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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 04 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Annabelle Thorpe

Punting – whereby long, slim boats rather like a Viennese gondola are propelled along by plunging and pulling a ten-foot pole in and out of the water – is the quintessential Oxford experience. It’s also an ideal way to see the architecture of the colleges and the surrounding countryside, whilst escaping the crowds.

Punts can be hired in various locations, from Port Meadow, just north of the centre, to Magdalen Bridge, right by Magdalen College or from the Cherwell Boathouse.

Price from: £16
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 6+
When: All year around
Duration: 1+ hours

Getting there & doing it

The Cherwell Boathouse has the biggest number of punts and is located to the north of central Oxford, a 10-minute taxi ride from the station. Punts can also be hired from the Magdalen Bridge Boathouse at the end of the High Street, although this stretch of the Cherwell is always much busier.

To punt out of the city and into the countryside, head for Port Meadow, also to the north of town.

Punts are charged by the hour; the time you hire the boat is noted, and then the hours added up when you return – meaning you can be flexible with timings, rather than having to return after a set period.

When to do it

Punts at Cherwell Boathouse are available to hire every day from mid-March to mid-October, from 10am until dusk. Magdalen Bridge Boathouse is open March to October.

Weekends are usually busy all season, so either book ahead online or go early in the day. Weekdays are quieter.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Shared | Oxford Walk & Punt Tour With Optional Christ Church Entry Led By Alumni

Shared | Oxford Walk & Punt Tour With Optional Christ Church Entry Led By Alumni

Oxford

Enrich your visit to the University of Oxford with a graduate-led 1.5-hour college walking tour and a student-led 30-minute punting tour. Ge...

£39 | Rating 4.91 / 5 [12 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Cotswold Lodge Hotel

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)[0.7 miles]

A classically-styled hotel in an elegant Victorian mansion, with an award-winning restaurant.

Official star rating:

Old Parsonage

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)[1.2 miles]

History and style combine at this elegant hotel and restaurant. Art-filled and centrally located, it’s the perfect romantic escape.

Official star rating:

Tower House

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)[1.8 miles]

A charming B&B in a 16th-century townhouse, right in the heart of the city centre and close to all the main sights.

Official star rating:

Old Bank Hotel

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)[1.9 miles]

A 5-star boutique heritage gem in a converted bank, with luxurious rooms and an excellent central location.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Oxford

Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)

One of Britain’s most beautiful and historic cities, graced by heartstopping architecture and home to the world’s second-oldest university.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Ashmolean Museum

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)[1.6 miles]

A world-class collection of art and architecture in the heart of Oxford that ranges across 3,000 years of history, with Egyptian rooms to rival those of the British Museum.

Best for ages: 6+ | Free

Oxford University Colleges

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)[1.8 miles]

Oxford’s extraordinarily beautiful colleges have housed everyone from prime ministers to presidents, and pair centuries of British history with spectacular architecture.

Best for ages: 13+ | £3

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Blenheim Palace

Woodstock, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)[10.9 miles]

One of Britain’s greatest country houses, and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim boasts 300 years of history in a spectacular setting.

Best for ages: 13+ | £32

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