Your Oxford summer
Welcome to your Oxford summer!
Whether you're here for a week or a longer stay, make sure to explore the city of Oxford. We've drawn together some of our favourite sights, tips and resources, to help you get to know – or re-acquaint yourself – with our wonderful city.
Joining one of our summer programmes? By taking part you’re taking part in a long-standing tradition: since 1888, adult learners have been expanding their horizons with summer learning in Oxford.
Interactive map
The University's online interactive map that lets you choose what locations you'd like to see, including ancient and modern colleges, fascinating museums, and parks and green spaces in which to relax.
Things to see and do
GLAM
Oxford's gardens, libraries and museums – collectively named 'GLAM' – should be among your first ports of call during your stay in Oxford. GLAM have created a handy landing page to guide you to their locations and events.
Individual members of GLAM are:
- The Ashmolean Museum – the UK's oldest university museum, and nearest neighbour to Rewley House. Their collections are vast and varied.
- Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum – founded in 1621, the Botanic Garden collections have been used in teaching, research and conservation for almost 400 years.
- Museum of Natural History – established in 1860 to draw together scientific studies from across the University of Oxford, the award-winning Museum continues to be a place of scientific research, collecting and fieldwork, and plays host to a programme of events, exhibitions and activities for the public and school students of all ages.
- Pitt Rivers Museum – adjoining the Museum of Natural History, it is one of the world’s great collections of anthropology and world archaeology. It includes tens of thousands of everyday objects which illustrate the diversity of cultural solutions to the same basic problems that we all face as human beings.
- Museum of the History of Science – an unrivalled collection of early scientific instruments in the world’s oldest surviving purpose-built museum building. The museum’s collections of astrolabes and sundials are the largest in the world and include instruments once owned by Queen Elizabeth I, Cardinal Wolsey, and Nostradamus. The Islamic world is particularly strongly represented, from the 9th to the 19th century.
- The Bodleian Libraries – the largest university library system in the United Kingdom. It includes the principal University library - the Bodleian Library - which has been a library of legal deposit for 400 years; as well as 30 libraries across Oxford including major research libraries and faculty, departmental and institutional libraries.
Colleges
A page of college visiting information , hosted by the University, should help you to start exploring a few of Oxford's most notable colleges. There are quite a few of them – 44 colleges and private halls – so be prepared to save some for your next trip!
Punting and river cruising
Oxford's two rivers are the Thames (known as the Isis where it passes through Oxford) and the Cherwell. Getting out on either or both rivers is arguably the most 'Oxford' thing you can do - particularly punting.
There are two main places to rent punts in Oxford:
For a river cruise, or to rent a small river boat, visit Salter's just off Folly Bridge. Salter's Oxford's longest-established boatyard, founded 1858.
And more...
- The University's events page provides details of talks, concerts, exhibitions, plays and more.
- Daily Info offers one of the city's most comprehensive 'what's on' calendars.
- Experience Oxfordshire looks beyond the city and into the surrounding area.
Oxford at a Glance tells you the short (and longer) facts and figures of the University of Oxford.
