A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Literary Oxford + Map

If you want to explore Oxford through the stories it inspired, this self-guided literary walking tour takes you from C.S. Lewis and Tolkien to Philip Pullman and Alice in Wonderland – all in one day!

Oxford has a rich literary history and counts numerous influential writers among its alumni. What a lot of people might not know, though, is just how many Oxford landmarks have inspired fictional places in our favourite stories.

Come with me on a self-guided walking tour of literary Oxford featuring authors all the way from Philip Pullman to J R R Tolkien. This is the perfect day out in Oxford for book lovers.

These stops are all within central Oxford, but this is still a full walking day, so wear comfortable shoes and double-check college opening times before you set off.

You’ll also find a free map with walking directions at the bottom!

This guide is part of my series of literary city guides. If you’re new to this style of travel, here I explain what literary travel is and why it’s shaped the way I explore cities on my blog.

Quick Overview

• 🕒 Duration: Full day (approx. 7–8 hours with breaks)
• 🚶‍♀️ Walking time: ~1.5–2 hours total
• 📍 Start: Magdalen College
• 📍 End: The Eagle and Child
• 💡 Best for: Bookworms, fantasy lovers, literary fans

9 am – Magdalen College

We’ll start this tour of literary Oxford a little way out of the city centre at Magdalen College.

C.S. Lewis taught here for nearly 30 years, and it was during this time that he wrote many of his most famous works, including his fictional series The Chronicles of Narnia.

Magdalen is one of the most impressive and most beautiful colleges at Oxford University so take your time exploring the grounds and imagine what it must’ve been like to study under C.S. Lewis back in the 20s, 30s and 40s!

10 am – University of Oxford Botanic Gardens

From Magdalen, you should make your way across the road to the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens.

It was only in my final year at Oxford that I really discovered these gardens and began to appreciate their beauty.

It was only after I left that I discovered its literary significance for many of my favourite authors. Here you’ll find:

The bench where Will and Lyra from Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights series agree to meet each year.

Lots of fans come to visit the bench each year, and it is covered in scratchings of “Will and Lyra”, “W + L” and more.

During the summer months, this is a really lovely place to sit and you can see why Pullman chose this spot for the reunion of his two protagonists.

RELATED: 13 Things to Do in Oxford in the Summer

Next, there’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Alice spends a great deal of time trying to find her way into “the loveliest garden you ever saw” and it’s easy to see the connection between this description and the real-life Botanic Gardens.

During the summer months, there are rows and rows of colourful flowers, a common feature in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the Queen of Hearts’ gardens and croquet lawn can be imagined here.

Lastly, the tree that inspired Tolkien’s ents used to reside in the Botanic Gardens until 2014, when it had to be cut down (wonder what Treebeard would have to say about that…).

It was a large Austrian black pine tree with branches that looked like long, thick arms.

11 am – Merton College

Now we’re off down the back streets of Oxford heading towards Merton College. These cobbled streets and coloured houses are rather quaint and it’s easy to forget that the main road is just a couple of steps away.

Quite a way down Merton Street, you’ll find the entrance to the college. This is where J R R Tolkien became an English Literature Professor in 1945.

This college is a lot less grand than Magdalen but each college has its own character.

Tolkien did a lot of his writing at a round stone table in the college grounds, which is rumoured to have inspired Elrond’s table in The Fellowship of the Ring where the fellowship is first formed.

It’s also worth noting that TS Eliot was a philosophy student at this college too.

11:45 am – Christ Church

A short walk from Merton, you’ll find Christ Church, another grand college. This is one of the most popular Oxford colleges and should be on any book lover’s guide to literary Oxford.

To get to the entrance, however, you’ll have to go down the passage Grove Walk and walk around the outside of the college until you get to Christ Church Meadow.

At this entrance, you can queue and buy your ticket (find ticket price info here) to enter the college.

Christ Church is where Alice in Wonderland was born. The fictional Alice was inspired by Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church in the 19th century.

Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, studied and taught at Christ Church, which is how he met this little girl.

The college hosts many large, beautiful gardens which inspired the setting for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, particularly the Deanery Garden, which is private.

RELATED: Ultimate Guide to Alice in Wonderland in Oxford

On your tour, you’ll also visit the hall that inspired the Great Hall in Harry Potter. Although this room was never used in the films (they built a replica at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios), when you walk through the large wooden doors, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into Hogwarts.

The steps leading up the hall are actually the steps used in the Harry Potter films. Check out this post on Harry Potter film locations at Oxford for more information.

12:30 pm – St Mary’s Passage

When you leave Christ Church, you’ll find yourself in Oriel Square. From here you can walk towards the High Street and then up to St Mary’s Passage.

Here, you’ll find none other than the door to Narnia.

Allegedly.

