7) 2 p.m. Browser’s market

Locals still frequent Oxford’s Covered Market, open since 1774, to shop for produce, meat, baked goods and fresh flowers, but there’s plenty of enjoyable window shopping to do as well. Peruse the fascinators at The Hat Box; admire the local artwork on display at The Covered Arts; or peer through the large windows of The Cake Shop to watch the bakers laboring over their elaborate confections (and, for £1.90, pick up a cupcake to go while you’re there).

8) 3:30 p.m. Garden variety

Founded in 1621 as a nursery for medicinal plants, Oxford’s Botanic Garden is the oldest in Britain. Today, the fragrant, shady corners of the Walled Garden make a welcome spot for an afternoon snooze, while the Lower-Garden displays on sugar cane, cannabis, vanilla and other “plants that changed the world” will surely deepen your knowledge of horticultural history. Wander through the glass houses to find carnivorous plants, ferns, cactuses and lilies from around the world. Entry, £5.45.

9) 5 p.m. College try

The University of Oxford comprises about three dozen colleges, academic communities in which students study, and often live and eat. The colleges — which range in age from roughly 30 years to more than 700 years old — are sometimes open to visitors, who can tiptoe around the leafy quads, solemn chapels and dining halls as the students and professors go about their day. Christ Church College is popular with tourists, but Magdalen College — with its quiet cloister, large deer park and flowery water meadow — is equally impressive (entry, £6). At 6 p.m., make your way to the chapel, where you can hear the celebrated Magdalen College Choir take part in the evening service. (Services are held daily, except Mondays, in term time.)