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Oxford University and Harry Potter Tour with Live Entertainment

Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Oxford, England
High interest
Booked 2 times today.
  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket

Why travelers loved this

5.0
·
· Adeline_B ·
Jun 2026
It’s a good mix of interesting facts and magic tricks which is helpful to keep the younger ones interested. Shane was very pleasant and engaging. He took lots of questions and made the 90 mins fly by. Really recommend (we had a 14 and 16 year old and they really enjoyed it too).
· Nicole_I ·
Jul 2026
This was one of the most unique, entertaining, and informative tours we'd ever been on. Our 11 and 13 year old kids were engrossed the entire time, and we learned so much about Oxford's history while laughing often at Shane's quips and marveling at his close-up magic tricks. Highly recommend!

Overview

Even before Harry Potter, Oxford was a magical city. Add even more magic to your day on this unique tour led by an actual magician who’s performed for the British royal family and A-list celebrities. As well as top sights and fascinating trivia, expect mesmerizing tricks and illusions, including a recreation of a famous spell from a Harry Potter movie. Book in advance as tours do sell out.
  • Discover the doorway that’s said to have inspired C.S. Lewis’ Narnia
  • Capture photos of classic landmarks like the Bridge of Sighs
  • A choice of departure times lets you plan your day and fit more in
  • This compact tour is perfect for travelers short on time in Oxford

What's Included

  • Live Entertainment Your guide a Magician to the British Royal Family

    Meeting and Pickup

    Meeting point

    • 13 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AS, UK

      We meet Outside Theo's Cafe and Heritage of Oxford 13 Broad street OX1 3AS

    End point

    • The Sheldonian Theatre
      Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AZ, UK

    Itinerary

    1

    Theo's Café

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    2

    Martyrs' Memorial

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    3

    Balliol College

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    4

    History of Science Museum

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    5

    Bridge of Sighs

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    6

    New College

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    7

    All Souls College

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    8

    University Church of St. Mary the Virgin

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    9

    St Mary’s Passage

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    10

    Brasenose College

    3 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    11

    Radcliffe Camera

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    12

    Bodleian Library

    7 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    13

    Sheldonian Theatre

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    14

    The Divinity School

    5 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Stroller accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
    • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

    Traveler Photos

    Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

    Reviews

    5.0
    based on 79 reviews
    Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
    Sort by: Most insightful

    Great tour for families!

    Jennifer_H, Jul 2026
    Shawn was an awesome tour guide keeping our kids entertained and still giving great educational info for the adults. Not an easy feat!!

    Oxford Magic in Every Corner!

    Patricia_B, Jul 2026
    Our Oxford Magic Tour with Shane was such a fun and unique way to experience Oxford! It was the perfect compact tour of the city, combining fascinating details about Oxford’s history and landmarks with helpful tips and recommendations for making the most of our visit. Shane also shared connections to famous films like Harry Potter and pointed out landmarks featured in other well-known works, which made the tour even more interesting. The fun magic that he intertwined through the tour made it feel truly unique and memorable. Shane was knowledgeable, engaging, and entertaining, and he brought Oxford to life in a way that was both informative and fun.

    I had a wonderful time...

    Sereine_P, Jul 2026
    I had a wonderful time during my guided tour of Oxford with Shane, a very friendly and talented magician guide. His original approach, great sense of humour, and passion for the city made it truly enjoyable. I learned a lot about Oxford’s history, its iconic places, and many fascinating stories. It also helped me identify the places I wanted to explore further and the topics I wanted to discover in more depth. I would highly recommend it!

    Great tour around the Oxford

    Pavel_A, Jul 2026
    Shane is definitely one of the best guides we've ever met! The tour was exciting, insightful, fun and easy-going with tricks and gags, worths its money 100%

    Magic tricks made more memorable

    Nicole_H, Jul 2026
    I enjoyed learning about Oxford’s sights from an illusionist and Oxford insider, who told stories and performed thematic magic at each stop.

