Cambridge - city break - please talk to me about your gems!

[LeithPlace]

A city I've wanted to visit for an age. Any ideas of what to do really appreciated, especially the hidden gems.

Of course, want to punt on the river. Is it worth the cost? Just two of us rather than a shared boat? Do we need to book ahead, or are we too late already?

Following as also want to go

Yes I’d book the punting because otherwise you might end up with only one of the larger punts and they’re horrible to steer!
Take walking shoes because the walk to Grantchester is gorgeous and there’s a lovely cafe there called the Orchard Tea Garden.
Have breakfast/brunch (or a snack at least) in Fitzbillies (Trumpington Street). It gets busy so definitely book.

Lunch at the Ivy cafe - fabulous building. If you are staying over Hotel du Vin is lovely and great location.

I went on a shared punt and it was excellent fun.

The Ivy Brasserie that should have said.

I'd really recommend a Ghost Tour www.haunted-cambridge.uk/ They run after dark and are full of local history and stories. We did one last autumn and even though we've lived in Cambridge for 20 years, we learned loads - it's also a good way to see some out of the way sights and places.

Aromi and Jack's gelato both do great ice cream.

Maison Clement is a little french patisserie run by a French couple and it's fabulous (take away only). It's a short walk from there to the botanic gardens which I also love.

If you like art, the modern art museum (particularly the permanent exhibit) is very unusual - the permanent exhibit is a chap's house and it's mainly designed to be viewed sitting down.

They redid the zoology museum recently which I enjoy - it's free and central so easy to pop into.

Yeah, I'd second Kettle's Yard (modern art) if you're into art at all. It is a gallery based in a house and is one of my favourite places in the world.

Sadly a lot of the colleges are locked down tight at the moment so you won't get much chance to browse around. But I guess that means you'll have a chance to come back another time ;-).

If you're here on a summers weekend, then the Shakespeare productions in the college gardens are a bit magical.

Likewise, a hot day is good for a swim in Jesus Green Pool, which will cool you off nicely - it's unheated.

What else is good? Botanic Gardens are beautiful, especially greenhouses, Scott Polar Museum is small and fun, Fitzwilliam Museum has serious art for serious art lovers, Computer Museum - if you are a techno family - has enough 1980s arcade games to keep husbands entertained for hours. And I think Kings College Chapel is open on timed bookings.

Otherwise it's a city to walk and browse in. There are lots of fab food / coffee options (we're very fond of Indigo Coffee and Fitzbillies on bridge street), bookshops everywhere, normally somebody doing something unexpected on Kings Parade and of course, watching the bumper cars punts on the river is always very entertaining.

I went a couple of weeks ago and had a lovely time. Agree that the Botanical Gardens are well worth a visit, and we did a gin tasting at the Cambridge Gin Laboratory which was great!

don't know if it's open right now, but nice to go up the tower at Great St Mary's church on a sunny day, lovely view over the colleges and courts.

If you're coming by train, walking up Mill Road is maybe more interesting than other routes towards Parker's piece, then across there into town. Stop at either Hot Numbers for coffee/breakfast or Tom's Cakes for cakes, depending on the time of day.

Theatre at the arts theatre, or the ADC (maybe not so much in the summer) or a new tiny theatre called Town and Gown that does some interesting one-man shows - they are part of a restaurant too that I think is meant to be good.

There's a company that does bicycle tours of the city as well and lots of cycle hire places - some nice cycles out of the city if you are wanting a bit of exercise, on paths not roads

There's a new ferris wheel on Parker's Piece, though i don't know if you'd get much in the way of views from there!

Punting isn't very expensive and really lovely!

Fitzwilliam museum is good and free!

Had a great burger at Honest Burgers

It's nice to just have a good walk around the college grounds

Went last week and had a fantastic meal at a small family-run Sicilian restaurant. Lovely people, huge portions and very reasonable prices.

Al Pomodoro. Great pistachio cream liqueur too.

Book a punt with a tour guide. They are usually Cambridge uni students and can be great fun and very informative.
A drink at the roof top bar at The Varsity if the weather is good. Spectacular views up there!
If you are gin fans, I'd highly recommend doing a masterclass at the Cambridge Gin Laboratory.

You may still need to book tickets for the museums even though they are free. Botanic gardens is best to book for as they limit capacity so you could be unlucky on the day.

Punting in my opinion IS expensive but also brilliant fun. Google Scudamores boatyard for prices.

Fitzbillies chelsea buns are legend also don't miss Jacks Gelatos.

If you go to kettles yard be sure to do a house tour as this is way better than the tiny gallery.

Orchard Garden tea rooms is mainly outdoors - loads of deckchairs in an orchard in Grantchester- it's fab. You could punt there but it's quite a long punt or a scenic walk/cycle.

Why not hire bikes to look around? It's the perfect place to cycle and EVERYONE cycles. We also now have those electric scooters for hire. Look at Whatson Cambridge and also look at Cambridge University events for the public. There are usually outdoor Shakespeare plays in lots of different college gardens.

