Oxford and The Cotswolds Via Rabbie’s Tours

I spent years singing praises for Rabbie’s Tours after taking their day trip to the Scottish Highlands during my semester abroad (see that blog HERE). Naturally, when I visited the UK last winter, I simply had to go on another Rabbie’s tour. Because I was only in London for a few days, I sprung for another day trip. Their one day tour of Oxford and the Traditional Cotswold Villages would enable me to tick off two of my England bucket list destinations, and with tours starting around $90, the price was right. Truthfully, the insight, commentary, and jokes from the drivers are worth every penny. It’s the best way to quickly see highlights with ease and freedom.

As you ride, the drivers will keep you entertained as they supply you with local history, both iconic and quirky. Once you arrive at each drop off point, you have the freedom to explore on your own, just make sure to arrive back to the van on time. Our driver, Russell Chapman, added a fun incentive: making those that were late/last to the meet up location sing their national anthem on the bus. It was all in good fun and sparked conversations with the group. Rabbie’s Tours operates only 16 seater mini coaches which allows you the most comfortable group tour experience in the business.

Oxford

Oxford, England, known best for its famed university and dreaming spires, truly feels magical. Harry Potter fans will recognize it as the backdrop of many scenes in the film franchise. Rabbie’s made seeing major landmarks around the city easy by providing a self guided walking map.

Sips and Sighs

As we were visiting in December, we were delighted to start our day by stumbling upon a Christmas market. Much to our delight, some locals had already started sipping on a morning mulled wine. Who are we to not partake in the city’s culture? Of course, we each grabbed a glass for around $5 as well as some souvenirs. It was just a short walk over to New College Lane to see one of the iconic architectural features of the city, Bridge of Sighs (also known as Hertford Bridge). Circa 1914, this bridge connects two parts of Hertford college and takes after Venetian design.

Oxford University Buildings

Walking around Oxford feels like you are walking right through a movie, and on our trip that was actually the case. Just a stone’s throw from Bridge of Sighs are the Sheldonian Theatre, the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library, the Divinity School, and All Souls College. This collection of buildings alone has enough prestige, history, and knowledge to fill more novels than one could read. Oxford University is the oldest university in the English speaking world, evidence of its existence in 1096. With that comes very old buildings, such as the cloisters of All Souls College, which date back to 1400, and are featured also in the scene in which Draco Malfoy is turned into a ferret. For fans of the Harry Potter world, other groups offer walking tours of the iconic film locations (check Viator or Get Your Guide). For those looking to explore these buildings’ interiors, book your tours directly here. Just make sure you’ll have enough time to explore the rest of the city. The day of our visit many of these buildings were being used to film Timothee Chalemettee’s Wonka. This was cool to observe but sadly prevented us from getting to go inside most, but we did manage to pop into the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.

Views of the City

Next, we walked over to Broad Walk. From here you admire gardens and a tranquil meadow all while having the view of Christ Church Cathedral. As gorgeous as this was, it was far from the best view we had in the city. That award would have to go to Carfax Tower. At 74 feet high, the 13th century Carfax Tower is the tallest building in central Oxford. Pay about $3 and walk up its 99 stairs to get a 360 degree perspective of the city. We spent a little too long admiring the cityscape and quickly rushed to The White Rabbit, grabbing a delicious, gluten-free, specialty Christmas Pizza to go. We made the most of our time by eating on the bus and the flavors of cranberry sauce with sliced turkey made for the perfect meal while we rode through the countryside.

The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are the quintessential image of the English countryside. While these 787 square miles of rolling hills and quaint towns were once mere countryside, they have since become prime real estate. The lack of influence from the industrial revolution has kept the area as an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of larger cities. Your time spent here on the Rabbie’s tour will surely give you a desire to further explore these picturesque landscapes.

Bibury

Our first stop in the Cotswolds was the small village of Bibury. Once described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, you may be familiar with the main site here, Arlington Row, from social media. This row of charming cottages may be all over the feeds to England based travel blogs, and with good reason. Strolling down this street, and any one in Bibury, feels out of a fairytale. Just remember to be respectful as these are actual homes (I know, I’m jealous too). Walking a loop, we ended up at Bibury Trout Farm. Here, we had a delightfully toasty hot chocolate spiked with Amaretto while overlooking the frigid River Coln.

Burford

On our way to Burford, also known as the gateway of the Cotswolds, we made a quick stop in Taynton to see a traditional thatched roof. Rabbie’s drivers are great at knowing the best turn offs and photo ops to add on for the day if there is extra time. Burford, a bit more built up than Bibury, is home to a main street, High Street, lined with shops, restaurants, bakeries, and inns. If you were looking to come back to the Cotswolds and spend more time, Burford would make a great overnight destination. You can pop into galleries, enjoy a high tea service, or explore the local history museum located in the 16th century Tolsey building. We spent some time walking the grounds of St John the Baptist Church. Built between 1160 and 1475, this divine architecture made for the perfect backdrop for sunset.

Final Notes

Oxford and the Cotswolds were both beautiful in their own unique ways. The Rabbie’s tour gives a taste of what these areas have to offer and are perfect for first time visitors. Visiting this region in winter is lovely and you’ll experience quiet streets and no crowds. The flip side of this is that you will unfortunately have less daylight and won’t get to enjoy views of the countryside on the drive back to London. Back in the city, head to a pub for a pint, but not before first tipping your driver.

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