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The Sheldonian Theatre

The Sheldonian Theatre: Our most recommended tours and activities

From London: Day Trip to Harry Potter Studios and Oxford

1. From London: Day Trip to Harry Potter Studios and Oxford

Take a day trip from London and journey towards Warner Bros. Studio to take "The Making of Harry Potter" tour. Located in former aircraft hangars in Leavesden, the attraction recreates the magic of Harry Potter and all your favorite characters. Then, visit Oxford and explore the Divinity School. Board the original "Hogwarts Express" train at a recreation of Platform 9¾, and explore the inside of the train carriage featured in the films. Take a selfie with a luggage trolley as it disappears through the station's brick wall. The studio staff will reveal the behind-the-scenes secrets and unveil the intricate prosthetics and make-up that transformed actors into creatures in blockbuster films. See sets from the original movies, and get a peek inside the college of Hogwarts during the 4-hour studio tour. Journey through attractions such as The Great Hall, Gryffindor Common, Hagrid's Hut, the Weasleys' kitchen, and the Ministry of Magic. Take a tour of the backlot and a special effects tour, see a model of Hogwarts Castle, and much more. Depart the Studios and journey to Oxford to explore the real college buildings, including the medieval Divinity School. Upon arrival in the university city founded in 1167, take a guided tour of the historical center and admire some of the most famous college buildings, cloisters, and quadrangles. Delve down alleyways and into chapels, look inside dining halls and across cobblestone squares under the shadows of the legendary "dreaming spires." Enter the hallowed heartland of academia, including the Bodleian Library, Radcliff Camera, Sheldonian Theatre, and other select colleges.

Oxford: Complete University Tour with optional Christ Church

2. Oxford: Complete University Tour with optional Christ Church

You will begin in central Oxford, with a brief and engaging introduction which will lay the foundation for the vast periods of history to be covered! Then the tour will enter a college renowned for having the most beautiful lawns in Oxford along with an iconic dispute with its neighbour - resulting in a supposed theft of the College tortoise (Oxford Annual Tortoise Race explanation included!). Then the group will visit the Sheldonian Theatre, where students experience the most iconic ceremony at Oxford University. You can hear from your student guide how the experience was for them. Next you will enter a historic museum -complete with a chalkboard used by Einstein in Oxford - and visit the Weston Library, a great example of a hybrid historic and modern interior. This tour will then cover sites that none of our other tours do! Including Rhodes House, the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. The latter is known to have one of the most exceptional collections in England, including Victorian shrunken heads. The tour stops for lunch at the Eagle and Child pub, a second home to J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis while they were members of the Inklings. After lunch, you can get a photo under the Bridge of Sighs before gazing up at the first round library in England, where your Oxford student guide will give you rare insights into the labyrinth of underground tunnels students. Not to be forgotten, All Souls College. With entrance exams as complex as they are bizarre, this site will highlight how exclusive a College can be and how influential its members are. Heading down to the southern part of Oxford, we visit a hidden door depicting the most famous characters in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Before entering the largest College at Oxford, Home to Oscar Wilde and C. S. Lewis, and its own deer park. Explore the iconic grounds which have been home to Oxford’s most influential writers, complete with medieval cloisters. The tour will head over to Merton College, home of Tolkien, to discuss not only its literary importance, but it’s multi million pound kitchen, funded by the current Emperor of Japan! The tour will then go to Christ Church College, exploring the unique meadows - such a stunning expanse of land incredibly rare in a medieval city. Here you will learn about its close connection to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - along with its decision to be held to a different time zone than the rest of Oxford. Those who have selected the option to enter Christ Church will then have their pre arranged tickets given to them, and they will be free to explore the college at their own pace. The guide will be at hand before entering to offer further advice and guidance. Please note - the structure on the day may differ.

