The cheapest Bodleian Library tickets I compared cost $47, and the most reviewed is the Footprints Harry Potter walking tour at 4.7 stars from 1,822 reviews, which includes the Divinity School and New College. The Bodleian sells its own tickets too, with tours from £3 for a 15-minute self-guided Divinity School slot and £12.50 for a 30-minute guided tour (official tours page). A $200 day trip from London covers the Divinity School, Christ Church and one more college. For a college-plus-library day I’d book the $47 Footprints tour.
None of these Bodleian Library tickets is a plain walk-in ticket for the building. The Bodleian is a working research library, so what you can buy online is a visit that includes the historic Divinity School, usually as part of an Oxford walking tour. I compared all three Bodleian Library tickets on GetYourGuide, with prices in US dollars taken from the listings in November 2026. The booking buttons are affiliate links, which I explain on my about page. The Bodleian is in Oxford, about 90 km from London, so one of the three Bodleian Library tickets is also a transport option. The Bodleian’s own tours are listed on its visitor site, and I compare them with the resellers below.
Bodleian Library Tickets at a Glance
Here is the short version of the Bodleian Library tickets available, before I go through each one in detail. Every one of them can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before the start.
What
Details
Ticket types
3 tours that include entry: 2 Oxford walking tours, 1 day trip from London
Price range
$47 (two walking tours) to $200 (day trip with transport)
Areas included
The Divinity School on all three; New College, Christ Church or another college depending on the tour
Not included
Interior of Duke Humfrey’s Library (booked directly with the Bodleian, per the Visit Oxford Tours listing), tips
Official ticket
Bodleian tours from £3 (15-minute Divinity School slot), £12.50 (30-minute tour), £17.50 (60-minute tour), per the official tours page
Time to allow
About 1.5 to 2 hours for a walking tour, 10 hours for the London day trip
Address
Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BG for the Weston Library; Old Library via the Great Gate on Catte Street (official)
Hours
Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 17:00 (official)
The differences between the Bodleian Library tickets come down to what else travels with the Divinity School: a Harry Potter quiz, a second college, or the train or coach ride from London. The building itself is the same on all three.
Bodleian Library Tickets and Prices
The Bodleian Library tickets and prices are narrow: $47 for either of the Oxford walking tours and $200 for the day trip from London. The Visit Oxford Tours listing, called Harry Potter Insights Divinity School Group Tour, lasts about 1.5 hours to 105 minutes and has a rating of 4.7 from 794 reviews. The listing says the entry to the Divinity School film site at the Bodleian is included in the price, along with a guide and a detailed map of the Oxford city centre colleges.
It runs in nine languages: English, French, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, German and Spanish, which is the widest choice of the three Bodleian Library tickets. You meet your guide, who wears a red lanyard or a Harry Potter gown and hat, by a red sign outside the Oxford tourist information centre at 15 Broad Street. The listing says it does not include the interior of Duke Humfrey’s Library, and that this can be booked directly, nor entry to the New College or Christ Church film sites.
Visit Oxford Tours
Harry Potter Insights Divinity School Group Tour
★4.7 (794 reviews)
1.5 hours - 105 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: The Divinity School specialist: $47, about 1.75 hours, nine languages and 4.7 from 794 reviews, but check the closure dates first.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Guide
✓ Detailed map of Oxford city centre colleges, attractions and sights
✓ Entrance to the Divinity School film site at the Bodleian Library is included in the cost of the tour
Not included / not suitable
✕ Visit to the interior of the Duke Humfrey's Library inside the Bodleian Library (can be booked directly)
✕ Entry to the New College film site or Christ Church film site
✕ Note that on these dates, Divinity School is closed all or part of the day. On days that it's closed during the tour schedule, we can arrange to book later entry time eg usually at 3.30pm, to see inside the Divinity School, after the tour ends
✕ Please see notice of 2026 published Divinity School closures below- on all the following dates, tickets for this tour have been removed from sale but you can instead book our separate New College tour on any such dates below
Meeting point: Meet your guide wearing a red lanyard and/or Harry Potter gown & hat, by our red sign, outside Oxford tourist info centre, 15 Broad Street, OX1 3AS. 15 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AS, UK
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Absolutely brilliant. Matais was so lovely. Interesting full of facts. Really enjoyed. Perfectly paced Highly recommend Thank you !” – GetYourGuide review
That closure list matters more than most things on this page. The operator names seven closed days in autumn 2026: 30 and 31 October, and 1, 6, 7, 13 and 14 November. For 2027 it names 23 January, 27 February, 6 March, and 14, 15 and 22 May. It says tickets for the Divinity School tour are removed from sale on those dates, and that you can book a separate New College tour instead. Today is 7 November 2026, which is one of the dates. I’d treat the list as the operator’s statement and check the Bodleian’s own site for changes before buying Bodleian Library tickets for any date near it.
