Oxford - what to do on a day trip?

[BorneoBound]

Planning a trip next week to Oxford with DS (14), DD (12) and my mum. DS wants to go to the Ashmolean Museum. DD wants to go to shopping. Anything else we should do or see?

Have a look at some of the colleges that are open to the public (assume google will tell you which)
Go punting on the river

Pitt Rivers Museum is good. Years ago I did the open top bus which was interesting.

There are some good guided walks - ghosts, history etc that take you down alleys and places you wouldn't normally notice.

On a sunny day I like hiring a punt and going down the river. It's been years since I went to Oxford though so I may be out of date sorry.

Picnic in the university parks.

Oxford Castle is worth a visit. Oxford is very in-impressive for shopping. Lots of shops outside of the Westgate Centre are boarded up & it doesn’t really look very nice. The rooftop of the Westgate Centre has good views over Oxford and there are some nice places to eat up there. The Alchemist does some very nice non-alcoholic cocktails and the atmosphere in there is great. The Botanic Gardens are lovely and you can go punting from Magdalen Bridge nearby. The Pitt Rivers Museum is fab too or you could climb Carfax Tower in the centre of Oxford.

I second Pitt Rivers. Excellent museum

Go to Blackwells and admire the Norrington Room: huge underground space full of books!

Have a wander round the Bodleian/Sheldonian area and admire all the old heart of the university. Go to the Weston Library and the fabulous free exhibitions there from the Bodleian collection.

Some great ideas on this thread, OP:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/uk/4791343-oxford-dos-and-dont?page=2&reply=126069555

Go in the Sheldonian (designed by Christopher Wren). It’s on broad street which you won’t want to miss anyway. If you pay about £3 you can go up to the cupola and see beautiful views of the bodlian, all souls college, Radcliffe camera etc. It’s not very high, but just a really cool view. Just across from there you can climb the spire at st Mary’s church, it’s much higher if you’re up for it.

Scriptum, amazing pen & stationery store like something out of Harry Potter, quills & all!
Eat at Pie Minister, famous pie shop.
Have a great time.

I would say don't miss;

• for shopping - the Covered Market, Turl Street, Broad Street, and don't miss Arcadia in St Michael Street; my personal favourite shop is the Retro Room in St Clements but teens may prefer the Ballroom on the Plain
• a walking tour
• a meal at Edamame (Japanese home cooking) on Holywell Street and/or Arbequina for tapas on the Cowley Road
• the loos in the Town Hall with a good nose at the rest of it
• the Eastern Art collection at the Ashmolean; also there's a small free exhibition of Japanese prints at the Ashmolean at the moment which is great
• a meal at Zhengs in Jericho.

If you walk between all those things you'll have seen a lot of the nicest bits of Oxford.

Worcester College is very near the Ashmolean and has beautiful grounds with a lake you can walk around.
Pitt Rivers Museum is also very interesting and Blackwell's bookshop with the underground Norrington room if you're into books.
Chapel of Christchurch college was setting for bits of Harry Potter films.
The Nosebag - great tea shop/cafe - really good veggie food if you're into that

The Ashmolean is free and has a rooftop cafe.

Broad Street is nearby, with shops and sometimes a market. On the corner of Broad Street and Turl Street is Knoops hot chocolate shop which my DC love.

Turl Street has several colleges, Exeter, Jesus and Lincoln which might be worth a look if open.

Turning right half way down Turl Street brings you to the Covered Market, alternatively turning left down Brasenose Lane brings you to the gorgeous Radcliffe Camera. You can sit outside the café of the vaults of St Mary's Church (our favourite) then climb the tower afterwards. The Bodlian Library is at the opposite side of the square, you can book tours, but some bits you can see for free. Very Harry Potter-ish.

Punting is fun, and you can hire someone to do the hard work for you while you just trail your hand in the water!

The Natural History Museum is worth a visit and you can the walk through into the Pitt Rivers Museum (both free).

The Ashmolean was great and we went to one of the ticketed exhibitions there.
Putt Rivers museum I found a bit uncomfortable and unsettling, there were cases and cases of artefacts from indigenous peoples, mostly collected by Victorian "explorers", and although an interesting display it did feel as if the items had been taken from their rightful owners.
The Vaults and Garden cafe in Radcliffe Square is a nice spot for lunch.

Lots of great suggestions here. I’d add G&Ds ice cream. They have 2 shops - one on St Clements and one on Little Clarendon St. Have fun!

Youll need more than a day to cover the different activities. @BorneoBound
The university botanical gardens.
Then the general Oxford atmosphere.
It's a mix

Just dont do what I did and ask for chips in a fancy sandwich / cafe

If you're doing the Ashmolean then try to look around St John's and Balliol as the nearest colleges - possibly also Trinity as it is very pretty with big gardens and gates that won't be opened until we have another Stuart King. Then cut through Catte Street to St Mary's (nice cafe - featured in Morse) and climb the tower to get a great view. Walk east along the High to Magdalen - look in if you can its great - and then take a punt from Magdalen Bridge - if you don't feel comfortable punting yourself get one with a punter.

@Couchpotato3 the Nosebag has closed down now. 😟

We did an excellent kind of treasure hunt thing. You had to look for different things on different buildings and follow instructions. I lived in Oxford for 2 years as a teen and it took us to places I'd never known existed. Twas excellent.

The Nosebag is gone...noooooooo!😭

Yep, closed back in April. After 50 years. 😞

Oh, no! I was just thinking how lovely that the Nosebag still exists.

If interested in punting, we found Cherwell Boathouse a lot quieter and cheaper, pleasant walk from the city centre too.

https://www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk/

https://www.malmaison.com/locations/oxford/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=oxford-gmb