Oxford Day Trip from London: City Tour, Colleges & Lunch

3. Oxford Day Trip from London: City Tour, Colleges & Lunch

Travel back in time on this Private Day Trip Tour into one of the world's most academic and intellectual cities. Get away from busy London and tour Oxford with a private local guide. Admire not only the city's medieval architectural beauty and its river and natural environment, but also its traditional English cuisine. Learn about the history of Oxford Castle, an ancient castle over 1,000 years old, famous for having once been a prison. Visit the only 12th-century tower still standing in the city. Take the opportunity to enter the History of Sciences Museum to see the famous blackboard that Einstein once used during a lecture at some Oxford University, and which still preserves its formulas. Relax and enjoy a delicious British lunch with a typical English beer in a traditional 14th-century tavern. Enjoy the best views of this university city by climbing to the top of the 13th-century tower of the University Church of St Mary. See the most prestigious colleges in the world, from Balliol College (the oldest in Oxford) to the most important college in the city: Christ Church College. Enter and breathe the university and intellectual air of Oxford. Get to know its beautiful Gothic building and discover how its students live. Enjoy Oxford in-depth, with its History, its Culture, Gastronomy, Colleges, and local’s lifestyle in this amazing Private Day Tour.

Oxford: Stepping Through Oxford Walking Tour

4. Oxford: Stepping Through Oxford Walking Tour

Discover charming and historic Oxford, renowned for being home to the prestigious University of Oxford, one of the oldest universities in the world. The city boasts a wealth of stunning architecture, picturesque scenery, and fascinating cultural attractions, like the Bridge of Sighs and the Carfax Tower, that you will discover in our walking tours. Discover the iconic Christ Church College and Lincoln College and marvel at their stunning Gothic and Baroque architecture. Learn about the famous alumni that studied there. After the tour, download the Vox City app (included in your tour) to discover more of Oxford and its incredible history with curated audio-guided routes through the main quarters. Our walking tours main sights: Radcliffe Camera Bodleian Library The Tower of the Five Orders Bridge of Sights Hertfort College Clarendon Building University of Oxford The Wenston Library The Old Schools Quad The White Horse Carfax Tower Christ Church The Old Tom St. Aldates Tavern Oxford Town Hall Swindlestock Tavern High Street University Church of St. Mary the Virgin Bodleian Library Alice's Shop The Crown Covered Market St. Micheal at the North Gate Oxford Martyrs Cross The bear Inn The Wheatsheaf St. Aldates Tavern History of Science Museum Sheldonian Theatre Holywell Music Room New College All Souls College Our self-guided route's main sights: St. Margaret's Well Port Meadow Folly Bridge Oxford Castle and Prison Trill Mill Stream Nuffield College Martyrs Memorial Ashmolean Museum Jericho University Parks Rhodes House Headington Shark

Oxford: Original Uncomfortable Oxford™ Walking Tour

5. Oxford: Original Uncomfortable Oxford™ Walking Tour

The perfect introductory tour of Oxford, this tour engages with the politics of memory in the city and university. It covers histories of empire, inequality, and race, class, and gender discrimination, highlighting how these legacies have an enduring impact on our modern lives. *Tour Itinerary:* 1 - Carfax Tower 2 - Rhodes Statue 3 - All Souls College 4 - Weston Library 5 - Sheldonian Theatre 6 - Balliol College 7 - Faculty of History 8 - Bonn Square Please note that the itinerary can vary slightly depending on time and tour guide. ACCESSIBILITY: Wheelchair accessible, but please note some mildly uneven pavement and crowding in the city centre. Distance walked is less than 2km.

Oxford: City and University of Oxford Audio Guide

6. Oxford: City and University of Oxford Audio Guide

Matthew Arnold, a Victorian poet, once described Oxford as “the City of Dreaming Spires”. He was referring to the stunning architecture of the 39 colleges that make up the world famous University of Oxford. Join me on this leisurely walking tour around the beautiful city and I’ll tell you the stories behind the spires. This easy stroll takes you from Carfax Tower, around the historical city centre where the majority of the colleges are situated, to finish on Magdalen Street next to the Martyrs’ Memorial. Along the way, I’ll fill you in on some of the quaint traditions and ceremonies that still take place around the colleges today, like why Great Tom, the bell above the entrance to Christ Church College, chimes 101 times at 9.05pm. You’ll hear about the famous authors, politicians and poets that have contributed to Oxford’s history too, and I’ll show you the filming locations for numerous TV series such as Morse, Endeavour and Midsummer Murders. You’ll even follow in the footsteps of Harry Potter as you take in Christ Church and its own great hall. By the end of this tour, you’ll: • Discover why Oxford’s time is 5 minutes behind the rest of the country • Find out why Oxford students are forbidden from jumping into the River Cherwell • Learn about a riot that lasted three days and cost the lives of 93 people • See the college that has produced no less than 13 of this country’s Prime Ministers • Visit the spot where three senior members of the church were executed on the orders of Bloody Mary Give yourself 90-minutes or linger along the way as there are plenty of opportunities to stop for a drink, a light snack, or even a very civilised afternoon tea.

