C, pleasantly warm, occasional showers, green parks and gardens In winter: 2-8 °C, cool and damp, atmospheric with fog over the colleges
Recommended travel time
May to September (15-22 °C, college gardens in full bloom). March to June for punting season. December for atmospheric college chapels at Christmas.
Summer
15-23 °C, pleasantly warm, occasional showers, green parks and gardens
Winter
2-8 °C, cool and damp, atmospheric with fog over the colleges
How much does a holiday in Oxford cost?
Budget travellers: 50-90 €/day, mid-range: 100-230 €/day, luxury: 250-500 €/day.
Average costs per person per day
Budget
50-90 €
Hostel, Street food, Public transport
Mid-range
100-230 €
Hotel, Restaurant, Excursions
Luxury
250-500 €
Boutique hotel, Fine dining
How do I get from Germany to Oxford?
Flight to London (2 h), then Oxford Tube bus from Victoria (1.5 h, from £15 return) or train from Paddington (1 h). Alternatively, flight to Birmingham (BHX), then train (1 h).
Book a package holiday to Oxford
Compare thousands of package holidays to Oxford and find the best deals with flight & hotel.
Compare package holidays nowWhat travel tips are there for Oxford?
Insider knowledge that makes your holiday better.
Colleges have opening hours — most open in the afternoon for visitors (2-5 GBP admission). Christ Church (£8) is the most popular, New College and Magdalen are often quieter and just as beautiful.
Book a Bodleian tour — Divinity School and Duke Humfrey's Library (Hogwarts library) are only accessible via guided tour (from £10). Book online in advance, especially on weekends.
Try punting yourself — Magdalen Bridge Boathouse rents out punts (from £25/h). Punt on the Cherwell towards Victoria Arms Pub — beginners are guaranteed to fall in.
Eagle and Child Pub — this is where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis met with the Inklings. The Rabbit Room at the back is a literary pilgrimage site.
Covered Market — since 1774: Ben's Cookies (legendary), Alpha Bar (salads), Oxford Cheese Company. Packed with students and locals at lunchtime.
What should you eat in Oxford?
Typical specialities in Oxford: Ben's Cookies — since 1984 Oxford's most legendary cookies: warm from the oven, soft in the middle, crispy at the edges, the line in the Covered Market is always long., Full English Breakfast — Eggs, Bacon, Sausages, Beans, Toast, Mushrooms, Tomato, and Black Pudding: the foundation for every university day in Oxford's cafes and pubs., Cream Tea — Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam: in the college gardens or at The Grand Cafe (the oldest coffee house in England, since 1651 at this location)., Pie & Mash — traditional British pie with beef or steak-and-ale filling: at The Eagle and Child or The Turf Tavern, with gravy and mashed potatoes., Lamb Shanks at The Turf Tavern — hidden pub behind the city walls: lamb shank with rosemary and red wine, Bill Clinton drank a beer here as a student..
These specialties you must try!
