Oxford Science and Medicine Small Group Walking Tour

Oxford, England
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Duration2h
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Group sizeUp to 8 travelers

Overview

Walk eight centuries of Oxford science and medicine with a DPhil scientist, from Boyle's Law on the High Street to where the penicillin story began. Each place comes to life through printed historical images you hold in your hands. Story-led and small-group, with no science background needed. This is an exterior walking tour: we explore the colleges and gardens from the outside, so there are no admission tickets to buy and nothing extra to pay on the day.

What's included

  • Guided by a DPhil scientist (Oxford doctorate)
  • Printed historical images used throughout the tour
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

What to expect

  1. Carfax Tower
    10m
    The medieval bell tower at Oxford's central crossroads, where the walk begins.
  2. Radcliffe Camera
    20m
    Oxford's iconic round library, named after the physician whose fortune built it.
  3. University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
    10m
    The University Church on the High Street, the centre of Oxford's early university and home to its first library.
  4. Bodleian Library
    10m
    One of the world's great libraries, at the heart of historic Oxford.
  5. Bridge of Sighs
    10m
    The much-photographed bridge on New College Lane, once home to one of history's great astronomers.
  6. Merton College
    10m
    One of Oxford's three oldest colleges, on a cobbled street tied to the birth of modern brain science.
  7. High Street
    20m
    The grand sweep of "the High," lined with buildings where Oxford's scientists once worked.
  8. 10m
    Oxford's grandest college from the outside, crowned by Wren's Tom Tower, whose great bell still keeps Oxford's own time.
  9. Magdalen College
    10m
    A grand riverside college, and the Oxford starting point of the penicillin story.
  10. University of Oxford Botanic Garden
    10m
    Britain's oldest botanic garden, founded for medicine, where the tour ends.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet me at the base of Carfax Tower, on the corner of Cornmarket Street and Queen Street. Look for Kester holding a stack of large printed photographs, I'm the guide in the listing photos.

End point

The tour ends near the Oxford Botanic Garden entrance on Rose Lane, just off the High Street by Magdalen Bridge. You'll be beside Magdalen College and the Magdalen Bridge Boathouse for punting, and about a 10-minute walk back to the city centre.

Additional information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
From
£28.00 per person
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  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
  • Instant confirmation
  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
Operated by Kes Tours · Booked through Viator
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