Oxford: Town & Gown and Universities Walking Tour

7. Oxford: Town & Gown and Universities Walking Tour

Discover charming and historic Oxford, renowned for being home to the prestigious University of Oxford, one of the oldest universities in the world. The city boasts a wealth of stunning architecture, picturesque scenery, and fascinating cultural attractions, like the Bridge of Sighs and the Carfax Tower, that you will discover in our walking tours. Discover the iconic Bodleian Library and the Ashmolean Museum, the oldest public museum in the world. Hear the stories about the University of Oxford and its 38 colleges, marvel at their stunning Gothic and Baroque architecture and learn about the famous alumni who studied there. After the tour, download the Vox City app (included in your tour) to discover more of Oxford and its incredible history with curated audio-guided routes through the main quarters. Our walking tours main sights: Radcliffe Camera Bodleian Library The Tower of the Five Orders Bridge of Sights Hertfort College Clarendon Building University of Oxford The Wenston Library The Old Schools Quad The White Horse Carfax Tower Christ Church The Old Tom St. Aldates Tavern Oxford Town Hall Swindlestock Tavern High Street University Church of St. Mary the Virgin Bodleian Library Alice's Shop The Crown Covered Market St. Micheal at the North Gate Oxford Martyrs Cross The bear Inn The Wheatsheaf St. Aldates Tavern History of Science Museum Sheldonian Theatre Holywell Music Room New College All Souls College Our self-guided route's main sights: St. Margaret's Well Port Meadow Folly Bridge Oxford Castle and Prison Trill Mill Stream Nuffield College Martyrs Memorial Ashmolean Museum Jericho University Parks Rhodes House Headington Shark

Oxford: Bike & Walking Tour w/ University Alumni Guide

8. Oxford: Bike & Walking Tour w/ University Alumni Guide

Immerse yourself in the culture of Oxford University and learn all about the extent of the renowned campus on this biking and walking tour. Explore the dramatic modern architecture of the Blavatnik Centre and the medieval facade of Magdalen College. The walking element of the tour takes you inside one of the oldest colleges of the university and the world-famous Bodleian Library, famous as a filming location in the Harry Potter films. Experience the scenic landscape of the Christ Church Meadows before visiting All Souls College and the Radcliffe Camera. Weave in and out of the old city with rides across local green spaces and explore the Port Meadow while learning about Lewis Carroll’s time at Oxford.

Other Sightseeing Options in The Sheldonian Theatre

Want to discover all there is to do in The Sheldonian Theatre? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about The Sheldonian Theatre

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 179 reviews

Excellent service. Was really pleased. One side note though, make sure that guest understands and respects the time schedule. We had to wait for about 20 minutes at the parking lot for some guess who did not respect the departure time. Then, when we eventually left to go to the next sight, we then had to drive back an extra 15 minutes(one way) to go back and pick up the same guests who did not comply with the agreed departure time.

It was a fantastic tour. Only complaint I have was the bus was late for pick up and it broke down at Harry Potter so we were a little delayed going to Oxford. However our driver and guide were amazing and he jump started the bus with the help of a few other drivers

Our Guide, Liberty was knowledgeable about the places we visited and kept us engaged and interested throughout the tour. Highly recommended.

Enthusiastic guide who looks she has genuinely enjoyed her study in Oxford. A lot of insider stories. We had enjoyed our time.

Very well organized! Everything went perfectly. Great combination Harry P Studio and Oxford.