This post will share how to spend 24 hours in Oxford, England.
For my third trip this Autumn, I decided to go down South to visit the one and only Oxford City.
I had planned to spend two days there but couldn’t find affordable accommodation.
So, I went into the Trainline app to see the distance between Manchester and Oxford.
Thankfully, it was under three hours, so I figured I could make the trip in a day.
The worst that could happen is that I would have to return some other time.
I’m not sure there’s anyone that doesn’t know about the iconic Oxford University.
I’ve been curious about this institution all my life, so I was ecstatic to visit and see it for myself.
Aside from the congestion from the students, which tried to dampen my trip, Oxford City did not disappoint.
It was just bad timing on my end.
I spent an entire day in Oxford without running out of things to do, and I’m here to share how it all went.
Getting to Oxford from Manchester
Since it would be a long day and Oxford was packed with attractions, I set out as early as 8 a.m. to get there before noon.
That was the best decision, even though I’ll probably leave at 6 a.m. next time as we have shorter days and longer nights.
As always, I booked my ticket for a steal on Trainline a few days ago.
With my 26-30 railcard, I saved some coins, which made my train ticket even cheaper.
For less than £50, I got a return ticket from Manchester Piccadilly to Oxford, which took an average of 2 hours 45 minutes each.
However, I took longer to reply because of a slight delay.
I arrived at Oxford before noon and immediately found my way to the City Centre, which I usually do.
Here’s a walking tour to help you navigate the city centre:
Here’s How To Spend 24 Hours In Oxford As A Solo Traveller
My main goal was to visit the Oxford University campus and its surrounding areas.
It wasn’t until I got there that I discovered no central campus.
Instead, the institution is split into 39 independent colleges throughout the city centre.
I wasn’t about to visit all the colleges as I only had one day. So, I just walked as far as my feet could while hitting a few landmarks.
Check out the Top 10 Oxford Colleges You Must Visit.
Just like York, the city is a bit congested and centralized.
Every other building is a landmark, so you can hit about 10 landmarks quickly.
It is easy to get carried away because there’s just so much to see and do.
For this article, I will categorize these attractions, mostly part of Oxford University, into groups to make them easier to understand.
All attractions are free unless otherwise stated.
Bodleian Libraries
These are a collection of 28 libraries that serve the University of Oxford.
They are the second-largest library in the United Kingdom after the British Library.
In total, they currently hold about 13 million printed items. I was able to stop by three of them, including;
Weston Library
This is part of the Bodleian academic libraries of the University of Oxford.
It stands utterly unmissable on the corner of Broad Street.
I passed it a few times until I was returning when I realized it was an actual landmark and part of the university.
The building was refurbished in 2015 and looks more recent than the rest.
Bodleian Library
I had to stop by the Bodleian Library, the University of Oxford’s primary research library.
Thankfully, the building was open to the public via the courtyard, so I could go in and just marvel at its excellence.
Over the centuries, the library has expanded to occupy five buildings, all landmarks on their own.
Radcliffe Camera
The Radcliffe Camera is just behind the central Bodleian Library, an absolutely stunning, unmissable circular library.
The architecture is simply outstanding in the midst of the university buildings.
I wish it were open to the public, but unfortunately, you must be a library member to access it.
The building houses books on English, history, and theology.
Museums
The next category of places to visit in Oxford is museums.
Are you in England if you don’t see at least five museums in one city? I think not.
The university has six museums, and I could stop by two, including one other external museum.
History of Science Museum
This is the world’s first purpose-built museum, also open to the public.
As the name implies, it has a massive collection of scientific instruments from the Middle Ages until the 19th century.
That is the coolest thing ever if you ask me.
In fact, did you know that the museum has one of the most iconic objects, Einstein’s Blackboard, which Albert Einstein used when he lectured at Oxford? So cool!
Ashmolean Museum
Unfortunately, I got here when they were about to close.
It was incredible to discover that it is the world’s second university and Britain’s first public museum.
It houses vast collections of archaeological specimens and fine art.
Entry is free except for specific exhibitions.
The Story Museum (Paid)
I stumbled upon this cute and unmissable family-friendly museum on my way to the Christ Church Cathedral.
It has many interactive, child-friendly exhibitions that kids will find exciting.
