What do oxford

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Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. Done something on this list and loved it? Find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here. What is it? Why go?

An Oxford rite of passage, and a great way to see the city from a different perspective. Why Go? Meandering along the river past college buildings and manicured parks is the quintessential way to see Oxford — especially if someone else is doing the punting.

The best bet is to head up the Cherwell to the Victoria Arms for a pint and a picnic. Britain's oldest public museum, home to a collection that spans continents, cultures and creative genres. A redevelopment turned this magnificent, neo-classical but once-stuffy museum into a modern, light-filled space packed with treasures.

Choose a theme and delve into the history of Chinese porcelain, medieval musical instruments or European art. Need some big sky views? Head for Port Meadow, an ancient grassland grazed by ponies and cattle and loved by walkers, picnickers, birders and photographers. Pick up a picnic in Jericho along the way, bring a blanket and sit back and relax. An interactive, dramatic and ghoulish tour of Oxford's history with some spooky shenanigans thrown in. Like its academic rival Cambridge, Oxford is encircled by pastoral scenery.

You could strap on your walking boots, or you could kick back and relax on board a boat that plies the same river Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell once floated down while befriending white rabbits, red queens and sleepy dormice. A massive country house with landscaped formal gardens and extensive parkland. It was the birthplace of Winston Churchill and is now home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough as well as regular festivals and events. Escape the city and get a glimpse of how the other half lives in this baroque pile in the Oxfordshire countryside.

A small-group tour of the spellbinding Oxford locations used in the shooting of the Harry Potter films. Not forgetting the fantastical Narnia series, written by the well-known Fellow of Magdalen College, C.

S Lewis. Afternoon tea is a quintessentially British pastime — one that Oxford happens to do very well. The Grand Cafe is the place for afternoon tea in Oxford.

Go hungry. Nearby, The Duke of Cambridge is a brilliant choice they also just so happen to have a brilliant happy hour. When it comes to cocktails with a view, it should come as no surprise that Oxford has a few contenders — The Varsity Club looks straight out over central Oxford, while The Alchemist offers a different view from atop the Westgate Centre.

Any Tolkien or C. S Lewis fans in the house? Whether tucked away on hidden alleys or sat in plain view — Oxford has more than its fair share of historic pubs. Start with one of the oldest — The Bear Inn. Move on to my favourite, The Turf Tavern, thought to have opened in the 15th century. Cheers to that. The 18th-century Covered Market sits in the heart of Oxford.

Coffee lovers should make a beeline for Colombia Coffee Roasters, an independent coffee shop who source their beans from their own family farm in Colombia. Rowers heave boats onto the river from the boat houses that line the Isis — plump yourself down on the grass and watch as they skull their way along the river, or have a picnic under the shade of a tree — just watch out for the cows.

Much beloved by locals but largely overlooked by tourists, Port Meadow is an extensive meadow in the north of Oxford, above the Jericho area of town. The meadow is part of an ancient patch of grazing land that dates back over 4, years. The Perch — a 17th century country inn — is closer and a lovely spot for a quiet drink or two. The glasshouses are my personal favourite part of the garden — a stroll through them transports you to different parts of the world, where tropical palms grow taller than houses, or where desert cacti burst into rare blooms.

Fans have etched tribute messages into the bench — you will know it when you see it. Click here for a Google Map a map of the attractions mentioned in this article. Love this? Save and share on Pinterest! The 38 colleges which comprise the University of Oxford are iconic, architecturally diverse and endlessly atmospheric. Nobody is going to visit them all, so it is important to be selective. Some of our favourites include the riverside splendour of Magdalen , the lovely gardens of Worcester and the bold modernism of St Catz.

Read about these and more on our University Sightseeing page. Its collections span everything from ancient Egypt to contemporary China, and all have been enhanced by their elegant, light-filled surroundings. Wind your way to the top of the galleries and then celebrate with tea, cake and views over Oxford from the museum's rooftop Restaurant. Good for strolling, picnics, punting, jogging or, best of all, admiring the University's very own herd of longhorn cattle which, legend has it, were originally a gift from Bill Clinton.

Particularly recommended early in the morning, when a layer of mist can often be found hanging over the river. The bright, cheery surroundings of the Natural History Museum are a fun counterpoint to the atmospheric dinginess of the Pitt Rivers.

While exploring the latter, make sure that you seek out the cabinet of shrunken heads.