The sections below explain what the two other options add.
Skip-the-Line Bodleian Library Tickets
There are no skip-the-line Bodleian Library tickets in the usual sense, because the Divinity School is visited by tour slot and not through a ticket-office queue. What the third listing does is remove the logistics: the Footprints Oxford Tour with Christ Church and Bodleian Library, at $200 for 10 hours, picks you up in London and takes you to Oxford. It carries 4.7 stars from 65 reviews.
The listing includes return transport from London, a guided tour by an Oxford University student, entry to the Bodleian Library (the Divinity School only), entry to Christ Church College, entry to one additional college, and free time at your own pace. Tips are not included. You meet outside the Gloucester Road Underground station at the corner of Gloucester Road and Courtfield Road in South Kensington. Pre-booked slots are the closest thing to skipping a line that I can promise, since the tour books the Divinity School visit for you.
Footprints Tours
Oxford Tour with Christ Church & Bodleian Library
★4.7 (65 reviews)
10 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The no-planning day out: transport from London, a student guide and three entries for $200, 4.7 from 65 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Return transport from London
✓ Guided tour by Oxford University student
✓ Entry to Bodleian Library (Divinity School only)
✓ Entry to Christ Church College
✓ Entry to an additional Oxford College
✓ Free time to explore at your own pace
Not included / not suitable
✕ Tips
Meeting point: Meeting outside the London Underground station at the corner of Gloucester Road and Courtfield Road. Gloucester Road, Underground Ltd, Gloucester Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 4SF, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our day in Oxford was great! Really enjoyed the knowledgeable guide.” – GetYourGuide review
Reviewers liked the combination of the drive and the guide. One wrote:
“Once we reached Oxford, Tristan, a fourth-year Oxford student, gave us an insider's perspective on this extraordinary university city.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Only 65 reviews sit behind that 4.7, against hundreds for the walking tours, so the score is less certain. At $200 it costs more than four times the walking tours, and what you pay for is the return trip and the additional college and Christ Church entries. If you already live in or near Oxford, it is poor value.
Bodleian Library Tour
A Bodleian Library tour that fits a first visit is the Footprints Harry Potter walking tour. It is $47, rated 4.7 from 1,822 reviews, which makes it the most reviewed of the Bodleian Library tickets. It includes the guide, entrance to the Divinity School (subject to availability during peak season), entrance to New College and a Harry Potter quiz. The duration reads 1.5 to 10 hours in the data, which reflects several variants, so check the option you select. Entry to Christ Church is not included, nor are tips.
It runs in English only, and the meeting point can vary with the option you pick, so confirm it in your booking. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead. Compared with the Visit Oxford Tours option, you give up the language choice and gain New College for the same price.
Footprints Tours
Harry Potter Walking Tour Including New College
★4.7 (1,822 reviews)
1.5 - 10 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My pick for most visitors: Divinity School plus New College for $47, 4.7 from 1,822 reviews, the most reviewed ticket here.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Guide
✓ Entrance to Divinity School (subject to availability during peak season)
✓ Entrance to New College
✓ Harry Potter quiz
Not included / not suitable
✕ Gratuities
✕ Entrance to Christ Church
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 - 10 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Mikayla did a very great job! It was awesome, can totally recommend the tour!” – GetYourGuide review
Reviewers mention the guides by name and the tone of the tour:
“Sue was an excellent guide with 30 years of personal history about Oxford.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
For both walking tours, the praise is for the guides and the stories, not the building alone. That fits what you are buying: a guided look at a library, not a self-guided visit. I compare every guided tour, including the Divinity School closure dates, on my Bodleian Library tours page.
Bodleian Library Tickets Online
You can buy Bodleian Library tickets online either with the Bodleian or through the three listings above. The Bodleian’s tours page lists a 15-minute self-guided Divinity School slot at £3, a 30-minute guided tour from £12.50 and a 60-minute tour from £17.50. The official site says the 30-minute tour goes inside the Divinity School and the Old Library, and the 60-minute tour covers the Old Library, Convocation House and the Chancellor’s Court (tour FAQs). Its walking tours cost from £25, and the Radcliffe Camera and City of Oxford Walking Tour, from £30, runs on Saturdays and Sundays.
