Cambridge Day Trip from London: A Complete Guide for 2026
The entrance to Cambridge University. All photos by John O’Boyle/The Empty Nest Explorers
Cambridge is less than an hour from London by train and one of the best day trips you can take from the city.
Debbie and I have been to a lot of beautiful places in England, and Cambridge genuinely surprised us. It has a quieter, older feel than London, and the architecture along the river is something you have to see in person to fully appreciate.
The university was founded in 1209, after a dispute at Oxford sent a group of students packing in search of somewhere more peaceful, and it hasn't really slowed down since. Over 120 Nobel Prize winners are connected to Cambridge, and walking around the colleges, it's not hard to believe it.
🎓 Cambridge Day Trip — Quick Facts (2026)
| 🚆 Train from London | From King's Cross: 49 min (fast) to ~70 min average — direct, no changes From Liverpool Street: ~80 min — cheaper fares, slightly slower |
| 🚉 Station to city center | ~1 mile / 20–25 min walk — or take the Citi 1 or Citi 3 bus from outside the station |
| 🎟️ King's College Chapel | Admission fee — check kings.cam.ac.uk for current prices. Book online in advance for the early-bird discount. |
| 🕯️ Evensong at King's | FREE Mon–Sat at 5:30pm · Sun at 10:30am & 3:30pm · During university term time only |
| ⛵ Punting | Scudamore's — Cambridge's oldest punting company (est. 1910). Shared chauffeured tour or self-hire available. Book ahead in summer at scudamores.com |
| 🏛️ Fitzwilliam Museum | FREE Open Tue–Sun · One of the best free museums in England |
| 📅 Best time to visit | Spring (March–April) or early autumn (September–October) — beautiful weather, fewer crowds than summer |
| ⚠️ College closures |
Exam season alert: Many colleges restrict or close visitor access from mid-April through mid-June. Always check individual college websites before you go.
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Top attractions to see in Cambridge
Visiting Cambridge University
While Cambridge has lots of great attractions, the University of Cambridge overshadows them all. After a dispute at nearby Oxford, Cambridge was founded in 1209 and is the third-oldest university in continuous operation.
Famous graduates include Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, and Isaac Newton and it has garnered 121 Nobel Prizes for affiliates.
The University of Cambridge comprises 31 colleges, among the best-known are Trinity College, King’s College, and Pembroke College.
A Cambridge tour guide will give you loads of insights and entertaining stories .
We took a guided tour for our Cambridge visit. We did this since the city’s history is so rich and an expert helped us enjoy it better plus the majority of the schools are closed to the public and a tour helps guide you through the University.
You can get more info about the Cambridge guided tour we thoroughly enjoyed here.
Note - This blog post contains affiliate links. This means that if we are recommending a product, activity, or hotel, we might be receiving a small commission if you buy or book from these links. This is done at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally used or have thoroughly researched.
If you are going to be taking a few day trips from London you might want to read our post: Traveling by train in Britain: a guide for beginners
We particularly enjoyed King's College Chapel. Although it’s called a chapel it is enormous, with the world's largest fan vault ceiling.
The amazing ceiling at King's College Chapel.
If you are in Cambridge in the evening you might want to attend Evensong at King’s College. Evensong is a free 45-minute concert by the choir and the amazing pipework organ.
It takes place Monday to Saturday at 5:30 pm and on Sunday at 3:30 pm.
A beautiful scene while Walking the Backs.
Walking The Backs
If you’ve ever seen a photo of a boat on the river with a beautiful Cambridge building in the background, then you’ve seen The Backs.
Visiting the Backs in Cambridge allows you to take in postcard-perfect views in a tranquil setting. It's a must-do activity in Cambridge.
The term "the Backs" refers to the green spaces and gardens along the river that run along the rear of several colleges in Cambridge. These include well-known colleges like King's, Queen's, Trinity, and St John's. The area is east of Queens Road.
A well-maintained path along the Backs makes it easy to enjoy a leisurely walk. All ages and fitness levels can enjoy the walk since it’s a flat, easy route.
While walking the Backs, you’ll notice long, flat punting boats gliding along the River Cam. You’ll see both experienced guides leading tours and tourists trying punting on boats they have rented (more on that below).
Best of all, walking the Backs is totally free, so it’s perfect for budget travelers or families.
Punting on the River Cam
Punting is pushing flatboats along the River Cam using long poles, think Venice gondolas but British. The River Cam in the area of The Backs is a perfect area for punting with a great view of famous buildings.
There are a variety of companies that will take you on a guided punting tour. You can check out some highly rated Punting on the River Cam tours here.
