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Ready, Steady, Hop! Things to do at Easter in Oxford and beyond!
As the spring air fills with the scent of blooming hyacinths and the promise of chocolate eggs beckons, the city we love starts to come alive. Join us on a journey through Oxford (and beyond) to discover a whole range of hopingly good activities this Easter, from family-friendly bunny trails to creative workshops that spark the imagination. Best of all, these activities are all accessible by bus, making it easy to hop around the city or beyond with or without kids in tow. So, grab your friends or family and choose your own spring adventure.
Hunts and trails for keen-eyed explorers
Running from 7th to 21st April, City Sightseeing’s Bunny Hop Trail invites you to explore Oxford’s sights while on a quest to spot six elusive rabbits hiding throughout the city. After booking your tour, pick up your trail map and card from the Visitor Information Point, nearest ticket seller or City Sightseeing driver, hop on the bus tour, and hop off to collect your stamps before claiming your Easter reward. Family tickets for the standard bus tour cost £55, covering 2 adults and 3 children, with individual great-value tickets also available.
For an egg hunt with a difference, you could head over to The Eggstraordinary Easter Family Trail at the Natural History Museum. Find the hidden eggs around the museums to discover amazing animal facts from Friday 4th April to Monday 21st April. On 7th and 8th April, the museum is also hosting hands-on activities with touchable specimens, games, and crafts inspired by egg-laying animals.
Any scientific minds in the family? Check out The Great Alien Hunt with Matt Bothwell and his Supervillain Academy. This family talk, suitable for ages 9 and up, will answer questions like How do you travel in style across the galaxy? and What do aliens really look like? on the penultimate day of the Oxford Literary Festival.
For those venturing further afield, the Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre is hosting an Easter Butterfly Hunt from 9th to 15th April. Here, you can learn about butterflies, participate in butterfly-themed crafts, and earn a small chocolate prize at the end.
Train enthusiasts might enjoy Cholsey and Wallingford Railway’s Easter egg hunt on 19th, 20th, and 21st April, with trains departing at various times. Spot 30 eggs scattered along the railway and receive a chocolate egg reward.
And finally Nuneham Courtenay’s Harcourt Arboretum will be running a Baby Animals Family Trail where families will learn about the wild animals living at the Arboretum, solve a puzzle, and claim a prize.
Public transport: All the Easter suggestions above are within walking distance from Carfax Tower, served by many Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel services, except for Sutton Courtenay’s Easter Butterfly Hunt which is served by buses to the Milton Park Estate, and Cholsey and Wallingford and Nuneham Courtney Arboretum which are served by the River Rapids buses.
Plays and musicals for cultural butterflies (big and small)
The whole theatrical ecosystem of Oxford is packed to the rafters with plays, musicals and comedy over the holiday season. Whatever floats your showboat, we think you’ll be spoiled for choice over Easter. Let’s take a look at some of our picks.
Oxford’s New Theatre kicks off their Easter programme with Mike and The Mechanics rock supergroup, followed by The Bootleg Beetles, who will take you on a journey through the career of the original Fab Four. If opera captivates your heart, then you won’t want to miss the enchanting performance of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly featuring Opera International’s Ellen Kent and the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv production. For children, there’s a new rock show with laugh-out-loud comedy, cool puppets, and sing-along pop anthems and The Dinosaur that Pooped rock show at New Theatre, Oxford on Monday 7th April.
The Oxford Playhouse is also looking to enchant younger audiences with The Worst Princess, a dragon-tastic musical running from 17th to 19th April, featuring laugh-out-loud comedy, cool puppets, and sing-along pop anthems. Tickets cost £16 for adults and £14 for children.
Further afield, world-class performances from London will be making their appearance at Wallingford’s Corn Exchange, including a live screening of The Royal Opera’s Turandot on Tuesday 1st April, and from London’s West End, Billy Elliot the Musical on 2nd April and A Night with Janis Joplin the Musical on 17th April.
Public transport: All the Easter suggestions above are within walking distance from Carfax Tower, served by a large number of local Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel bus services, except for Wallingford Corn Exchange located near the Wallingford Market Place bus stop, served by several Thames Travel buses. You can plan your journey to Carfax Tower or James Street west stop by using the online Journey Planner available here. Simply insert your current location into the planner, and your most suitable bus journey will be calculated for you.
Symphonies, swing and songbirds for passionate listeners
The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra will be headlining twice at the iconic Sheldonian Theatre, including its rendition of Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony on Thursday 10th April, and Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor, featuring Sir John Rutter as conductor.
On 8th April, The Sheldonian Theatre will host the Orchestra of St John’s for “The Music in My Life” with Alexander Armstrong, from the BBC One game show Pointless, and Sue Cook, known for her work on Crimewatch, who will discuss their lives, share their opinions, and talk about the music that has meant most to them.
