The Original Uncomfortable Oxford™ Tour
5

The Original Uncomfortable Oxford™ Tour

By Uncomfortable Oxford Tours
Recommended by 94% of travellers
94% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 30-64, max of 15 per group
Duration: 90–100 minutes
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Uncomfortable Oxford™ Trained Guide
What's not included
  • Entry/Admission - Balliol College
  • Entry/Admission - Oxford


Start:
  • Carfax Tower, Queen St, Oxford OX1 1ET, UK
    Meet us at the bottom of the tower - look for the guide with the 'Uncomfortable Oxford' tote bag!
End:
  • Broad Street, Broad St, Oxford OX1, UK
    This tour finishes outside Balliol College on Broad Street.

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Pushchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 158482P3

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travellers can participate
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 158482P3

From
£20.00
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • Queen St, Oxford OX1 1ET, UK
    Meet us at the bottom of the tower - look for the guide with the 'Uncomfortable Oxford' tote bag!
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
    Pass by
    Westgate Oxford
  • Broad St, Oxford OX1, UK
    This tour finishes outside Balliol College on Broad Street.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • Uncomfortable Oxford Tours
    204
    United Kingdom
    Joined in May 2019
  • H2644XPjg
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly recomended!
    This is a really informative, and engaging, tour. It provides critical insights into the origins, curation, and mission of the museum. Our guide, Devika, did a great job of encouraging reflection and discussion. I would highly recommend it to all.
    Written 21 January 2025
  • suegJ5098ER
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide makes this a visit not to be missed.
    I know the Ashmolean well, but the guide Jonathan really made it come to life and taught me many new things about the exhibits, the curation of the museum and its history. He was incredibly knowledgeable, but more than that, his love of the subject really came through. The tour was more like a conversation where all views were accepted and discussed. I recommend this tour very highly for anybody who wants to think about museums and the provenance of objects in a different way.
    Written 8 October 2024
  • Y7669ARlilya
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Devika, keep up the amazing work you are doing
    The tour was amazing because of our tour guide Devika, she knows what she is doing, engaging with everyone, her presentation, knowledge, personality what made the tour worth it. Thanks a lot for that
    Written 1 October 2024
  • mbianyorb
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    TRUTH TOURS
    The Oxford Tour was a real eye opener for me into the unpleasant history that is enshrined within skyhigh and breathtaking castles. I learnt to go beyond being marvelled by beautiful cities to questioning the historicity of the places I'm in.
    Written 1 October 2024
  • Boo73
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lifts the lid and invites you to peer into how some of Oxford University is funded. Sackler, Said, Blavatnik et al.
    Follow the money lifts the lid on Oxford funders and funding and invites you to peer into the murky depths. Walking tour starting at the Said Business School and finished at the Blavatnik School of Government. The tour leader was excellent and didn’t try to push an agenda, more a case of giving you information (which was well researched) and then asking the group for their thoughts. Good mix of views in the group. Left me thinking and continuing to ask questions- how far would go along a moral/ethical line to secure funding? Highlighted what appears to be quite an opaque system of discussions and judgements. Highly recommended.
    Written 30 September 2024
  • tarjeil2024
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Think&Walk
    I attented several av of the walks with Uncomfortable Oxford in 2023. All were very good. This is a city walk concept which encourages dialogue and critical thinking, very much in line with the values of a university
    Written 22 August 2024
  • nmG9342HH
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent
    Excellent tours - properly researched while also being accessible. I have been on the Oxford and Empire, Follow the Money, and Literature tours - all were thought-provoking and uncovered fascinating aspects of the city's complex history. The guides were all fantastic!
    Written 22 August 2024
  • U3427OWameliaw
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The difficult topics were presented with compassion, allowing the group space to think about how we felt about them.
    I did the Curiosity and Colonialism tour of the Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museums. I don't often visit Natural History museums (I prefer art galleries) but I was really excited to learn more about the Oxford NHM since I knew very little about it. I loved how we started off by looking at the architecture, both outside and inside, and how that informs how the space is received by visitors. As with all the Uncomfortable Oxford tours, participants are encouraged to give their opinions to the information being given by the guide, Devika, and also our responses to the items being highlighted. I particularly found the section in the Pitt Rivers challenging as we were confronting the violence used to 'collect' the items and also the literal violence on display in the form of weapons and clothing worn as someone died. I would 100% recommend this tour to anyone who already feels uncomfortable about Natural History Museums or to people that love them - it will make you consume them more critically in the future.
    Written 30 January 2024
  • U3427OWameliaw
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This tour makes you look critically at how museums display & label items in their collections & how you feel about that
    This was the third Uncomfortable Oxford tour I did and it certainly lived up to the other 2! I had been finding myself feeling more conflicted about museums but this tour brought up things I had not considered yet. The tours encourage discussion among participants and this really added to the experience as it was fascinating to see how different people responded to the items we looked at. The tour made me see how much labelling is dedicated to the money - the people who paid for various exhibits are often more prominently labelled than what the item is and where it is from! It was especially interesting to be discussing marble sculptures and casts given the conversation around the Parthenon Marbles was in the news that very week. I will definitely be visiting museums with an even more critical eye in the future. Thanks so much to Charlotte and Georgia for being such great tour guides.
    Written 30 January 2024
  • robinI8102PI
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cold but ever so informative!
    We arranged for a tour for mature Oxford students who are all working in health services in many parts of the world. Most were completely new to Oxford so this tour was a great introduction to some Oxford history and tied in well with their studies. I'm not a student and I can say it was every bit as interesting and informative for me as it was for the students. Very interactive as well. I highly recommend!
    Written 17 October 2023
  • U5098MLjamesa
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Engaging and provocative
    Wonderfully crafted approach to showing and explaining the "other" side of Oxford's role in UK's modern history. Engaging format where guides ask opinions and ideas of participants. Thoughtful, provocative and engaging. One of the best tours I have ever taken.
    Written 24 July 2023
  • corailb2023
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour & important topics
    We had a great time! Our guide was a very kind & knowledgeable former history student in Oxford. The tour sparked interesting conversations within the group. I would recommend to anyone!
    Written 23 July 2023
  • 47hiteshd
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An engaging tour!
    This was a very informative and interesting tour. I saw a museum I have been to many times in a completely new light. This is an interactive tour, where the participants were encouraged to discuss the questions raised by the guide, and I found this a really helpful way to engage with some of the more debated elements of the museum and its collection.
    Written 6 July 2023
  • Kay S
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A different angle on a historic city
    It’s a really interesting alternative look at the history (and future) of Oxford. Based in the historic centre a well-informed enthusiastic guide leads a discussion on the controversial questions of the historic legacy
    Written 8 May 2023
  • catherineI1968IO
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t miss!
    Start your experience of Oxford with one of these tours - no visit to the city is complete without it!
    Written 16 April 2023
See all 204 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles77 reviews
Excellent
69
Very good
4
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
1

