For the wanderlust hearts searching for the best day trips from Oxford to enviable destinations near the historical city, do I have a surprise for you? As a traveller, I enjoy nothing more than exploring new places and revisiting some all-time favourites. The UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world and this is why I often don’t recommend staycations within the UK. But when it comes to day trips, I have a huge list of recommendations including 11 of the best days trips from Oxford.
As a resident of the Oxford countryside, I love nothing more than being able to explore the little villages near and far. When it comes to exploring south of the country, we have a great public transport connection, it’s just a tad bit expensive. This is unavoidable and should not stop anyone who doesn’t drive from giving up on enjoyable day trips close to the Oxfordshire countryside. Putting together the 11 best day trips from Oxford, I had to think of the places I enjoyed and would recommend for all travellers.
The 11 Best Day Trips From Oxford
Travelling is something I have done my entire life and day trips were my family’s specificities because staycations were often expensive for us. Because of this and many other factors, I came to love day trips over actual staycations as I often can’t justify the expense. If you are in the same boat but still want to explore your city or country a little bit more, then start with areas within your backyard.
Having lived in Oxfordshire just shy of 10 years, I have been fortunate enough to have explored the places that make for a perfect day trip from Oxford. The transport city in and around Oxford is absolutely impeccable and I can not fault it apart from trains can be costly. For both drivers and pedestrians, the following day trip recommendations from Oxford will make for an enjoyable trip.
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace, the only non-royal country house to hold the title of the palace and is a monumental country house in Oxfordshire. I have lived in Oxfordshire for over 3 years and I hadn’t visited this glorious palace until now. The palace is located in Woodstock and was designated the UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. It was built between 1705 and 1722 as a reward to Churchill for the triumph against the French and Bavarian’s. Currently, it is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough with John Churchill being the 1st Duke
How to get there: Driving takes 15-minutes and bus 7 and S3 take about 30-minutes from Oxford.
Bicester Village
Bicester Village is one of the world’s leading luxury shopping destinations located in the outskirts of Bicester in the English countryside of Oxfordshire. The shopping outlet was opened in 1995 and continues to draw in shoppers from all over the world, it is both expensive and affordable depending on the brand. For many years I have shied away from this glamorous shopping destination until recently when I realised there are affordable luxury goods for everyone. I would recommend spending a day exploring all the shops and sampling the various foods available.
How to get there: From Oxford to Bicester you have two options, train (every 30-minutes, takes 15 minutes) or taking the S5 buses which are cheaper and take 30 minutes.
Oxford to London
London is one of the most visited capitals in the world and with good reason, it is an incredibly beautiful and diverse city. I am fortunate to live only an hour train ride from London and 90-minutes bus ride from Oxford city centre. Whenever I travel to London, I always go with intention and a plan, whilst you can explore London on a whim I think to make most of your time you need to choose a starting point. I always find taking tour buses always gives me an idea of what and where I should visit if I didn’t plan my trip in advance.
How to get there: As I mentioned I am only an hour by train and 90 minutes by bus, I often go by bus as its most comfortable and the scenery is impressive. I recommend the Oxford tube from Gloucester Green, there are other companies you can use but the Oxford tube bus is the best.
Salisbury Village and Stonehenge
The Stonehenge is a world-famous prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire thought to have been built over 5000 years ago. Today the Stonehenge is a world heritage site managed by the English Heritage and National Trust, members of these charities can enter for free. The stones are arranged in a circle and each is about 13 feet high and till this day, no one knows why they were erected.
Salisbury {pronounced SawZ Bree} is a medieval as well as Cathedral city located in Wiltshire Southern part England. Lying only 9 miles away from the Stonehenge, the city is a tourist spot for many visiting South of England. I loved exploring Salisbury, its not too far from the Stonehenge but the highlight of my trip was the Cathedral which is absolutely gorgeous.
How to get there: Whilst there are a number of buses and train connections to Salisbury then a bus to the Stonehenge I would recommend driving instead if possible. From Salisbury, there is a Stonehenge tour bus which you can book online and takes you to the stones every day.
Cadbury World (Bournville)
As a chocoholic, Cadbury world is a dream location that thinking about gives me a sugar rush. It is a visitor attraction in Birmingham where you have an opportunity to learn about the history of chocolate and eat lots of chocolate at the same time. Get to Birmingham from Oxford is not difficult but I would still recommend you drive as its much quicker in my opinion.
Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor is a country house built in the 1870s for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. It is located in the idyllic village of Waddesdon located in the Vale of Aylesbury. I have lost count as to how many times I have visited this National Trust property, it is gorgeous throughout the year but even better when its the summer and festive season. For all NT members, your visit and parking are free which is absolutely epic.
How to get there: Drive, because the bus from Oxford takes about 2.30 hours which is way too long. You can take a taxi but that would be expensive for sure where driving is only 30 minutes.
The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is the most visited region in the south-west and south-central region of England. Living around The Cotswolds means I am within 30-40 minutes drive of the cute and quaint little villages that form part of The Cotswolds. Getting to The Cotswolds is easy, just pick a village and plan for that or if driving them to visit as many as time allows you. From London, there are many day trips arranged just for visiting The Cotswolds.
Bath
Bath is the largest city in the county of Somerset and is located in the southwest region of England. The city is famous for the Roman baths and the Bath Abbey, it is a city that combines contemporary culture with a rich history and heritage. I have visited the city of Bath a number of times and absolutely recommend it, the Roman Baths and the Cathedral are always a highlight but so is the st. clement street and Jane Austen house.
How to get there: From Oxford, you have a multitude of options, drive, bus or train though driving is the quickest, the train isn’t too bad. The bus however will take some time unless it’s a tour bus.
Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey)
For lovers of Downton Abbey, this is one castle that should be high on your list, located in Hampshire, Highclere Castle sits on 5000 acres of land and was built in 1679 and was rebuilt in the 1840s to what it is today. I have not yet been fortunate enough to visit as you always have to book your trips but definitely recommend a visit. The castle is located near Newbury and M4 so it’s easy to drive to the location, there is no bus but take a train to Newbury then a taxi to the castle.
Devon
Devon is home to the picturesque English Rivera located in the Southwest, separating Cornwall from the rest of England. It is a region filled with sandy beaches, medieval towns, towering cliffs as well as the Jurassic Coast. Devon is the only county blessed with two coastlines as well as two national parks. During our last visit to South Devon, it made us realise just how gorgeous the UK countryside truly is and highly recommend a visit to the Jurassic Coast.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is the official home of the British Royal Family and is located west of London. The castle was built in the 11th century by William the conquerer and today it is one of the most visited Royal residences. It is one of the most popular destinations just outside London and highly recommend a visit. I visited the castle as part of a tour group and would recommend using one for both insight on the castle and the town itself.
Oxford is a beautiful city and has some of the most beautiful villages but it is its accessibility to locations near and far that make it even grander. I have been able to explore more destinations around Oxford than mentioned in this post but these are the best day trips from Oxford that you can find.
Have you ever been to any of the locations mentioned in this post? Have you ever visited Oxford before?
Stephanie says
I don’t live that close to Oxford but it’s always one of my favourite places to visit for a day trip. Especially Bicester Village.- I just wish I lived closer so I could go there more often x
jenny says
There are some lovely day trips from Oxford. We are big fans of Waddesdon Manor too.
Nichola - Globalmouse says
Some great suggestions here, I love Cadbury World and really want to go back there. I live in Bath so definitely vouch for that being a great place for a day trip!
Yeah Lifestyle says
Such a wonderful list of places to visit which is so close by to Oxford. My family is planning a trip to London so I am considering heading to Oxford from there now since it is only an hour’s train ride away.
Mostlyfoodandtravel says
Oxford is such a great base. I didn’t realise it was so close to Cotswold until a recent visit. Great day trips to be had
Kristine Nicole Alessandra says
This is a great resource for day trips to choose from. I have not been to Oxford. It would be awesome if we could plan a trip there next year. Bookmarking this page for reference. Thank you!
Linda Hobbis says
Oxford is one of my favourite cities (I’m a huge Morse / Endeavour fan) and Blenheim is spectacular. Highclere is the destination next on my to do list though, not just from the Downton aspect but from the architecture of the place.
MELANIE EDJOURIAN says
There seem to be a number of places that are perfect for day trips from Oxford. Windsor is lovely to walk around and the castle is a great place to visit whilst there.
Liam | Whatthedadsaid says
Oxford itself is a very nice place to visit, and i have some friends there, but being that side of the country you can visit many places in a day, for me no more than 4 hours travel there and then back still leaves you enough of the day to enjoy, there are some nice places on the list, Bath is very nice i would recommend, Visit the Raven for a lovely Pie lunch.
Rebecca Smith says
Some wonderful ideas for day trips here! I’d love to visit Stonehenge one day – we’ve driven past but never actually stopped there!