The Inklings Oxford Writers Tour - Private Groups Daily

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Oxford, England

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Levi_L ·

Oct 2025

Learned a ton, very inspiring tour especially Magdalene college addison’s walk. We focused mostly on Lewis because we had a train to catch and compressed the tour to two hours but it flew by and wished it lasted 2x as long. Ray was fantastic. Excited by the material and enjoyable to talk to.

· Lena_U ·

Jul 2026

We were traveling to Oxford with 3 family generations. We wanted a tour focused on the Inklings, specifically Lewis and Tolkien. Our tour guide, Mikeal, was an absolute expert. He was passionate about the subject and knew so much about them. It was such a blessing for our Inkling loving family.

Explore our promoted experiences

Horley, United Kingdom

Crawley Gatwick to and from Stonehenge Private Transfer

from $320

Per group

Southsea Mystery Guide Self-Guided Treasure Hunt

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

4.7

(40)

Southsea Mystery Guide Self-Guided Treasure Hunt

from $10

Price varies by group size

Oxford, United Kingdom

4.8

(105)

The Original Uncomfortable Oxford™ Tour

from $0

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Explore the world of ‘The Inklings’—the mid-20th-century writers’ group that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien—on this private Oxford walk. Rather than researching locations yourself, let a guide show you where the writers worked and relaxed. Visit Exeter College where Tolkien studied; and see Lewis’ Magdalen College and other sights while learning history and literary tales you’d otherwise miss. A choice of departure times gives you flexibility.

Trace the steps of ‘The Inkling’ writers' group on a private tour in Oxford
Easy way to find places connected to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and others
See Exeter, Merton, and other colleges where the writers studied and taugh
Hear tales you’d miss alone, and choose from various time slots to suit you

What's Included

Entry to Magdalen college worth £10 per adult included in ticket price
On any dates, when Magdalen is closed, entry replaced to an alternative college except Xmas dates
Tour is led by award winning guides with hundreds of existing 5 star ratings for this tour!

On any other new dates when Magdalen college is closed, we will always forewarn you here....
Magdalen is closed every year during Christmas typically from December 22 to 31
On dates outside Christmas or outside university graduation dates, we visit an alternative college
Magdalen 2026 closures includes Feb 24 and June 26, 27, 28 and Sep 25 and Oct 24
Magdalen college will be open from 10am to 1pm only on Thursday September 24th 2026

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

15-16 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AS, UK
Meet your guide wearing red lanyard. Meeting next to our black sign, OUTSIDE Oxford Tourist info centre, 15 Broad street, OX1 3AS. This is also next to the Oxfam shop which has a green sign above its shop.

End point

Magdalen College
Oxford OX1 4AU, UK
The tour does not have a fixed end point but the city centre is compact and the guide will ensure you have a map and directions to where you want to get to next.

Itinerary

Exeter College (Pass By)

Magdalen College

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Merton College (Pass By)

University Church of St. Mary the Virgin

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Radcliffe Camera (Pass By)

Brasenose College (Pass By)

All Souls College (Pass By)

Hertford College (Pass By)

Lincoln College (Pass By)

Jesus College (Pass By)

The Oxford Hotel Spa

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Balliol College (Pass By)

Trinity College (Pass By)

St John's College (Pass By)

Bodleian Library

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Bridge of Sighs (Pass By)

Radcliffe Camera (Pass By)

University College (Pass By)

St Edmund Hall (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
While children are welcome, this tour is not aimed at children's attention span or interests
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

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

4.8

based on 120 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sort by: Most insightful

Great private tour for lives and journeys of Lewis and Tolkien

Adrian_C, Aug 2026

We had an excellent and engaging private tour with Ray. We had asked specifically for emphasis on Tolkien and Lewis, and when we met him said we were happy for a focus on their Christian journeys. Ray proved to be a knowledgeable and entertaining guide, taking us to see many of the relevant sites, included the colleges they attended and taught at, the church where Lewis lectured, the walk where Tolkien helped with Lewis’ conversion, and the hotel where they met for drinks. He had a folder of relevant pictures and quotes and read some quotes in an impressive voice. The 2 hour tour focussed mainly on the colleges (and did not cover for instance, where tolkien lived or his gravesite, as these were too far away). Ray also pointed out other interesting literary spots relevant to Harry potter, Alice in Wonderland and Wind in the Willows. Ray also had an outstanding general knowledge of the history of Oxford. He was flexible to cater for our specific interests. I would highly recommend a private tour with Ray for anyone with similar interests.

