60-minute library guided tour

About this tour

Immerse yourself in the fascinating history of the Bodleian Library and University of Oxford with our 60-minute library guided tour.

The tour begins in the medieval Divinity School, the University of Oxford’s oldest teaching room and first examination school.

You’ll go inside Convocation House, which was built in the 17th century for meetings of the University’s supreme legislative body, and housed Charles I’s parliament while he resided in Oxford during the English Civil War. You’ll visit Chancellor’s Court, the University’s imposing former courtroom, where students were put on trial by the University for their misdemeanours. The tour ends in the exquisite Duke Humfrey’s Library, the atmospheric heart and the Bodleian Library's oldest reading room.

You will see:

Divinity School
Convocation House
Chancellor’s Court
Duke Humfrey’s Library

Find out more about these spaces.

Tour and Tea

Why not complement your 60-minute tour with a traditional afternoon tea served in the Bodleian Café?

Explore the Bodleian Libraries’ historic spaces on a guided library tour, then unwind in the beautiful atrium of the Weston Library with a selection of savoury and sweet treats, tea, coffee, or prosecco. Vegan options available.

View the menu (PDF).

Key tour information

The 60-minute tour is delivered in English.
Meet your tour guide in the entrance to the Divinity School (Proscholium).
The tour includes a number of stairs. We regret that no lift is available.
Children must be 11+ to join this tour, and must be accompanied by an adult.
Private bookings and upcoming closures will affect what tours we can offer – check closures before you book.