A Literary Adventure in the City of Dreaming Spires
There are a few places in the world that feel like they were designed for readers. Oxford is one of them. Between the cobblestone streets, the lampposts glowing against the winter air, the centuries-old colleges, and the libraries that look like they were built to hold magic, Oxford feels like walking into a story.
This December, you can actually do that.
The Oxford Winter Wonderland program is returning for 2025, and it’s a week-long, fully immersive literary trip through the very city that shaped Lewis, Tolkien, Carroll, and countless others. Whether you’re a traveler, a Narnia fan, a Tolkien reader, or just someone who wants to stand where some of the greatest stories ever written were born, this is an experience you won’t forget.
If you’d like to register and attend this event, visit their website. You’ll want to act fast because this event is in only a few short weeks.
Here’s a look at what the week holds:
Day 1 — Arrival & An Evening with the Inklings
Your Oxford adventure starts the moment you step into your historic college residence. After you settle in, the program kicks off with “Evening with the Inklings.” Picture a themed dinner, lively stories, and the chance to spend time in the same kinds of pubs and halls where Tolkien and Lewis hashed out ideas that would one day change fantasy forever.
Not a bad way to start a trip.
Day 2 — Narnia, Lewis, and the Inklings’ Oxford
Start the morning with “Aslan’s Breakfast Table” in an actual Oxford dining hall—a surreal moment for anyone who has spent years reading Lewis’s descriptions of feasts.
You’ll take a guided college tour and hear from an Oxford professor about the long relationship between literature and scholarship. After “Lewis Lunch,” you’ll step inside the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a place deeply connected to Lewis’s life at Oxford.
The afternoon brings the Oxford and the Inklings Walking Tour, and the evening wraps up with “The Fellowship Feast” followed by the “Pub Crawl of the Pens.” Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.
Day 3 — Wonderland & the Women of Oxford
Begin with “The Queen of Toast” (a breakfast that feels right at home in Wonderland). Then step inside the Bodleian Library—one of the most beautiful and important libraries in the world.
After “Lunch in Wonderland,” explore Christ Church, which inspired Lewis Carroll and also appeared in the Harry Potter films. The tour continues with stops honoring Oxford’s women writers, including Dorothy L. Sayers and the alumnae of Somerville College.
End with “The Mad Hatter’s Tea,” and enjoy a free evening to wander or rest.
Day 4 — Dickens, the Ashmolean, and Ghostly Oxford
Start with “Great Eggspectations,” then explore the Ashmolean Museum. After a “Brideshead Board” lunch, tour the Oxford University Press Museum and enjoy the literary journey “From Quill to Kindle.”
The evening includes a Victorian-themed “Dickens Dinner” and a nighttime Ghost Tour—which, in Oxford, is guaranteed to be atmospheric.
Day 5 — Shakespeare & Castles
Begin with “Much Ado About Breakfast” and head to Stratford-upon-Avon to walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps. Enjoy a classic English “King Lear’s Lunch” before heading to Warwick Castle, where history and drama meet in the best possible way.
Return to Oxford in the evening for dinner on your own.
Day 6 — Farewell to Oxford
Your final morning begins with “From Sonnets to Scones,” a gentle farewell breakfast and a chance to reflect on everything you’ve seen and learned. Afterward, guests depart for London or the airport—taking home a week of memories built in the very city that shaped so many timeless stories.
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