Andrea C
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Knowledge is power and there's lots of it on this tour! Our guide, Devika, was informative, entertaining, authoritative, and galvanizing. She walked us through Oxford sharing the "uncomfortable" histories behind places we'd seen plenty of times but never really turned a critical eye to. Genuinely changes the way you see a city (and possibly every city you'll ever visit). It was a great experience! We've already recommended it to Oxford-bound friends and will continue to recommend it in the future.
Written 13 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sherpa08435852002
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Friends
We had an amazing experience as a group, completely enraptured. Our guide, Jonathan, was such a sweet heart and completely accommodating to a group of law students and our endless stream of questions. Would 100% recommend for anyone looking for a more unique tour of the city !!!
Written 1 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are really happy to hear this great feedback and will pass on the compliments to Jonathan!
Written 18 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Amelia W
Oxford, UK3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Solo
The tour was run by Charlotte and she was really knowledgeable about the uncomfortable sides of Oxford. I had previously done a 'standard' walking tour and it was interesting to see the same places being talked about in completely different ways. I especially like the discussion focus of the tour - you're given information and then encouraged to think about your reaction to that, or how it makes you feel. The discussions in the group really added to the experience.

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who knows Oxford, or doesn't, as it gives you a different perspective on the city and the University.
Written 30 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cruiser43049109241
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
The name says it all - uncomfortable. We have traveled quite a bit and never have we experienced something like this. This is not a tour to provide history or information, this is a social justice commentary and an attempt at indoctrination.
While their differentiation is to provide the "uncomfortable history" of Oxford by pointing out potential abuse of power in history, our guide continued to pressed and ask the group where such abuses continues today. We spent most of our time at each stop commenting on todays issues with privilege and the underprivileged, rights to an abortion, right to contraception, socioeconomic access to healthcare or lack their of, etc.
Rather than speaking about the beautiful buildings, what they were and are used for, how did it come to be that there are multiple colleges, why the architecture includes courtyards, style of buildings through time, AND include the "uncomfortable history" that happened all over the world and is part of history and our development as as people; the tour was simply a social commentary rather than anything historical.

If you want to be indoctrinated as to why government and power are bad now then take this tour. If you want a historical education on Oxford avoid this tour at all costs.
Written 30 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Polly255344
Launceston, Australia79 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I can highly recommend this tour for seeing a different aspect of Oxford. We had a small group of 6 which was ideal for being able to chat easily. Milan our guide was very generous with his time and gave us a good 2 hours plus of his knowledge and experience. We all learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed hearing some stories about Oxford which are not necessarily covered by other tours.
Written 8 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sewingbee22
Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Friends
I highly recommend this tour for an alternative view of Oxford. So interesting to hear about the history and consequence of an elitist system and privilege. Kelsey, our tour guide was brilliant. I love the way she included everyone by asking the groups opinions and opening up a gentle debate. Such a great guide and very knowledgable.
Written 7 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emily H
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Such a fun and informative tour. Chloe was really knowledgeable but also left loads of time and space for respectful discussion around the topics that were covered. I will definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Oxford. A really unique and thought provoking experience.
Written 22 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jyoti R
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
This tour was really informative and covered varied elements about Oxford's History and its connection to the Empire that are not addressed in other tours of Oxford. It was also interesting to be able to share my own opinions and ideas on topics raised on this tour with the other participants. This tour also provided detailed information about Diversity and Equality at Oxford University in a historical context and more currently how it affects the Oxford University. Johnathan our tour guide was friendly and informative and facilitated our group to discuss and share opinions freely. This was a very enjoyable tour and I recommend it to anyone interested in Oxford university and its broader cultural history.
Written 30 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Xan K
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Thank you for a great experience last Friday. The tour was perfect for our group of American university students, and Cameron proved an excellent guide and facilitator. I appreciate the questions he put to the students and his interest in fostering dialogue, rather than simply talking at the group. We had a good discussion later at dinner about the things we discussed during our walk, and the tour was a great complement to our visit to the Pitt-Rivers earlier in the day.
Written 9 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa D
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
Amazing walking tour with interesting facts and room for discussion with the group. A unique experience!
Especially with the ongoing debate on how to approach difficult aspects of history that we see and acknowledge in form of statues etc. today, this tour gives the opportunity to talk about different views and options in a very friendly and respectful environment.
Written 10 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

The Original Uncomfortable Oxford™ Tour provided by Uncomfortable Oxford Tours

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