Oxford Activities

  • The Richest Cultural Heritage In England
  • Impressive Medieval Monuments
  • Great For River Activities
  • Ideal For Wildlife And Nature Enthusiasts
  • A Stags & Hens Destination That Steadily Grows In Popularity

A little less than a couple of hours drive from London and a favorite destination for both scholars and tourists from around the World, Oxford has a long and rich cultural history which has bestowed it with a subtle but unique elegance.

Home to the oldest university in the English-speaking World, Oxford boasts an unrivalled cultural heritage, with impressive medieval architecture and castles offering wonderful views.

Oxford has several family–friendly attractions, such as the Story Museum and the Botanic Garden,  as well as an array of great outdoor activities, including hot air balloon rides, cycling, forest adventures, laser tag, ice skating, sailing and canoeing.

Oxford is also a great destination for wildlife enthusiasts and beach lovers, who can actually enjoy some of their favorite water activities all year round.

Oxford’s nightlife is not as famed, but it has its pleasant surprises for visitors, and has lately grown into a rather popular stags & hens weekend destination.

ACTIVITIES IN AND NEAR Oxford Activities

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Things to See & Do

View the City of Spires from the Saxon Tower

Oxford is known as the ‘City of Spires’, owing to its great skyline of Gothic towers and steeples.

The best spot to take some snapshots of this pretty view is from the top of the Saxon tower, which is actually the sole remnant of St. Michael’s church at the North Gate, dating back to 1040, and the oldest building in Oxford. So, take a deep breath and climb the stairs – it is truly worth it.

If it’s the perfect panoramic photo you are looking, you can also visit the Carflax Tower, an imposing medieval construction that offers marvelous views of the city and its countryside.

Go Medieval at Oxford Castle

Originally built in 1071 as a Norman stronghold, Oxford Castle also served as a prison that actually close in 1996!

Now visitors enjoy the informative tour and learn the castle’s history. The whole experience is even more fascinating for children, mainly because of the medieval costumed characters that tell the castle’s tales and sagas.

The Storyteller’s Museum

If you love stories and you acknowledge their instructive value, especially for your children, then the Story Museum in Oxford is the place to go.

A kids’ favorite, it brings to life the characters of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland and the Lord of the Rings – tales that came to existence in Oxford.  Children can also dress up and impersonate their favourite heroes.

The Richest Plant Collection in the World

Being the oldest gardens in Britain – founded as early as 1621 -, the Botanic Garden has a staggering number of more than 7000 different types of plants, serving as a genuine an oasis right on Oxford’s centre.

Whether you seek relaxation and a serene stroll while bewildered by nature’s beauty, or you find rare plants fascinating, a visit to the Botanic Garden is a must. It is, after all, the most diverse collection of plants in the world.

Activities

Most visitors enjoy a relaxing row down the Isis, beside the grassy banks and the beautiful countryside and then just stroll around the city, marveling at the beautiful architecture. Still, Oxford’s tranquility hides numerous interesting and more thrilling activities.

Balloon Rides

Oxford City Council has allowed Balloon flight companies to use local parks for takeoffs and landings – making it even easier for visitors to enjoy the city and its lovely countryside from the best possible angle – the sky itself.

Whether you are planning to surprise your family or friends, or enjoy a romantic ride with your loved one, a balloon flight will make your trip to Oxford truly unforgettable.

Cycling – Best Way to explore Oxford

Cycling is the best way to get around the city – and not as tiring as in other cities in England. There are several bike hire agencies that provide all the necessary equipment in reasonable prices, and some of them even offer tour guides around the city.

Go Ape

If you love treetop adventures Oxford is the place to go. Furze Brake Woodland Park (in Culham, near Abingdon), with no less than 50 acres of dense woodland, offers a fun-packed day out with your friends and kids: rope bridges, Tarzan swings, zip slides – all set high almost on the top of the trees – and several other exciting outdoor adventure activities with varying levels of difficulty for persons of (almost) all ages and stamina.

Outdoor Lasertag

An exciting battle with risk-free infrared guns, specially designed to produce realistic sound effects and featuring real scopes, looks and weight of genuine fire-weapons.

Choose the challenge that best fits your and your friends’ fitness level, get your gear and chase each other down to the last. Then, ‘resurrect’ and enjoy some beer in one of Oxford’s famed breweries.

Skating

Oxford boasts 3 excellently designed skate parks, the Blackbird Leys Park, Cutteslowe & Sunnymead Recreation Ground and Meadow Lane Recreation Ground.

Blackbird Leys Park is a 9 hectares’ green haven, with a tree-lined meandering brook and wide grassy spaces. It poses no major difficulties to experienced skaters, but it is just ideal for beginners or for children and families that would love to learn the basics together.

Cutteslowe Park is a spacious, gorgeous park that’s ideal for skating, as well as many other activities, such as mini-golf, tennis, mini steam train, basketball etc. Again here, veteran skaters will not find it hard to get around, but newbies will love its nice and smooth trails.

Meadow Lane Recreation Ground has plenty of ramps, rails, slopes and flat areas and is the most interesting of the three for those who wish to sharpen their skills.

Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens

Are you a wildlife enthusiast? Then take your friends and family for a day – long excursion to the cotswold wildlife park & gardens (just half an hour away from oxford) and watch some of nature’s most exquisite artwork, enjoy the gardens, ride a narrow-gauge railway, have fun on the adventure playground, or even create brass rubbings.

The park is divided into 4 sections and boasts an amazingly diverse collection of species, many of which are endangered with extinction. The park hosts over 130 different species of birds (including penguins!), numerous mammals, including mega – herbivores such as giraffes, camels and tapirs, and fierce carnivores, like the awe – inspiring Asiatic lion and a pack of wolves, several primates, as well as reptiles and amphibians. It would be a shame to miss the opportunity of watching such beauty up close.

River & Water Activities

Punting

One of the most fun and popular activities in Oxford is punting: just rent one of this long shallow-bottomed boats and enjoy effortlessly some of the area’s sights that cannot be approached and viewed by land. Relaxing, romantic, different and without any doubt, fun!

Sailing, Rowing & Canoeing

If you wish for something more strenuous and athletic, you can always tame Isis by sailing, rowing or even canoeing. All the gear and vessels necessary are available for hire in reasonable prices along with the safety gear.

Indoor Beach?

It may sound a bit strange, but Didcot Wave and Gym is an extremely popular leisure centre in Oxford that offers you the chance to enjoy the beach indoors!

Housing a wave machine, indoor flume ride and a ‘beach’ area, it is just great for a family visit or for water buffs. The centre’s premises also offer “drier” activities, such as squash, badminton, volleyball and football.

Stags & Hens

Oxford is not considered the most popular stag & hen weekend destination, but it will surprise you with the range of options available.

As already mentioned, Oxford has long surpassed its ‘seat of learning’ icon and has added a lot of spicy options to men and women who want a memorable weekend with their friends – especially, those who wish for a more ‘cultured’ party experience!

Summary

Oxford is much more than the home of its world renowned University and offers its visitors an array of exciting activities.

Wonderful views, numerous family–friendly locations, great outdoor activities and more make Oxford a first–rate destination for families with small children, couples and active enthusiasts.

Maybe not the wildest nightlife destination in England, but surely an interesting one, Oxford also offers several great opportunities for an unforgettable visit.