    An awesome experience

    Nicole_I, Jul 2026
    This was one of the most unique, entertaining, and informative tours we'd ever been on. Our 11 and 13 year old kids were engrossed the entire time, and we learned so much about Oxford's history while laughing often at Shane's quips and marveling at his close-up magic tricks. Highly recommend!

    Informative, entertaining and interesting.

    Mick_R, Jul 2026
    Our guide was very Informative loads of interesting facts great entertaining magic. Worth every penny.

    Knowledgeable and fun guide!

    Eugenie_E, Jul 2026
    Loved the tour with Shane, so fun friendly and knowledgeable. Like a true local he knows bits you don't find in a textboik. And top it off, my daughter was wowed by his magic tricks!

    Shane was a great tour....

    Sarah_B, Jun 2026
    Shane was a great tour. Somehow managed to entertain both adults and kids! We all enjoyed it - highly recommend

    Great experience. Shane...

    Jorge_L, Jun 2026
    Great experience. Shane explained each location really clearly. The magic tricks were unfortunately not my style, though I enjoyed it.

    A fun, informative tour

    Adeline_B, Jun 2026
    It’s a good mix of interesting facts and magic tricks which is helpful to keep the younger ones interested. Shane was very pleasant and engaging. He took lots of questions and made the 90 mins fly by. Really recommend (we had a 14 and 16 year old and they really enjoyed it too).

    Great tour!

    Laura_R, Jun 2026
    Great tour! Good info while still fun for kids! Provided interesting info and did some magic along the way!

    Very informative and...

    Manuel_M, Jun 2026
    Very informative and interactive. Definitely gave a lot of great tips on what to do and not to do in Oxford to get the most for your money.

    The perfect all in one tour with a great guide 👍🏼

    Isalyne_C, Jun 2026
    Shane is a very pleasant and knowledgable guide! He told us a lot about Oxford history, the unique college system, student life and famous movies filmed there. For Harry Potters fan, you will see everything with Shane. The magic was really fun and well executed. To this day, I still don't understand HOW 🪄 We really appreciated his advice on where to spend our time and money. Some colleges or HP visits are quite expensive and aren't always worth it. We don't regret following Shane's advice after visiting the huge Blackwell's bookshop and New College (instead of Church College). The tour lasted 1h30 but wasn't tiring as you don't have to walk that much. I think this is really accessible for children or people with small walking difficulties. As non-native English speakers, Shane speaks very clearly and slowly. My sister, who doesn't always understand English, told me she followed well and understood almost everything. In conclusion: We recommand this tour to everyone: adult, children, history lovers, magic lovers...

    An Insiders Guide to Oxford

    Teresa_S, Jun 2026
    Shane was very interesting, engaged with all people in the group, kept the pace perfect, not too long or too slow or fast. His tour of Oxford covered a bit of history with great backstories involving former students and locations providing inspiration.

    Wonderful!

    Caitlin_O, Jun 2026
    Wonderful quick tour! Shane was great: funny brief and had some lovely tips for staying around Oxford and some insight into being a student there. Took many of his recommendations and enjoyed how entertaining and friendly the tour was. Would recommend!

    Shane was an excellent...

    Julie_W, May 2026
    Shane was an excellent guide, the tour was informative and fun - suitable for everyone! The magic was a great addition along with his hints and tips on visiting Oxford.

    The tour was a great...

    Michelle_P, May 2026
    The tour was a great start point to getting to know a bit about Oxford University , our guide Shane was knowledgeable & entertaining ! Even some great tips about what to do next and possible things to avoid ;

    Would definitely recommend

    Gaby_S, Apr 2026
    It was a cool magical tour with a very sympathetic guide - his personal recommandations were very helpful and the historical information combined with his tricks were really cool too! Would recommend 9 out of 10!

