How to Book
To make your visit to Christ Church as safe, comfortable and enjoyable as possible we have introduced a new booking process.
To visit you will need to book a timed ticket via our online booking system.
Tickets will be released on a weekly basis.
You can book a maximum of 11 tickets.
Visit our ‘Tickets’ page for prices and details on what is included.
Please note that Christ Church is a working institution, and the Hall or Cathedral may be closed at the time of your visit. Known closures will be clearly indicated against the relevant timeslots on the booking system. Please select your timeslot carefully.
If you need assistance in buying your ticket please email tourism@chch.ox.ac.uk
What to Expect
Christ Church is a College, a Cathedral and home to many members of Christ Church. We continue to keep everyone safe, continuing to maintain social distancing and other mitigation measures, including reduced capacity and face mask use (unless exempt) until otherwise announced.
To maintain a safe environment for everyone and enhance your experience all visitors must book in advance.
Arrival
Please arrive at the Christ Church Visitor Centre up to 10 minutes before the time stated on your booking.
We ask that only the person who has booked the tickets comes into the Visitor Centre so that social distancing can be maintained and queues are minimised.
Face coverings are required inside the Visitor Centre.
Your e-ticket will be scanned and redeemed at our check-in desk and you will be issued with multimedia guides for each ticket holder on your booking.
The multimedia guide acts as your pass to the Christ Church site, and ticket holders must wear these around their necks at all times for security purposes.
Make your way to Meadow Gate (opposite the Visitor Centre) and show your multimedia guide to the Custodian on duty. You can scan the QR code on the NHS Test and Trace poster, or provided the required details, as you enter.
During your visit
You will be free to follow the visitor route at your own pace. You will have the opportunity to take photographs, listen to and watch your multimedia guide, and enjoy walking through the quads and cloisters of Christ Church. Members of staff will be on hand if you have any questions or queries.
Many of the areas you will visit are outside. Face coverings must be worn when inside the Hall and Cathedral as well as in the Visitor Centre (unless exempt).
For the safety of everyone please follow any guidance given to you by members of staff.
Visits normally last around 45-90 minutes. The multimedia guide contains around an hour's worth of content.
At the end of your visit
You can return your multimedia guide to our dedicated team on Meadow Gate, before heading back to into the Meadow where you will be able to use our toilet facilities and enjoy browsing our shop until 16.30 when the Visitor Centre closes. Please note though that no food or hot drinks are allowed onto the main Christ Church site.
Multimedia Guides
Multimedia Guides
Our state-of-the-art multimedia guides are included in the price of admission and are required to visit Christ Church.
Multimedia Guides
- Available in 12 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Czech, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Korean
- High-resolution touch screens filled with interactive content
- Behind-the-scenes videos of areas not open to the public
- Interviews with staff, students, and academics
- Archive material illustrating over 1000 years of history
- Digital 3D model of Christ Church showing its architectural development over the centuries
Family Multimedia Guide
- An Alice in Wonderland-themed adventure for all the family
- Fun activities and interactive games
- Available in English
British Sign Language Multimedia Guide
- All the content from our multimedia guide, overlaid with footage of BSL interpreters
- Additional captions in English
The multimedia guide acts as your pass to the Christ Church site, and must be worn around your neck at all times for security purposes.
The multimedia guide will have been cleaned before collection but wipes will also be available if you wish to clean the device yourself before use. Headphones are available and will also have followed the same cleaning process. However, we recommend bringing your own wired headphones (standard jack) to use with the multimedia guide.
We will collect your multimedia guide from you at the end of your visit for cleaning.
Groups
Due to our Covid-secure capacity limits and the need to maintain social distancing on site, we are not currently able to accept group bookings to Christ Church. The maximum number of tickets that can be purchased per order is 11. If you would like to book more than 11 tickets please contact the Groups Coordinator on tourism@chch.ox.ac.uk
Guiding on site
Due to our Covid-19 health and safety measures, guiding will not be permitted on site when we reopen.
We will update our website as soon as anything changes. In the meantime, please email tourism@chch.ox.ac.uk with any further queries.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Safety Measures
Christ Church is a working college and cathedral and home to many members of the Christ Church community. This presents a unique set of challenges when welcoming visitors to the site and we want to do this in the safest way possible while providing you with an enjoyable experience. The following measures have been introduced:
Social distancing
To reduce queues and ensure social distancing can be maintained throughout the visit all tickets are timed and capacities have been reduced. Please keep 2m apart from others.
Hygiene and cleaning
Hand sanitising stations are available at the main visitor entrance, Shop, Café and key locations on the visitor route.
An enhanced cleaning programme is in place.
Face Coverings
Face coverings are required to enter the inside areas of Christ Church, Visitor Centre, Shop, Hall, Cathedral and Picture Gallery. They must be worn for the duration of your visit.
Staff will also be wearing face coverings across the site.
Christ Church is supporting the NHS Test and Trace operation to help contain clusters or outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus. Please scan the QR code when you enter Christ Church for your visit.
Practical Information
Safety and Security
Take care - steps and paving may be uneven, and slippery when wet.
Private areas are clearly marked. Please do not attempt to enter them.
Please refrain from obstructing paths and passages.
Take your litter home with you. Picnics are not permitted inside Christ Church.
Seats are available in the Cloister, Cathedral and Ante-Hall. Do not sit on steps or pathways.
Dogs on leads are very welcome in our Visitor Centre, Café, and Shop. However, dogs (except assistance dogs) are not permitted inside Christ Church itself.
Keep personal belongings (including small bags and pushchairs) with you at all times.
Christ Church does not have any left luggage facilities. Bags larger than a standard backpack may not be brought onsite. Random bag checks are in operation.
Please be aware of the advice issued by the Police about your safety in the rare event of an armed incident.
CCTV
CCTV images are being recorded for the purposes of crime prevention and public safety. Please contact 01865 276151 for further information about the scheme which is controlled by Christ Church.
Photography and Filming
Photography and filming: Photography is permitted, without tripods, provided this is for personal, non-commercial use. All requests for commercial photography and filming should be submitted to the Treasury (email: sally.gillard@chch.ox.ac.uk; tel: 01865 276179) seven working days in advance.
Wedding photography is not permitted without written permission from the Treasury. Visitors dressed in wedding attire will not be allowed access to Christ Church. Professional portrait and engagement photography is also not permitted at Christ Church. Christ Church reserves the right to ask visitors taking part in wedding, engagement, portrait or commercial photography to leave the premises.
Getting Here
Christ Church is located on St Aldates, an easy walk of no more than a few minutes from Oxford city centre.
You can find useful directions and guidance on traveling to Christ Church on our 'Find Us' page.
Visit the Meadow
Christ Church Meadow is a tranquil open space at the heart of the city.
The Meadow is open throughout the year (except 25 December), offering a peaceful and beautiful space for everyone to enjoy. You do not need a ticket or a booking. Go for a walk or run, sit by the river and watch the boats pass by or join friends and family for a picnic. Follow the historic pathways and take in the views of the river, the buildings of Christ Church and Oxford's famous skyline.
You can discover more about the Meadow with our brand-new Meadow Trail. Find out about the plants, flowers, and animals that make this area so special, and gain an insight into the history of Christ Church.
The trail is available online for free, or you can collect a printed booklet from our shop for a small fee.
For an in depth exploration of the Meadow, join our Head Gardener for a seasonal guided tour. Learn about its conservation, current and future planting schemes and enjoy an afternoon of peace and quiet away from the bustling city.
We ask that you observe the following when visiting Christ Church Meadow:
The Meadow is open for free all year round (closed Christmas Day). Check notices on the gates for daily opening times.
1st October - 14th October Gates close 7pm.
15th October - 30th October Gates close 6.30pm
Dogs are welcome but must be kept under close control by their owners
We ask that you leave behind only your footprints. Bins are provided for refuse and recycling.
Public bike racks are available nearby. Please leave bikes and scooters outside the Meadow.
No barbeques or music are allowed. Instead, bring a picnic, or visit our takeaway cafe!
The Meadow is open for quiet enjoyment. No ball games, kites, or frisbees are permitted.
Fishing and the catching of birds is prohibited.
Please observe the Countryside Code, and respect the flora and fauna of the Meadow.
While boats are welcome on the river, do not fasten crafts to the iron palisading or river-wall.
Do not fly drones or model airplanes over the Meadow or Christ Church.
All persons entering the Meadow do so entirely at their own risk and to the extent allowed by law. Christ Church accepts no liability for any injury, damage or loss sustained by such persons. Images are being recorded by CCTV for the purposes of crime prevention and public safety. Please contact Oxford 276151 for further information about the scheme, which is controlled by Christ Church. The Meadow Keepers may at any time stop the continuation of any
Visit the Picture Gallery
Please visit Picture Gallery for opening times and information.
Visit Virtually
Guided Virtual Tours of Christ Church
Our new Virtual Tours allow you to experience all the most well-known parts of Christ Church, in addition to private areas of the college and cathedral not normally open to the public, from the comfort of your own home.
You’ll be guided by our experts in a bespoke live tour, with additional pre-recorded interviews featuring students, staff, and clergy. From the history of the college to modern-day university life and the inner workings of the cathedral, our virtual tours cover every aspect of what makes Christ Church so unique.
What’s Included
- One-hour tour of Christ Church, delivered via Microsoft Teams.
- An exciting and innovative digital presentation
- Live narration from our team of experts
- Live Q&A opportunities
- Live technical support
To find out more and to book, visit our event page.
