By rail
Oxford, ~1 h from London
United Kingdom
Oxford, United Kingdom
Dreaming spires and college quads
Getting there
By air
Heathrow (LHR), ~1 h
Best time to visit
April to September — mild
Don't miss
The Radcliffe Camera
Christ Church
The Bodleian
The Bridge of Sighs
Things to do
College tours
The Bodleian Library
The Ashmolean Museum
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Andrew Gray · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
An umbrella
A quieter corner
Punting on the Cherwell
Questions travellers ask
When's a good time to visit Oxford?
April to September, when it's mild. Keep an umbrella handy all the same.
Which Oxford sights are worth the time?
The Radcliffe Camera, Christ Church, the Bodleian Library and the Bridge of Sighs, plus the Ashmolean Museum and a college tour.
Is punting worth trying in Oxford?
Yes — punting on the Cherwell is the city's hidden gem. Before or after, graze your way around the Covered Market.
How long is the trip to Oxford from London?
By train, Oxford is about 1 h from London. Heathrow (LHR) is also about 1 h away.
About Oxford
- Riverside
Where it is
Oxford is a city in Oxfordshire in south-east England, at the confluence of the River Cherwell and the Thames, known here as the Isis, about 90 km north-west of London.
History
Oxford grew from a Saxon settlement at a ford for oxen, which gave the city its name, and teaching there began in the 11th century, making its university the oldest in the English-speaking world. Its colleges were founded from the 13th century onwards, and during the Civil War Charles I made Oxford his capital from 1642 to 1646.
People
Oxford is home to a large community of students and academics from all over the world, alongside a city with a long industrial history, notably car making at Cowley, which began in the 1910s. Traditions such as May Morning, when a choir sings from Magdalen Tower at dawn, and rowing races on the river mark the city's year.
Known for
- The colleges of the University of Oxford
- The Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera
- The Ashmolean Museum
- Punting on the Cherwell
- Christ Church and its Great Hall
Did you know?
The Ashmolean Museum, whose first building was completed in 1683, is the oldest museum in Britain and the world's first university museum.
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