    Sean the Magician is grand

    Susan_R, Apr 2026
    Sean was very informative and highly entertaining. Great for young and old alike. . . even told my son who grew up in Oxford a thing or three. Brilliant.

    Don't over think it...

    Daniel_J, Mar 2026
    Traveling can be hard. Did you pack the right things? Is the place booked? Will we all have fun? Do yourself a favor and make it easy by booking with Shane and this tour. ~30+ 5 star reviews. This is a s close to a slam dunk as you can have when traveling. Shane is an Oxfordian who knows his stuff and is a gentlemen to boot. Knowledgeable, friendly, and a great magician. 10/10!

    Informative and...

    Beth_C, Nov 2025
    Informative and entertaining tour. Magic tricks are an added bonus. Tour guide was friendly and gave tips for what other spots worth visiting

    It was a nice general...

    Kristen_W, Sep 2025
    It was a nice general tour of the main points of interest in Oxford University. Some good info and fun facts given. The tour guide was friendly and fun. The magic tricks kept it light and entertaining

    Shane had a wealth of...

    Tara_B, Sep 2025
    Shane had a wealth of knowledge and was a great tour guide, we appreciated his candid suggestions of what's worth doing in the area and how he knew all the spots to keep dry during the rain showers!

    Fun informative tour

    Nicole_B, Aug 2025
    Well-delivered tour by Shane; would recommend 100%. Not just for adults either; I just went with my husband, but my son, who is a teen, would have equally enjoyed it. If you pick one tour, pick this one. Loads of facts and tips on which places to pay to visit or not, which we appreciated.

    Money Well spent

    steffan_k, Jul 2025
    Interesting, light, moneysaving. Crash course in Oxford history. Magic tricks are awesome. Thumbs up from all my family. Great guide

    Response from Host, Jul 2025

    Hi Steffan, Thank you so much for your great 5⭐️ review! I’m so pleased you found the tour interesting, light, and money‑saving—a true crash course in Oxford history. It was a pleasure guiding you and your family around oxford. Thank you once gain for taking time to leave me this review. regards Shane oxford walking tour guide

    nice and competant guide

    Anna_S, Jul 2025
    neatly organised, very nice, competant guide, very interesting, friendly and funny, the tricks was a nice touch

    Response from Host, Jul 2025

    Hi Anna, Thank you so much for your fantastic 5⭐️ review! I’m delighted you found the tour neatly organised, interesting, and enjoyable. It was a pleasure guiding you—glad the magic tricks added that extra touch of fun! Thank you once again for the review! Warm regards, Shane – Oxford Magic Walking Tours

    Shane gave a great tour...

    Matthew_K, Jun 2025
    Shane gave a great tour of Oxford. It was the perfect length and level of detail for a family with an 11 year old on a quick day trip to visit the city. Highly recommended.

    Response from Host, Jul 2025

    Hi Matthew, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this lovely 5⭐️ review — it really means a lot! I’m so glad the tour was the perfect length and level of detail for your family and that your 11-year-old enjoyed it too. It was a pleasure having you join me. Thanks again for your kind words and recommendation! Warm regards, Shane – Oxford Walking Tours Guide

    Highly recommended

    Katja_H, Jul 2025
    Very interesting, a mega-friendly guide, cool tricks, great pictures, mega backdrop, very impressive stories, highly recommended
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    Super magical and informative

    Anne_C, Jul 2025
    Great walking tour for adults and older kids! Informative and exciting. Harry Potter was experienced up close.
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    Response from Host, Jul 2025

    Hi Anne, Thank you so much for your fantastic review! I’m glad you and the older kids found the tour informative, exciting, and you enjoyed Harry Potter sites. It was a pleasure guiding you all! Warm regards, Shane – Oxford Magic Walking Tours
    Likely to Sell Out

    From $27.22

    per person

    up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

    Book ahead!
    On average, this is booked 19 days in advance.

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