On Saturday 19th April, the Orchestra of St John’s will also perform the lullaby-like Fauré Requiem and Bach Cantata 82 at the intimate SJE Arts, an intimate concert venue that hosts a rich variety of music from folk to classical.
Also at SJE Arts there’s a performance Bach’s St John Passion with the Oxford Bach soloists and an exploration of Mozart, Beethoven & Brahms with Paul Lewis as part of the International Piano Series including Beethoven’s final sonata for piano. If it’s experimental jazz that you’re after, on 24th April, jazz trumpeter Laura Judd will be taking listeners on a journey of rites and rituals with the rhythm section of Ruth Goller and Corrie Dick.
Watching the pennies? Back in the centre of Oxford, University Church is running a weekly series of free piano recitals on 3rd, 10th and 17th April featuring young virtuoso pianists playing a varied programme of music from Chopin and Ravel.
And finally, how about Oxford Folk Festival, which will be running from 11th through 13th April, bringing with it a whole raft of largely free events from local acts to foot-stomping Ceilidh bands across a number of venues across the city?
Public transport: All the Easter suggestions above are all within walking distance from Carfax Tower, served by a large number of local Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel bus services, except for SJE Arts with the closest bus stop being the James Street West stop. You can plan your journey to Carfax Tower or James Street west stop by using the online Journey Planner available here. Simply insert your current location into the planner, and your most suitable bus journey will be calculated for you.
Outdoor Fun for Nature Lovers
Although the city centre is dominated by landmark buildings, Oxford is small enough stumble across more pastoral scenes.
For Spring blossoms galore, you could head off to Oxford Botanic Garden. At this time of year, the place is awash with delicate daffodils, fragrant hyacinths and vibrant blue scilla. Plus, you can join one of their expert-led tours every Sunday and Thursday starting at 14:30 from the Welcome Centre.
Neighbouring Christchurch Meadow also offers a short, accessible, circular walk past manicured gardens, rivers, flood meadow, wildlife, rowers and the odd punt or two.
Alternatively, Magdalen College (just across the road) features an extensive deer park, riverside walks, a picturesque Fellows’ Garden and a water meadow. While there is an admission fee, discounts are available, and locals get free entry. Plus, you can buy combined tickets with the Botanical Gardens for £15.
For more of a rural feel, you could head over to Hogacre Common about a mile South of the centre of Oxford City and walkable from Carfax Tower, a 14-acre eco park a stone’s throw from civilisation. Here you’ll find woodland, a wild-flower meadow, a heritage orchard and a community allotment.
Oxford may be landlocked, but there’s plenty of opportunity for messing about on the river. If punting appeals, then head down to Magdalen Boat House where you could attempt (and potentially succeed) to serenely glide down past Oxford’s Botanic Gardens and through Christ Church College Meadows. And if you’re worried about not being able to glide serenely, you could always hire a chauffeur.
Further downstream, Salters Steamers offers motorboats for hire, as well as public boat trips to Iffley Lock, Port Meadow, and Marlow, subject to the weather.
For those who’d like to get their toes wet (albeit not from sliding into the river from a setting pole), why not take an early-season dip at Hinksey Outdoor Pool? Open from April, this 35-metre pool includes a beach area for infants and wheelchair users, as well as a poolside café for aqua fanatics and spectators alike.
If you’re looking to see some adorable newborn lambs, Bishops Court Farm in Dorchester-on-Thames will be hosting Open Lambing Days on 23rd March and 6th April. In addition to the lambs, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other farm animals, including alpacas, sheep, goats, and pigs. For a full day out, start your adventure with a walk to Wittenham Clumps via The Earth Trust on a circular route that’s packed with historical interest. Don’t forget your walking boots!
Looking ahead, mark your calendars for the Spring Festival at The Earth Trust on May Day Bank Holiday. Start the day with a scenic circular route walk from Dorchester-on-Thames. This spectacular walk sets the scene for a day packed with outdoor fun including bottle-feeding lambs, following a tractor trail and welly wanging—perfect for all those elite welly-throwing athletes!
Public transport: All the Easter suggestions above are all within walking distance from Carfax Tower, served by a large number of local Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel bus services, except for Bishops Court Farm with the closest bus stop being the Dorchester Bypass stop. You can plan your journey to Carfax Tower or Bishops Court Farm by using the online Journey Planner available here. Simply insert your current location into the planner, and your most suitable bus journey will be calculated for you.
Exclusive discounts for bus travellers: Fancy a pitstop? Colombia Coffee Roasters, Oxford Town Hall Cafe, George & Davis and Modern Art Oxford café and shop, and The Story Museum based in Oxford are all offering discounts when you show them a mobile bus ticket as part of App Benefits*.
For the full list of discounts available (including discounted admissions to attractions in Oxfordshire) visit oxfordbus.co.uk/benefits.
Looking to explore further? Try this further reading:
Adventures along the 400 route