CS Lewis & Tolkien Tour with Magdalen Entry Public tour 13.45

Peter guiding at the Divinity school again

Magdalen college Oxford CS Lewis tour punting

Duration2h 30m

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Group sizeUp to 20 travelers

Overview

Enjoy a tour exploring the lives, works and ideas of CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and their circle. This tour is focused for an adult audience. Children may join it but the private tour option is more suitable.

This tour typically lasts 2 hours to 2.5 hours and it includes entry to Magdalen college, where CS Lewis taught. If Magdalen is ever closed, we will inform you & offer refund or reschedule date or proceed with a visit to an alternative such as Exeter college, where Tolkien studied.

This tour introduces both these famous writers and their lives here in Oxford plus offers insights into what life is like as an Oxford academic.

Magdalen entry fee worth £10 per person is included.

NOTICE: any known closures for Magdalen college will be published under the What's Excluded section.

Please note that Magdalen only permits entry to up to 10 persons with guide before we must instead pre book with Magdalen. Thus, if you book at very short notice, you may instead be asked to do private tour.

What's included

Please check 'Exclusions' below for dates of any partial closures eg the hall
Tour is led by award winning guides with hundreds of existing 5 star ratings for this tour!
Your ticket includes entry worth £10 to Magdalen college to see the hall, chapel, gardens, quad.

On any other new dates when Magdalen college is closed, we will always forewarn you here....
Magdalen is usually closed for Xmas about Dec 22 to Dec 31- no entry possible on those dates!
On dates outside Christmas or outside university graduation dates, we visit an alternative college
Magdalen 2026 closures includes Feb 24 and June 26, 27, 28 and Sep 25 and Oct 24
Magdalen college will be open from 10am to 1pm only on Thursday September 24th 2026

What to expect

Radcliffe Camera

We pass by & mention such famous sights
Bridge of Sighs

We pass by & mention such famous sights
Bodleian Library
15m · Admission ticket not included

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Hertford College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
All Souls College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Brasenose College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Balliol College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Trinity College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Corpus Christi College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
University College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Jesus College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Exeter College
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford.

On any dates that Magdalen college may be closed, we will instead visit inside Exeter college, worth £5 entry fee.

Exeter college is where Tolkien studied.
Oxford Covered Market
Pass by

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford
Lincoln College
5m · Admission ticket not included

The tour introduces most major tourist sights and colleges on our route as we introduce specifically focused tour about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's work and their membership of the Inklings Writers club here in Oxford.

We often stop at the entrance of exquisite Lincoln college to look at the entry area to the quadrangle and to spot the statue of John Wesley, who studied here, as did the writer of 'Dr Seuss' stories too.
Magdalen College
1h · Admission ticket included

We spend one hour average inside Magdalen college on this tour and this is where CS Lewis taught. It has a medieval hall, a canteen where we can stop for a coffee to enjoy the punting boats passing us by outside. There is a deer park and Addisons walk, which is where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien walked and talked. Plus there is a medieval hall and chapel plus impressive main quadrangle and the tower.

The entry fee to Magdalen worth £10 is paid for you by the guide.
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
15m

We visit inside and outside here to introduce where CS Lewis preached and developed many of his books from sermons here. We also will see the Mr Tumnis and Aslan lookalike figures outside the church which are alleged to have inspired CS Lewis to write, 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.

We often also end the tour at this location.
The Turf
5m

We often pass down the lane to see this famous pub or to see the Eagle and Child pub where the Inklings met over a drink to discuss their writing and life.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet your guide wearing red lanyard. Meeting next to our black sign, OUTSIDE Oxford Tourist info centre, 15 Broad street, OX1 3AS. This is also next to the Oxfam shop which has a green sign above its shop.

End point

End point varies but is generally outside St Marys University church, outside Magdalen college or back on Broad street. We will assist either way with directions and we also offer a free city map.

Additional information

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please arrive 5 minutes early for your tour at our meeting point.

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

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