Travel bucket list idea:

Punting on the River Cherwell

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)

Several wooden punting boats docked in a line at the river's edge. There are two red-bricked buildings with bunting across them, and a table and chairs on a patio in front of them. The opposite riverbank has trees and greenery along it.

Credit Shutterstock.com/Wang Sing

Last updated: 08 February, 2024

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.

Logistics

Price from: £16

Minimum age: 0

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.

Who to go with: organised tours

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

Oxford | Alumni-Led Walking & Punting Tour w/opt New College

Oxford

Viator

Our guides, Oxford alumni or students, blend personal experiences with a passion for the city's history and architecture. The tour is conducted in English and takes place outdoors. Indoor access isn’t included unless booked in advance. For entry to specific colleges, request this option ahead of time. Take a fascinating walk through Oxford, where history comes alive. Visit the meadows where Lewis Carroll first imagined Alice in Wonderland and admire stunning Gothic and Baroque architectures. Our 90-minute tour covers highlights like Balliol College, Trinity College, Sheldonian Theatre, Bridge of Sighs, Old Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Square, All Souls College, St Mary’s Church, Merton College, Christ Church College Meadows and South Wall. After your walking tour, you’ll be directed to the punting station. You'll be chauffeured past Oxford’s Botanic Gardens, Magdalen College School fields, Christ Church Meadows, and St Hilda’s College gardens before returning to the Boathouse.

Price £38

Min age 4

Rating 4.72 / 5 [22 ratings]

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