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Through the Looking Glass: Alice in Wonderland Tours in Oxford

No stranger to Hollywood-induced tourism (scenes of Harry Potter were filmed on its grounds), Oxford University is back in the limelight for its ties with the story of Alice in Wonderland.

Though the tours aren’t new, the city of Oxford should expect a big boost in ticket sales around the March 5 release of Tim Burton’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale – a film that picks up after 19-year-old Alice falls back down the rabbit hole.

Carroll (no relation – his was a pen name) attended the Christ Church college at Oxford, where he became good friends with the children of dean Henry Liddell – Alice included. It is said that this Alice is the inspiration for Carroll’s works, and that signs of her wonderland can be found all over the college grounds. Visitors can see the tree that inspired Jabberwocky and the probable rabbit hole, learn the living inspirations for some of the story’s characters and discover the relationship between the real Alice and Charles Dodgson (Carroll). Off site, one can visit Alice’s shop, her once-go-to for sweets that made its own appearance as The Old Sheep Shop in Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.

So, whether your motives are literary-based or purely cinematic, here are a few Alice in Wonderland tours to satisfy your (curiouser and curiouser) interest.

City of Oxford’s Alice Tour
Oxford Water Walks Alice in Waterland tour
Christ Church tours