Lauren Corona

Whether you’ve been to Oxford or not, you know of its reputation. Oxford has history, food, humour; it has some of the most beautiful colleges and pubs on the planet; and it pulls off the rare trick of being tranquil and thrilling at the same time. I’ve been here for 30ish years, got married and had children here, and think that it could be the greatest city on Earth. (I lived in Cambridge briefly and yes, I'm going to say it: Oxford is better.) Even on one September day you can do more than you could in a week elsewhere. Whether you’re here for 24 hours or 24 days, make the most of this unique city. RECOMMENDED:🏛️ The best museums in Oxford🍴 The best restaurants in Oxford🏨 The best hotels in Oxford🚂 The best day trips from London This guide was recently updated by Ralph Jones, a writer based in Oxford. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.