The first time I walked through the Great Gate into the Old Schools Quadrangle, I half-expected someone to check my credentials. But here’s what catches you off guard: whilst the Bodleian Library in Oxford is very much a working research library – scholars studying beneath medieval ceilings, over 13 million books in the stacks – parts of it are open to tourists who just want to gawp at the architecture. You need a tour to see the most impressive bits, mind you, but it’s more accessible than you might think and one of the main reasons to visit Oxford.
Quick overview
Entry to the Weston Library is free – including exhibitions, the café, and the shop. To see Duke Humfrey’s Library, the Divinity School, or the Radcliffe Camera, you’ll need to book onto a guided tour costing £10–£20 depending on which spaces you visit and how long you spend there.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
At a glance
| Price | Opening hours | Address | Free for | Last entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free (Weston Library); tours £12.50–£22.50 | Mon–Fri: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Sat: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Sun: 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. | Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG | N/A (Weston Library free; tours not free) | Varies by tour |
How much does the Bodleian Library cost?
The pricing structure is more straightforward than it first appears: the Weston Library building costs nothing to enter, whilst the Old Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera require tour tickets.
Tour prices
| Tour type | Duration | Price | What you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Humfrey’s Library tour | 30 minutes | £12.50 | Duke Humfrey’s Library only |
| Standard tour | 30 minutes | £12.50 | Divinity School, Duke Humfrey’s Library |
| Extended tour | 60 minutes | £17.50 | Divinity School, Convocation House, Chancellor’s Court, Duke Humfrey’s Library |
| In-depth tour | 90 minutes | £22.50 | Everything in the 60-minute tour, plus Gladstone Link and Radcliffe Camera |
The 60-minute tour with afternoon tea costs from £45.50 per person and includes the full 60-minute tour followed by a traditional afternoon tea in the Bodleian Café (Monday to Friday only).
Important booking information:
- Most tour tickets are only available to buy in person on the day at the Weston Library information desk
- Tours sell out quickly, especially weekends and July–August
- A limited number of tickets go on sale online exactly one month in advance (e.g., a tour on 5 August at 10:00 a.m. goes on sale 5 July at 10:00 a.m.)
- The 90-minute tour runs Saturdays and Sundays only
- Children must be 11 or older to join tours
There’s no family discount or concession pricing – everyone pays the same regardless of age (as long as they’re over 11).
5 Oxford experiences worth booking
- 🎓 Take an Oxford University walking tour led by an alumni guide.
- ⚡ Explore Oxford’s Harry Potter filming locations on a tour including New College.
- 🚣 Embark on a scenic river cruise along the University Regatta course.
- 🕵️ Discover the Oxford of Morse, Lewis and Endeavour on a themed walking tour.
- 🏰 Hear dark historic tales on a guided visit to Oxford Castle and Prison.
Is the Bodleian Library free to enter?
Yes and no, which is admittedly annoying. The Weston Library is completely free – walk in off Broad Street, visit the exhibitions, browse the shop, have a coffee in the café. No ticket, no charge, no restrictions.
The Old Bodleian Library (the medieval bit everyone wants to see) and the Radcliffe Camera (the round building that’s on every Oxford postcard) are only accessible on guided tours, which aren’t free.
So if you just want to say you’ve been to the Bodleian, you can do that for nothing. If you want to stand inside Duke Humfrey’s Library where they filmed the Hogwarts library scenes, that’ll be £12.50 minimum.
What time does the Bodleian Library open?
Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Divinity School is frequently closed for university events, which affects tour availability. When I checked in January 2026, there were closures scheduled throughout February and March. The website lists upcoming closures under “Plan your visit” – genuinely worth checking before you travel, as they’re not rare occurrences.
When the Divinity School is closed, only the 30-minute Duke Humfrey’s Library tour is available, which bypasses the Divinity School entirely. You’ll know this has happened if the 60- and 90-minute tours aren’t listed for your chosen date.
Do I need to book Bodleian Library tickets in advance?
For the Weston Library: No, just walk in.
For guided tours: It’s complicated. Most tickets are sold in person on the day at the Weston Library information desk, and they sell out fast – particularly weekends and summer. If you want a specific tour time, arrive when they open (9:00 a.m. weekdays, 10:00 a.m. Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. Sundays).
A small number of tickets are released online exactly one month before each tour. These disappear quickly, so if you’re organised enough to book a month ahead and you know which tour time you want, online booking is worth attempting.