Definitely go to Jesus Green open-air pool if you like swimming, and the Fitzwilliam is really good if you're into serious art.

I love the Polar museum, glad to see it recommended here. The other University museums are also worth a visit, more info here: www.museums.cam.ac.uk/museum_reopening

You could spend time exploring the colleges' gardens. Clare is my favourite, but think part of it is closed as the moment. Trinity is lovely too. There are some quiet corners to find on the busiest of days.

The Eagle in Bene't Street is interesting, and its history is especially relevant at the moment. You can also see the graffiti from WW2 pilots there.

Would second Great St Mary's for the views from the top. Also the round church is absolutely ancient and you can do a walking tour from there.

Can't really recommend any places to eat as I moved away a long time ago now, although the original Chelsea buns at Fitzbillies were an institution and are still good.

Polar museum and Pepys library are a must if they are open.

Some great info which I will follow up. We have our own bikes, usually spending holidays in The Netherlands - so a big part of the attraction.

Punting - book online - main companies are advertising - around £100 for two with someone punting for us - does that seem right?

That seems very expensive, but it's been a long time since I've done it. I'm sure we paid about £20 each a few years ago for a guided tour. I guess there is a lot more competition now with having to book etc though. Sometimes there are discounts for combined tours like cycle/punt or whatever.

If you are cycling, make sure you have amazingly good locks (plural). Leave the bikes locked up at your accommodation when you're not using them if possible, rather than in the city centre or station.

Easy cycle ride out is to St Ives along the busway path, between 1-2 hours each way depending how fast you are (it's dead flat, on cycle paths). And there is a Tom's Cakes in St Ives as well as other cafes etc, and nice views. Another good cycle is to go out to Hot Numbers brunch cafe early one morning, easy cycle again all off road, maybe 40 min (or quite a bit less if you're used to cycling) from the station, and you can then sit in the garden and have lovely brunch within sight of bikes. Or more interesting ways to go that aren't just on a cycle path.

Just got back from Cambridge. We found scudamores really pushy and expensive. In the end we did self punt with cambridge chauffeur punts. They were great, friendly, gave punting instructions as we were novices. It was £45 for just under 2 hours. We didn't prebook - just turned up. Was great fun! I'd recommend.
We stayed at Cambridge University Arms - and ate in the restaurant. Beautiful hotel, great food, lovely staff.
We found that not much was open and what was open we struggled to get in eg kettle's yard we should have booked weeks in advance. But we enjoyed walking around taking in the sights.

Was punting easy? I'm sure one of us would fall in?

Scudamores are renowned for being pushy and pricey. They used to charge per punt (so only cost effective if you fill it). We tend to hire our own. If you go up the Backs, and get stuck, sometimes the lovely professional punters will feel sorry for you and shout instructions at you, or even actually help you if you get stuck. I like to think it's because they're kind, it may be because you're in their way. Either way... if you fall in, the Cam isn't that deep, so it's more an injury to dignity than anything else.

Fitzbillies buns are a must, but they are VERY sweet, so be warned. Hot numbers is nice enough, but is very hipster cafe, so be prepared to be overcharged. Cambridge prices are closer to London prices at the best of times, but noone I know in the city uses it as its overpriced. We tend to go to the smaller ones, like the Michaelhouse Cafe. To be honest you can't walk more than a dozen steps without hitting a coffee shop in Cambridge.

As PPs have said, the museums are worth a look; check opening times because many of the university owned ones are shut on Mondays, and since covid, May require booking at busy times. There are several, so depends what you're interested in.
@gizmo said everything else I would have said

The Orchard Tea Room in Grantchester has gone downhill in terms of food and service since they changed hands, however the setting can often make up for it.

Conversely the Red Lion pub in Grantchester has upped its game in recent times.

@LeithPlace, I'm always available for a bit of punt coaching - hit me up

But yes, self hire is the way to go if you don't want to get gouged outrageous prices for a Charming Young Man to tell you tall tales of college history.

Anglesey Abbey is not far from the city centre but well worth a visit, the gardens are lovely as is the restaurant.

Anglesey Abbey.

Use the park and rides, there's 5 sites all around the city. (Unless you're staying centrally?)

All the parks are nice, midsummer common is right by the river. Nice to watch the towers go by etc.

Lots of interesting little side streets to get diverted by.

Heffers Bookshop is great.

Make a resolution to not go to any chain cafes/restaurant.... there's hundreds of options outside of Costa/yo sushi etc. Honestly, just wander around the corner (the town centre is about higgeldy piggedly) and there'll be a tiny little café or bakery or restaurant or market stall selling good food.

Check the theatres. As PP said, the open air Shakespeare is a real treat and is on during the summer.

Jesus Green lido was 24° yesterday so not absolutely freezing.

Re shopping centres, the Grafton Centre is more high street brands, Grand Arcade/Lion Yard is a bit more high end. (On the whole)

Massive Library in town centre, if you like that sort of thing.

Fitzwilliam museum is brilliant.