Oxford - Getting Around & Guided Tours

Quite a bit of the centre of Oxford is pedestrianised. I don’t think a bus would help a lot. It’s easier to walk

Hop on hop off-buses are useless as a mode of transportation. The best way to get around central Oxfors is as mentioned on foot. If you want to go a bit further, use the regular town buses. They offer more routes, more frequent departures and are cheaper.

For all you'd get, $45 is a good deal. I always like HOHOs as a way to just sit back and see a city/area. You can always hop off and walk where you want. We walked up the Carfax Tower. The ticket seller who sits inside had a few jokes and seemed to be very unbusy/lonely! We were the only ones there in mid-June, 2022.
If you're fans of PBS's Morse, you might stop for a pint at the Morse Bar in the Randolph Hotel. Strolling through Christ Church and Magdalen College and across the Magdalen Bridge to South Park are great ways to enjoy Oxford.

The combined ticket looks good value - as long as you are wanting to include those two tours rather than doing your own self guided tour or one of the many other tours on offer in the city. (Carfax tower costs £4 to go up.) Looking at the map for the HOHO bus, it is mainly city centre sights and all of those will be walkable (and possibly as quick to walk too.)

In this case £32 is a very good deal, and at least at the moment the service is running on an 8 minute headway, every 20 in deep winter

The Stepping Through Oxford Walk is £9 Senior Citizens, the Town and Gown is £16 and Carfax Tower is £4 (Total of £29) so you essentially get 2 days of transit for £3.

Even if you walk most of the time, even if you instead only took 1 local bus day at £2 on each of the days the HoHo has paid for itself.

I know we'd take the Stepping tour. I'm trying to find out details about the Town & Gown -- specifically if and which colleges it visits.
The name certainly implies that it does but there's no details on the provider's website (https://www.citysightseeingoxford.com/oxford-walking-tours/town-gown-walking-tour/).

Curiously, the HOHO website doesn't specify the two tours. It only says "Guided walking tour (seasonal)". It's the City Sightseeing Oxford website that has the HOHO bus and walking tour offers. Regarding the T&G tour it just specifies 90 minutes and "Our popular longer walking tour delivered by friendly and professional guides". No details.

Thanks everyone for your advice, it helps us decide.

"I'm trying to find out details about the Town & Gown -- specifically if and which colleges it visits."
If T & G does visit colleges, I don't think that they can state with certainty which colleges will be open for visits on any given day. Christ Church, especially, does not allow visits due to certain ceremonies, etc. You don't actually need to go with a tour group if the colleges are open, though. You can just wander around unless things have changed since I was last there in 2022.

"Get your Guide" site offers a potential itinerary for the Town & Gown including the following phrase: "Stroll pass Christ Church, Hertfort College and other iconic locations". This would suggest no admission.

"Get your Guide" site offers a potential itinerary for the Town & Gown including the following phrase: "Stroll pass Christ Church, Hertfort College and other iconic locations". This would suggest no admission.

Thank you, that's helpful. I hadn't found any details about that tour.

And yes, the "stroll past" seems pretty certain that there's no entry.

if you can choose which colleges you would like to visit, they are all online, and which will be open during the time you will be there, DIY is very easy. Just pay the porter at the entrance, take the flyer they give you (sometimes) with a map and list of attractions on it, and stroll around. I have some favs (for personal reasons) but they may not be yours.

Quite a few of the colleges are free to enter

Based on a consensus of a half dozen travel websites, I've compiled this list of possible college visits. It won't be all of them; we'll decide based partly on which area we'll otherwise be in. I'm interested in any suggestions about what to add or omit.

Christ Church
Arguably the most impressive Oxford college; definitely the most expensive at about £20.

Magdalen College
One of the biggest £8.50

New College
Impressive chapel, oldest dining hall £7

Balliol College
One of the oldest, dating to 1263, stunning chapel £5

All Souls
Best view from University Church’s tower Free

Exeter College
Unique medieval chapel. Charge wasn’t specified.

Merton College
Where Tolkien wrote much of The Lord of the Rings in its magnificent medieval library £2

Trinity College
Baroque chapel £5