Punting is a leisurely, relaxing activity, making it ideal for anyone. You can sit back and enjoy the scenery as your punter takes care of guiding the boat. While we were walking along the river, we noticed people of all ages enjoying their punting experience.
It's a good idea to book your punting tour in advance during peak tourist seasons. This is especially true if you are coming on a day trip and only have a short window for a punting experience.
Punting is the one thing Debbie and I tell everyone to make time for. It's unique to Cambridge, and seeing the colleges from the river is just different from walking past them. You can’t get that perspective any other way.
The main choice is between a chauffeured tour and renting a self-hire punt. On a chauffeured tour, a professional punter does all the work while you sit back, take in the views, and listen to the history. Most tours take you past the Mathematical Bridge, under the Bridge of Sighs at St John's, and along the Backs - the stretch of the river running behind the main colleges. It's a 45-minute to hour-long experience and well worth it.
Self-hire is available if you want to try punting yourself. Pro tip: it looks easier than it is. The pole is long, the boat doesn't steer the way you'd expect, and you will almost certainly end up pointing the wrong way at least once. It's fun and funny, just probably not the most relaxing afternoon.
Scudamore's, established in 1910, is Cambridge's oldest and most reputable punting company. Book ahead in summer — it gets busy. You can also usually find punting kiosks by the riverside on the day, though online booking tends to be cheaper.
Note - This blog post contains affiliate links. This means that if we are recommending a product, activity, or hotel, we might be receiving a small commission if you buy or book from these links. This is done at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally used or have thoroughly researched.
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam is free to enter and genuinely one of the best museums in England. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard FitzWilliam, who left his art collection and a sum of money to Cambridge University. What started as one man's bequest has grown into a collection of over half a million objects.
Inside you'll find Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek vases alongside paintings by Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso, and Renoir. The building itself is worth a look. George Basevi designed it in the Neoclassical style, drawing on the temples of ancient Greece and Rome, and the entrance hall alone is worth a few minutes of your time.
Which brings us to the vases. In 2006, a visitor tripped near the entrance and shattered three large Qing Dynasty vases that had been on display since 1948. Experts painstakingly restored them, and they're back — now sitting safely behind security glass. Keep an eye out for them when you walk in.
A few practical things to know before you go. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Last entry is at 4:40 pm.
It is closed on Mondays.
General admission to the permanent collection is free, but some temporary exhibitions carry a ticket price. It is worth checking the website before you visit.
Plan at least 90 minutes here, more if you love the Egyptian galleries.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Cambridge Botanic Garden covers 40 acres and houses 8,000 plant species from all over the world. While the garden welcomes 345,000 visitors annually, its main mission is to support the University's teaching and research projects.
The Garden is a 15-minute walk from the center of Cambridge with entrances on Trumpington Road and Hills Road.
Tickets are £8.00 and can be purchased online in advance. The hours vary throughout the year so it’s best to check the Garden’s website for updated details.
Market Square
Traders have been operating stalls at the Cambridge market square since the Middle Ages. You can buy fresh food, artwork, clothes, jewelry, and books from the outdoor stalls.
Market Square is located at the center of Cambridge, making it easily accessible to both residents and wandering visitors.
The market has an eclectic variety of stalls. The food stalls feature a wide variety of food from around the world but the market also offers clothing, arts and crafts, books, and antiques. The market is open Monday – Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.
Mathematical Bridge over the River Cam
See the Mathematical Bridge
The Mathematical Bridge spans the River Cam and connects two parts of Queen's College. It's one of the most photographed spots in Cambridge, and it comes with one of the best myths in the city.
The story you'll hear is that Isaac Newton designed the bridge without a single nut or bolt. When a group of students later took it apart to see how it worked, they couldn't put it back together. It's a great story. The only problem is that Newton died 22 years before the bridge was built.
The real history is still worth knowing. William Etheridge designed it, and James Essex built it in 1749.
It's been rebuilt twice since, in 1866 and again in 1905, but the design has stayed the same throughout. What makes it genuinely clever is that it looks like a curved arch but is built entirely from straight timbers. That engineering trick is where the "Mathematical" name comes from, although even that nickname didn't appear officially until a tourist booklet used it in 1803.
You can walk across it for £3.50 at the porter's lodge on Silver Street. Or see it from the water on a punting tour, which is honestly the better view.
The Corpus Clock
On King's Parade, right outside Corpus Christi College, there's a clock unlike anything else you'll see in Cambridge.
The Corpus Clock was unveiled in 2008 and has no hands or digital display. Instead, it has a gold-plated grasshopper called a Chronophage (Latin for "time eater") that crawls across the top, appearing to devour the seconds as they pass.