If you’re visiting during term time on a weekday afternoon, you’ll likely get tickets on the day. July and August? Arrive early or accept you might not get your preferred time.
History
The Bodleian’s history starts in 1320 when Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester, donated a collection of chained books that sat above the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. This medieval library grew with donations, most notably from Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, between 1435 and 1437. His collection required a larger building – hence Duke Humfrey’s Library, which opened in 1488.
The English Reformation nearly destroyed everything. When Protestant reformers came through Oxford, they burned Catholic texts. By the late 1500s, the university’s once-extensive library reportedly held only about ten books. Oxford – England’s seat of learning – had been gutted.
Enter Sir Thomas Bodley, a diplomat and scholar who decided to restore the university library. He donated his private collection and secured commitments from publishers to donate copies of new books. The library reopened in 1602 with Bodley’s name attached. It’s been the Bodleian ever since.
The library holds legal deposit status, meaning it’s entitled to request a free copy of every book published in the UK. This right dates back to 1610 and explains why the Bodleian now holds over 13 million items across 23 library buildings.
Famous readers include Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and countless monarchs, prime ministers, and Nobel laureates. It’s still very much a working library – thousands of Oxford students and researchers use the reading rooms daily.
Inside the Bodleian Library
The Weston Library (free entry) is the modern face of the Bodleian, reopened in 2015 after extensive renovation. The ground floor houses rotating exhibitions from the library’s collections – when I checked, they were showing Jane Austen materials alongside displays about the library’s treasures. These change regularly and are genuinely high quality. The café serves decent coffee and the shop stocks literary gifts that aren’t complete tourist tat.
The real draw is the Old Bodleian Library, accessible only by tour. Tours start in the Divinity School, a 15th-century examination hall with one of the finest vaulted ceilings in England – over 400 carved bosses depicting Biblical scenes, heraldic crests, and grotesques. It’s almost absurdly ornate. This room also doubled as the Hogwarts hospital wing in the Harry Potter films, though they’d rather you focused on its actual history.
Duke Humfrey’s Library sits above the Divinity School and is the oldest reading room in the Bodleian, dating from 1488. Medieval bookshelves line both sides of a long room with painted ceilings. It’s hushed, dim, and genuinely atmospheric – you understand why Tolkien and Lewis worked here. The library is still in use, so tours are brief and you’re asked to be quiet. Photography isn’t allowed, which is frustrating but understandable.
The 60-minute tour adds Convocation House (where university business was conducted) and Chancellor’s Court (a wood-panelled space displaying portraits of university chancellors). These are interesting if you care about Oxford’s governance history, less so if you’re just here for beautiful rooms.
The 90-minute tour (weekends only) includes the Gladstone Link, an underground tunnel connecting the Old Library to the Radcliffe Camera, and ends inside the Radcliffe Camera itself. This is the tour to book if you want the full experience. The Radcliffe Camera is Oxford’s most photographed building – a circular 18th-century library with a magnificent domed reading room. It’s only accessible on this tour, so if you want to go inside, there’s no other option. Note that photography isn’t permitted inside the Radcliffe Camera.
All tours involve stairs – no lifts are available. The 90-minute tour also involves considerable walking, including through underground passages.
What’s included with your ticket?
Free at the Weston Library:
- Entry to the building and exhibitions
- Access to the café and shop
- Public toilets
- Free Wi-Fi
With a tour ticket (£12.50–£22.50):
- Guided tour of historic spaces (specific rooms depend on tour length)
- Expert commentary from knowledgeable guides
- Access to working library spaces not otherwise open to the public
Not included:
- Photography inside Duke Humfrey’s Library or the Radcliffe Camera (not permitted)
- Access to reading rooms as a working researcher (that requires separate registration)
Things to do near the Bodleian Library
Radcliffe Camera exterior and Radcliffe Square (20 metres, 30 seconds’ walk) – You can’t go inside without the 90-minute Bodleian tour, but walking around the outside and through Radcliffe Square costs nothing. The 1749 rotunda is one of Oxford’s defining images. The square itself is surrounded by historic college buildings and usually filled with tourists taking photos.
Sheldonian Theatre (100 metres, 2-minute walk) – Designed by Christopher Wren in 1669 as the university’s ceremonial hall. Graduations still happen here. You can tour the building and climb to the cupola for views over central Oxford. The ceiling fresco depicts Truth descending upon the Arts and Sciences.
