This summer Oxford Official Walking Tours looks forward to taking visitors and residents beyond Oxford’s iconic skyline of honey-coloured colleges and famous landmarks to show another Oxford, one that is less well-known but equally vibrant, unexpected, and full of stories waiting to be discovered.
Launching on Monday 3rd August, the Oxford Beyond the Dreaming Spires Walking Tour guides guests into the city’s hidden heart and reveals a side of the city that many visitors never experience and residents may pass by.
The tour begins north of the centre, with the characterful streets of Jericho, historic home of Oxford’s bookbinders and where, alongside its pretty neighbouring-suburb Summertown, Oxford’s academic, cultural, and social life truly thrives. These bustling streets and surrounds are where many of the University’s colleges are found, each with their own fascinating heritage and claim to fame. A stroll through the newly redeveloped Radcliffe Observatory Quarter with its fabulous public spaces, shows how Oxford continues to embrace its history whilst building its future.
Along the way, the tour offers tranquil waterside paths and the natural beauty of the University Parks, before stepping into lively neighbourhoods filled with independent cafés, historic pubs, acclaimed restaurants, and hidden corners loved by generations of scholars, writers, scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs.
Commenting on the new tour, Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire the operator of the award-winning Oxford Official Walking Tours said: “We’re very excited to invite visitors, and residents too, to join our new Oxford Beyond the Dreaming Spires Walking Tour as we uncover the stories, people, and places that have shaped the city behind the scenes and discover another side of Oxford. This tour complements our popular Oxford University & City Walking Tour by giving guests the opportunity to take a deeper authentic look into Oxford life.”
All Oxford Official Walking Tours public tours are limited to a maximum of 20 people per group to provide the most positive experience. Tours are bookable online at oxfordofficialwalkingtours.org where Gift Cards, the perfect present for a walking tours enthusiast, can also be purchased.
The Oxford Beyond the Dreaming Spires Walking Tour is currently offered on Mondays and Thursdays at 11:00 and lasts for two hours. This tour is also available as a private tour that can be booked on any date and time subject to guide availability.
All Oxford Official Walking Tours can also be booked for private and family or corporate group parties: the Oxford Official Walking Tours Team will be happy to help with tailoring the tour to a group’s individual needs and interests.
For more information and tour bookings go to oxfordofficialwalkingtours.org or email officialtours@experienceoxfordshire.org
