United Kingdom · Art & Craft

The Pre Raphaelites Artists Oxford Private Tour

3 Hours Round trip from Oxford Easy pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Private 3-hour Oxford walking tour focused on the Pre-Raphaelites
02 Learn about William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones in Oxford
03 Visit Exeter College when open, including its chapel, gardens, and quad
04 See the Magi tapestry at Exeter College
05 Pass by the Bodleian Library and other famous Oxford sites
06 Discover Oxford’s collegiate system and notable university history
07 Possible visit to the Oxford Union library when open
08 Alternative visit to the Ashmolean Museum if venues are closed

Explore Oxford through the story of the Pre-Raphaelite movement on this private walking tour with a local guide. Learn about the ideals behind the movement and discover the Oxford connections of William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones as you walk through the city’s historic streets and university setting.

The tour focuses on Exeter College, where entry is included when open, with the chance to see its chapel, gardens, quad, and the Magi tapestry. Along the way, your guide introduces Oxford’s collegiate history, famous alumni, and key landmarks including the Bodleian Library area. Depending on opening arrangements, the tour may also include the Oxford Union library or the Ashmolean Museum.

Learn about the ideals behind the movement and discover the Oxford connections of William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones as you walk through the city’s historic streets and university setting.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 3 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Not included

Wheelchair access No

City Oxford

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Bodleian library Old Schools Quad

We usually introduce the library on our route but we don't go inside and indeed guiding is not permitted insideWe usually pass by here and many other famous sites and introduce such sites on the tourWe pass by here and many other famous sites and introduce such sites on the tourWe pass by here and many other famous sites and introduce such sites on the tourEntry is included, as and when Exeter is open to the public. We visit here to see the pre Raphaelite art work in the chapel and the gardens plus quad and maybe we can see its hall too. This is where William Morris and Ed Burne Jones arrived to study theology at Oxford in 1853.We pass by here and many other famous sites and introduce such sites on the tourWe pass by here and many other famous sites and introduce such sites on the tourWe pass by here and many other famous sites and introduce such sites on the tourWe usually pass by here and many other famous sites and introduce such sites on the tourOnly if time permits and if Exeter and the Oxford Union happens to be closed, then we might also visit the pre Raphaelites exhibition space on the top floor of the museum.

Entry to the museum is free and it's open every day except Mondays until 5pm.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Oxford 1 city · 3 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Entry worth £4 to the Oxford Union library, as & when open. Advance booking necessary for us here.
Entry worth £5 to Exeter college, as and when open
On any dates when neither the Oxford Union, nor Exeter may be open, we'll visit Ashmolean musuem.

What's Not Included

Entry to either Exeter college or to the Oxford Union will be subject to them being open or not.
The further notice you book this tour, the more likelihood, I can pre-book entry to above venues.
Exeter college & the Oxford Union are not open to the general public- thus I need to pre book entry!
We cannot always guarantee entry to a college on graduation dates.

Know before you go

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE
STROLLER OR PRAM ACCESSIBLE
ANIMALS OR PETS ALLOWED
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEARBY
INFANT SEATS AVAILABLE
Please arrive 5 minutes early for your tour at our meeting point. If you arrive more than 5 minutes later than the scheduled tour, then you will likely forfeit and lose your booking as it interrupts the guide and other customers, if we are trying to find you after a guide has started and left the meeting point.
INFO FOR DRIVERS AND PARKING:
If you are driving, then please allow extra 30-60 minutes over whatever time you think it will take you to get here. Oxford is NOT car friendly and it is congested roads and hard to find parking spaces....unless you park at the sign posted 'park and rides' on edge of town on any major road into the city and hop on their buses into city centre. The park and ride buses leave every 15 or every 30 minutes and take anything from 10 min to 30 min (depending on traffic) to reach city centre. So if you are going to drive, then please assume you should be aiming to park your car about one hour before your tour starts.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
We actually recommend instead using the much faster and reliable train services but again please aim to arrive about an hour or earlier before your tour starts as trains can be delayed and the train and coach station are about 15 minutes walk from our meeting point. There is also the coach service from London called the Oxford Tube which leaves every half hour or more but it can take much longer than its advertised 105 minute journey time. It drops you off either at High street Oxford or Gloucester Green coach station. It's quicker to ask to get off on High street near Carfax tower, then it's a 10 minutes walk to Broad street.
Infants must not sit on laps
Not wheelchair accessible
Terms and Conditions Notice:
1) Please note that we cannot cancel activities on the day, just because of bad weather. Therefore, please dress for all weather.
2) If you have opted for cycling activity, please let us know your heights and if you wish helmets (helmets are not obligatory but we do always recommend anyone under 18 wears a helmet).
3) We do have public liability insurance but it is our policy that parents should always be responsible for the safety of any of their children aged under 18. If you are cycling, the guide will advise health and safety guidelines, when setting up the bikes for you.
4) Please note we don't stock parents' tandem bikes nor young children's bikes, so if you may require these, you will need to bring your own bikes or ask us if we can reserve a tandem bike from a bike shop for £20 additional fee, by advance notice only! In addition, our mountain bikes will comfortably fit anyone of between approximately 4 foot 9 (1.4m) to 6 foot 3 (1.9m) only. Apologies but if you are outside of this range, please instead ask us to book you onto the river cruise option...or bring your own bicycle along to join us.