United Kingdom / Oxford, the Cotswolds & the Midlands / Oxford

Oxford

The City of Dreaming Spires

2 daysIdeal stay₹13,230From / night₹2,900Food / day₹2,520Entry

The oldest university in the English-speaking world: Christ Church (its dining hall inspired Harry Potter's Great Hall), the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera, the Ashmolean Museum (free) and the covered market. An hour from London Paddington by train, or by the Oxford Tube coach every few minutes; the gateway to the Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace. Colleges limit visitors in exam season (May and June).

Highlights

Christ Church and its Great Hall
Bodleian Library tour
Radcliffe Camera
Ashmolean Museum (free)
Punting on the Cherwell
Blenheim Palace day trip
Climb Carfax Tower

Things to do

Colleges walk: Christ Church, the Bodleian and the Radcliffe CameraMorning · 3h 30m
Ashmolean MuseumAfternoon · 2h
Punting on the CherwellAfternoon · 1h 30m
Blenheim Palace and gardensMorning · 5h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Oxfordvia GetYourGuide Tours & tickets in Oxfordvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: April – September

Heads up

Colleges Closed for Exams

In May and June many colleges close to visitors, or open only parts, during the university exams. Check each college's visiting hours before you go; the streets, museums and punting are unaffected.

Getting there

Fly into London (LHR), 83 km away

Then: Train · 1h 6m (GWR from Paddington)

Search flights to LHR from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Bengalurufrom ₹25,000
From Mumbaifrom ₹27,500
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹24,000
From Chennaifrom ₹30,000
From Hyderabadfrom ₹30,000
From Kochi (1 stop)from ₹27,000

Fly into Birmingham (BHX), 92 km away

Then: Train · 1h 12m (CrossCountry)

Search flights to BHX from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹28,000
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹27,000
From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹27,000
From Amritsar (1 stop)from ₹28,000

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

Visa needed before you fly for up to 180 days, about ₹17,010

Apply online on GOV.UK for a Standard Visitor visa (gov.uk/standard-visitor) at least 4-6 weeks before you fly, and no earlier than 3 months before. The fee is £135 (about ₹17,010) for a visa of up to 6 months, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Book and attend a VFS Global visa application centre in India to give your fingerprints and photo and hand in your documents. The standard decision takes about 3 weeks from that appointment; Priority (about 5 working days, £500 extra) and Super Priority (next working day, £1,000 extra) are sold at some centres.
With the visa you need no ETA. It covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not the Schengen countries: France or Italy need a separate Schengen visa, and the UK visa does not count towards one.
At the airport use the Border Force desks (not the eGates) and have your return ticket, hotel bookings and proof of funds ready.

Carry: Passport valid for the whole of your stay, with a blank page for the visa; Bank statements for the last 6 months, income-tax returns and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers); Return flight booking and a day-by-day plan; Hotel bookings, or an invitation letter and address from family or friends in the UK; Travel insurance with medical cover (advised: visitors pay for NHS hospital care).

Fees rose on 8 April 2026 (£135 for 6 months, up from £127); check GOV.UK's fee page and your VFS centre before you pay. Two-, five- and ten-year visit visas cost more and still allow 6 months per visit.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Also in Oxford, the Cotswolds & the Midlands

🏡 The Cotswolds · Honey-Stone Villages and Rolling English Countryside
🎭 Stratford-upon-Avon · Shakespeare's Town on the River Avon
🍛 Birmingham · Britain's Second City: Canals, Chocolate and the Balti Triangle
🪔 Leicester · Diwali on the Golden Mile, and a King Under a Car Park

Plan a trip to Oxford

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at London (LHR)