What to do in Oxford this weekend - one night break with 10 and 13 year olds?

[yoyou]

We are staying for one night, 10mins drive from Oxford. Does anyone have any tried and tested recommendations for the city centre? Was also thinking of going to Blenheim Palace on Sunday? Thank you.

If you've got any Harry Potter fans with you, several of the filming locations are in Oxford. If you go with a guide you get entry inside Oxford: Harry Potter Walking Tour with Hogwarts Film Sites - 2026 (Verified Reviews). There is also a free self guided Alice in Wonderland walking trail that starts from the train station Free Self-Guided Tour: Oxford's Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll.

Pitt Rivers Museum. Best museum in the world 😆
I absolutely loved going there as a child.

Thank you

Bear in mind Sunday is move-in day for all the new Oxford Uni freshers so I would avoid driving into the city centre that day!

The Pitt Rivers and the Ashmoleum museums are both fab.
Don’t drive in though - use the excellent park and ride. The new traffic filters started a few days ago so you risk a fine if your car isn’t registered, not that you’d find anywhere to park anyway!
The college tours are good, but probably not a good weekend for that if the students are coming back!
The Botanical gardens and the parks are nice too. Punting on the river is fun if the weathers nice.
Blenheim palace is lovely too - you could easily spend a day there with lunch/dinner in Woodstock.

I totally agree with the Museum of Natural History/Pitt Rivers museum (they're in the same place) and also getting the park and ride or another bus into the city centre.

My DDs like going to the top of the Westgate shopping centre for somewhere to eat but George Street also has loads of options.

It’s brilliant!

Agree with Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean Museums. They are very good.

Oxford Castle is great. Also, do go to the undercover market - there's a small Chinese restaurant in there, that's amazing for the price.

Pitt Rivers and punting!

Great, thank you - if you had to choose just the one museum to visit - which would it be? Ashmolean, Pitt or the Natural History?

Pitt Rivers is in the same building as the Natural History Museum - do both.

How was your weekend @yoyou ? You had lovely weather!

Amazing, we loved the Pitt Rivers museum and the botanic gardens!

Very pleased to hear that. 😁