Vanbrugh House Hotel Oxford: Bespoke Walking Tours

Vanbrugh House Hotel in Oxford has teamed up with Iain Stevenson, Oxford University graduate and expert guide, to offer bespoke tours of the city. The tours are curated specifically to showcase Oxford’s spectacular architecture, scholastic history, and political and cultural impact on the country. 

Vanbrugh House Hotel is an iconic location steeped in history. The property was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, famous within the English Baroque movement and architect of nearby Blenheim Palace. Vanbrugh House Hotel was originally a large Georgian house, and is of the same glorious sandstone construction as the surrounding landmarks. Nestled on a side street just off the bustling shopping streets in the centre of the town, it’s the perfect place to begin your tour.

Iain’s 90-minute tours, which are all crafted to the specific interests of the guests, begin and end from the hotel’s reception and include the history and heritage of the hotel itself. Iain will arrange access into buildings for Vanbrugh House Hotel guests that cannot be entered by the general public. He is delighted to share stories and insights from his first-hand experience of life as an Oxford Alumnus, spilling what really goes on under those dreaming spires. Custom tailoring his tours based on guests interests, Iain provides knowledge of Harry Potter connections, C.S Lewis’ Wonderland and even ghost stories from the city’s dark cobbled streets. 

The tour can be booked directly with the hotel, or as a package from £299 per room including a hamper breakfast. To book, visit vanbrughhousehotel.co.uk or call 01865 244622.