Cambridge Travel Guide - How to spend a day in Cambridge

A city with a rich history, Cambridge is host to one of the best and oldest universities in the world, and its many colleges. Now living in Cambridgeshire, I thought I’d share my knowledge of the area, in case you want to plan an itinerary for an upcoming trip to Cambridge.

I first visited the city in June 2021 for an overnight stay, and have since returned regularly for day trips to explore new areas of the city, meaning I have a range of things to see and do to share.

In this Cambridge travel guide, you’ll find:

• How to get to the city and where to stay

• What to do in Cambridge,

• How to plan a 1-day Cambridge itinerary,

• The best sites to see in Cambridge, and

• The best food and drink in Cambridge

The best time to visit

From experience, 1 day in Cambridge is certainly enough time to visit the main sights, and can easily be done on foot too.

I'd say having the chance to visit Cambridge in the Summer would allow you to see Cambridge in the best light. When I visited in June 2021, I was blessed with a heatwave and clear skies, which meant roaming the streets and exploring the colleges was even more enjoyable, but it goes without saying that English weather is unpredictable and Cambridge is beautiful year round.

How to get to the city and where to stay

If you’re travelling from Peterborough, the East of England, London (Stanstead, Liverpool Street, St Pancras & Kings Cross) or Brighton, Cambridge is easily accessible by train in under a couple of hours. 

 If you’re travelling from further North or the Midlands, it may be easier to get to Cambridge by car. This was certainly the case for me when travelling from Cheshire. My drive took just under 3 hours and I opted to use the park & ride. This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to park if visiting Cambridge. It's free to park for up to 18 hours, you just pay to ride the bus from the car park. If you are parking longer than 18 hours. charges will apply, but these will still be cheaper than parking in the city.

There are 5 park & ride sites on the outskirts of the city, but I find the best one to be Madingley Road, as the buses run every 10 minutes, and the journey into Bridge Street is only 10 minutes.

In terms of places to stay, Cambridge is host to a range of chain and boutique hotels. From Travelodge, Hyatt, Hilton, Premier Inn, Hotel Du Vin, whatever your budget, you’re bound to find a hotel in the city centre that suits you. 

I chose to stay slightly outside of Cambridge in one of CambsCuisine’s pubs, The Crowd & Punchbowl, in Horningsea. Here we were able to get free parking and also ate a lovely meal at the GastroPub in the evening.

When booking a hotel online, to get a % back from your stay, be sure to use a cashback website. I always use Quidco or TopCashback. If you’re not already signed up to TopCashback, you can get a £10 sign-up bonus to TopCashback using my referral link.

What to do in Cambridge

From exploring the colleges to punting on the River Cam, there’s something about the city of Cambridge that is picturesque and quintessentially British that is a draw for locals and tourists alike.

When in Cambridge, there are a number of both free and paid attractions you can visit. You could easily spend the day wandering around, without paying for any excursions.

So, if you’re looking for some of the best things to do in the city, I've compiled a few of my favourite places to explore during a day trip to Cambridge.

Go Punting

A day out in Cambridge isn't complete without a punting tour. This activity is equally popular among both tourists and locals and is a must for your Cambridge bucket list. When it comes to punting, the city is full of many different companies offering slightly different punting tours.

A quick google and I’ve found plenty of Punting Companies to check out - Scholars Punting, Rutherfords, Scudamores, Cambridge Punting Tours,Traditional Punting Company, PuntCambridge, Cambridge Punt Company, Trinity College Punts… the list goes on! Shop around and find the tour that works best for you - you’ll find there are options to simply sit in a punt for a guided tour to Gin Tasting to a picnic.

After doing some research, we found Scholars Punting to be of the more budget-friendly options for a group of 5. We paid £11 each online for our guided tour, £55 in total) and it meant that we could sit back and relax, and listen to the great insights about the area, whilst taking in the sites. I've also used Cambridge Punt Company and rented a punt to ourselves as a group of 7, and found the experience equally enjoyable.

There’s also the option to rent a punt that you can drive yourself, but this certainly looked much more stressful!

Punting gives you a great opportunity to see behind the colleges and to see Cambridge’s famous bridges such as The Bridge of Sighs and the Mathematical Bridge. Unless you’re a student, the only way you’ll be able to see these will be from the water!

