About Oxford History Tours

The truth is stranger than fiction

Oxford History Tours is a showcase for guides of Oxford who specialise in the real and richly layered history of Oxford.

Harry Potter, Inspector Morse, and other cinematic stories entertain - but at Oxford History Tours, we believe that exploring the real history of Oxford is a uniquely rewarding and authentic way to discover Oxford’s extraordinary past.

Guides are accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guiding, the highest national standard. Our guides include published authors, seasoned professionals, and historians with a passion for their own field of historical expertise.

Oxford is a city that has treasured and preserved its past, even through times of turmoil and change.

Oxford’s colleges, magnificent architecture, and an astonishing breadth of influential alumni, Oxford History Tours offer an exceptional opportunity to explore over 1,000 years of history.

Our accredit guides can also arrange access to parts of the city not usually available to the public and expertly craft a tour to meet your particular interests and schedule.

Enquire about your tour…

Real History. Real Oxford. Real Guides

The Institute of Tourist Guiding (ITG), provides a rigorous training programme and continued professional development while also accrediting guides in the UK.

Several of the ITG guides we offer are also members of the British and the Oxford Guild of Tourist Guide.

Selected for their story telling, experience and historical expertise ITG guides offer an insightful and out-of-the-ordinary experience of Oxford.

Statue of a historically dressed man in armor in front of a historical building with Gothic architecture, including an ornate arched entrance and decorative plaques.

Green Badge? Blue Badge?

You may have heard of Blue Badge and Green Badge accredited guides. Here is a link to a more detailed explanation.

Briefly Blue Badge and Green Badge guides are associates or members of the British Institute of Tourist Guiding and are bound to only give tours at sites where they have been properly trained.

While the Blue Badge training is longer than Green Badge, Green Badge concentrates more intensely on one city and in some cases can offer a deeper knowledge and familiarity with city sites.

Several Oxford History Tours guides are also members of the Oxford Guild of Tour Guides, providing further opportunities to liaise with historic sites and offer exceptional access to lesser-known corners of Oxford. A number are accredited to take visitors into Christ Church.

A woman with curly brown hair and fair skin standing inside a church with stained glass windows behind her. She is wearing a black jacket, badge, and has headphones around her neck.

Meet some of our specialist guides

Victoria Bentata

Victoria Bentata
Sophie Duncan

Sophie Duncan
Jane Mead

Jane Mead
Bryan Hartley

Bryan Hartley
Martyn Sené

Martyn Sené

About OHT’s Founder

Following a BA Hons in History and Art History I moved to southern France in 1997. We went to renovate a beautiful ruined castle and while there I discovered a passion for working with visitors to the region.

My partner and I started welcoming visitors from across the world in 2001 and in 2009 founded Cathar Country Tours. Our tours were top drawer experiences which told the story of the Albigensian Crusade in the Langue d’Oc.

I wove the itineraries, curated food experiences and accommodartion ensuting a seamless experience for our guests. My partner delivered a second to none historical tour of the region’s history.

To my delight I discovered that some of our clients were familiar with neighbours and friends of ours who were authors and film makes including Richard Stanley, Henry-Lincoln, Rupert Soskin and Tim Wallace-Murphy. I was able to make opportunities for authors and readers to meet and discover the region together and satisfied my passion for creating exceptional experiences for clients, matching them with exactly the right guide for their interests.

Today I bring my infectious enthusiasm and local knowledge to Oxford. With Oxford History Tours you can be sure that your experience will be carefully crafted and accompanied by a guide carefully selected to satisfy your particular interests.

Reserving your Oxford History Tour

Oxford History Tours can be booked using our safe and secure reservation platform using the ‘book now’ button

Alternatively if you would like us to craft a ‘real walk and talk’ for you just ask.

People socializing at a party inside an ornately decorated Gothic-style hall with purple lighting.
Colorful stained glass window depicting various biblical scenes with groups of people, trees, and buildings.
Three people standing outside in front of a stone castle wall, smiling and talking. One woman is pointing, and the two men are listening.
A richly decorated room with dark wooden paneling and large framed paintings on the wall. A long wooden table with multiple chairs and elegant blue lamps is set up, with flowers arranged in the center. The room has tall stained glass windows allowing natural light to filter in.

  • "The tour was well thought out and Sophie was an engaging guide with a mine of interesting information, much of it new to me even as someone who's lived in Oxford for the past 30 years. Definitely recommended."

    J Willams, Oxford

  • "Sophie offered us a tailor-made tour that perfectly met our expectations."

    Steve, Munich, Germany

  • "Wonderful tour about Oxford, very knowledgeable guide. We enjoyed every minute of it."

    Maria, USA

  • "Sophie is a congenial host with vast knowledge of the colleges and general Oxford area. Good communication and instruction for meet up. Would highly recommend her tour!"

    Andrew, New York, USA

  • "Fascinating tour by a wonderful guide!"

    Michael, USA

  • "Sophie is so knowledgeable! Oxford is a city of history, and she knows it so well. Her recommendation for our dinner after the tour was perfect! She also took care of me beforehand in suggesting other things to do before her tour. She’s the best. A pro’s pro!"

    Kori, USA

  • "My history tour with Sophie was informative and entertaining. The horror was made funny and the ridiculous serious. I was surprised by how much I didn't know and went away with new insights into, not only the university's history and traditions, but the history of England generally. I also got some good ideas for the rest of my stay in Oxford. Thank you!"

    James, UK

  • "This tour was a lovely introduction to Oxford University. As a recent transplant from the US, it was a great way to get my bearings of the area, visit a college, and learn about some fascinating local history. Whether we were gazing at gargoyles or admiring beautiful stained glass, Sophie was a true delight – very knowledgeable, thoughtful, and well-articulated. I highly recommend this experience!"

    Megan, USA

  • "Fascinating, thoughtfully constructed tour of Oxford University encompassing a thousand years of history. I've lived in Oxford for thirty years, yet in this tour learned new and intriguing nuggets about the city, discovered hidden gems in ancient stone buildings that I've been strolling past all these years."

    Maria, Oxford, UK

  • "Sophie is a superb, experienced and enriching guide. We are a retired US professional couple. We've hired individual local guides throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and Sophie tops our list! She spent hours with us in advance, curating our day in Oxford, then filled our tour with history, architecture, art, education, culture…and fun. The day was perfectly paced and suited to our needs. It was a graduation day, so like the happy students, we too tossed our hats in celebration. Brava Sophie!"

    K & A Krupsky, Chicago, USA

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