Oxford Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Oxford packs an unusual amount into a small space: college quads, some of the country's best university museums, a covered market, river meadows and two rivers for punting, all within walking distance of each other. It works well as a two-night staycation, with a third night if you want a day trip into the Cotswolds or along the Thames. Trains from London take around an hour, so it is also one of the easiest cities to reach without a car.

How long to stay and when to go

Two full days is enough to see the museums, walk the historic centre and get out on the water. Spring and early autumn suit walking and punting; winter suits a museum-heavy break. If you drive, the Park and Ride sites on the ring road are usually simpler than parking in the centre.

Where to stay in Oxford

Central hotels are limited and fill up on graduation and open-day weekends, so it pays to book early. The full list is on our Oxford hotels page, but these suit different kinds of trip.

In the historic centre

Malmaison Oxford is the memorable option: a four-star hotel in the converted Victorian wing of the former prison, next to the castle mound. For something quieter and more traditional, the five-star Old Parsonage Hotel is a wisteria-covered 17th-century house at the top of St Giles', a few minutes' walk from the Ashmolean. Courtyard Oxford City Centre on Paradise Street is a dependable modern choice near the Westgate centre.

Just outside the centre

Families often do better slightly further out, where rooms are larger and there is somewhere to swim. Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford on Godstow Road has an indoor pool and sits close to Port Meadow, and voco Oxford Spires on Abingdon Road also has a pool and gym. On a tighter budget, easyHotel Oxford on Banbury Road is rated 4.7 from over 6,700 Google reviews, a strong score for a no-frills hotel.

Countryside stays

If the break is about food, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons at Great Milton is Raymond Blanc's country house hotel, with garden-set rooms and tasting menus, and it accepts dogs. The Chequers at Burcot is a more relaxed dog-friendly inn with rooms above a restaurant known for its Sunday roasts.

Things to do in Oxford

Much of Oxford's appeal is simply walking between the colleges, the Radcliffe Camera and the Bridge of Sighs, but the museums are the real strength. Our Oxford attractions page has the full list.

The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street covers art and archaeology from across the world and is easily worth half a day. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History, rated 4.8 from over 11,000 Google reviews, has dinosaur skeletons under a neo-Gothic glass roof, and you walk through it to reach the Pitt Rivers Museum, a dim, densely packed anthropology collection that feels unlike anywhere else.

For the university itself, the Bodleian Library runs guided tours of its historic rooms, including the Divinity School. Oxford Castle & Prison tells the city's older story with costumed guides and a medieval crypt, and the University of Oxford Botanic Garden by Magdalen Bridge is Britain's oldest botanic garden, with glasshouses for a wet day.

On the water, Cherwell Boat House hires punts on the quieter stretch of the Cherwell in north Oxford. With younger children, The Story Museum is built around books and storytelling, and South Park in Headington has a playground and one of the best views back over the spires.

Where to eat

The Covered Market off the High Street is the easy lunch stop, with cafes and bakers under one roof. For a sit-down meal, Dishoom - The Permit Room is one of the most reviewed restaurants in the city, Six By Nico serves themed tasting menus, and Sticks 'N' Sushi is a reliable choice for Japanese food. There are more options on our Oxford restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Start at the Ashmolean, then walk along Broad Street past the Sheldonian Theatre to the Bodleian for a tour. Have lunch in the Covered Market and spend the afternoon at the Natural History and Pitt Rivers museums. In the evening, head to Jericho, just north-west of the centre, which has a good spread of independent restaurants and pubs.

Day two

Walk through Christ Church Meadow in the morning and on to the Botanic Garden, then take a punt out on the Cherwell. In the afternoon, walk across Port Meadow to the Thames, or head up to South Park for the view at sunset.

Day trips from Oxford

Blenheim Palace at Woodstock is the obvious short trip, around 8 miles north. Further afield, Burford is one of the prettiest Cotswold towns and Henley-on-Thames is a pleasant riverside town for a walk and lunch. Stratford-upon-Avon and Cheltenham are both within an hour or so by car, and Windsor, with its castle, makes a good stop on the way back towards London.

Camping and cottages near Oxford

If you prefer a field to a hotel, D'Oyleys Farm is a small site near the city with tent and motorhome pitches. Rolling Fields Glamping near Moulsford offers glamping in the Thames valley, and Muster Point Campsite near Wantage is a base for walking the Ridgeway. Browse camping near Oxford or cottages near Oxford for more.

Practical tips

Some colleges charge for entry and close at short notice for exams and events, so treat college visits as a bonus rather than the whole plan. The city is a natural pick for UK city breaks without flying and staycations without a car, and with so many museums it is one of the best choices in our rainy-day staycations guide.