The 11 Best Free Things to Do in Oxford

Oxford has been named the least affordable city in the UK to live in. It’s deemed to be even less affordable than London!

Despite this, a trip to Oxford doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, many of top things to see in Oxford are free.

Oxford is a beautiful city and many sightseers and tourists come simply to look and admire the city and its architecture.

However, if you’re looking for some activities to keep you occupied on your trip to Oxford you’ll want to keep reading. I lived and studied in the city for four years and these are my top recommendations for free things to do in Oxford.

Explore the Ashmolean Museum

The Ashmolean Museum is the world’s first university museum and one of the best things to do in Oxford for free. It’s a very large museum, housed in a beautiful classical building inspired by Greek architecture.

The museum is free to enter and the vast majority of the collections are free too. There are always special exhibitions on, which you will have to pay for, but there is plenty to see and learn about for free.

The main collection boasts a huge collection of art and archeological items and you’ll find everything from Greek pottery to Ancient Egyptian sarcophagi to paintings by Picasso.

There’s lots to discover from the West and from the East, from times gone by and more recent discoveries. You could easily spend a whole day here!

On the last Friday of the month, the Ashmolean is open later than usual. There’s a bar, talks and live music and it’s one of the best things to do in Oxford in the evening!

Fun Fact: The Ashmolean Museum features in The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman, which is based in Oxford. Will and Lyra pretend to look for the Ashmolean in order to fool a pair of police officers!

For more on literary connections in Oxford, check out my literary tour of Oxford.

Address: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH
Opening Hours: 10am-5pm every day (closed on Mondays)
Website: www.ashmolean.org

Take Pictures in Radcliffe Square

Every day you’ll find hoards of tourists taking photos in Radcliffe Square and it’s easy to see why.

All four corners of the square are beautiful Oxford buildings: All Souls College, Brasenose College, Bodleian Library and University Church of St Mary the Virgin.

Taking pride of place in the middle is the Radcliffe Camera, Oxford’s most iconic building.

This round library, referred to as the “Rad Cam”, has such a distinctive shape that it is usually the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Oxford.

You’d be hard placed to find a picture of the city of dreaming spires without some part of the Rad Cam poking out to say hello!

Check out this post to find out where you can get the best views of the Radcliffe Camera.

Address: Radcliffe Square, Oxford, OX1 3BG

Walk Around Christ Church Meadow

Whilst you must buy a ticket to enter Christ Church, there is a huge meadow just outside the college that is free to enter and explore.

Here you’ll find a field full of bulls, and you can walk down to the river where you might find Oxford College rowing teams going up and down the river.

There are lots of geese and ducks here to feed too if you’re in Oxford with children.

As you walk round, you’ll follow the river and see rowers, punters, ducks and more. Once you’re half way round the meadow you’ll be treated to a gorgeous view of Christ Church from afar.

How to Get There: Walk past Christ Church’s Tom Tower and enter via Meadow Gate on St Aldates.
Opening Hours: 6am – 9pm

Admire the Skeleton Parade at the Museum of Natural History

There are lots of free museums in Oxford but The Oxford University Museum of Natural History is one of my absolute favourites because of the stunning interiors and excellent permanent collection.

This museum takes you right back to the Big Bang and you can learn about the evolution of all manner of living creatures that once roamed the Earth. This includes the infamous Oxford Dodo, featured in Alice in Wonderland, but sadly now extinct.

RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Alice in Wonderland in Oxford

There’s an amazing parade of animal skeletons, which looks eerily beautiful under the huge domed, glass roof of the museum.

This section also really reminds me of the Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy in Paris, a museum in Paris that you must add to your bucket list!

What’s fascinating about this museum is that the building is part of the exhibition too. There are 126 columns supporting the roof, each made from a different British decorative rock.

If you look up you’ll notice that the feature at the top of each column is different and each has been inspired by plants in the Botanic Garden.

Don’t forget to pop your head into the Pitt Rivers Museum too, which is connected to the Museum of Natural History.

Address: Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm
Website: www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk

Explore the beautiful grounds of Worcester College

Most of the best Oxford colleges charge a fee to enter but, surprisingly, Worcester College does not.

This is one of the prettiest Oxford colleges with stunning architecture and extensive grounds and gardens.

Despite this, it’s not as popular with tourists as colleges like Christ Church and Magdalen, which makes visiting a more special experience.

RELATED: 10 Most Beautiful Oxford Colleges

Although this college would now be considered located in central Oxford, it was on the outskirts of the city in the eighteenth century!

This is the reason why such a central college manages to boast a whopping 26 acres of land and a lake.

Make sure you have your camera at the ready because you’ll be snap snapping away at the variety of beautiful buildings and gardens in here.

Address: Worcester College, 1 Walton Street, Oxford, OX1 2HB
Opening Hours: 2pm – 4pm every day
Website: www.worc.ox.ac.uk

Visit a Free Exhibition at Weston Library

The Bodleian Library, the main library at Oxford University, always has an exhibition or two on, usually at Weston Library. The library has hosted a huge array of exhibitions with all sorts of focuses from maps to translation to suffragettes.

The Bodleian is the second largest library in Britain after the British Library in London so you never know which part of their enormous collection they’re going to put on show next.

These exhibitions are usually free and hosted in the Weston Library on the corner of Broad Street.

