Day trip to Oxford, UK
A couple of weeks ago, we went on a lovely little day trip to the beautiful, historic city of Oxford.
I actually used to work in Oxford until the start of this year, but I never seemed to bother to go into the city itself. I think it was one of those things where if it’s on your doorstep, you don’t get around to doing it.
We were out celebrating our friends’ engagement so it was the perfect occasion to treat everyone to a delicious lunch, wander around the shops and go for a stroll down to the river.
For lunch, we decided to go to one of our favourite local restaurants, Sticks ‘n’ Sushi. They have a couple of locations in the UK, including Oxford in the Westgate shopping centre. If you’re planning to go on a Saturday, make sure you book a table ahead of time!
As expected, lunch was incredible. We ordered a couple of sharing platters for the 4 of us and it was the perfect lunch – with mouthwatering sushi, great conversation and of course, washing it all down with a few cocktails and sake.
After lunch we decided to go for a walk via the shops. If you haven’t been shopping in Oxford, the Westgate has a really good selection of shops outside of London. I didn’t pick anything up this time, although I have been known to disappear into M.A.C. and Hotel Chocolat during previous visits…
Our walk took us down towards the river and the older part of Oxford city centre. We stopped off at the world-famous Bodleian library and realised that we’d stumbled across matriculation at the University of Oxford. Which meant that there were a lot of brand new students stumbling around in their gowns clutching bottles of prosecco and champagne at 2pm in the afternoon!
Anyway, it certainly made for good entertainment to stand on one of the bridges over the river and watch the students attempt to punt without falling into the river… and not all of them succeeded.
It also struck me how lovely Oxford is at this time of year with all the autumnal colours and the leaves changing on the trees. I didn’t feel like I was very present in my life this time last year (more on that another time), so it feels like I’m seeing everything for the first time when I go out at the moment. It’s a very green city so perfect if you want to get those all-important insta snaps.
Oxford is a very walkable city so it’s easy to get around and see the sites. One of the great things about Oxford is that the historic buildings are scattered throughout the centre, so you don’t have to look very far to get that historic British city vibe.
There are lots of activities to do on a trip to Oxford, so here are some ideas if you’re looking for day trip inspiration:
- Punting on the river
- Visit the Bodleian library (when university events aren’t on!)
- The Covered Market
- Go shopping in the Westgate Shopping Centre
- Visit the Botanical Gardens
- Visit the University of Oxford Colleges
- The Sheldonian Theatre
If you are planning a trip, Oxford has a really good Park and Ride system, which is way better than trying to drive into the centre. The train station is also very central so it’s worth using an alternative to driving.
