Oxford CS Lewis and Tolkien Walking Tour: Literary Sites

Follow the Inklings through Oxford and stand where their stories began

A 2-hour guided walking tour of Oxford tracing CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien's lives through the colleges, libraries and pubs where they lived, taught and wrote. You'll see Exeter College where Tolkien studied, the Bodleian Library housing their original manuscripts, the University Church where Lewis preached during World War II, and the Eagle & Child pub where the Inklings met every Tuesday to discuss their work. The tour operates in English with a live guide and covers the city on foot.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Bodleian Library5m
2. Radcliffe Camera10m
3. Ashmolean Museumpass by

Explore Oxford's literary landmarks

• See Exeter College exterior
• Visit Bodleian Library
• Visit University Church where Lewis preached
• Walk around Radcliffe Camera and Radcliffe Square
• See where Tolkien worked
• Visit Eagle & Child and Lamb & Flag Pubs
• See Ashmolean Museum exterior

The experience

You arrive in Oxford with a free afternoon and a shelf full of Narnia and Middle-earth at home. This tour starts at street level and moves through the colleges and squares where both writers spent their formative years. Tolkien lived and studied at Exeter College. Lewis taught at several colleges and preached wartime sermons at the University Church. The guide walks you past these buildings from the outside, then points out the Bodleian Library's Weston Library, where their original manuscripts sit in the collection. You won't enter, but you'll know exactly where the work lives.

The route takes in the Eagle & Child and Lamb & Flag pubs, both meeting places of the Inklings, the literary group Lewis and Tolkien founded. You'll cross Radcliffe Square and see the Radcliffe Camera, one of Oxford's most recognizable buildings, and pass the Ashmolean Museum, a repository of the objects and ideas that shaped writers across centuries. The walk moves at a pace that lets you absorb the architecture and the stories layered into it: the lamposts, the carvings, the courtyards where these two men thought and argued and wrote. Two hours covers the ground without rushing.

The tour is led by a live guide in English and ends with a practical bonus: you get a 10% discount at the Cool Britannia Gift Shop, useful if you want to pick up a copy of something you've just learned about. The route is flat and walkable for most fitness levels, though the operator notes it's not suitable for travelers with spinal injuries. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters are not available for hire, so if you need mobility assistance, plan accordingly. Service animals are welcome, and strollers work for infants and small children.

What’s included

• A live guide in English leading the 2-hour walk.
• a 10% discount at the Cool Britannia Gift Shop.

Before you book

Days and timesFriday and SaturdayDeparts at 11:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (16 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 15 years) · Infant (under 6)

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for back problems

Operated by Experience Oxfordshire

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a free afternoon and want to understand where Lewis and Tolkien's stories took root. The colleges, libraries and pubs are real places you can stand in front of, and a guide who knows the history makes the connection immediate. If you need mobility assistance beyond walking, or if you want to enter the college buildings themselves, look for a different option.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (16 to 17 years); Child (6 to 15 years); Infant (under 6).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I see on this Oxford walking tour if I can't go inside the colleges?

Exeter College, where Tolkien studied, is viewed from the outside, as are the colleges where Lewis taught. The Bodleian Library and its Weston Library are seen from outside as well, though they house the original manuscripts of both writers. You do walk through Radcliffe Square and past the Radcliffe Camera, the Ashmolean Museum, and the two pubs (the Eagle & Child and Lamb & Flag), where the Inklings actually gathered.

How long is this tour and what's the pace like?

The tour runs 2 hours and covers the city on foot at a walking pace that allows you to absorb the architecture and stories. It's suitable for all fitness levels, though it involves continuous walking through Oxford's streets and squares.

Where did CS Lewis preach, and will I see that on the tour?

CS Lewis preached wartime sermons at the University Church during World War II. You'll walk past it and hear about his time there, though you won't enter the building.

Do I get anything included besides the guided walk?

The tour includes a live English-speaking guide for the 2 hours. You also receive a 10% discount at the Cool Britannia Gift Shop, which you can use after the tour ends if you want to buy books or related items.