1. University of Oxford Colleges

Oxford University’s colleges are the city’s main attraction — 39 independent colleges, each with its own history, architecture, and traditions. The most visitor-friendly include Christ Church (the largest, with a stunning dining hall that inspired Hogwarts — £15), Magdalen College (beautiful riverside grounds, deer park — £8), and New College (medieval city wall, cloisters — £8). Many smaller colleges are free or cheap (£3-5) to enter. The Bodleian Library (the oldest in Europe, free tours available) and the Radcliffe Camera (the iconic round reading room) are must-see landmarks.

2. Bodleian Library & Radcliffe Camera

The Bodleian Library is one of the world’s oldest and most important libraries, holding over 13 million printed items. The Duke Humfrey’s Library (1488) is the oldest reading room and was used as the Hogwarts library in the Harry Potter films. The Divinity School is the university’s oldest teaching room (1488) — its stunning fan-vaulted ceiling is one of Oxford’s finest interiors. The Radcliffe Camera, rebuilt in the 18th century, is Oxford’s most photographed building — a magnificent circular library that houses the Bodleian’s theology and history collections.

Tours: Extended tour £13 (covers Divinity School + Duke Humfrey’s).

3. Punting on the Cherwell

Punting is Oxford’s essential summer experience — gliding along the River Cherwell or the River Isis in a flat-bottomed boat, punt pole in hand. You can hire a punt from Magdalen Bridge Boathouse (£22/hour for a 5-person punt) and navigate the Cherwell’s tree-lined canals and meadows. It’s more relaxing than it looks (the punting pole technique takes about 5 minutes to learn), and the views of the college backsides and Christ Church Meadow from the water are unbeatable.

4. Cotswold Villages — Bourton-on-the-Water & Bibury

The Cotswolds are defined by their villages — settlements built from honey-coloured Cotswold limestone that seems to glow in the afternoon sun. Bibury is the most photographed (the 14th-century Arlington Row cottages are on the cover of every Cotswolds guidebook — free to view). Bourton-on-the-Water is the “Venice of the Cotswolds” (stone bridges cross the River Windrush through the village centre). Stow-on-the-Wold has a market square surrounded by interesting antique shops. Castle Combe is the prettiest — used as the filming location for War Horse and Stardust.

5. The Cotswold Way

The Cotswold Way is a 102-mile National Trail running from Chipping Campden to Bath. The most popular day sections include the walk between Stanton and Stanway (5 miles, 2 hours, through the most picturesque villages), the stretch from Broadway Tower to Stanton (6 miles, 2.5 hours with spectacular views), and the Painswick Beacon circular (4 miles, 1.5 hours, Iron Age fort). The trail is well-signposted, moderate in difficulty, and passes through a dozen of the Cotswolds’ most beautiful villages.

6. Aldsworth Farm Shop & Cotswold Pub Lunch

The Cotswolds’ food is as good as its scenery. Farm shops are a highlight — Aldsworth Farm Shop, Daylesford Organic, and Diddly Squat Farm (Jeremy Clarkson’s farm shop near Chadlington) stock Cotswold cheeses, locally-reared meat, fresh bread, and estate-grown vegetables. A Cotswold pub lunch is a sacred experience — the Plough Inn at Prestbury, the Village Pub at Barnsley, and the Potting Shed at Crudwell all serve excellent food in historic surroundings.