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Day Trip to Oxford From London – Visiting One Of The World’s Most Beautiful & Prestigious Universities

April 16th, 2020 by | Tagged in: , , ,

During my holiday in Europe, I went on a day trip to Oxford from London. I had a great time here and this is everything I did on my trip!

Table of Contents

Oxford


Oxford is a small university city in England with a population of around 155,000. It is just 90km away from London.

This quaint city is home to the prestigious University of Oxford. I spent most of the day exploring this famous university.

Harry Potter fans will be happy to know that the university was the setting for many scenes in the movie!

How to Go Oxford from London


To get to Oxford from London, you just need to take a one-hour train ride from Paddington Station to Oxford Station. The trains run every five to twenty minutes.

Prices start from £5.40 for a one-way ticket if you buy well in advance, and become more expensive closer to the departure date. Therefore, try to book your tickets as early as possible.

Here’s another tip: you can save money by buying two single tickets instead of a round-trip ticket.

For me, I bought two single tickets from the Trainline website about two weeks in advance. The trip from London to Oxford cost £14.50, while the reverse trip only cost £5.40.


On the day of my trip, I took the 6.52am train from Paddington Station and arrived in Oxford Station at 7.56am without any issues. The train was largely empty.

I did not have to print out the physical tickets – I simply scanned the mobile ticket at the gates.

Crisis Skylight Cafe


From the train station, I walked for about 8 minutes to Crisis Skylight Cafe. This cafe is run by a charity organization that aims to end homelessness.

The pretty cafe was bright, clean and decorated with minimalist furnishings. The staff were all very friendly.

I saw a few staff being trained on the job; they were probably taking part in the charity’s re-homing program.

The wife and I shared the Half Fireman Breakfast (£4.50), which consists of egg, sausage, bacon, beans, mushrooms, tomato, and toast.

We also had the Berries, Cinnamon & Yogurt Pancake (£4), as well as a hot cup of Cappuccino (£2.80).

I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the food was! The Fireman Breakfast was savoury and satisfying, the cappuccino was delicious, and I loved the sweet pancakes too.

This was a super value-for-money meal that cost less than £12 for two persons! And the cafe doesn’t charge sales tax and service charge.


Crisis Skylight Cafe is a fantastic cafe that you must visit in Oxford. It offers great food, affordable prices, pleasant ambience, and good service. Best of all, you will be helping with a good cause too!

We went at 8am so there was no queue, but according to online reviews the cafe can get really busy during peak hours. You can check out the menu above (click to enlarge).

Watsons of Oxford


From the cafe, I walked down the street for about 3 minutes to Watsons of Oxford. This homely gift shop sells a good selection of Harry Potter and Oxford University merchandise.


I spent about 10 minutes exploring this interesting shop. I saw many Harry Potter-themed merchandise such as sweaters, t-shirts, bags, cups, scarfs, ties, owl plushies, etc.


One interesting item was the “Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer”, which was the “butterbeer soda” drunk by the wizards in the movie. In case you’re wondering, it does not contain any alcohol content.


For £34.99, you can bring home the wand of your favourite wizard, such as Harry Potter, Professor Dumbledore, or even Lord Voldemort (if you prefer the dark side)!


There are Oxford University merchandise on sale too if you are interested.

Sheldonian Theatre


After that, I continued walking down the street to Sheldonian Theatre, which was my first stop in University of Oxford!

This building is the university’s official ceremonial hall. It is used for official ceremonies, lectures, and music concerts.


Above is another view of the theatre taken from the front.

Clarendon Building


Just next to the Sheldonian Theatre is the Clarendon Building, which is an early 18th-century neoclassical building.

Hertford Bridge (“Bridge of Sighs”)


After that, I went to check out the famous Hertford Bridge. This is a small bridge connecting two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane.

It is often referred to as the “Bridge of Sighs” because of its supposed resemblance to the Bridge of Sighs in Venice.

Radcliffe Camera


My next stop was the Radcliffe Camera. This beautiful neo-classical style building houses the Radcliffe Science Library, and is one of the most popular attractions in Oxford.

The building is accessible to the public via guided tours only, so I could only see it from the outside.

If you are wondering why the building is called a “camera”, it’s because the word was derived from the Latin language which means “building” or “vault.”

Note that the library is closed for refurbishment from December 2019, and will only reopen in Summer 2021.

University Church of St Mary the Virgin


From Radcliffe Camera, I walked to the adjacent University Church of St Mary the Virgin.

This historic church is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew. It is built in the English Gothic style, boasting a majestic spire that is claimed by some church historians to be one of the most beautiful in Britain.


The church interior was empty and very peaceful. The photo above was taken from the second floor of the church.


I also went to see the altar, which was simple but elegant.


The highlight of my visit was the climb up the church tower! I had to pay a fee of £5 but it was totally worth it.


On the way up, I passed by a large clock that was built in 1741. It was handmade by Thomas Paris, a master clockmaker from Warwick.


After that, I went up a flight of narrow winding steps and reached the top of the tower. The entire climb took around 5 minutes.


From up here, I got to enjoy amazing views of the Radcliffe Camera, All Souls College, and other university buildings!

Christ Church


My next stop was Christ Church, which is one of University of Oxford’s largest colleges. Entrance into the college is £8.

This college is home to a number of famous attractions like The Great Hall, the Great Quadrangle (also known as Tom Quad), and Christ Church Cathedral.


First, I went to The Great Hall in Bodley Tower, which is a communal dining hall built in magnificent Renaissance style.

Completed in the early 16th century, this dining hall has hosted some spectacular banquets, including the Duke of Portland’s 1793 extravagant feast.


This large hall is lined with long rows of tables laid with ornate glassware and cutlery. I found it impressive that they put in so much effort to arrange the tableware for every meal.

And if you find this place familiar, it’s because the Hogwarts dining hall in the Harry Potter movies is actually modelled after this hall!

It was quite difficult to get a decent photo of this gorgeous hall because visitors are only allowed a limited time here, and there were other tourists constantly getting into my shot.

Luckily, I managed to take some quick snaps when most them had left, before I was ushered out by the staff too.


I exited the hall to the elegant Hall Staircase, which is known for its beautiful fan-vaulted ceiling. This staircase was also famously featured in the Harry Potter movies.


I looked up and saw some insignias on the ceiling, though I’m not really sure what institutions they represent.


Exiting the building, I saw the beautiful Great Quadrangle (commonly known as Tom Quad), which is Oxford University’s largest quadrangle (a space surrounded by buildings).

One famous building here is the Tom Tower, a bell tower that was completed in the late 16th century. It is designed in the Late Gothic style, making it a precursor of the Gothic Revival that started in the 18th century.


Next, I went to the Christ Church Cathedral, which is unique for serving dual roles as both a cathedral and a college chapel.

It was nice to walk around the tranquil church, which was almost completely empty. The altar was small but resplendent.


My final destination in Christ Church was the Cloisters, which provided a sheltered space for monks to move around the monastery undisturbed.

If you are wondering why there was a monastery here, it’s because the current site of Christ Church was originally a monastery between the 8th and early 16th century.

The Cloisters hallways were also used as the setting for the scene where Harry Potter finds out that his late father was a Seeker on Gryffindor’s Quidditch team.

Bodleian Library


From Christ Church, I walked for about 10 minutes to Bodleian Library, which is Oxford University’s main research library.

With a history that can be traced back to the 14th century, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It is also the second largest British library and holds a whooping 13 million books!


The library’s open-air compound is open to public, but you need to join guided tours to enter the various buildings. You can choose between the 30-minute (£6), 60-minute (£9), or 90-minute (£15) tours. Click on the picture above for more details.

I went for the 30-minute tour which was supposed to cover both the Divinity School and Duke Humfrey’s Library. Unfortunately, the Divinity School was closed during my visit, so the tour only included the library.


I bought my 12.30pm tour tickets over the counter at the entrance of Bodleian Library. Note that the tours have limited slots, so try to buy the tickets early. I bought my ticket at around 10am when I was passing by the library earlier.

At 12.15pm, I met up with our guide and a group of around 10 other tourists below the Duke Humfrey’s Library.

Bags are not allowed in the library, so we were told to lock our bags in the secure chests provided. We were given wireless audio sets too.

After that, we had to climb 65 steps up the stairs to the library. Note that there is no lift available.


The Duke Humfrey’s Library is the oldest reading room in Bodleian Library. It houses collections of music, maps, manuscripts, theology, and arts materials.


This medieval library was lined with many bookshelves of old leather-bound books. Our guide showed us that some of the books are actually chained to the shelves, which was pretty interesting.

Harry Potter fans will probably recognise this library, because it was used as the Hogwarts Library in the Harry Potter movies!


We were not supposed to take photos during the tour, but I couldn’t resist and managed to take a few contraband shots of this beautiful library.


Next, I dropped by Weston Library for a quick look. This library is also part of the Bodleian Library and was officially opened in 1946.

The main library area is open to Oxford University students only, but the public can access The Blackwell Hall, two exhibition rooms, the gift shop, and the cafe.

Covered Market


The Covered Market is a historic market that was built in 1774. It is home to various bakeries, restaurants, florists and gift shops.


There are also shops selling fresh produce like meat, bread, fruits and vegetables. I only spent about 5 minutes exploring this small market.

Turf Tavern


The Turf Tavern is a historic tavern / pub in the university that serves British comfort food. It is a popular hangout spot for the university students.

Many famous Oxford alumni have visited this pub before, including Margaret Thatcher, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Blair, CS Lewis, and Stephen Hawking.


It was an interesting experience to dine in this tavern-like space with rough hewn stone walls and wooden furnishings.


There is an outdoor dining area too, but when I visited in April it was still too cold to sit outside.



I ordered the classic Fish & Chips (£12.29), while the wife went with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger (£11.79). Both items were very tasty and satisfying!


If you are interested, you can have some drinks at the old-school bar counter too.

New College


After lunch, I went to the last stop of my Oxford day trip: New College.

Home to various architecturally striking buildings and beautiful gardens, this is one of the university’s most beautiful colleges.

I had to pay £5 to enter the college compound.


While we were taking some photos in the courtyard, I saw some students looking at me with mild amusement through their classroom windows.


I also visited the college’s dining hall, which was quite charming but not as splendid as the Christ Church dining hall.

Going Back To London


And it was time to head back to London!

From the university, I strolled along the quaint streets back to the train station. It was drizzling earlier when I arrived in Oxford, but the weather had cleared up considerably by now.

I took the 3.31pm train and arrived back in London at 4.30pm.

Oxford One Day Itinerary

Time Activity
7am Train from London Paddington Station to Oxford Station
8am Crisis Skylight Cafe
9am Watsons of Oxford / Sheldonian Theatre / Clarendon Building / Hertford Bridge
10am Radcliffe Camera / University Church of St Mary the Virgin
11am Christ Church
12pm Bodleian Library
1pm Covered Market / Turf Tavern
2pm New College
3pm Train from Oxford Station to London Paddington Station

Map of Oxford Attractions


This is a map of all the attractions I visited in Oxford for your reference. You can click on the map to enlarge.

Is It Worth Visiting Oxford?


I hope you have enjoyed reading about my day trip to Oxford from London! It was a very cool experience to explore the world-famous University of Oxford. And if you are a Harry Potter movie fan, this university is a must-visit because it was used as the setting for many scenes.

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