Day trips from London: Oxford

Yes! It is possible to actually get a good impression from Oxford in just one day. However, if possible I would recommend to stay at least one night to be able to see more colleges and enjoy the student atmosphere. 

ITINERARY FOR A DAY VISIT:

As an itinerary for a winter day I would suggest this -check colleges visit times before as they may vary and you might need to change the order of visits-:

In this itinerary I followed the Lonely Planet Guide to England's advise: to visit three colleges, Christ Chruch, New and Magadalen.

Start your day by visiting Christ Chruch College. If you are a Harry Potter fan you will love to see the Great Hall, which was replicated to represent the one at Hogwarts, and the staircase... This is also the college where Lewis Carroll spent many years.

Christ Church, Oxford

Next, you can go up the street and take a look of Oxford from the top of Carfax Tower. Find a place for lunch -not a problem in a university city, perhaps you can have lunch at some of the places of the covered market- and continue to New College.

On the way, make sure you visit the Bodleian Library and see the Hetford Bridge, aka Bridge of sighs because of its resemblance to... actually, not the Bridge of Sighs in Venice but the Rialto Bridge :)

Bridge of Sighs

After New College you can go and visit the last college and last sight for the day: Magdalen. If you still have some time you can enjoy a walk along Cornmarket Street.

TRANSPORTATION:

From London you can get to Oxford by bus -check the OxfordTube site, this is the one I have travelled with- and train. It is worth checking both options as the one more suitable for you might depend on a series of factors, among them where in London you are staying.

Check these if interested in the OxfordTube:

- from where in London the Oxfordtube departs

- schedule from London to Oxford and back

- from where in Oxford the Oxfordtube goes back to London

More options and advice for transport here

More information for you to plan your own day/s at Oxford:

- Here you will find the whole list of Oxford colleges with links to their websites where you can find more about the times for visiting, maps, etc.

- And of course guided tours if you don't feel like planning a lot by yourself.

-  Other places of interest in Oxford if you are staying some more time.

What are your tips for Oxford? Would you recommend any special pub for lunch or dinner?