ToursGaGa

Cycle like it's the roaring 20s

Oxford is relatively flat so two wheel adventurers can easily zip around the city. Cycle Tours Oxford (+44 790 867 0105; http://cycletoursoxford.com/) have a range of 1920-style bicycles that come complete with baskets, climb aboard for a guided excursion between the spires or further afield to the likes of Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds.

Jump out of your skin with a ghost tour

When darkness cloaks Oxford, there is an eerie feeling to the city. It may just sodium light and ancient buildings or it could be a city of ghosts. To get spooked, there's no guide better than Bill Spectre (http://www.ghosttrail.org/) - he knows Oxford's most haunted places and how to make you jump!

Swing by some of the counties first-rate golf courses

Surrounded by the rolling green of the Cotswolds, the Oxford area is a great place for keen golfers to challenge their swing. Frilford (+44 1865 390 864; https://www.frilfordheath.co.uk/), close to Abingdon boasts three courses (of which, red is a firm favourite) whilst Heythrop Park (+44 1608 673 333; http://www.heythropparkgolf.co.uk/) is charming for the vast country house estate that surrounds it.

Take a punt on the river

First timer punters may be daunted by the level of skill involved but propelling boats along the rivers Cherwell and Isis, is easier than you think, and reveal Oxford's wonderful skyline. Salters Steamers Ltd (+44 1865 24 3421; www.saltersteamers.co.uk) offers boat hire and for those still afraid to try their hand, scheduled passenger cruises too.

Walk Britain's oldest road

With spires, sandstone and cobbled streets, Oxford is a charming wander. The city is also surrounded by a multitude of fantastic walks. Why not tread history and stroll Britain's oldest road? Just south of Oxford, The Ridgeway National Trail (http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway) is clearly marked and takes in ancient woods, downland and valleys.