Oxford's Historic Pubs: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Oxford’s historical streets are full of interesting and unusual pubs, some of which have been providing refreshment for over 700 years. On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll visit a few of the oldest and quirkiest pubs the city has to offer. Starting at the Head of the River pub near Folly Bridge, you’ll wind through cobbled lanes and hidden passages to discover ten of Paul Coyne favourite pubs, each with a story to tell. The audio guide will lead you through the ancient streets where students and townspeople have all enjoyed an ’Education in Intoxication’. You’ll see where a Tuesday afternoon pub brawl took 600 years to be finally reconciled, and learn which pub had a camel. You'll also see a few historical landmarks like Hertford Bridge, Carfax Tower, and Radcliffe Square. By the end of the tour, in front of the Grapes on George Street, you’ll have learnt the differences between an alehouse, a tavern, and an inn.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
The start of the Oxford Historic Pub Tour, with a lovely riverside garden. Learn about the Oxford University eights races & how the pub got it's name.
Discover if The Bear is truly the oldest pub in Oxford dating from 1262. Learn more about The Bear's collection of over 4,500 snipped neckties.
Options
Oxford's Historic Pubs: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
What‘s Included
Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
App for Android and iOS
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
Smartphone and headphones
Food and drinks
Transportation
Personal expenses for attractions not included during the tour
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
5 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
eamonnm308,Jul 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A heady mixture of history and beer. What more could you ask for! The audio tour of Oxford's historic pubs was a unique experience in which I learnt a number of interesting facts combined with wit and humour from the narrator. I would recommend this tour to everyone who would like to learn something new whilst sampling a variety of alcoholic beverages at the same time!
Unique local tour
B2422RQoliviam,Jul 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a unique tour to do - I had been to Oxford before so it was nice to do a tour of some more local spots. The tour has a great mix of Oxford history and plenty of stops to make for an ideal pub crawl. Definitely recommend!
Great tour!
Adviser1234,Jul 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An excellent tour that starts at the river and winds through the cobbled streets and alleyways, stopping at many fascinating pubs. Good blend of history and fun facts! Highly recommend
Historical pub tour
ninacoyne,Jul 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fabulous tour. Very interesting and informative. A beautiful walk to each pub through the city taking you off the beaten track to some gem’s of pubs that you might never have found! All the pubs have their own stories (and a great choice of beverages!) A great narrative by Paul. Would highly recommend this tour.
Great way to spend an afternoon or evening
Exploration109819,Jul 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An enjoyable and informative audio tour, the perfect way to experience the varied pubs located within this beautiful city. Will definitely be doing it again
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Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours