Oxford, home to Oxford University, is located about an hour and a half Northwest of London but is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city. Oxford definitely deserves a visit on your next trip to the UK. Whether it is for a day or a week, here are 5 reasons why you should visit Oxford!
1) Visit Oxford for the Architecture
Because Oxford is home to Oxford University, which is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, the town is full of buildings dating as far back as Medieval times. And this makes for some amazing architecture. Everywhere you look there are building that look straight out of Harry Potter and in some cases that’s because they are! There are dozens of Harry Potter filming locations located in Oxford. And if you are interested there are many tours you can take that will bring you to all the locations and tell you about the filming process in detail. But no matter where you look there is something beautiful to enjoy.
2) Visit Oxford for the Food
Oxford is filled with cute cafes and restaurants. And compared to London meals are quite affordably priced. One can’t miss café is Vaults & Garden, which has the most amazing view of Oxford Camera. They serve up lots of picture-perfect lattes and hot and cold meals.
3) The History
Oxford is filled with history from across the ages, but one particularly interesting period to check out is the discovery of King Tut’s tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. If you are fortunate enough to visit the UK as part of a pre-excursion with Viking Cruises be sure to take part in the Oxford University visit to take a behind the scenes look into the King Tut excavation. It was one of the most important archeological finds in history. And it almost didn’t happen!
You can find out why on the tour with Viking Cruises! The London & Oxford pre-excursion takes travelers heading to the Pharaohs & Pyramids cruise to Oxford University before heading down the Nile to learn about the history of the excavation and the background on Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. The tour starts the Ashmolean Museum, at Oxford University. It is home to a vast collection of Egyptian mummies and art. From there you will visit the Griffith Institute for a tour through Howard Carter’s archives.
4) Oxford’s Photo Ops
The castles and the long winding alleys are an Instagrammer’s dream come true. Everywhere you look there is a dream shot to take! A few spots to check out are: the Bridge of Sighs, the Oxford Camera and the Divinity School.
5) The Long Walks in Oxford, England
Oxford is one of those places you could just walk around all day and never get bored! There are dozens of parks, colleges and beautiful streets to explore. Whether you are traveling in a group or solo, make time to just wander and get lost amongst the beauty!
For more ideas for trips to the UK read all about our adventures in London and Manchester!