Planning a trip to Cambridge? This historic university city is one of the most popular day trips from London. Famous for its world-renowned University of Cambridge, picturesque college buildings, and scenic river views, Cambridge offers the perfect mix of history, culture, and quintessential English charm. Plus it’s my home city!
In this guide to the best things to do in Cambridge, you’ll discover must-see landmarks, hidden gems, and unique experiences, from punting along the River Cam to exploring centuries-old colleges and wandering through cobbled streets. Whether you’re visiting for a day trip or a weekend getaway, this list will help you plan the perfect itinerary.
If it’s your first time visiting Cambridge, expect a city packed with iconic sights, beautiful green spaces, and plenty of cosy cafés, my favourite place in the country (but I am biased).
You can also check out my Cambridge itinerary HERE.
Take a Cambridge University Tour
I don’t think you can’t come to this University city and not visit the University. The University was founded in 1209, and is about a century younger than its Oxford rival. There are University buildings and colleges all over Cambridge, and you can visit the majority of them either on a tour or independently. The buildings are, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful in the UK.
Read my full review of the University tour I went on HERE.
Admire the Corpus Clock
The Corpus Clock’s face is a 24 carat fold plated disc at the front of the Corpus Christi college library. It has no hands or numerals but displays the time by backlit LED lights in 3 concentric rings (hours, minutes, seconds). The Clock was named one of the best modern day inventions, and was unveiled to the public in 2008 by Professor Stephen Hawking.
Go punting on the River Cam
The River Cam runs through the city and can be explored in a number of ways. The best way is the Cambridge tradition of punting, which is basically a much less fancy Venetian Gondola ride. You can either hire a boat and punt yourself, or hire a boat and a punter and be punted about by a professional while you sip on Prosecco. No prizes for guessing which option I’d choose.
And at this point my strong, strong advice is to hire a boat and a professional. Punting is not as easy as it looks – as my Dad, Uncles, Grandpa – literally everyone I’ve ever seen try it, will attest to. As a child we more often than not ended up stuck on a bank somewhere, losing the oars or going round in circles, with a not so sturdy on their feet family member trying to get us out of the mess, fearful we’d all end up in the water (and sometimes the sacrificial nominated punter did).
During the tour you can take in a lot of the Cambridge colleges, as well as the famous Wren Library, Bridge of Sighs and Mathematical Bridge.
If you’re not keen on the boat trip option, you can also just walk along the river bank which you can follow all the way through the city, and through a number of college grounds as well. Perfect.
Walk the Cambridge Backs
The Cambridge Backs are consistently voted one of the best walks in the country. The area is a picturesque park area which follows alongside the River Cam and a number of the Colleges. My favourite is this view across the backs.
Explore Grantchester Meadows
Another of my favourite Cambridge spots is Grantchester Meadows. This is a park area which follows the River Cam out of the city centre and to the quaint little village of Grantchester, which is home to some pretty houses and lovely pubs. It also has a great tea room serving afternoon tea and scones, so is a truly English adventure. It makes for a really nice way to spend the afternoon and you can do the walk in about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace.
Visit King’s College Chapel
King’s College has its very own chapel, which is considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic English architecture in England. The chapel is open to all and is beautiful inside so well worth a stop on your tour of Cambridge. It’s also magical to attend the chapel for Evensong, a thoroughly English tradition.
Hit the shops
Cambridge is home to some really nice, quaint boutique shops and part of the fun is exploring the narrow lanes and seeing what can be discovered. Some of my favourites are Boudoir Femme, Lilac Rose, The Cambridge Satchel Company and Ark. There are also traditional sweet shops and Robemakers which make you feel a little bit like you’re on a Harry Potter set.
Indulge in a delicious dinner
There is a wide range of restaurants in the city, ranging from upmarket sushi at Sticks N Sushi, to AMAZING burritos at Nanna Mexico, to the 2 Michelin starred Midsummer House on the common, to tasty steak at Maison du Steak. Having eaten at them all (obviously not whilst in lockdown), I can say they are all delicious and you can’t really go wrong whether you choose cheap eat or full on dinner blow out.
Visit the Round Church
Cambridge is full of beautiful architecture. One of my favourite buildings in the city is the Round Church, which was built in 1130! There is a little museum and film on the history of Cambridge inside, and this is also a starting point for a lot of the guided walking tours which run daily (under normal, non COVID, circumstances).
Climb Great St Mary’s
Climb the 124 steps to the top of Great St Mary’s church to enjoy panoramic views out across Cambridge. It’s particularly lovely on market day where you can see all the colours of the market stalls from above. Entrance is £6 and the climb will take around 5-10 minutes.
See the chimneys on Trinity Lane and visit pretty Rose Crescent
Trinity Lane is another great spot for taking beautiful photos, with its picture perfect chimneys one of the most recognisable shots in the city. At the entrance to the lane from Trinity Street, Trinity College is on the north side of the lane, including Neville’s Gate, and on the south side you can see Gonville and Caius College. Just across the road is one of the prettiest streets in Cambridge – Rose Crescent, which looks like something out of Harry Potter.