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Many thanks for sharing such a detailed review of your tour as led by Ray.

Am Inkling Expert!!

Lena_U, Jul 2026

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks!

The best tour we could have asked for

Triin_R, Jul 2026

This was my favorite guided tour in Oxford. The guide, Mikhil was lucky to be able to guide us on the 1st of July which was open day in the colleges. Since we are both educated teachers, we were allowed to visit several of the colleges which were important for the formation of Lewis and Tolkien. Mikhil was amazingly knowledgeful and gave great insights into the legends lives. We are very grateful!

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks for the super review.

Tom was very...

Amy_R, Jun 2026

Tom was very knowledgeable! Magdalen College was our favorite part of the tour. Tom was very good about asking us if we had any questions.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks

GOOD tour not great tour

Vicky_D, Jun 2026

We truly enjoyed walking the campuses, seeing buildings, interesting details & histories of Oxford, and going inside some chapels and other places. We learned some tidbits of insight into influences on Tolkien and Lewis and saw some of their haunts. I suppose I thought I would be regaled with more lore of the Inklings and even get to pause at a site or two for a fun story. Our guide was good. Nothing wrong. Just not special.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks for your feedback

Inkling Tour

Sam_G, Jun 2026

We loved the our tour. We loved our tour guide. Very polite and knowledgeable. He was prompt, helpful and answered all our questions.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks for booking us.

Our tour guide never...

Lorien_C, May 2026

Our tour guide never showed up and the provider had to refund our money. Because we had not prebooked entrance to the spots that were included in the tour, many were sold out and we could not even visit them on our own. Extremely disappointed.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hi Lorien, Yes, apologies- that was my error that your 10.45am tour did not get delegated to a guide. However, unclear what you were referring to about venues being closed as Magdalen is the only college visited on this tour and it has published closures and was open to enter until 5pm. Sincerely

Great tour!

Kimberly_C, Mar 2026

Michael was amazing!!! So knowledgeable and accommodating!!! Learned so much! Definitely would recommend.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks

Excellent experience!...

Naomi_P, Oct 2025

Excellent experience! Loved seeing a variety of locations in Oxford while talking about CS Lewis, Tolkien, and others.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thanks

Exceptional

Levi_L, Oct 2025

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thanks!

Michiel was personable,...

Mark_D, Sep 2025

Michiel was personable, highly informed and tailored the tour to our background and interests. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thanks

Inklings in Oxford

Sam_B, Aug 2025

Peter was an excellent guide and his passion and knowledge about the subject was very evident. He was great with communication- about time and meeting up and even sent along several excellent links to books and movies for references post tour. Enjoyed our time in Oxford!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks for choosing us.

Great tour and great tour guide!

Timothy_P, Aug 2025

George was an amazing guide. He had great knowledge about both Tolkien and Lewis but customized our tour based on we wanted to know! Highly recommended for any Lewis or Tolkien fan!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks

Excellent tour

Amy_B, Aug 2025

It was a great tour of historical oxford peopered with stories of some of our favorite authors. Recommend!

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks!

Oxford Was Fascinating

rebekah_o, Jul 2025

It was so neat to see buildings that have existed through so much history! The tour guide was so knowledgeable and made it so fascinating that the tour just flew by!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks

Excellent choice of tours in Oxford.

h_h, Jun 2025

This was a wonderful tour! Tom was very knowledgeable about Tolkien and Lewis, as well as historical Oxford and the various colleges. His memory is fantastic—he quoted poetry, prose, and explained Latin phrases to us. The tour ended with a fun pub recommendation. This was a great start to our time in Oxford. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks for recommending your tour

Delightful and informative for Inkling devotees

Laura_S, Jun 2025

Our guide, Michael, was pleasant and a wealth of information. By the end of the tour, we had seen a number of Oxford sites, but all tied into the lives and history of the Inklings. Highly recommend for Lewis and Tolkien fans. Other tours may take you to some of the same spots, but not with the same perspective and richness of story!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks

Great & knowledgeable guide!