What the GetYourGuide Bodleian Library tickets add is the wider Oxford route: a guide explains the colleges between the rooms, you pay in one booking, and the listings allow free cancellation, whereas the Bodleian states that its tour tickets are non-refundable. What they do not add is the Bodleian’s own programme, so if the Duke Humfrey’s Library visit is your reason to come, buy that from the Bodleian.
Bodleian Library Tickets On the Day
Buying Bodleian Library tickets on the day is the risky route. The Footprints listing says Divinity School entry is subject to availability during peak season, and the Visit Oxford Tours listing removes tickets entirely on closure dates. Both are sold by date and time. The Bodleian itself sells tickets at the Weston Library ticket desk, but for Bodleian Library tickets it says peak days (weekends and 1 July to 31 August) often sell out within an hour of the Weston opening, and that about half of the 30-minute tour tickets are released online in advance (tour FAQs).
If you are in Oxford and decide on a whim, the sensible move is to check the listings first thing and look at the closure list above; on off-peak weekdays the Bodleian releases extra online tickets at 9am UK time. I’d book a day or more ahead, because a closure can cancel the Divinity School and a sold-out slot can’t be rebooked on the spot.
Is the Bodleian Library Free
Parts of it are. The Bodleian says entry to the Weston Library is free, but you need a Bodleian tour ticket to go inside the Old Library or the Radcliffe Camera (official visit page). Its cheapest ticket is £3 for a 15-minute Divinity School slot, and through GetYourGuide the Bodleian Library tickets cost $47 for the walking tours and $200 for the London day trip, each including the Divinity School entry. Wikipedia describes the Bodleian as the main research library of the University of Oxford (Wikipedia), which is why the reading rooms are for readers and not tourists.
If you are looking for free things to do in Oxford, the streets and college exteriors around Broad Street cost nothing to walk, and the tourist information centre at 15 Broad Street is the meeting point for one of the tours.
Can You Visit the Bodleian Library
Yes, you can visit, and the Old Library needs a tour ticket. The Divinity School is a film site for the Harry Potter series, according to the Visit Oxford Tours listing, and that listing describes the visit as part of a walking tour with a guide. Both walking tours include it, and the London day trip includes the Divinity School only, meaning the rest of the library is not on the route.
The Bodleian also says visitors must be 11 or older to go inside the library, and that tours do not run during academic ceremonies or private events (tour FAQs). The practical limit is the closure calendar. The Divinity School is closed on the 13 dates the operator lists, and the operator can arrange a later entry time, usually 3:30 pm, after the tour ends on days when it is closed all or part of the day. That is an operator arrangement, so confirm it in your booking. If your trip falls on a closure date, the New College tour is the alternative the operator suggests.
Can You Study in the Bodleian Library
Studying is for readers, meaning members of the university or people admitted as readers. The Bodleian says every tour attendee needs a ticket, reader card holders included. I did not read the reader admission rules, so I’d send you to the Bodleian site for that process. None of the Bodleian Library tickets here gives you study access, because they are tour tickets for the Divinity School.
If you only want to sit somewhere quiet, ask the tourist information centre on Broad Street or check Visit Oxfordshire for public places to read. Visitors also ask about the catalogue, which is searched online on the Bodleian’s own site and has nothing to do with booking a visit.
Opening Hours and Getting There
The Bodleian lists Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 17:00 (official); tour slots sit inside those hours. Start at the Weston Library on Broad Street, OX1 3BG, or enter the Old Library through the Great Gate on Catte Street with a pre-booked ticket. The GetYourGuide meeting points are the tourist information centre at 15 Broad Street, and Gloucester Road station in South Kensington for the London day trip. My Bodleian Library opening hours and visitor guide covers closures and the journey.
Which Ticket Fits You
Choose between these Bodleian Library tickets by how much of Oxford you want and where you start. The table lists all three and links the visitor guide.
Ticket
Kind
Price from
Duration
Areas included
Best for
Visit Oxford Tours Harry Potter Insights
tour with entry
$47
1.5 hours to 105 minutes
Divinity School
Film fans, many languages
Footprints Harry Potter walking tour
tour with entry
$47
1.5 to 10 hours (varies by option)
Divinity School, New College
Most reviewed, college included
Footprints Oxford day trip
tour with entry and transport
$200
10 hours
Divinity School, Christ Church, one more college
Visitors starting in London
Details on opening times, closures and the journey are in the visitor guide.
