The Inklings Oxford Writers Tour - Private Groups Daily

Oxford Inklings/points of interest tour

Harvey was extremely informative and had a very nice demeanor. Would highly recommend the tour with Harvey as the guide!

Great

I had a wonderful time. Tom was extremely knowledgeable and tailored the trip to what I was interested in.

Great guided tour

This was a great trip! Tom was extremely knowledgeable and since it was just me, he tailored the trip and sights for what I wanted, which was awesome. Highly recommended for any Lewis and/or Tolkien fan.

Engaging and delightful

Our guide Harvey was warm and knowledgeable. We visited beautiful places and he noted where our favorite authors had lived or taught. We learned so much about Oxford and how the education system works, which was unfamiliar to us.

Great and Thorough Tour for Inkling Admirers

Our Inklings tour led by Tom M. was everything we were hoping for and more. Tom is an expert in the subject, in Oxford University generally, and is a genuinely kind and interested man. Those with a special place for Lewis and Tolkien in there hearts will find this guided tour well worth it.

Our favorite tour in all of England!

Tim hosted the most memorable and enriching historical tour of Oxford. A brilliant mind with personal insight and intellect who accommodated the tour to our interests! I would recommend Tim and this tour to anyone who wants to experience a deeper and more detailed level of the Inklings time at Oxford.

Ray is amazing! A fantastic tour!

Ray was a FANTASTIC guide who was excellent at tailoring our interests into his tour. He had knowledge of everything we wanted to know about, and was very open to questions and conversation. He was prepared for any direction the tour may go in, and even had pictures and articles at the ready. We loved that he went deeper than surface level facts. This absolutely made my trip to Oxford a special one!

Inklings Oxford Tour was a favorite

My husband and I went on many tours during the month of May in Great Britain. Our Inklings tour with Peter around Oxford was very high on our list. He led us all over town and told us so much information! He showed us many spots where CS Lewis spent his time. He also showed us many other interesting locations and taught us a lot of history. He communicated through a phone call and also a text before hand to make sure we knew the details of our tour. He helped me plan our train ride from London to Oxford and suggested a restaurant for breakfast. Oxford is an easy walking city. You can visit the highlights of the city in a few hours. Peter is very knowledgeable and loves to share his knowledge and city with visitors.

Oxford and the Inklings!

We had a wonderful tour guide in Tom whose knowledge of both the University and of the Inklings made the tour fun and engaging. We learned so much we didn’t know before. Great time!!

Magical tour of Oxford

We had looked forward to this trip to Oxford and, particularly, the Inkling tour for a very long time. Happily, Peter did not disappoint! His humor was on point and he told many tales (many of which he admitted were 'tall') of the amazing streets of Oxford. Loads of stories about Tolkien and Lewis, and the others, but mostly a lovely, energetic and fun tour of an unforgettable location. And you'll know it's Peter... a package of Bakewell tarts will be peeking from his backpack...you'll be in for a real treat!

Great Inklings content, challenging delivery

We learned a lot from Tom about the Inklings and Oxford history in general on our 2.5 hour tour and appreciated Tom's genuine love for his subject and adapting it to our interests. However, he has a naturally quiet voice and somewhat halting cadence when speaking. Combined with a tendency to turn his head direction frequently, it was very hard to follow what he was saying when we were on busy streets or anywhere that wasn't absolutely quiet. I've taken many tours in many places, and this was the hardest for me to simply follow the words of--and there were only three of us on our private tour. I'm not sure if he was extra nervous due to the presence of an unexpected interloper who joined our tour at the last minute (due to a mixup on the website--and I gave my blessing for him to join), but it made it a little disappointing overall.

Oxford in A Day

Peter did an excellent job! We got to see so many great places and learn the history of the Inklings and where they hung out. He was just as fascinated by Tolkien and his works as my husband, which made for an excellent guide. He Called the evening before to check and make sure we didn't need any assistance. We spoke the morning of to make sure we were on schedule. When he arrived he had treats and continued giving us little treats along the way. He threw in some extra stops and stories along the way once he knew our interests.

Wonderful tour of Oxford with Tom

Tom gave us a very knowledgeable tour of Oxford and we learned so much about C.S Lewis and Tolkien. Wonderful experience would highly recommend.

Great your

Tim Green was fantastic. Really took the time to explain the history and answer any questions we had. Even met us early so we could get to another tour on time. Thanks Tim!

So thorough! The guide,...

So thorough! The guide, Michael, was knowledgeable and took extra time to show us all around. We really enjoyed!

The inklings in Oxford, highly recommend!

This tour was incredible. Michael was a fantastic guide!!! We learned so much about the time period, the colleges, the inklings. Where they ate, lived, worked, etc. all very cool!!!

A timeless and vibrant memory has now taken place in my mind

One of my goals for our long-awaited trip to England was to visit Oxford and take in some of the sights of Tolkien and Lewis. The Inklings Tour was perfect and our guide Michiel was peerless. He was patient with our questions, full of incredible information, an infectious enthusiasm, and a perfect gentleman with us two American tourists. He showed us fascinating structures all with his gentle and reverent demeanor, especially when in various worship spaces. We visited Addison's Walk in a quiet thoughtful air. And to see "orcs" on the stations of the cross was almost surreal!!! Stopping by the Turf Tavern was timely because we went back for some butterbeer after our tour was completed. Frankly, we could not have had a better guide for our experience. We even had enough time left to visit the grave site of Beren Luthien themselves! Whenever I now wear my cap I bought in Oxford, it will always bring back the joy of those hours with my wife, talking about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien with Michiel. And breathing in some of the history of Tolkien and Lewis!

Enjoyable tour learning...

Enjoyable tour learning more about the lives of some of our favorite authors- aka The Inklings. Wish we had planned more time in Oxford after the tour to continue exploring

All around informative Inklings Tour

Tom, our guide, was very personable and knowledgeable for our Inklings tour. The tour was a great way to learn some Oxford history as well, since many Oxford highlights were included.

Lovely stroll through Oxford History through the eyes of the Inklings

Our guide,Tom, lead an amazing tour easily transitioning between the Inklings, Oxford history, Inspector Morse and many other subjects. Visited wonderful sites and heard great story telling from Tom.

Lovely stroll through Oxford and Literary History

Wonderful stories . Interesting sites. Our guide seemlessly wove in Oxford history, the lives of the Inkling authors, their seminal ideas and stories, and even a little Inspector Morse. What a pleasant evening.

Personalised, thorough, and fun

We had a great time on the tour with Peter. Super knowledgeable and engaging. My kids (11 and 10 yrs) said afterward that they "thought it was going to be a boring tour, but Peter was nice and talked to us too." He weaved in some Harry Potter for the kids even though it was an Inklings tour and had some good stops along the way (hello ice cream!) too, just to break things up for them. I'd highly recommend this tour for seeing Oxford sites and for learning about JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis, as well as other literary giants in Oxford.

Dreamy day in Oxford

Wonderful overview of Oxford and its colleges. Fascinating history of Tolkien and Lewis's presence at the U and their friendship. Tom was a wonderful, thoughtful guide.

Fantastic Inklings Tour with Peter Th

Peter's knowledge of Oxford, its history (and the history of England in general!) and the Inklings is exceptional. He has a warm and affable style and cares very much about making the experience memorable. He began the tour with a local double chocolate shortbread for us and was careful to take the time needed as our conversation unfolded and our questions got answered. The tour (usually a few hours as advertised) lasted nearly four hours as we really hit it off on a personal note, and for which we were very grateful. It was a little sad to have to say goodbye. He traced the paths of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien and directed us to related places to see after the tour. The walk around the meadow, following the footsteps of Lewis and Tolkien and the walks they would take with other Inklings there, was especially memorable. Peter had particular places along the way to photograph us as we went along--a very nice keepsake! Exceptional. Highest recommendation. James and Ilona

great way to see Oxford!

This was a great tour. Our guide, Peter, was very knowledgeable and even provided chocolate and treats. We only had one day in Oxford and am so glad we did this. Our group is huge fans of Tolkien and Lewis. This was the best!

Best tour I've ever done

Outstanding tour guide. Tom went above and beyond to give us so much thoughtful detail about the Inklings and the history of Oxford through the lens of Catholicism and the Church of England. A tour that was made lovely by a natural flow of conversation and a Tom's rich insight into CS Lewis, Tolkien, and the other Inklings, as well as his scholarly understanding of the buildings of Oxford. Highly recommend! Best tour I've ever done.

Miguel (Michael?) The Best Ever Tour Guide!

Our family of 5, including 3 teens, cannot stop talking about this amazing tour guide! Having only one previous day, essentially, to spend in Oxford, it was best to spend 4.5h (yes, Michael went way over his time to take us around) on this tour. It’s pricey, but hey, you get what you pay for. Being a family that’s well educated in the classics we were still surprised by joy with all the juicy titbits of historical information & classical & contemporary perspectives Michael offered. Thank you so much, the tour with you, Michael is truly an unforgettable memory of our day in Oxford.

Tolkien/Lewis - full treatment

This is an excellent tour! Peter, our guide could not have been more attentive and helpful, as well as extremely knowledgeable about all things Tolkien and Lewis and generous with his time. We learned a great deal about Oxford as well which rounded out the experience. I had a few concerns which the tour company addressed to my complete satisfaction. Peter had lots of suggestions of things to see, places to eat, and video links to other resources of interest. And he followed up with us afterwards to assist us further if we desired it. Highly recommend this tour.

Tom M was excellent!

Tom M was an excellent tour guide. He had a vast knowledge of the Inklings but also the history of University of Oxford. Tom was eager and enthusiastic to answer our questions. The tour exceeded our expectations.

Excellent experience

Brought a group of grad students from the USA studying British authors, with special focus in Oxford on the Inklings. The tour was perfect for our group. We saw every essential site with a knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide (Peter). Will do it again.

Incredible Inklings!

Mikiel and his delightful Inklings tour were the height of our trip to Oxford! Thoughtful commentary and fascinating stories about the writers and the academic community that inspired them provided a fascinating and impressionable day. As avid readers, this experience was a joy, but anyone with an interest in great stories would thoroughly enjoy this richly nuanced tour. Highly recommended!

Shame on Alasdair for stiffing us

The guide, Alastair, never showed up. First, he contacted me outside Viator asking me to change the tour time from 3pm to noon. Come pained about only 2 people booked. I explained that i had another tour at 10:30 and it would be difficult to be at the meeting place by noon. He persuaded me to come at 12:30. My wife and I practically ran in the heat to make that schedule and he never showed up. This was our only day in Oxford so a huge letdown. Fortunately, on the fly, on Broad Street we found another tour for 2:00 pm. Not what was promised on the Inklings tour, but something.

Beautiful Walking Tour

Oxford is beautiful and we enjoyed walking around the university and seeing all the sights as well as learning a little about the history.

Inklings

This tour was excellent. The guide was knowledgeable and deeply interested in the subject. He brought us to the sites I wanted to see but provided background that made it even more enjoyable. He also added additional information about oxford and things to see as well as emailed additional information. He was also very personable. I have been in the UK for a month and this was by far the best tour out of them all.

Wonderful experience in Oxford

Peter was an excellent tour guide! He gave us plenty of information about Tolkien and Lewis, not to mention other general history of Oxford that was fascinating, but he also threw in plenty of tidbits related to Harry Potter, since one of my kids was along for the ride and found that information more interesting. He even extended the tour for us, as we were eager for any additional insights that he could provide. He also brought snacks, and he even helped us find the correct bus to get back to our park-and-ride. All-around great experience!

Thoroughly impressive! Outstanding.

Our guide, Tom, was super knowledgeable, took questions any time, and showed us so many places we’d seen in movies plus historical details about the university. We are impressed with the depth of the tour.

Knowledgeable

Tom is very knowledgeable about the inklings of Oxford and of the University itself. He made great efforts to taylor the tour to our interests and we had a great time and learned a lot!

Excellent tour, a must if in Oxford!

Our tour guide, Michael, was amazing! He had so many interesting things to share that really made the tour come to life. I’m more of a Tolkein fan and my wife is more of a Lewis fan, and the tour was a good balance of sharing about both. I would definitely recommend this tour if you’re going to Oxford!

A Deep Dive Into the Inklings!

For someone who wants a deep dive into the world of the Inklings, this is the tour! Our guide knew the the Inklings stories deeply, and was comfortable conversing on their various theologies/philosophies. The tour lasted much longer than expected, and the guide was not opposed to joining our group afterward at the pub to continue our conversations about Lewis. The highlight was walking the path where Lewis trod, and we wish the tour had STARTED with that particular highlight.

Beyond expectations!

Peter was a wonderful tour guide. He was very prepared and knowledgeable about the subject. We went to so many places and he concentrated on what we were interested in. We whole heartedly endorse this tour.

Alasdair was a great tour...

Alasdair was a great tour guide. He is so knowledgeable and really tailored the tour to our interest and answered all our questions. He was fun and funny and we enjoyed our time with him. I would absolutely recommend him.

A GREAT day in Oxford!

Our time with Peter was wonderful! Very personable and attentive to his guests! We loved the little “extras” that he surprised us with! So much fun learning more about CS Lewis and Tolkien (and a little about Harry Potter too). Well spent time!

Inklings/Oxford Tour with Peter @ visitoxfordtours.com is a must if you really want to learn the university and city!

Visiting Oxford and are passionate bibliophiles. Requested a Inklings Tour and had Peter Th who did an amazing job. Extremely knowledgeable and offered both historical and insider perspectives/information. Stayed with us beyond the tour and even took us through Blackwells! Ended our adventure with tea & scones. Highly recommend Peter and Visit Oxford Tours!

Beautiful Tour with Michiel

This tour was excellent. Michiel was engaging and knew a lot about Lewis (which is why I went). It was beautiful to hear the stories of the inkings, their friendship, and their faith journeys. I would highly recommend this tour and Michiel as a tour guide. This was by far my favourite part of our two-week UK trip. I would honestly do this tour again. Thanks Michiel

Michiel was Fantastic

Our tour guide was Michiel, and he was fantastic. He showed us where some of Lewis' and Tolkien's inspiration came from and told us beautiful stories about their life. Highly recommend this tour to any fans of Lewis and Tolkien. Michiel also had an excellent knowledge of other histories in Oxford, which was cool to hear, and we felt we could've easily spent more time touring.

Delightful Tour of Oxford

My parents and I went on the Inklings Oxford Tour with Tom and we really enjoyed it! It was just what we had hoped for, seeing where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis lived, worked and wrote. We especially loved seeing Magdalen College and the lamppost that inspired C.S. Lewis. We also went to several places later on that Tom recommended to us while we were on our tour, for which we were very grateful. We saw several other tours around Oxford that were much larger groups, which would have been hard for my parents, so I was so glad we were able to go with Tom as he patiently went at our pace.

Excellent Tour

Excellent tour! We arrived earlier than our scheduled tour and the guide for another tour by this company gave us some suggestions on colleges/shops to see while we waited for our tour. We shared our guide Tom with another family of 3 from the USA which was fine. We had plenty of time to do and see all that we wanted in Oxford.

Memorable and informative tour

I went on the Inklings Oxford Writers Tour with Tom and had a fantastic experience. We saw Magdalen College that C.S. Lewis attended, did the Addison's walk, peeked in at Merton College, and saw many of the sites frequented by the Inklings. Tom was happy to answer all of our questions and shared tremendous insight into the lives of these writers. I never felt rushed or hurried along as he was very patient and took his time making sure we were getting what we wanted out of the experience. I also found him to be a very kind and sensitive person and appreciated that about him. He also recommended other sites in the area not included in the tour and was very helpful.

Fascinating Inklings/Oxford tour

Michiel was our guide and he was fantastic! Super knowledgeable and as enthused about the Inklings as we were. We learned so much and could feel the rich history around us as he described it. Highly recommend both the guide and the tour!

Very knowledgeable guide,...

Very knowledgeable guide, Tom, who shared the rich history in detail of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis