Weekend in Cambridge: 10 Fun Things To Do In Cambridge

Posted on 04/24/2015

Only a short train ride away from London, Cambridge seems to be the city that has it all. The shops, the cafes, the architecture, the history, the museums and the river.

Cambridge is a city on the River Cam in eastern England, home to the prestigious University of Cambridge, dating to 1209. University colleges include King’s, famed for its choir and towering Gothic chapel, as well as Trinity, founded by Henry VIII, and St John’s, with its 16th-century Great Gate.

University museums have exhibits on archaeology and anthropology, polar exploration, the history of science and zoology.

There are lots of exciting things to do in Cambridge, UK, but what are the top 10 fun things to do in Cambridge?

Contents

10 Fun Things to do in Cambridge

1. See Cambridge University colleges in the day

Take a walking tour in the historical city to take in the sights of its medieval colleges. Imagine dozens of small branches which all belong to the tree of the University of Cambridge. Here the colleges are all very different and each college has their own private lives. The highlights include Kings College and Trinity College.

2. See human endeavour at Scott Polar Research Institute

The Polar Museum tells the stories of the polar explorers, who ventured into the North Pole and the South Pole and how they documented their journeys, their experiences and the stories they left behind. Visit here for diaries, grim photos, and stories of fateful trips to the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

3. Take a boat tour on the River Cam, aka Punting

Last week I went on a trip Punting in Cambridge, through the college backs with Scudamore’s Punting in Cambridge and as a result, we decided to go this weekend. I will write a proper blog post in the week about the experience and the company but until then here are some photos from the day which was great. The weather held out thankfully and we had a lovely tour guide Nick who was a delight!

Scudamore’s Punting Company are Cambridge’s oldest and most revered punting company, and the originators of pleasure punting as a leisure activity in Cambridge. Since their foundation circa 1903, they have hired boats and offered tours to both residents and visitors alike. Punting has over recent years become a mainstream activity so choose Scudamore’s to ensure the authentic punting experience.

The VAQAS-award-winning College Backs Punt Tour offers the ideal introduction to Cambridge’s fascinating history. You get to hear how the city has evolved from a medieval market town to a world-class centre for education, all the while enjoying spectacular views from the river.

The tour guide who will guide you around the college backs will be attired in uniform that matches the requirements of the season.

Our tour guide for the trip was called Nick and he was dressed in a waistcoat and punting hat and was wonderful. Nick was constantly talking to us and informing us about the different buildings as we glided past. He also dropped in some humorous jokes and facts about the people who attended the colleges and the university itself.

Overall he was lovely and such an interesting character. He certainly made the experience more enjoyable and it was nice seeing everyone else from other companies glide past taking photos of our tour guide because he was the best dressed!

4. Be artistic at Kettle’s Yard

Kettle’s Yard is one of the finest art galleries in the United Kingdom featuring modern and contemporary arts of work, and very nice concerts too! Cambridge Arts Centre and the Cambridge Arts Picture House should also be on your artsy things to do in Cambridge. The former is a small theatre with very nice performances, while the latter is a retro style movie theatre / cinema.

5. Get back to nature at The University Botanical Garden

For plants, trees and nature this is the place to go! Natural beauty is abundant in the University Botanical Gardens, which is ideal for romantic couples, or families with children.

6. Explore the Science and Technology Museums

There are tons of science and technology museums all across the city of Cambridge, so here are the best: the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Museum of Zoology, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, the Museum of Classical Archaeology

7. Great St Mary’s Church

Climbing to the top of the Catholic Church is one of the highest points you can get in Cambridge to see the city from a bit higher above. Besides the exceptional views, you can learn about the history of the old Catholic church, where once even Erasmus preached.

Where to eat in Cambridge

CAU Cambridge

Not many people know about it, but CAU now opens its doors for brunch. From the scrummy CAU full English to eggs Benedict with an Argentine twist, not forgetting the delicious healthy breakfast options of CAU granola with organic or frozen yoghurt and their classic steaks and eggs. Perfectly described by CAU themselves, “Start your day the CAU way.”

Looking at the menu, it’s natural to assume that the stand-out breakfast on the menu would be the Steak and Eggs so I had the STEAK & EGGS priced at £9 which includes their tapa de cuadril flash grilled with 2 fried hen’s eggs. For good reason too; Cau’s signature tapa de cuadril steak is thinly cut and flash-grilled to perfection, served with two runny fried eggs. The meat was full of flavour and even after four strips and two eggs, I could’ve eaten more. It was divine!

With a friendly atmosphere, good tea, lots of choice and exceptional eggs, the brunch got a massive thumbs up from me. I was also told that compared to other chain restaurants they use the freshest and finest ingredients available and are proud of that fact! Only the best is good enough for CAU.

Check out my full review from CAU Cambridge.

SmokeWorks

SmokeWorks plugs a gap between great fine dining and fantastic street food right in the centre of town – it’s great food, but quick and not too pricey. Their slogan is Slow Food. Fast. and that makes it the ultimate pre-theatre, post-work or shopping break lunch spot.

You can sit down, eat and be out again in half an hour if you need to be and can come away stuffed and content for under £15. Dining is informal, diner-style with a button to turn when you are ready to order so there’s no waiting around trying to catch a waiter’s eye. I really loved this touch it made sure service was quick and efficient.

Theo and I both had burgers, I had the pulled pork burger and Theo had the pulled chicken burger with sweet potato fries. Both of the burgers were amazing (we shared) and full of flavour. Something about the smoky pulled pork with the pickled sauce inside meant that one just wasn’t enough. I will certainly be going back again in search of those flavours!

Check out my full review from Smoke Works.

My Travel Tips and Recommendations

Flights

To book flights, I always use flight search engine, Skyscanner, I regularly use the Everywhere tool to find the cheapest places to travel. It’s how I get to travel so much all around the world. I find it the easiest way to compare flight prices across airlines and get the best deals.

Accommodation

For accommodation, I usually book most of my hotels or hostels through Booking.com. I love using this platform as it provides me with some amazing deals for accommodation all around the world. Or if you prefer, I also recommend using Airbnb. If you haven’t signed up with Airbnb already, you can use this link to get £25 off your first visit!

Photography and Technology

Here is a list of the technology I always travel with:

Travel Insurance

Picking travel insurance that covers you in all eventualities is an essential part of planning a trip for every single person. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. You never know what’s around the corner. World Nomads is an affordable option that I personally recommend. BOOK HERE

You can also find me on social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

To receive my articles and reviews straight to your inbox SUBSCRIBE HERE.

Did you know I also vlog my trips? Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel so you get alerted when all my travel videos goes live… CHECK THEM OUT HERE

Thank you for reading and as always happy adventuring! If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please share it for me with all your friends and family!

Sophie X