Near the Bodleian Library
Everything in the grid is in Oxford, and the walking times are my estimates from straight-line distance multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h. The Radcliffe Camera is next door, about a 1-minute walk, and the Weston Library across Broad Street is about 2 minutes. University Church of St Mary the Virgin is about 2 minutes away and the Covered Market about 4. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History is roughly 9 minutes, Oxford Castle Prison and the Castle Quarter about 11, and Port Meadow, the large meadow by the river, about 47 minutes on foot. Blenheim Palace is about 12 km north-west, a drive or bus ride rather than a walk.
If you are coming from London, these pages cover the other end of the trip, and none of them is near Oxford: Windsor Castle is the other common day trip from London for a royal site, the London Eye sits in the capital, and Warner Bros. Studio London is the Harry Potter studio tour, a different visit from the Divinity School film location.
How I’d Choose
Cheapest Bodleian Library ticket: either $47 walking tour, with the Visit Oxford Tours option if you want a language other than English.
Most reviewed, with a second college: the $47 Footprints Harry Potter walking tour, 4.7 from 1,822 reviews.
Divinity School focus and Harry Potter film site: the $47 Visit Oxford Tours Harry Potter Insights tour, 4.7 from 794 reviews.
No planning from London: the $200 Footprints day trip with transport, Christ Church and a student guide.
Families with children: a reviewer of the Visit Oxford tour describes a 6- and 8-year-old enjoying it, so the $47 Harry Potter Insights tour is where I’d start.
Duke Humfrey’s Library interior: book it directly with the Bodleian, because no listing here includes it.
Frequently asked questions
How to see the Bodleian Library?+
Most visitors see the Bodleian on a guided visit, because the historic rooms are shown on tours rather than as a walk-in museum. Of the three Bodleian Library tickets I compared, two are Oxford walking tours that include the Divinity School for $47 each, and one is a 10-hour day trip from London at $200. The Bodleian also runs its own tours from £3 for a 15-minute Divinity School slot, per its visitor site.
Can you visit the Bodleian Library?+
Yes, but the Old Library needs a tour ticket, and the Weston Library is free to enter (Bodleian visitor site). The operator of the $47 Harry Potter Insights tour lists dates when the Divinity School is closed, including 7 November 2026, so check your date. Visitors must be 11 or older to go inside.
Is the Bodleian Library free?+
Partly. The Weston Library is free to enter, but the Old Library needs a Bodleian tour ticket, starting at £3 for a 15-minute Divinity School slot. Every ticket I compared costs more: $47 for each of the two Oxford walking tours and $200 for the London day trip, with Divinity School entry included.
Can you buy Bodleian Library tickets on the day?+
For the Divinity School tours the listings are sold by date, and the Visit Oxford Tours listing says tickets were removed from sale on days the Divinity School is closed. It also says entry can be subject to availability in peak season on the Footprints tour. The Bodleian says peak days often sell out within an hour of the Weston Library opening, so I'd book a day or more ahead.
How long does a Bodleian Library tour take?+
The two Oxford walking tours run about 1.5 to 1.75 hours (Visit Oxford Tours, 1.5 hours to 105 minutes) and 1.5 hours or more with the Footprints option, which lists a range of 1.5 to 10 hours depending on the variant you pick. The Footprints day trip from London takes 10 hours door to door.
Can you cancel a Bodleian Library ticket?+
All three listings state free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund. That covers the $47 Footprints Harry Potter walking tour, the $47 Visit Oxford Tours Divinity School tour and the $200 Footprints day trip. Read your confirmation for the exact cut-off time.
Which Bodleian Library ticket is best for Harry Potter fans?+
The Visit Oxford Tours Harry Potter Insights tour at $47 is the one built around the Divinity School film site, with 4.7 stars from 794 reviews. The Footprints Harry Potter walking tour at $47 has 4.7 from 1,822 reviews and adds New College. I'd pick the second for more reviews and the extra college.
Every Bodleian Library ticket and tour I compared
Harry Potter Walking Tour Including New College★ 4.7
Harry Potter Insights Divinity School Group Tour★ 4.7
Oxford Tour with Christ Church & Bodleian Library★ 4.7
