• *City Walking Tour

• *Ashmolean Museum: Oldest public museum in the country, with stunning new extension. Houses Egyptian, Cretan, Greek, Roman antiquities; Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Islamic art; French, Venetian, Pre-Raphaelite paintings. NOTE: Jeff Koons special exhibition (£12.25). Curated by Koons himself together with guest curator Norman Rosenthal, the show will feature seventeen important works, fourteen of which have never been exhibited in the UK before. 1-hour guided tour of highlights: £8.

• *Bodleian Library: Schools Quadrangle with the Tower of the Five Orders; 15th century Divinity School, with lierne vaulting; Convocation House, where parliament met occasionally in Stuart times; Radcliffe Camera; Weston Library, with exhibition rooms; and the stunning Duke Humfrey’s Library. Tours cost £6 (30 minutes); £9 (1 hour); £15 (90 minutes)

• *Botanic Gardens: First botanic gardens in the UK. Founded in the 17th century as a medicinal garden. Wonderful glass houses (tropical & desert environments), herbaceous borders, etc. 1-hour guided tour of highlights: £8.50.

• *Castle: Built in 1071; guided tours are available

• Church of St Michael at the North Gate: A fine Saxon Tower offering views over the city.

• Colleges: Some are open to visitors. Christ Church includes Oxford’s cathedral: entrance fee – unless you attend evensong in the cathedral. Magdalen College has a fine tower – and a deer park at the rear. Hertford College boasts the Bridge of Sighs, linking both sides of New College Lane. In New College, some of the old city walls are visible.

• Martyrs’ Memorial: Memorial to Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, executed under Mary Tudor.

• Museum of the History of Science: Houses the world’s largest collection of astrolabes.

• *Pitt Rivers Museum: Aladdin’s Cave with over a million objects from all over the world. Accessed from rear of University Museum of Natural History.

• Shopping: Covered market; open air market; new Westgate shopping centre.

• Theatres: New Theatre and Oxford Playhouse.

  https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/science-saturdays-7 

Place of interest near Oxford

*Blenheim Palace: Birthplace of Winston Churchill (who is buried at nearby Bladon) and seat of the Duke of Marlborough. Building designed by John Vanbrugh. Fine grounds designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown.

Where to stay

Here’s a selection of hotels, at a range of prices. There are many more on trip Advisor.

Rates are for B&B as at 31 December but rates and availability may well vary.

• Travelodge at Peartree (N bypass): £59

• Premier Inn (E bypass) £69

• Travelodge at Redbridge (N bypass): £75

• Linton Lodge (N of city centre) £95

• Jury’s Inn (near N bypass) £103

• Royal Oxford (near rail station) £162

• Randolph (city centre) £205

• Rewley House: Price on application

Note: Rewley House is not within walking distance of the hotels near the bypasses; but there are good bus services in the city.

Parking

There's free parking at most of the hotels, and very limited short term parking on some roads. The cheapest long term parking is provided by the five Park-and-Ride venues at £2 for the whole day. City Centre parking is expensive. Examples follow.

Gloucester Green underground car park, OX1 2BN. Sample charges for 6 hours: £19 on Saturday, £15 on Sunday.
• Worcester Street open air car park, OX1 2BQ. Same charges as above.

• Oxpens open air car park, OX1 1RQ. Sample charges for 6 hours: £11 every day

• Westgate Shopping Centre car park, OX1 1TR. Same charges as Oxpens.