This library is one of the newest at Oxford University as the current building was only reopened in 2015. Sir David Attenborough was even part of the opening ceremony!

Find out what’s on now on the Bodleian library website

Sample Delicious Fudge at Fudge Kitchen

Fudge Kitchen on Broad Street usually has a person or sign outside encouraging you to come in to try the free samples. And trust me, you’ll want to try these because they are delicious.

The staff are incredibly friendly and happy to offer free samples of multiple different flavours for you to try.

The smell inside is amazing and if you arrive at the right time you’ll see the staff preparing the next big batch! The fudge contains only fresh and natural ingredients and there are plenty of vegan fudge options now too.

The problem is… after you’ve had a free sample you may not be able to resist buying a whole slab to take home with you!

Address: 5 Broad St, Oxford, OX1 3AJ
Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm
Website: fudgekitchen.co.uk

Attend Evensong at an Oxford College

NB. Evensong is a religious service and should be respected, not simply treated as another tourist activity.

Now, this is my ultimate secret tip for visiting Oxford colleges for free. The biggest and most beautiful Oxford colleges charge a fee for entrance, with ticket prices at Christ Church going up to £9pp during peak times.

However, there is a way to get into some of these Oxford colleges for free.

Every evening, the college chapels host Evensong, a service of evening prayers and psalms.

This is open to students but members of the public are also allowed to attend. It’s one of the best things to do in Oxford at night!

It’s a really lovely thing to experience one evening in Oxford and you’ll get to hear professional-level choirs sing in a beautiful setting.

Since the chapels are usually located at the heart of the colleges, you’ll also get a glimpse of what the rest of the college is like as you walk in and out.

I’d recommend visiting either Christ Church, Magdalen and New College as these large colleges all have stunning chapels/cathedrals.

Tickets at these colleges usually cost £9, £6 and £5 respectively, so grab this opportunity to experience a slice of them for free.

If you present yourself at the main college entrance before the service is due to start, you can ask the porters in the Porters’ Lodge to direct you to the right place.

For more info: Evensong at Christ Church | Evensong at New College | Evensong at Magdalen

See the Wildlife in Port Meadow

Port Meadow is another excellent spot in Oxford to go for a long outdoor walk. It’s located a little way out of the city centre (around a half-hour walk) so it’s somewhat of a secret.

It’s one of the best local things to do in Oxford and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported deep into the British countryside. There’s nothing but green for miles and miles and it’s a great picnic spot in Oxford.

RELATED: 13 Things to Do in Oxford in the Summer

The best thing about Port Meadow though is that there are lots of wild animals roaming freely. All very friendly, of course!

If you walk along the river you’ll bump into a ducks, geese, a large herd of cows and maybe wild horses too. They’re used to humans being around so if you’re lucky you might get close enough to stroke one.

In the greener areas, you might see some rabbits and small rodents.

Address: Walton Well Road, Oxford, OX2 6ED

Watch an Oxford University Sports Match

Every Wednesday and Saturday, the Oxford University sporting teams have matches against other universities in University Parks.

You could watch the football and lacrosse teams battling against their opponents or watch something a little more unique like Quidditch (yes, really!).

RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Harry Potter in Oxford

If you happen to be in Oxford when the “Blues” (First Team) is playing against our ultimate rivals, Cambridge, then you’re very lucky indeed! These matches feature the best players across the two universities are usually very exciting.

For a map of the different pitches, check out the Oxford University Sport website here. Check out individual sports team’s websites for fixtures, times and locations here.

Address: Oxford University Parks, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RF

Window-shop in the Covered Market 

Oxford’s Covered Market is full of small eateries and quirky local shops. It’s a great place to visit even if you don’t intend on spending a dime as there are lots of curiosities to admire.

It’s compact and colourful and you’ll find everything from hats to custom-made cakes, skateboards, tea, shoes and more.

You can get a taste of what local Oxford sellers have to offer and walk through the shops of the cobbler, the butcher, the florist, the hatter, the jeweller and more.

Most of these shops have been forced off local high streets by big brand names but in this small chunk of Oxford, you can find local produce and some real gems. This is what a real market should look like!

Top Tip: You can also pick up a cheap and tasty lunch from one of the many local establishments in here and then head down to Christ Church meadow to eat it!

Address: The Covered Market, Market Street, Oxford, OX1 3DZ
Enter via the entrance on Market Street or High Street
Opening Hours: 8am – 5.30pm Mon to Sat; 10am – 4pm Sun

These are the 11 best free things to do in Oxford according to a former Oxford University student. Do you have any other free things to recommend in the City of Dreaming Spires? Let me know in the comments below!

How to get to Oxford

By Train 

There are regular trains from all major UK stations to Oxford. If you are coming from London, you will need to go via London Paddington. Oxford station is a little way out of the city centre but you can then take a bus or walk into town. Book via the Trainline for the cheapest tickets.

By Bus

If you’re planning to come by bus, aim to get off at either Oxford High Street or Gloucester Green bus station depending on your first Oxford destination.

The Oxford Tube is a super convenient and cheap bus service that’ll take you from the centre of London straight into the heart of Oxford. If you’re taking this route, I’d recommend getting off at the High Street so that you can walk to Radcliffe Square in just 3 minutes. 

By Car

Oxford is easily accessible via the M4, M25, M40 and A roads.

Where to Stay in Oxford

Booking.com

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