Oxford Top 10 Highlights: Divinity School & New College Tour

Delve into the historic and picturesque city of Oxford, with it's stunning architecture, museums, galleries, and theatres

Tour Overview

This thrilling 3-hour Oxford top 10 highlights walking tour takes a journey through 1,100 years of history and visits the city’s must-see highlights.  Starting from the heart of Oxfords historical centre, home to almost 40 colleges, your expert local guide offers a wonderful engaging tour through the vibrant historical streets of Oxford visiting both well-known sites and hidden gems where visitors can see, and experience so much more, than they could on their own.

This tour includes a visit to Oxford’s historic Radcliffe Square, home to some of the city’s most iconic landmarks like the 14th-century Old Schools Quadrangle, the Bodleian Library, the stunning 15th-century Divinity School, and the Tower of the Five Orders. Following in the footsteps of an award-winning local guide, you’ll enjoy an interactive experience filled with captivating stories and insights. You’ll also explore unique sites like Halley’s House, where famed astronomer Edmund Halley observed the comet that now bears his name.

On this highly-rated tour, guests will capture memorable photos while wandering Oxford’s charming streets, including a stop at Merton Street to see England’s oldest colleges and the iconic Examination Schools, where students take their final exams. The tour concludes in the city center, the perfect place to continue your visit to one of the world’s most famous university towns.

What's Included

  • Visit the 13th century New College
  • Enter and stroll New College Lane where one of the most famous bridges in England stands, the ‘Bridge of Sighs’.
  • Visit the 14th Radcliffe Square

Highlights

  • Visit Oxford’s Top 10, including Bridge of Sighs, the 13th century New College
  • Visit the Divinity Library, where many of the Harry Potter movies were filmed
  • Tour is led by an expert professional English-speaking local guide
  • Visit Oxford’s famous Radcliffe Square
  • Learn all about how Oxford became one of Europe’s top seats of learning

Languages

  • English

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does LetzGo's Oxford Top 10 Highlights tour include?

LetzGo’s 3-hour private Oxford tour covers over 1,100 years of university history through the city’s most significant architectural and academic landmarks. The tour includes a visit to New College (founded 1379) and New College Lane with its Bridge of Sighs, Radcliffe Square with the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library and Old Schools Quadrangle, the Divinity School — Oxford’s oldest surviving teaching room, dating to 1488 — and Merton Street and the Examination Schools. The guide connects Oxford’s academic, literary and film heritage throughout.

What is the Divinity School at Oxford, and what is its connection to Harry Potter?

The Divinity School is Oxford’s oldest surviving teaching room, completed in 1488 as part of the Bodleian Library complex, and is considered one of the finest examples of late Gothic perpendicular architecture in England. Its fan-vaulted ceiling is extraordinary — each vault boss is carved with the arms of benefactors to the university. In the Harry Potter films, the Divinity School was used as the Hogwarts hospital wing (the infirmary), and the staircase of the Bodleian served as Hogwarts’ staircase. LetzGo’s guide covers both the architectural history and the film connection.

Is New College at Oxford genuinely 'new', and what makes it architecturally significant?

New College was founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham — hence ‘new’ relative to the older colleges — and is one of the most historically complete medieval Oxford colleges, with much of its original 14th-century architecture intact, including the chapel, the hall and the Great Quad. New College Lane, which runs alongside the college, passes under the Bridge of Sighs — a Venetian Gothic bridge modelled on (but not identical to) the famous bridge in Venice, built in 1914. LetzGo’s guide covers the college’s history, its famous alumni and its architectural significance within Oxford’s university landscape.

How do I book a LetzGo private tour?

Booking a LetzGo private tour is straightforward: simply click the ‘Enquire Now’ button on the tour page to send an enquiry directly to the LetzGo team. The enquiry form asks for your preferred date, group size and any specific requirements, and a member of the team will respond promptly to confirm availability, pricing and next steps. There is no obligation at the enquiry stage — it is the first step in planning your experience.

What does 'private tour' mean, and what are the benefits?

A private tour with LetzGo means the experience is exclusive to your group — your guide’s full attention is yours for the entire duration, with no strangers in your group and no shared schedule. This means you set the pace, ask as many questions as you wish, linger at the moments that matter most to you, and move on when you are ready. Private tours are ideal for families, couples, small groups of friends or anyone who wants a genuinely personal experience rather than a group tour format.

Can the itinerary be adjusted to suit our interests?

Yes — one of the most significant advantages of a private LetzGo tour is the ability to tailor the itinerary to your group’s specific interests, pace and priorities. When you submit your inquiry, simply tell the team what matters most to you — particular historical periods, specific artworks, family-friendly pacing, an interest in photography, or a desire to focus on one aspect of the destination — and LetzGo will shape the experience accordingly. Private tours are flexible by design; the itinerary described on the page is a starting point, not a fixed route.

What is the cancellation and rescheduling policy?

We offer free cancellation and free rescheduling on all bookings made more than 24 hours before your scheduled tour departure time. If your plans change, simply contact us as early as possible and we will rebook you onto another available date at no additional charge.

Cancellations or changes requested less than 24 hours before departure are not possible, and the booking will be treated as non-refundable. This policy exists because our tours operate with a limited number of guests, and last-minute cancellations prevent us from offering the spot to other travellers.

We strongly recommend booking in advance to secure your preferred date, particularly during peak travel seasons (June to September) when availability fills quickly. If you are booking for a group, please contact us directly before completing your booking so we can advise on availability and any group-specific arrangements.

Is this tour accessible for guests with reduced mobility or physical limitations?

We want to be transparent about this so that every guest can make an informed decision before booking. This tour is not currently recommended for guests using wheelchairs, motorised scooters or other mobility assistance devices. The tour route includes a significant amount of walking and covers surfaces that can be challenging, including cobblestones, hills, inclines, declines and stairs across both venues.

Strollers and baby carriages cannot be accommodated on this tour.

We also ask that all participants be in good general health. If you have a medical condition or are not accustomed to regular exercise, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking.

If you have specific mobility concerns and are unsure whether this tour is right for you, please contact us before booking — we will always advise honestly based on your situation, and we can explore whether alternative tour options or arrangements may be more suitable.

Email us on: info@letzgocitytours.com if you need further assistance.