The award-winning Oxford Official Walking Tours1 are an unmissable element of a visit to the city and provide a great opportunity for residents to rediscover their hometown. Throughout the autumn and winter the friendly, confident communicators of Oxford’s living history will entertain groups from home and abroad, the Oxford Official Walking Tours’ guides bringing the city’s spires and stones to life with stories of past town and gown residents.
Specialist tours follow in the footsteps of authors and academics, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and Philip Pullman; while Oxford’s role as a backdrop to TV and film is explored on the Harry Potter Highlights and Inspector Morse, Lewis, and Endeavour Tours.
On the ever-popular University and City Tour, in addition to historical facts, fables and gossip, guides explain the collegiate aspect of the University, a concept often unfamiliar to visitors. Until the end of October, Oxford Official Walking Tours will be offering an extended programme with additional tours on Fridays and Saturdays.
For new students, the tours make a great introduction to the city. Students booking during the universities’ Freshers’ Weeks can benefit from a 10% discount2 on any tour on any date. Details are available on the Experience Oxfordshire website.
From Thursday 16 November until Saturday 23 December, groups will be able to book the annual Festive Tour, taking in Oxford’s twinkling Christmas lights3 and sights with tales of the city’s Christmases past, present and yet to come. Historic Broad Street provides the backdrop where groups can check out the Oxford Victorian Christmas Market4, held in mid-November. Throughout December visitors can enjoy the Oxford Christmas Market5, whilst their festive guardian guides them along ancient alleyways, passing gruesome gargoyles and cosy pubs.
Commenting on the autumn programme Ulrika Ericson, Product Manager for Oxford Official Walking Tours, said: “Our guides pride themselves on delivering a factually correct yet entertaining experience, and the reviews that our award-winning tours receive confirm this. No matter how long someone has lived in an area there is always something new to discover and we look forward to welcoming visitors from home and overseas during the autumn and winter to join us and enjoy a fascinating walk through Oxford.”
Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire, added: “Whatever the season Oxford Official Walking Tours offer one of the best ways to get to know this wonderful city. Whether you’re a new arrival or have a specialist interest, we aim to deliver high quality tours and experiences for all. We work hard to ensure our tours offer the best experience for the consumer whilst managing the impact locally by only providing tours for small manageable groups. We hope to see locals and businesses immerse themselves in the festive tours as well as visitors to our city.”
Oxford Official Walking Tours’ University & City Tour operates twice daily throughout the year (three times a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until 31 October). Private Festive Tours will run during the Oxford Victorian Market (17-19 November inclusive) and throughout the Oxford Christmas Market’s operating dates (30 November to 23 December inclusive).
For more information and tour bookings go to: www.oxfordofficialwalkingtours.org or email officialtours@experienceoxfordshire.org
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NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Images: Available via the following link. Additional images are available on request.
- Image 1: Oxford Official Walking Tours
- Image 2: Sheldonian Theatre
- Image 3: Oxford Official Walking Tours logo
Oxford Official Walking Tours is operated by Experience Oxfordshire. For full tour details, information, and online bookings: www.oxfordofficialwalkingtours.org
- For enquiries and group or private bookings email: officialtours@experienceoxfordshire.org or phone: 01865 686441
- Private Tours are available on request, subject to availability, and can be tailored to meet requirements.
- Public tours are 2 hours long and leave from outside the Cool Britannia shop on Broad Street.
You can keep up to date with Oxford Official Walking Tours’ activity by following: @OfficialToursOx
1 Oxford Official Walking Tours aim to provide positive experiences for Oxfordshire residents and visitors to Oxford and as such tours are limited to a maximum of 20 people per group.
2 10% student discounts are available on any tour at any time when booked during Oxford Brookes’ and University of Oxford Freshers’ Weeks. Full details are available at experienceoxfordshire.flywheelstaging.com/event/freshers-weeks-tours/
3 Oxford’s Christmas tree is in Broad Street and the Christmas lights will be switched on as part of Oxford’s Christmas Light Festival on 17 November 2023.
4 The Oxford Victorian Christmas Market will run from Thursday 16 November to Sunday 19 November 2023, trading: Thu 1200- 2000; Fri-Sat 1000-2000; Sun 1000-1700
5 The Oxford City Christmas Market will run for 24 days from Thursday 30 November until Saturday 23 December 2023, with trading times Sun-Thu 1000-1800, Fri-Sat 1000-2000.
Experience Oxfordshire is the official Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Oxfordshire. It is the trading arm of the parent charity, Experience Oxfordshire Charitable Trust, and is a not-for-profit partnership organisation committed to the promotion, management, and development of Oxfordshire as a great destination to live, work, visit and do business thus improving growth and productivity across the visitor economy. One of the first Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEP) announced by VisitEngland, the DMO provides essential business advice and support to visitor economy businesses across Oxfordshire.
For more information on Experience Oxfordshire go to experienceoxfordshire.flywheelstaging.com/partner or contact partnership@experienceoxfordshire.org
Media contact: Lesley Wright / press@experienceoxfordshire.org / 01865 686433
You can keep up to date with Experience Oxfordshire’s activity by following:
Facebook – Experience Oxfordshire
Instagram – @experienceoxfordshire
Twitter – @ExperienceOx and @ExperienceOxBiz
LinkedIn – Experience Oxfordshire