Good Taste Guide to Oxford, England

We stayed at Hogwarts. Kind of. Here’s why Oxford is the smarter base for your England trip.

Where we stayed: I told the People of Facebook that I was staying at Hogwarts and half of them thought I meant literally. I kind of did. We stayed at Christ Church — one of Oxford’s oldest colleges, the one that inspired the Great Hall in Harry Potter, and the one where you half expect someone in a robe to hand you a wand at check-in. We were there as part of a law school group, but Oxford colleges do open their doors to visitors for trips like these so it’s worth looking into.

Why go: We learned Oxford is a better home base than London. Smaller, walkable, historic in a way that feels like you’ve been transported to the Middle Ages, great pubs, and every day trip you’d want — Stonehenge, Blenheim Palace, Bath, Salisbury — within easy reach. London is an easy high-speed train ride away and worth a day. But you don’t need to stay there.

YOUR OXFORD TO DO LIST

This is everything we loved and what’s worth your time if you go.

Book experiences with Get Your Guide

Our FAVORITE way to explore a city’s unique experiences is through GetYourGuide. The app keeps your itinerary and tickets in one place, and everything we’ve ever booked has delivered an unforgettable experience. We’re affiliates — but only because we were fans first.

Field notes coming soon:

Punting on the River Cherwell (Oxford, England)

The Eagle and Child (Oxford, England) The Bear Inn (Oxford, England)

Salisbury Cathedral & the Magna Carta (Salisbury, England)

Stonehenge (Wiltshire, England)

Day Trip to Bath (Bath, England)

Day Trip to Blenheim Palace (Woodstock, England)

Day Trip to London via Train (London, England)

While you’re overseas… hop on a plane to Ireland! On this same trip, we spent five days in Dublin, too. Check out our Good Taste Guide to Dublin for everything we loved!