Catherine_C, Jun 2025

Michel? (Michael) was a great guide. Because it was a private tour, he was happy to customize it based on what we hadn’t already seen. He was very knowledgeable about the subject and Oxford in general as well. Well worth it! Thank you!!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thanks

Peter was a very...

Andrea_M, May 2025

Peter was a very knowledgable guy! We enjoyed this tour so much! He took his time with us and was so much fun!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thanks, Andrea.

Oxford last weekend

Lara_B, May 2025

Overall a good experience and view la of Oxford, even if you aren’t a huge Tolkien/ Lewis fan. Our guide was knowledgeable and made this a fun experience

Response from Host, May 2025

Thanks for your review.

First class experience

Robert_R, May 2025

First class experience. Michael was quite knowledgeable about the university and Lewis. Be prepared for a long walk off at least 4 miles. But it was worth every inch. The tour exceeded my expectations.

Response from Host, May 2025

Thanks so much!

Wonderful Day in Oxford

Christopher_S, May 2025

This tour was exceptional. It was intimate and personalized. Our guide had so much knowledge about not just the Inklings but the history of Oxford. He answered every question until we ran out of questions! Highly recommended.

We had a wonderful time...

Amy_K, Mar 2025

We had a wonderful time in February visiting Oxford and learning about the lives of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien thanks to Harvey’s knowledge.

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Pleased to hear it. Thanks.

Fantastic, knowledgeable...

Kelsey_B, Mar 2025

Fantastic, knowledgeable guide! He gave great tips for other sites as well, including Tolkien and our other interests.

A Tolkien-Lewis tour of Oxford given by one of the Wizards of Viator

Greg_S, Dec 2024

Ray asked us several questions regarding our interests and then tailored the whole tour into an incredibly interesting thoughtful surprising and thoroughly delightful experience! Wow! Each turn we took felt as though it had serious historical “pop”! His knowledge of the story lines of Tolkien and Lewis is quite deep (he would certainly be know in middle earth as on who is very deep in lore). Ray is Awesome. The sites were all amazing and engendered deeper reflection. Now I have all these to read! What a great feeling! Thanks Ray!!!!

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Hi Greg, Thanks for the super review.

We had an excellent time...

Allison_W, Dec 2024

We had an excellent time on our tour of Oxford with Mikiel! He was very knowledgeable and tailored the tour to our interests. He was very friendly and funny too. Our whole family agrees it was one of the best parts of our trip even despite the cold weather. Highly recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Hi Allison, Thanks for such a super recommendation.

An Afternoon Oxford with a Master Storyteller

MariaSofia_O, Oct 2024

If you love CS Lewis and Tolkien, don’t miss this tour. You’ll visit all the key places where they lived and studied as well as key places that changed their lives. Ray is one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had. He’s friendly, knowledgeable, and a master storyteller.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Such a super recommendation. Thanks. Sincerely

Fantastic Experience

Rebecca_B, Sep 2024

Our guide, Tom, was fantastic! His expansive knowledge of Oxfords history and its colorful characters made the streets come to life. We would highly recommend to any JRR Tolkien or CS Lewis enthusiasts to snatch Tom!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thanks for sharing your review here too.

Inklings Tour by Ray a must-see in Oxford!

Jenna_C, Sep 2024

We spent a lovely afternoon in Oxford with our guide Ray on this Inklings tour. He’s very knowledgeable, interesting and showed us all around the town and special locations. We enjoyed it thoroughly - highly recommend!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thanks for such a super review

Great time

DonaldSteedman, Jul 2024

Our guide was very generous with his time, and took us to all of the important Tolkien and CS Lewis places. (We were far more interested in Tolkien, and he was more of Lewis specialist, but it worked out fine, and he knew alot about Tolkien.) He also provided us with alot of local cultural information. One highlight was the Ent Tree; andother was the Eye of Sauron.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thanks for the thumbs up! I would say that 95% of our clients on this tour, are more interested in CS Lewis but it's good to see that you are one of the rarer breed of Tolkien fans!