Bridge of Sighs (150 metres, 2-minute walk) – Technically Hertford Bridge, connecting two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane. Built in 1914, it’s modelled on Venice’s Bridge of Sighs (though it looks nothing like it). You can’t walk across it, but it’s photogenic from below.
Ashmolean Museum (250 metres, 3-minute walk) – Britain’s oldest public museum, opened in 1683. World-class collections spanning archaeology and art: Egyptian mummies, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Stradivarius violins, Samurai armour. Five floors of genuinely impressive exhibits. The rooftop restaurant has excellent views.
University Church of St Mary the Virgin (300 metres, 4-minute walk) – Oxford’s university church, dating from the 13th century. Climb the tower (127 steps) for panoramic views over Radcliffe Square and the city. The café in the crypt serves good cakes.
Other museum highlights in Oxford include the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Story Museum and Oxford Castle and Prison.
Practical tips
- Location: On Broad Street in central Oxford, immediately recognisable by the distinctive Old Schools Quadrangle
- Getting there: 15 minutes’ walk from Oxford railway station. The city centre is compact and walkable. Use Park and Ride if driving – parking in central Oxford is severely limited and expensive
- Time needed: 30 minutes for the free Weston Library; add 30–90 minutes depending on which tour you book. Many visitors spend 2–3 hours total
- Photography: Allowed in the Weston Library and around the exterior. Not permitted inside Duke Humfrey’s Library or the Radcliffe Camera. The Divinity School allows photography
- Accessibility: The Weston Library is fully accessible. All guided tours involve stairs with no lift access. The 90-minute tour includes substantial walking and underground passages
- Age restrictions: Children must be 11+ to join guided tours. The Weston Library has no age restrictions
- Crowds: Summer (July–August) is extremely busy. Weekday mornings during term time are quietest
- Tours sell out: Arrive early or book online a month in advance. Weekend tours and summer tours disappear fast
- Closures: The Divinity School closes frequently for university events. Check the website’s “upcoming closures” section before planning your visit
- Bag policy: Large bags aren’t allowed in exhibition galleries. There’s no luggage storage
- Respect working library rules: Keep noise down. Don’t eat or drink in library spaces. This is still a functioning academic library
FAQs
Can I go inside the Radcliffe Camera?
Only on the 90-minute guided tour, which runs Saturdays and Sundays. There’s no other public access. If you want to see inside, this is your only option.
Do I need to be a student to visit?
No. The Weston Library is open to everyone, and anyone over 11 can join guided tours. To use the Bodleian as a working library and access the reading rooms, you’d need to register as a reader, but that’s separate from visiting as a tourist.
Will I see the Harry Potter filming locations?
Yes, on any tour that includes the Divinity School and Duke Humfrey’s Library (which is most of them). The Divinity School was the Hogwarts hospital wing. Duke Humfrey’s Library inspired the Hogwarts library scenes, though they built sets based on it rather than filming there directly.
How long does each tour last?
Exactly as advertised: 30, 60, or 90 minutes. Guides keep to time because tours are scheduled back-to-back throughout the day.
Are tours suitable for children?
Children must be 11 or older. Tours involve stairs, standing for extended periods, and listening to detailed historical commentary. Younger teens interested in history or Harry Potter generally enjoy them. Children who fidget or get bored easily might struggle.
What happens if my tour is cancelled?
The library reserves the right to cancel tours at short notice, usually due to university events. Pre-purchased tickets are refunded. This is why buying on the day, whilst riskier for availability, gives you more flexibility.
Can I eat in the library?
Food and drink aren’t allowed in the exhibition galleries or on tours. The café in the Weston Library is where you eat and drink.
Is there a cloakroom?
No luggage storage is available. Don’t bring large bags or suitcases – you won’t be able to take them into the galleries.
What’s the difference between the Old Library and the Weston Library?
The Old Bodleian Library is the medieval complex around the Old Schools Quadrangle – the historic reading rooms, Divinity School, and so on. The Weston Library is the modern building opened in 2015, housing exhibitions, the café, and administrative spaces. They’re connected but serve different functions.
Should I book the longest tour?
If you want to see the Radcliffe Camera interior, yes – it’s only accessible on the 90-minute tour. Otherwise, the 60-minute tour covers most highlights. The 30-minute tour is brief but worthwhile if you’re short on time or only care about Duke Humfrey’s Library.
