{"id":3433,"date":"2014-08-21T15:02:44","date_gmt":"2014-08-21T15:02:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/news\/?p=3433"},"modified":"2023-03-28T14:30:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T14:30:16","slug":"5-things-to-do-in-oxford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guides\/5-things-to-do-in-oxford\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things to do in Oxford"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There are some cities that need no introduction \u2013 centuries of history and tradition means they\u2019re instantly known all around the world. Oxford is one of those cities.<\/p>\n

There is so much to see and do here, and in the rolling green hills of the surrounding county. Your best bet is to set up base at the Travelodge Oxford Wheatley Hotel, or the Travelodge Oxford Peartree Hotel, then plan an itinerary that takes in as many of the sights as possible.<\/p>\n

Oxford is arguably most famous for its iconic University – the oldest in the English-speaking world – but it\u2019s also the birthplace of the fantastical Alice in Wonderland tales.<\/p>\n

Lewis Carroll (real name, Charles Dodgson) was actually an Oxford professor, and Alice the real-life daughter of his Dean. Carroll often wove reality and fantasy together; a grocery store where Alice used to buy sweets appeared in Through the Looking Glass. Today it still stands as a must-see tourist and souvenir store, known simply as \u2018Alice\u2019s Shop\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Impress younger visitors with a guided tour of Christ Church College\u2019s stunning Tudor dining hall – the inspiration for Hogwarts\u2019 famous Great Hall in the Harry Potter movies.<\/p>\n

These are just two of the dozens of walking tours you can join, which uncover every nook and cranny of Oxford, from medieval beginnings, to its rich history of magic and mystery.<\/p>\n

Oxford is fascinating from the ground, but magical from above. To truly admire the famous \u2018Dreaming Spires\u2019 you need to elevate yourself. There are several towers dotted around the city that you can climb for a vantage point. For the cost of a few pounds, you\u2019ll get a view that\u2019s simply priceless.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re travelling with little ones, you\u2019ll know there\u2019s only so much sightseeing they\u2019ll tolerate before putting their little feet down. Keep them happy with a visit to the Barefoot Books Oxford Studio<\/span><\/a>. While you enjoy a bite to eat in the Storyteller\u2019s Caf\u00e9, your children will be enthralled by face painting, crafts, puppetry and dance classes.<\/p>\n

And if you feel like venturing a little further afield, don\u2019t miss a visit to the stunning Blenheim Palace<\/span><\/a>. The birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, the palace houses one of the finest art collections in Europe. Its intricate Baroque architecture has seen it recognised as a World Heritage Site, and it is truly an unforgettable attraction.<\/p>\n

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Of course no visit to Oxford would be complete without a punting trip<\/span><\/a>. Rental will set you back around \u00a315-\u00a320 an hour, and choose to navigate the gentle waterways yourself, or pay a bit extra to hire a \u2018chauffeur\u2019. Some companies will even provide you with a picnic lunch, so you can spend the whole day meandering down the river. Is there a more quintessentially English way to spend a summer\u2019s afternoon?<\/p>\n

Oxford is a city where centuries of history blend seamlessly with contemporary life, making it an exciting and fascinating destination for the entire family.<\/p>\n

Five fab things to do in Oxford<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Visit the historical Oxford Covered Market<\/span><\/a>. Dating back to the 1770\u2019s, today you\u2019ll find everything from bakers and grocers, to flowers and fashion.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Hire a bike and cycle the cobbled streets. Admire the beautiful architecture, and the towering spires, and see if you can find Oxford\u2019s very own \u2018Bridge of Sighs\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Take a step back in time at Oxford Castle Unlocked<\/span><\/a> and explore the salacious history of this prison, which held criminals, traitors and murderers from 1071, right up until the 1990\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Take a trip to Bicester Village<\/span><\/a> where you\u2019ll find dozens of designer outlet stores, and unbelievable bargains from labels such as Cath Kidston, Gucci, Diesel and Jimmy Choo.<\/p>\n

\u2022 There\u2019s fun for the whole family at the Hinskey Heated Outdoor Pool<\/span><\/a>. A popular local attraction since 1934, the pool is open between 2 May, and 28 September, and also includes a caf\u00e9 and grassed area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are some cities that need no introduction \u2013 centuries of history and tradition means they\u2019re instantly known all around the world. Oxford is one of those cities. There is so much to see and do here, and in the rolling green hills of the surrounding county. Your best bet is to set up base […]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,583,2,1183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destination-guides","category-family-adventures","category-featured","category-oxford"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3433"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}