If you are interested in going Punting, I’d highly recommend booking your slot ahead of time online as you will make considerable savings this way and will be able to guarantee your slot.

If you’d rather chance it on the day, there are plenty of totes scattered around the city fighting for your custom.

Play Crazy Golf or Shuffleboard 

If you want a game to occupy your time while in Cambridge, The Tivoli combines 2 street food stalls, an array of amazing drinks across 4 bars, two 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses and a shuffleboard basement and will provide plenty of hours entertainment, whether visiting as a couple or with a larger group of friends and family.

Explore the Fitzwilliam Museum

Founded in 1816, the Fitzwilliam Museum is the biggest in Cambridge and is sometimes compared to the British Museum due to its grand architecture. It’s free to visit for all and is a great way to spend an hour exploring collections of antiquities from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, including exhibits of English and European pottery and glass, furniture, clocks, and ceramics.

Explore the different Cambridge colleges

Of the 31 colleges in Cambridge, the most famous are King’s College, St John’s College and Trinity College, and for a small fee, you can go inside and explore without needing to be a student.

If you don’t want to pay for admission, you can easily get a glimpse of the outside of the colleges simply by walking around the city, or from the river whilst punting.
 

Climb the Tower of Great St. Mary's Church

If you fancy a panoramic view of the city, I urge you to visit Great St.Mary’s Church. Not only is the church beautiful inside and out, but it’s also best known for its tower where you can enjoy the best views of the tower.

For a small fee (I believe it was less than £5), you can climb the 123 steps of the tower and take in the sights, and have one of the best views of King’s College Chapel.

Take a look at the Corpus Clock

The Corpus Clock, is the most distinctive modern monument in Cambridge. Located on the corner of Corpus Christi college's library near King's Parade, the weird grasshopper-like creature on the clock is a ‘chronophage’ (meaning ‘time-eater) which is constantly eating away at our time. The clock is only accurate once every 5 minutes, which is designed to symbolise that time is relative to us all.

Discover some great food and drink in Cambridge

Eating out in Cambridge

Cambridge's food and drinks scene offers something for everyone, from lively brunches to historic pubs.

There is a great selection of food and drink establishments in Cambridge to explore.

Firstly, I’d recommend The Old Bicycle Club and Fitzbillies on Trumpington Street for their brunch (they’re famous for their Chelsea Buns!) and Benets Cafe (on King’s Parade, next to King’s College) for a Gelato.

If you’re visiting with a group The Tivoli do excellent sharing pizzas.

I’ve had a lovely roast dinner at The Cambridge Chop House, which I’d highly recommend, and a couple of metres down the road from here is Bread & Meat, who specialise in meats sandwiches, poutine, craft ales and great coffee - their Philly Cheese Steak is a must. If the queue for the restaurant is too long, you can go down the alleyway and order food to go. On the same street you’ll find Giggling Squid - an excellent choice if you’re wanting Thai food.

Visiting by Car? Carriages of Cambridge is a small café built into an old train. Located just outside the city, Carriages offers a delightful high tea or afternoon tea experience.

Drinking in Cambridge:

• Revolution offers a reliable bottomless brunch experience, but Cambridge has more to discover!  I'm currently exploring options at Browns, The Tivoli, and Las Iguanas - stay tuned for future reports!

• Thirsty on Chesterton Road: Boasts an impressive selection of beers and wines.

• Cambridge Wine Merchants Wine Shop: Enjoy a glass (or bottle!) in-store, chosen from their extensive collection.

• Town & Gown: Features regular live events in a fringe theatre setting, alongside delicious frozen cocktails.

• Novi: Take your cocktail game to the next level with their excellent cocktail-making class.

• Many pubs offer a warm welcome, but Pickerel on Magdalene Street is a personal favourite.

• The Orator: Step back in time at this historic bar, part of The Cambridge Union, the world's oldest debating society.

I’m always on the lookout for new food and drink recommendations, and have found that @Cambridgefoodblog on Instagram shares some great places if you’re looking for inspiration.

Have you ever been on a day trip to Cambridge before? 

If so, what are some of your favourite things to do in the city?

Want to see more UK Staycation Content? Check out my other budget travel guides:

• Edinburgh Mini Break
• Portmerien Day Trip
  
• Ideas for a UK Staycation