Private Tour
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Our tour includes entry into CS Lewis's college called Magdalen college worth £9.50 per person plus as and when open, we also see inside Tolkien's college called Exeter, worth £3 per person..
This tour focuses on the Inklings' Oxford but also introduces the city history + university life. See inspiring sights relating to CS Lewis & JRR Tolkien on a 2 hour plus tour of the sights where they worked & relaxed, including the pubs they enjoyed. Locations visited include Magdalene or Merton college plus where and when open, we also visit Exeter college.
Various start times are offered by time of year.
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
While children are welcome, this tour is not aimed at children's attention span or interests
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Entry to Magdalen college worth £10 per adult included in ticket price
On any dates when Magdalen college is closed, we will always forewarn you here....
Magdalen is closed Sep 26 & Oct 5 of 2025. On these dates, the tour will visit alternative college.
Magdalen is typically closed for Xmas from Dec 20 to Dec 31
Exeter is typically also closed from about Dec 21 to January 3
Exeter College
Only on dates when Magdalen is closed, do we instead only visit inside Exeter college with £5 entry ticket included. This is where JRR Tolkien studied. JK Rowling is also an honorary fellow of this college.
Magdalen College
Entry worth £10 per person is included in the tour. This is where CS Lewis taught & it has a beautiful deer park with deer. If this college is not open, then instead we'll visit Merton college, where JRR Tolkien taught or Exeter college, where Tolkien studied.
Inklings tours
107 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Naomi P,
Oct 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
Excellent experience! Loved seeing a variety of locations in Oxford while talking about CS Lewis, Tolkien, and others.
Levi L,
Oct 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
Learned a ton, very inspiring tour especially Magdalene college addison’s walk. We focused mostly on Lewis because we had a train to catch and compressed the tour to two hours but it flew by and wished it lasted 2x as long. Ray was fantastic. Excited by the material and enjoyable to talk to.
Lauren T,
Sep 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
My dad is visiting from the US and it was a big deal for him to go to Oxford and learn more about CS Lewis. George was a terrific guide who was able to keep it interesting for my dad and for me (with almost zero knowledge of Lewis).
Mark D,
Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
Michiel was personable, highly informed and tailored the tour to our background and interests. Highly recommended.
351markd,
Sep 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
Michael was very personable, highly informative and willing to tailor the tour to our interests and background. Highly recommended.
laneh139,
Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
We had an excellent tour provided by Harvey. He was so knowledgeable, personable and made the 2 and a half hour walking tour come alive. Loved learning more about CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Much better understanding of Oxford, its history, the University. Excellent!
Sam B,
Aug 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
Peter was an excellent guide and his passion and knowledge about the subject was very evident. He was great with communication- about time and meeting up and even sent along several excellent links to books and movies for references post tour. Enjoyed our time in Oxford!
Timothy P,
Aug 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
George was an amazing guide. He had great knowledge about both Tolkien and Lewis but customized our tour based on we wanted to know! Highly recommended for any Lewis or Tolkien fan!
Amy B,
Aug 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
It was a great tour of historical oxford peopered with stories of some of our favorite authors. Recommend!
Sarah Fidelis,
Jul 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
We had an excellent guide who was able to seamlessly adjust his storytelling on the fly for our family based on interests, picking out interesting sights and stories to accompany the history of Oxford and the Inklings. It was also fun to have an Oxford grad lead us on this tour so we could ask about his experiences as well. Highly recommend to any C.S. Lewis / Tolkien lovers and any others interested in a deeper look at Oxford.
Operated by Visit Oxford Tours