Most of Oxford's sights are connected to the university colleges, but the city also has some outstanding museums and landmarks in their own right.
Radcliffe Camera is the iconic domed building that appears on every Oxford postcard. Built in 1749 as a science library, it now serves as a reading room for the Bodleian Library. You cannot go inside without a reader's card, but the exterior alone is worth the walk.
Bodleian Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, with buildings spanning several centuries. The medieval Duke Humfrey's Library and the Jacobean quadrangle are open for guided tours.
Bridge of Sighs at Hertford College is a covered bridge spanning New College Lane, loosely inspired by the Ponte dei Sospiri in Venice.
Christ Church Cathedral is both the college chapel of Christ Church and the cathedral for the Diocese of Oxford, an unusual double role. The Great Hall above it inspired the Harry Potter films.
Carfax Tower is all that remains of the medieval St Martin's Church. Climb the 99 steps for panoramic views across the city's spires and rooftops.
Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street is the oldest public museum in Britain, with collections ranging from Egyptian mummies to Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Free admission.
Pitt Rivers Museum is a delightfully cluttered anthropological collection housed behind the Natural History Museum on Parks Road. Shrunken heads, totem poles and masks fill the dim Victorian cases. Free admission.
University of Oxford Botanic Garden on Rose Lane is the oldest botanic garden in Britain, with over 7,000 plant species spread across glasshouses and outdoor beds.
Punting on the Cherwell is the quintessential Oxford activity. A punt is a flat-bottomed boat propelled by a long pole, and the pace is deliberately slow. You can hire punts at Magdalen Bridge or the Cherwell Boathouse and drift along the river past college gardens and overhanging willows. If you would rather not do the work yourself, chauffeured punts are available too.
Tour the colleges. Most of the central colleges open to visitors outside exam periods, usually for a small fee. Christ Church is the grandest and most famous. Magdalen is the most beautiful, with its deer park, riverside walks and Great Tower. New College has a stunning medieval cloister. Each has its own character and you could spend days exploring them.
Watch cricket in the University Parks. Oxford University Cricket Club plays on one of the prettiest grounds in England. On a summer afternoon, few things are more pleasantly English than sitting on the grass watching a match.
Visit the Sheldonian Theatre. Designed by Christopher Wren in the 1660s, this is where Oxford's degree ceremonies take place. You can climb to the cupola for fine views across the city's rooftops and spires.
Explore the covered market. The market has been trading in the city centre since 1774 and is packed with butchers, bakers, cheese shops and cafes. The Pie Minister stall does excellent savoury pies.
Walk to Port Meadow. This vast common just north of the city centre has been unenclosed since before the Domesday Book. Cattle and horses graze freely, and the views back towards the spires of Oxford are wonderful.