Cathedrals
I was pressed for time and could only stop by two cathedrals, but as always, I wasn’t disappointed.
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin (Paid)
The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin is located on the university’s premises in the heart of Oxford.
I didn’t even know that it was a cathedral because its outdoor cafe was buzzing with people.
But the signage managed to give it away.
Because of its proximity to the university, it was automatically adopted and became the first building of Oxford University for lectures and convocations.
For only £5, you can see one of the best views of Oxford city from the tower.
Christ Church Cathedral (Paid)
One of the most iconic and must-see places to visit in Oxford is the medieval Christ Church Cathedral.
It also serves as the official chapel of Christ Church College, one of the largest and wealthiest colleges at the University of Oxford.
While it’s not free to the public, walking around Christ Church Meadow can still provide some scenery.
Other Miscellaneous Attractions
After a bit of back and forth and satisfying some of my curiosities, I wandered away from the university premises.
Here are some interesting attractions I discovered along the way.
The Sheldonian Theatre (Paid)
Another core building is the Sheldonian Theatre, which is the ceremonial home of the University of Oxford.
It hosts all kinds of events, including weddings, meetings, lectures, and concerts.
You can book your tickets here.
The Covered Market
Just behind the University is the Covered Market, a historic market established in 1774 to organize the stalls on Oxford’s main street.
This makes sense because the city welcomes visitors from all spheres of life.
The last thing they want to do is give visitors a wrong impression of the city.
A quick walk around the market shows how the traders are forced to keep their stalls neat and tidy at all times.
It houses many shops, including food retailers, butchers, gift shops, and bakeries.
Carfax Tower (Paid)
This is the remains of the official city church of Oxford from the 13th century.
The location of the church is bound to affect traffic in some way.
It’s no wonder that in 1876, part of it was demolished.
For only £3, you can climb the 99 steps of the tower to soak in the skyline of Oxford city.
Westgate Shopping Centre
There’s nothing like an ultra-modern shopping centre in a medieval city.
Of course, I had to stop by to see some high-street brands with outlets in Oxford.
I took a short break here, grabbed some refreshments, and bought a new lipstick from the MAC store before checking out the rooftop bars and dining.
I used that excuse to get a bird’ s-eye view of Oxford.
Oxford Castle & Prison
One of the must-see places to visit in Oxford is the partly ruined 1000-year-old Oxford Castle and Prison.
Unlike other castles, which are usually located on the city’s outskirts, this was surprising because it is situated near the Westgate Shopping Centre in the city centre.
It wasn’t until I got there that I realized why this was the case.
It is partly ruined, so it isn’t as large as once.
Still, it was nice to take a self-guided tour around the remains of this former Castle and Prison, now a hotel and tourist attraction.
Modern Art Oxford
I thought I wouldn’t see any art galleries in Oxford until I discovered this contemporary art gallery on my way to Christ Church Cathedral.
So, if art is your thing, there are always several modern and contemporary exhibitions.
Make sure you check their websites to see what’s on.
Oxford Canal
You can stop by the Oxford Canal to or from the city centre.
A serene walk along the canal is the perfect break from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
Best Time to Visit Oxford
As you can tell, Oxford is a university city, so you’ll always find students swarming around.
In my experience, this is not the best time to visit the city.
As someone who also lives in a university city, I know that students’ presence or lack thereof can make or mar your experience.
I don’t know how I forgot that the term is currently in session at Oxford.
You can imagine how hectic it was.
As such, I didn’t enjoy it to the fullest.
Nevertheless, next time, I won’t make that mistake again.
Oxford University terms are pretty short, as they last only eight weeks.
You aim to visit between those terms when the students are on break and the city is quieter.
Their terms are as follows;
- Spring Term, aka Hilary, from mid-January to mid-March.
- Summer Term, aka Trinity, from the end of April to mid-June.
- Autumn Term, aka Michaelmas, from early October to early December.
So the best times to visit Oxford are;
- Mid-March to Mid-April.
- Mid-June to End of September.
- Mid-December to Early January.
To avoid the Tourist crowd, avoid going during the Summer and just go during the Spring or Autumn.
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed this post on how to spend 24 hours in Oxford.
As you can see, one day is nearly not enough to explore this stunning city.
If you really want to enjoy this city, I suggest you plan to stay for one or two weeks.
Leave a Reply