Literature, Libraries & Museums

Oxford’s cultural heritage is as rich and varied as its books. Since medieval chronicles to modern fantasy, the city has inspired generations of writers and preserved world-class collections. With Oxford History Tours, you can explore this heritage through set literary tours or by adding visits to Oxford’s libraries and museums into a customised itinerary.

📖 Literature

Our literary tours follow in the footsteps of Oxford’s writers and poets. From Lewis Carroll and Tolkien to Hardy, Wilde, Pullman, and beyond, we trace how Oxford’s streets, colleges, and traditions shaped works that changed the world. These tours, adapted to your particular literary interests, are designed to immerse you in Oxford’s literary imagination.

📚 Libraries

Oxford’s libraries, Famously those of the the Bodleian with its historic reading rooms are treasures in their own right. Arranging visits can be a complex process. For this reason, library visits are not usually offered as set tours, but instead as part of a customised walk. If you’d like to add a library stop, we’ll handle the planning and weave it into your chosen theme, whether historical, literary, or architectural.

🏛 Museums

Oxford’s museums offer a wealth of connections that can enrich your tour. These too are not set itineraries, but can be integrated into other themed walks:

  • Civil War focus → Ashmolean Museum (Cromwell’s death mask, Charles I’d silver coin minted in Oxford from college silver).

  • Religious history → History of Science Museum (science and the Oxford Movement).

  • Fantasy and curiosity → Pitt Rivers Museum (objects that inspired writers).

  • Nature and imagination → Oxford Botanic Garden (beloved by authors and scientists).

By linking collections to your chosen theme, we create a tailored experience that is both flexible and meaningful.

With Oxford History Tours, literature offers a ready-made path through the city’s imagination, while libraries and museums add depth, context, and hidden gems to create a tour uniquely yours.

Pick your Literary, Library and museum tours
A group of five people, three women and two men, are standing in a cozy indoor space, engaging in conversation. They are dressed in warm clothing, with one woman in a bright red coat and a woman with short blonde hair gesturing as she speaks. The background includes hanging lights, shelves with items, and a green wall with decorative elements.

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

    Maria, 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

The real Alice was a girl called Alice who lived at Christ Church
Descendants of John Locke stand moved before his memorial
Flattering rose of the Norman door in the cloister
Person with gray hair and a black jacket leaning over a display case by large stained glass windows with wooden frames and decorative trim, with trees and a building visible outside.
A large illuminated lantern sculpture of a rabbit dressed in a yellow shirt and blue jacket, standing on a platform inside a building with a wooden ceiling and scaffolding around it.
Bronze statue of a medieval knight in armor standing outside a historic building with Latin inscription and ornate stonework.
A golden sculpture of a bird with wings spread wide, placed on a round base inside a church with stained glass windows and ornate wood and gold decor.
A display shelf with various art and science objects, including geometric sculptures, an old radio, and decorative items, in a dimly lit space with a partially visible book in the foreground.
A book titled 'Oxford User's Guide' by Geoffrey T. Tacky lies on a woven surface, with three Bodleian Library tour tickets on top of it.
A group of school children in red and pink hoodies standing outdoors on a grassy area, listening to a young male teacher or guide who is holding a paper, outside a black building with a thatched roof. Trees and fencing are visible in the background.
Group of young people standing and talking in a courtyard with historic stone buildings in the background.
Group of five people standing outdoors under umbrellas on a rainy day, with a beige building and trees in the background.
Slices of Earl Grey cake with white icing and blue writing on top displayed on a decorative white cake stand, with other desserts to the right.
Decorative glass with a red double-headed phoenix design, seen through a black wrought iron frame.