About this tour
Walk through Oxford's academic past with a guide who knows the haunts where CS Lewis taught and JRR Tolkien studied. This 2.5-hour tour grants you entry to Magdalen College, where you'll see the hall, chapel, quad and gardens that shaped these writers' thinking. Designed for adults (children welcome, though private tours suit families better), it reveals how Oxford life itself fed their imaginations and legendary friendship.
Highlights
- Access Magdalen College hall, chapel, quad and grounds
- Learn where Lewis lectured and Tolkien developed his craft
- Hear how Oxford's cloisters inspired Middle-earth and Narnia
- Walk the colleges and streets that shaped their friendship
- Guided by award-winning tutors with hundreds of five-star reviews
- Entry fee (£10 value) included in ticket price
- Discover what academic life meant to these writers
What to expect
Your guide will lead you through the colleges and streets central to Lewis and Tolkien's Oxford years, explaining their routines, intellectual circles and the specific rooms where they worked. You'll enter Magdalen College itself—where Lewis spent decades—to see the spaces he inhabited. If Magdalen is closed on your date, you'll visit an alternative college such as Exeter instead, with the same calibre of insight. Expect a conversational pace that lets you absorb the atmosphere of these places, not a breathless sprint.
Good to know
Arrive 5 minutes early at the meeting point. Groups larger than 10 may need to book a private tour instead; book ahead if possible. Magdalen closes 22 December–31 December, and select dates in 2026. Fully accessible; prams, wheelchairs and service animals welcome. Public transport nearby.
Frequently asked
- How long does CS Lewis & Tolkien Tour with Magdalen Entry Public tour 13.45 take?
- CS Lewis & Tolkien Tour with Magdalen Entry Public tour 13.45 runs for approximately 2h 30m.
- How much does CS Lewis & Tolkien Tour with Magdalen Entry Public tour 13.45 cost?
- Prices start from GBP $60 per person. Final pricing varies by date, group size and any add-ons — confirmed at checkout via Viator.
- Where does CS Lewis & Tolkien Tour with Magdalen Entry Public tour 13.45 run?
- This tour operates around United Kingdom. Specific meeting points and pickup options are listed by the operator at checkout.
- Who runs CS Lewis & Tolkien Tour with Magdalen Entry Public tour 13.45?
- The tour is sold and operated by its supplier through Viator. New Forest National Park earns a small commission on bookings made via the link, which keeps this site free for travellers.
- Is the tour confirmed at the listed price?
- The price shown is the operator's "from" price as of our last sync. Final price, currency conversion, group discounts and cancellation policy are confirmed at checkout — always review before paying.
Tour sold and operated by its supplier via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original New Forest National Park summaries, not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.