Two women in a formal dining room with wooden paneling and portraits on the wall, engaged in conversation, with a table set with glasses, cups, and napkins.

Balliol's 'new' Polychromatic Chapel by the same architect of Keble College William Butterfield

Balliol's Hall with portraits including John Wycliffe, Benjamin Jowett, Dame Stephanie Shirley.

Lectern representing St John the Evangelist

A building with stone walls, multiple chimneys, and sloped red-tile roofs under a partly cloudy sky.

Originally founded around 1263 by John de Balliol a Norman knight, and later firmly established with a generous endowment from his widow, Dervorguilla of Galloway, Balliol is one of Oxford’s oldest colleges.

Its has a strong reputation for scholarship, political influence, and intellectual independence.

Famous alumni include economists, novelists, poets, statesmen, and even a few memorable fictional figures and Balliol has a reputation for wit and a touch rebellious spirit.

Real-life graduates include Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations; Aldous Huxley, Graham Greene and Indira Gandhi. Balliol also nurtured 20th-century Prime Ministers H.H. Asquith, Harold Macmillan, and Edward Heath. More recently Boris Johnson. Literary creations including Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey

Balliol’s architectural gems include the Front Quad framed by medieval and Victorian ranges, and the bi-chromic Butterfield Chapel. Although Victorian it is home to a remarkable collection of stained glass spanning the centuries.

Balliol’s gardens are fabulous. Both it’s hall and chapel are open visitors. For an in-depth tour of Balliol include it in your Oxford Overview or Introductory Tour, or the bespoke day tour.

If you would like to visit Balliol independently, Balliol is one of the colleges where visitors are often welcomed and for a small charge, can enter from the Porter’s lodge on Broad Street. Always check online before making your travel plans.

You can reserve a tour on one of your trusted platforms,

however, when you book directly here you’ll receive the best price, greatest choice and we can shape your tour together.

"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

You can reserve a tour on one of your trusted platforms,

however, when you book directly here you’ll receive the best price, greatest choice and we can shape your tour together.

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

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

"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!"

"Fascinating tour by a wonderful guide!"

"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!"

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