Walking tour of Oxford
As the tour departs London at 8.30am, sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery on the way to your first stop, the famous university town of Oxford.
Your expert guide will take you on a walking tour of the historic city streets, sharing facts about the magnificent sights along the way including the Bodleian Library, which contains over 11 million items, and many other magnificent, ornate university buildings.
Christ Church College
Your tour includes entry to Christ Church – the college and cathedral where Hogwarts’ Great Hall was brought to life in the world-famous Harry Potter films.
The College’s architecture is beautiful, and its buildings make up the iconic skyline that the “city of dreaming spires” is famous for. See the intricate Tom Tower, a bell tower built by Sir Christopher Wren, and admire the glorious Cathedral Spire, perhaps Oxford’s most famous landmark.
Walk through the peaceful grounds in the footsteps of royalty and academics and hear from your guide how the college and the city of Oxford itself inspired the stories of Alice in Wonderland.
Afternoon in Cambridge
Once you’ve left Oxford, you’ll make your way to the beautiful city of Cambridge. It’s here that you will visit Senate House at the world-famous University of Cambridge. Before used by the Council of the Senate for important meetings, it is now the chosen location for students’ degree ceremonies. You’ll get to explore this special location and discover its important history before venturing onto the Corpus Clock!
The Corpus Clock is a unique invention outside the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College. Revealed to the world by Stephen Hawking, it is made from a 24-carat gold-plated stainless steel disc and has no numbers to tell the time. Instead, it shows the time through lights that shine through individual slits. This unmissable innovation will stay in your mind long after you’ve left!
You’ll also get to see Cambridge’s Mathematical Bridge during your stop. Designed by William Etheridge, it is nearly 300 years old and has attracted visitors from all across the world. The design gives visitors an intriguing conundrum – it uses only straight timbers but the bridge arches. It’s an absolute must-see!
One of the main highlights of the trip is visiting the exquisite King’s College Chapel. Used as a symbol representing the city of Cambridge, the Chapel is a popular tourist attraction for people across the world. Taking a century to build, starting in 1446 on Henry VI’s demands, King’s College Chapel displays wonderful gothic architecture and huge, enchanting stained glass windows. Featuring the world’s largest fan vault and famous artwork from Rubens, there’s plenty to learn and discover at the home of the King’s College Chapel Choir.