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Punting on the river is how students enjoy themselves after finishing their exams. What more unique way to experience Oxford than this. Your chauffeur guide will take you punting or rowing for one hour then join our walking tour.
See the city of dreaming spires both from the beautiful views of the river at a leisurely pace with a relaxing river trip in the comfort of your private group. See Oxford skyline plus Christchurch & Christchurch meadows.
You can select either to meet the guide for the chauffeured river trip as a private group before or after the shared walking tour- please select either 10.30am or 12.45 start time.
Your guide will walk you to Magdalen boathouse & tell you about Oxbridge's rowing traditions & the origins of the story of Alice in Wonderland, which resulted from just such an outing on the river on July 4th 1862. Option also exists to request boat trip to take place before the walking tour- upon request, when you book. Max 3-4 persons + guide per boat.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
In case of bad weather: unfortunately, we don't permit cancellations but if you give us at least 24 hours notice, then we will accept requests to reschedule the date. If weather forecast suggests heavy rain & if you cannot reschedule to another date, we will alternatively let you book onto any alternative tour activity which is also running, such as to join a tour inside Christchurch.
Please note the river is on average about 6 feet (2m) deep, so any children will automatically be offered a lifebelt but you must notify us if any adults or children in your group cannot swim. Please advise us of this fact, when you book & when you meet the guide & when the boathouse prepare your boat!
The default schedule for this tour is to first join either the 12.30 walking tour or the 2.30pm walking tour and then the guide will walk you to the boathouse. If your schedule requires you to instead take the boat trip in the morning before you join the walking tour, then you must make this request known and advise what time you can meet us (any time from 10am onwards)
PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME:
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.
Max 3-4 persons + guide per boat. Any larger groups, ask viator to call us up for a quote!
River Cherwell
We hire boats to take you out on the river from the boathouse. Depending on whether you select option to have chauffeured punting or to hire boat to handle yourselves, you will spend from 30-60 minutes in the boat on the river.
Bridge of Sighs
We pass by and introduce such famous sights as this
12.45 Walk tour + 3pm Boat: 12.45 shared walking tour + our guided boat tour with chauffeur at 3pm
10.30am Boat + 12.45 Walk Tour: 10/30am Boat trip private group chauffeured punting last one hour + 12.45 shared walking tour lasting up to 2 hours
Please note dates below under section of graduation, university open days, Xmas holidays!
Life jackets are available free of charge for the boats, by request. Water level averages 2-6 feet
Max 4-5 persons + guide per boat. Any larger groups, ask viator to call us up for a quote!
If you opt to request the 1 hour boat hire to handle the boat yourself, please note that if you don't return the boat within the one hour period, the boathouse may use its discretion to charge you a late return penalty fee. This is your responsibility therefore to ensure that you proactively keep an eye on how much time you have left and ensure that you can return the boat along the river in time before your hire period ends.
No food or drink is included on this tour but the boathouse do offer you opportunity to pay for a picnic hamper & likewise, you may opt to bring your own food & drink onto the boat. If you opt to choose 1 hour boat hire, you are responsible for safe & sensible drinking of any alcohol and responsible handling of the boat, to ensure that you do not damage the boat or other boats & do not lose the oars etc. We cannot be responsible for any penalties which the boathouse (a third party) might see fit to charge you, if you should cause them damages.
In case of bad weather: unfortunately, we don't permit cancellations but if you give us at least 24 hours notice, then we will accept requests to reschedule the date. If weather forecast suggests heavy rain & if you cannot reschedule to another date, we will alternatively let you book onto any alternative tour activity which is also running, such as to join a tour inside Christchurch.
We can only fit max 4-5 clients + guide per boat, so larger groups, please ask viator to call us up!
On graduation dates, we may not always be able to enter a college so see graduation dates below:
2025 Graduation dates includes...
May 16 + 17 + 31, July 19 + 29, Aug 1 + 2 + 9, Sep 26 + 27, Nov 7+ 8+9+14 +15 of 2025
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
3 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Thomas J,Jun 18, 2023
- Review from Viator
Our tour guide never showed up. He texted 40 minutes after the start time to offer a “mini” tour. When we requested a refund Viator only offered 50%! Why on earth should we have to pay anything at all. I will NEVER book with them again and will warn others to avoid them at all costs. What a way to ruin our day in Oxford.
Z6673ZZjamesc,Apr 18, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
Met guide at agreed time and place, then had a very informative tour culminating in a fantastic hour punting with a very capable chauffeur. Trip was well organised and enjoyable. Good communication with the company throughout.
whiterose39,Jun 28, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
We visited this place with, and all excitedly went on the boats, it looked like the boats in venice. I didnt go as the boat were a wee bit small and i am a plus size lady, I sat there and enjoyed the scenery, the strong wind, it was very cold. I managed to talk to the owner, it belong to him and his family, he is the 3rd generation. 2 beautiful wild ducks kept me company, they kept coming and sitting next to me.
Operated by Visit Oxford Tours