Oxford tour question

Looks like a very good tour. What I'd suggest is finding out which other colleges are open to visitors and picking one or two of those, preferably near the start or end of the tour. Some of the best (architecturally and historically) IMO are Magdalen, New, Balliol, All Souls, and Merton, but all the older ones are interesting. You might also visit St. Mary's Church on High Street if the tour doesn't take you there.

The Ashmolean Museum is justly famous but might not be your best choice, given the split timeframe and your interests. You could easily fill either time slot by wandering around the central part of the city, maybe stopping in at a pub. The Eagle and Child, on St. Giles north of the center, was a favorite waterhole for C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Your tour guide will undoubtedly have suggestions for your final hour in Oxford.

@Dick Thank you for the suggestions. Unfortunately, the tour description does not name all the colleges we will see. Presumably, this varies depends on day-to-day constraints. One correction to my original post - our train arrives at 10:30 am which gives us a bit more time in the morning. The pub seems 'temporarily closed' per Google, but we can see it from outside.

The Eagle and Children is currently closed for major refurbishment. I think it’s due to reopen next year but I don’t think this timeframe is firm.

You don't say what date this is. If you are interested in choral music, you could check services in college chapels.

I would guess that your tour includes Christ Church, the Bodleian, and possibly a few of the older colleges such as Merton, Magdalen, New College and possibly Queen's. They won't be able to give you a precise itinerary if they are dependent on the visiting hours of the colleges, which are all working institutions. Beautiful architecture will be all around you.

I would also guess that a three-hour tour would not include any of the museums or art galleries, which would include the Christ Church Picture Gallery (small and manageable), the Ashmolean (much larger but worth popping in, even if you only see a small section of it), the Pitt Rivers and the Natural History Museum. The latter two are close together, and also quite near to Keble College, a striking piece of red-brick Victoriana which contrasts nicely with the older stone-built colleges.

The Bird and Baby (also affectionately known as the Fowl and Foetus) is famous for its literary associations but if it's closed you could always pop into the Lamb and Flag across the road, or better still, have a pint at the Bear (dates back to 1215) or the Turf, both very tiny and atmospheric. The tour probably won't include any shops, so you could pop into Blackwell's on Broad Street for something suitably literary to take home.

If you can spare time to wander around, check out Hoyles of Oxford Games at 71 High Street. We got a replica of the Lewis Chessmen there, and it's a fun shop with all sorts of games, cards etc. if you're looking for a gift or two. Plus, the covered market is wonderfully local if you have a few more minutes.

Wow. Thank you for all the suggestions. Now I wish I had more time :-).

Curious if there are any interesting cafes or similar, frequented by students, researchers, Professors, etc. May be a good informal early dinner/bite before our train back. The two pubs definitely look atmospheric, even though both of us do not like beer.

Curious if there are any interesting cafes or similar

A number within the Covered market.

You should check out Blackwell's bookstore! It's absolutely fabulous and been in business since 1879. A real gem.