- Category
- Excursions and Day Trips
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Location
- London
- Oxford University, Sheldonian Theatre, and Christ Church
- Oxford Tour led by an Oxonian
- Explore the colleges with an insider
- Small groups, max 6 people
Oxford Tour
A Look Inside
Beyond the Baroque domes, gothic vaults and Palladian quadrangles there is so much more to see: enough to occupy the visitor for much longer than a mere tour allows - perhaps, in termtime at about 6pm, evensong in one of the colleges, a trip out of town to Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill, only six miles from Oxford, on sunny days a punt down the River Cherwell, or a look around the University’s world class museums, where objects range from Alice’s dodo through shrunken heads to the work of Titian and Barbara Hepworth. The possibilities are almost endless.
"Loved the insights she had into both historical and current affairs."
Take Aways
FAQ
Is it better to do this tour in the morning or the afternoon?
This tour works very well in both the morning and the afternoon! However, with less of a rush in the morning, plus a few additional options for colleges and dining halls to visit, and (in the summer) the chance to see an Evensong performance not long after the tour’s end, there are a few benefits to the afternoon tour that are well worth considering.
What if I want to visit Cambridge?
No problem! We offer a Cambridge tour that can also be done as a day trip from London.
Isabella has lived, studied and worked in Oxford for much of her life. After school in Oxford she moved to undertake a degree in History of Art and Italian at University College London. Following careers in publishing and decorating, she settled in West Dorset where she took on the restoration of a Grade II -listed farmhouse. Over the years she has worked in a Sienese pasticceria, attended the University of Venice, written a best-seller on curtain-making, edited a catalogue with the Hermitage Museum, and raised two children. Now the Underhills are back in Oxford: Isabella and her journalist husband, William (who she met as an Oxford undergraduate), are both now members of the Oxford Guild of Guides. Her particular expertise lies in the history and culture of the city and university, but she’s also passionate about the houses, churches, and gardens of the surrounding area.
William Underhill is a writer by profession and a historian by inclination. Since leaving Oxford University, he has worked as a print and radio journalist in Britain and overseas. For more than 20 years he was employed as a correspondent in London for Newsweek magazine, writing on subjects from Afghanistan to the arts. He has also written a guide to the Thames waterfront in London. Six years ago he returned to Oxford and – together with his wife, Isabella - is a member of the Oxford Guild of Guides. He still contributes occasionally to The New York Times and Architect magazine on architecture and design, and works part-time as an editor for The Week.
Born and brought up in Scotland, Elizabeth moved to London to study Drama and was for several years an actress, performing around Britain, including the West End in London. After giving up her acting career she turned to her other passion: history. Elizabeth is a historian, and focuses on Oxford, The University, and the Colleges. She is passionate about Inspector Morse, Lewis, and now Endeavour as well as stained glass, literary, Harry Potter etc. She works for both the University and the city and enjoys meeting all the visitors Oxford gets from all over the world.
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