Get cultured at The Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum makes for a really interesting way to spend a couple of hours. The museum is host to a number of exhibitions, ranging from the arts of Asia, to historic clocks, to sculptures and jewellery from Nubia and Egypt. If you’re interested in art, history or other cultures, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Enjoy the views from the Varsity roof top bar
The varsity rooftop bar is one of the nicest spots in Cambridge for a meal with a view. You could choose to have afternoon tea up there, go for a BBQ at the weekend, or just relax with a cocktail or a few.
Get tipsy at The Gin Laboratory
Now. Anyone who reads this blog knows I am partial to a wine or five. Especially if it’s got bubbles in it. Gin is not really my thing. However, gin is taken very seriously in Cambridge. At the Cambridge Distillery Gin Laboratory (say that after a few gins!), there is a ‘classroom’ where you can learn about the history of gin, how it’s produced and be taught how to taste.
You can then move on to the tasting room where there are so many different options to try, from elderflower to truffle and Japanese gin. You can also choose to do a gin masterclass where you can mix your own gins, and you can even do a molecular course where you learn actual scientific methods with test tubes and beakers and everything. Like I said, they take it very seriously….
Have brunch at The Ivy
For a cool brunch spot in the city, visit The Ivy restaurant. The decor is pretty cool (even the toilet ceiling is covered in flowers), and the food is delicious so it’s not style over substance. It’s good for all meals, but I personally love the breakfast and brunch menu as a great start to the day.
Take a day trip to Ely
You can read my full guide to Ely: HERE
Ely is an often underrated place in the UK. It’s home to a magnificent cathedral, and lots of history as the home to Oliver Cromwell. There’s lots to see and do here, which well warrants a relaxed day trip. You can get the train, or drive between Cambridge and Ely in less than 30 minutes.
Have a traditional afternoon tea at Fitzbillies
Fitzbillies was founded in 1920 by Ernest and Arthur Mason, using their ‘demob’ money from the First World War. Their initials are still visible in worn-out gold letters on the shop front. During the post war years, the Fitzbillie’s sponge cake became an institution of Cambridge, and their Chelsea Buns boomed. Despite going bankrupt in the 80s/90s due to competition from supermarkets, Fitzbillie’s was relaunched in 2011 – it bakes everything on site and its afternoon tea is, in my very humble opinion, the best in Cambridge.
Explore some beautiful local villages
Read my full guide to walks and villages: HERE (walks) and HERE (villages)
Also within a stone’s throw of Cambridge are some quintessentially English villages, which if you’re looking to mix up a city break are the perfect option for exploring further afield.
Visit Anglesey Abbey
There are some lovely National Trust properties just outside of Cambridge. A short 15 minute drive from the city centre and you could visit Anglesey Abbey which was originally a religious monastery, dissolved in 1536 during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. Later, a Jacobean House was built on the site of the former priory, and was privately owned until 1966, when it was donated to the National Trust.
Take a trip to Burghley House
Alternatively, you could head to the north of Cambridge and take a 45 minute drive to visit Burghley House. The house is a prime example of Elizabethan architecture and is still lived in by the Cecil family to this day. The house is open on a seasonal basis, and the grounds and park are open year round.
Burghley House in the autumn
Visit Europe’s first Eco Mosque
Cambridge is home to Europe’s first eco mosque, about a 30 minute walk outside of the city centre. This is a must visit to learn more about the local Muslim population and the Mosque’s links between Islam and Cambridge. It’s also totally stunning.
Get educated at The Polar Museum
Another great museum option, this time in the centre of Cambridge, is The Polar Museum. Learn about polar exploration, glaciology and the incredible Earnest Shackleton who led three expeditions to the Antarctic in the 1920s.
Head to Wimpole Hall
You can read my full write up on Wimpole HERE.
Wimpole is an amazing Hall, dating back to the 1600s and is now the largest house in Cambridgeshire. It’s stunningly beautiful in the Spring and really easy to spend at least half a day exploring (or more if you want to do one of the hikes in the grounds too). It was donated to the National Trust by its last owner (the author Rudyard Kipling’s daughter) and is truly beautiful – well worth the 15 minute drive out of the city centre to visit.
Visit historic St Ives and walk in the Cambridgeshire countryside
You can see the walk route in my post HERE.
Head to St Ives, an historic market town about 30 minutes out of Cambridge. From here you can explore the town and river, and then take my favourite walk through Cambridgeshire, weaving along the river through the picture perfect villages of Houghton and The Hemingfords and back to St Ives.
Smell the flowers at the Cambridge University Botanical Gardens
Another lovely thing to do close to Cambridge city centre is to visit the University’s Botanic Gardens for a morning stroll. I think they are particularly beautiful in spring and summer when the tulips are out and the ducks are enjoying the lakes. You can easily spend an hour or so here, and grab breakfast or lunch in the cafe.
So what do you think? I hope you enjoyed my local’s guide to this wonderful city. I should really show it off more often as it is an amazing place to call home. And if anyone is planning to visit, let me know and I’ll meet you in the gin lab. Stay safe and happy travelling!
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