The clock only shows the correct time every five minutes. The rest of the time, the lights pulse erratically, which is apparently a statement about the nature of time. There's something very Cambridge about that.
It's free to look at, right on the street, and takes about two minutes. Worth pausing for.
The View from Great St Mary’s Church
Great St Mary’s Church is the university church for the University of Cambridge. The church is not only beautiful but it is old, really old. It dates back to the year 1010, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1290 and then rebuilt.
The real attraction at the church is the view from the top of the tower. After climbing the 123 steps you’ll enjoy a 360° view from the newly-refurbished outdoor viewing platform.
Tickets for the tower are £6 for adults, £4 for children (age 5-16) and £16 for a family ticket (2 adults + 2 children).
Church hours are Monday to Saturday from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm with last entry to the tower at 5.30 pm. Sunday hours are 12 noon–5 pm with the last entry to the tower at 4.15 pm. Hours can vary based on church services.
Great St Mary's is right on King's Parade, directly across from King's College. It fits naturally into a morning walk around the center and takes no more than 30 or 40 minutes all in.
Sedgwick Museum Of Earth Sciences
If dinosaurs, fossils, and rocks are your thing then the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences might be a great stop. Not only does the museum house 2 million rocks, minerals, and fossils but the admission is free.
The museum is named after Adam Sedgwick, a renowned geologist who was one of the founders of modern geology.
The museum is open Monday - Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.
Getting to Cambridge from London
Taking the train is the fastest way to travel to Cambridge from London. Trains depart from either London's King’s Cross or Liverpool Street train stations and arrive at the Cambridge train station in under an hour.
We traveled from King’s Cross station and purchased our tickets through Trainline. We highly recommend Trainline for European train tickets and use the website all the time.
Pro Tip: The Cambridge train station is about a mile from the city center. It's an easy 20 to 25 minute walk, but if you'd rather not start your day on foot, the Citi 1 and Citi 3 buses run directly from outside the station to the center. We decided to take a taxi.
If you are interested in seeing more of Britain by train, check out our blog post: Traveling by train in Britain: a guide for beginners
You can also drive from London to Cambridge in about an hour and a half (without traffic) via the M11 highway.
Driving tip
While we recommend taking the train, if you do drive, you can stop at the beautiful Audley End House and Garden. Audley End is one of England’s grandest mansions and is located right off the M11. Check out the video below for a tour of Audley End.
Is Cambridge Worth Visiting?
The short answer is - absolutely. But it depends a little on what you’re looking for.
If you like places that feel historic but still lively, Cambridge really hits that sweet spot.
It has all the postcard stuff you’re probably picturing, including beautiful college buildings, quiet courtyards, bikes everywhere, and that classic river scene with people punting past stone bridges. It’s a real working university town, so there’s always some energy to it.
What we liked most is how easy it is to enjoy. You don’t need a packed itinerary or a long checklist. You can just wander, pop into a college or two, grab a coffee near the market square, and you’ll naturally come across some of the best spots without trying too hard. It’s one of those places where getting a little lost is part of the experience.
It’s also a great contrast to London. After a few days in the city, Cambridge feels calmer, greener, and a bit more relaxed. The River Cam and “the Backs” area in particular are perfect if you want a break from crowds and traffic.
That said, if you’re expecting tons of big-ticket attractions or nonstop things to do, Cambridge might feel a little quiet after a few hours. This is more about atmosphere than action. For us, that’s exactly why it works as a day trip. You can see a lot, enjoy it at a slower pace, and still be back in London by dinner.
Bottom line: if you enjoy historic cities, beautiful architecture, and a slower travel day, Cambridge is definitely worth the trip.
Best places to stay in Cambridge
You can easily see most of the Cambridge sites on a day trip but there are many great places to stay overnight.
Graduate Cambridge
While this hotel is a bit pricey it is located right on the River Cam, and many rooms have balconies overlooking the river. The hotel has on-site parking, a restaurant, and even an indoor pool.
More information here
University Arms
A beautiful, classy hotel located right in the heart of Cambridge. Rooms are modern yet the hotel retains the charm of Cambridge.
More information here
Christ's College Cambridge
If you are looking for more of a budget accommodation then Christ's College offers adults-only accommodations in one of Britain’s most historic university buildings. The rooms come with free WiFi and many overlook the scenic gardens.
More information here
This post was researched and written by John of the Empty Nest Explorers. You can learn more about the Empty Nest Explorers here.
Some highly-rated Cambridge tours
Note - This blog post contains affiliate links. This means that if we are recommending a product, activity, or hotel, we might be receiving a small commission if you buy or book from these links. This is done at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally used or have thoroughly researched.
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