Oxford College and Library Tours

Oxford college and library tours

Oxford has no single ticket for all its colleges. Each college and attraction sets its own fee and its own hours, so a day of visits means several separate bookings. The figures below are 2026 prices in pounds sterling.

Christ Church

Entry is by timed ticket, booked online, and a multimedia guide is included. In Michaelmas term (4 October to 12 December 2026) adults pay £22.95 on weekdays and £24.95 at weekends. Students pay £20.50 and £22.50, and children aged 5 to 17 pay £17.50 and £19.50. Under-5s are free and do not get a guide. Booking in advance saves £2 a ticket.

The Great Hall is closed Monday to Friday 12:00 to 14:00 and Saturday 10:30 to 14:00. On Sundays it opens at 14:00, so plan your slot around those hours. The Picture Gallery has been closed for renovation since 30 April 2026. Bags are limited to 40 x 30 x 20 cm and luggage is not allowed. A few full-day closures fall in November, so check the Christ Church known closures page .

The Hall staircase appears in the first Harry Potter film. The Great Hall itself was not filmed in, though it inspired the Hogwarts hall set.

Bodleian Libraries

  • Divinity School: self-guided, £3, about 15 minutes, timed slot.
  • Library tours: 30 minutes from £12.50 and 60 minutes from £17.50. Minimum age is 11.
  • Radcliffe Camera and City of Oxford Walking Tour: £30, Saturday and Sunday 13:30 to 15:30, with about 30 minutes inside the Camera and a 60 to 90 minute city walk. This is the only public way inside the Radcliffe Camera.

Radcliffe Camera tickets go on sale online at 09:00 on the 1st of each month for the following month. About half of the 30-minute tour tickets are sold only in person on the day at the Weston Library desk, and busy days sell out within an hour. Details are on the Bodleian tours page .

Sheldonian Theatre

Self-led entry is £8.25, and a guided half-hour tour costs £14.50 on selected dates. The building closes for ceremonies, so check the opening hours first.

Magdalen, New College and Balliol

  • Magdalen: £10 adult, £9 for over-65s, children and students, £28 family. It is card only and open daily from 10:00 until dusk or 17:00 (18:30 from July to September). Children under 7 are free. See the Magdalen visitor page .
  • New College: £12 adult, £11 concession, £32 family. From 10 March to 31 October it opens daily 10:00 to 17:00. In winter it is closed on Mondays and opens 11:00 to 15:00 on most other days. The cloisters appear in the Goblet of Fire. See the New College visitor page .
  • Balliol: £6 adult and £3 concession, open 10:00 to 17:00 or dusk, with groups capped at 8 in term time and exam periods.

Colleges close without notice for exams, ceremonies and events, most often from late April to June. Check each college’s closures page in the week you go.

Oxford Castle and Prison

The guided tour takes 50 to 60 minutes and is followed by the exhibitions. Online tickets start at about £16 for adults. Read more: Oxford sightseeing .

Booking

Guided options are listed at GetYourGuide . The college and library pages above sell tickets directly.