But one look at this passage and it’s easy to see why people think this is where C.S. Lewis got his inspiration from

If you stand facing the door to “Narnia”, you’ll see a familiar-looking lamp to your left. This may have been the inspiration for the lamppost where Lucy and Mr Tumnus first met.

Now speaking of Mr Tumnus, check out these two figures guarding said door. The similarities are uncanny, right? 

Apparently, C.S. Lewis spent much time running between the two doors that stand opposite each other in this passage, which is why some think he was inspired by this specific passage.

1 pm – Lunch Break

At this point, you’re probably feeling a little peckish, so I’d recommend heading into Radcliffe Square and finding a table at the Vaults and Gardens.

If it’s a sunny day, you can sit outside with a glorious view of the Radcliffe Camera, but if not, you’ll still have the pleasure of their food.

Alternatively, you could head to Oxford’s covered market nearby, which has lots of little local stalls and restaurants inside for a quick bite.

There are large lanterns shaped like Alice in Wonderland characters hanging from the top of the market, so this is very much in keeping with the literary theme.

Check out this post for more brunch in Oxford.

2 pm – Radcliffe Camera

Now that your bellies are full, you can properly explore Radcliffe Square, which is home to Oxford University’s iconic round library.

This distinctive shape can be seen from the very corners of Oxford, so it’s not surprising that it inspired Tolkien and Sauron’s temple to Morgoth.

If you’re lucky enough to book onto a tour inside the library, you’ll also be able to see where many of the Oxford alumni I’ve already mentioned would’ve studied.

Check out this post for tips on where to get the best view of the Radcliffe Camera.

2:30 pm – Bodleian Library

The Bodleian Library features in a more modern piece of work that I have a sneaking suspicion is about to make waves.

The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness begins at Oxford University, and a new televised version hit screens in 2018.

In this series, a historian opens a bewitched manuscript in Oxford University’s Bodleian Library, which unleashes magic into her life.

The TV series was also filmed inside the Bodleian, so look out for it if you want a look inside this library.

Check out my post on beautiful Oxford libraries for a sneak peek inside some other Oxford libraries.

Other points of literary significance here are the manuscripts that inspired Tolkien’s work, and now the collections where you can view the original manuscripts of his work.

The Duke Humphrey Library was also used in the Harry Potter films as the “restricted” section of the library.

3 pm – Oxford University Museum of Natural History

From the library, there’s a longer walk than usual up to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on Parks Road.

This Oxford museum is completely free, making it one of the best free things to do in Oxford.

Inside here, there’s lots of fascinating stuff to see and a great collection of dinosaur bones and world history. For the purposes of this literary tour, though, you’ll be looking out for The Oxford Dodo.

The remains of this bird are one of the most treasured pieces in this museum and of course, relate to the Dodo in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

4:30 pm – The Lamb and Flag

Your brain (and your legs) must be feeling pretty tired by this point, right?

The final stop on our tour is a traditional English pub, where you can enjoy a well-deserved pint.

Ordinarily, the tour would end at the Eagle & Child pub, which is Oxford’s most well-known pub for literary connections. However, it is currently closed for refurbishment.

Luckily, there’s another literary pub just across the road from it!

That’s Oxford…

This pub was one meeting place of “The Inklings”, a literary discussion group that counted Tolkien and C.S. Lewis amongst its members.

There’s an inscription above the door that reads (in script):

“Speak, ‘Friend’, and enter”.

Walking Tour Tips

• Start early to avoid crowds at Christ Church
• Book college tickets in advance (especially in summer)
• Wear comfortable shoes – Oxford is full of cobbled streets
• Visit the Botanic Gardens in spring or summer for the best experience

Map (Walking Directions)

This self-guided literary walking tour covers some of the most iconic bookish spots in Oxford, but this just scratches the surface!

Once you start looking, you’ll see literary inspiration everywhere in this city.

If you want to go deeper, don’t miss my guides to:

• Harry Potter filming locations in Oxford
• Alice in Wonderland in Oxford
• Oxford University’s most beautiful libraries

How to get to Oxford from London

By Train

There are regular trains from London Paddington to Oxford. The station is a little way out of the city centre, but you can then take a bus or walk into town.

By Bus

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 begin your tour at Magdalen College.

By Car

Oxford is only an hour / hour and a half drive from the centre of London. It’s a very easy drive down via the M4, M25, M40 and A roads.

Where to Stay in Oxford

For more help planning your trip to Oxford, check out these posts:
10 Most Beautiful Oxford Colleges
11 Best Places for Brunch in Oxford
8 Do’s and Don’ts When Choosing an Oxford College
What is it like to study French at Oxford University?
Young Sherlock Filming Locations in Oxford

For more literary guides, check out these posts:
Book Lover’s Guide to Bath
Book Lover’s Guide to Dublin
Book Lover’s Guide to York
Book Lover’s Guide to Edinburgh
Book Lover’s Guide to Copenhagen

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