What to do in Cambridge for a day by myself?

[PoosyCat]

I’ve got about 8 hours to spend by myself in Cambridge on Monday. I’ve never been before and I’m quite excited at the thought of a day pottering all by myself! I’d like to be pretty central, within walking distance of the train station. Any suggestions?

Mondays not a great day for my favourite Cambridge stuff — Fitzwilliam and Kettle’s Yard both closed.

Download a walking tour and let it take you around. You can stop somewhere if it appeals and continue on when you are done. A most beautiful town, so much to discover.

Walk along the college backs.

Or hire a canoe and canoe down to Grantchester, have tea and cakes / lunch at the Orchard Tea rooms and canoe back. Can also walk down though might be muddy at the moment.

Go on a punting tour around Cambridge colleges.

Visit the botanical gardens

I enjoyed the punting trip and just wandering around the city. Found a cute little Harry Potter shop and a place with amazing hot chocolate. It’s just a nice place to wander round. Should be quieter on a Monday too

Treasure Trails are great for exploring new places.

I love the idea of downloading a walking tour. I’ve never thought of that before, what a good idea!

Cambridge Festival is on at the moment and they have this augmented reality trail which looks quite fun and would take you through the heart of the city https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/cambridge-ar-trail

The botanic gardens is always lovely. There's a shop on the corner on the walk from the station that sells amazing Portuguese custard tarts, I think it's the Norfolk Street Bakery. Also Maison Clement is a fantastic french bakery on the walk from the station.

In town there is Aromi which does excellent ice cream and other delicious things.

What sort of masochist goes on water, in March, in the rain?

I wouldn’t go to Cambridge for the first time on a day when the Fitzwlilliam and Kettles Yard are closed …

But anyway - firstly I’d get a cab or bus from the station into town (because the station isn’t central at all).

Go to fitzbillies for a sticky bun!

Luckily the BBC weather forecast for Monday is predicting sunny intervals, light winds and a zero probability of rain.

There's a break in the rain on Monday, no rain all day according to BBC weather.

We go all year round on the river but actually self hires are restricted at the moment to experienced punters and that may still be in place on Monday. The escorted trips are running.

Oh isn’t it central? Google suggests it’s only about a mile!

Its walkable from the station into town, I've always walked it. And its a fairly nice walk.

If you're a book lover go to Heffers
The walk from train station into the city proper is about half an hour if I remember right
Norfolk Street Bakery as others have suggested is on the way though

I’d planned on walking, really can’t be doing with the faff of buses and cabs. I’ve got a long train journey to get me into Cambridge and then back home again, don’t want to get on yet more public transport when I’m there.

I’m definitely a book lover!
And a half hour walk is fine…I’m a super fast walker so it’s unlikely to take me that long. And I’m happy to stop for coffee and cake at regular intervals!

I've done this before. I went for a coffee first thing then headed to the university for a wander around the grounds, it was a pretty walk back to the centre from the uni, did a little window browsing, had lunch and then punting! Helped it was a boiling day I. August but was a lovely day.

Evensong at King's Chapel- amazing. But not sure if it happens on Mondays.
(and I am not religious!)

It probably is only a mile or so from the railway station to the town centre, and you could walk via places mentioned above - the Norfolk Street Bakery on Station Road, Botanic Gardens (there’s a charge), past the front of the Fitzwilliam Museum to Fitzbillies and then either left to the Backs or straight on the centre of town.

It’s a lovely time to visit, not many (other) tourists and lots of blossom trees, daffodils and crocuses to see at their best.

Its about a mile from the station to the first Cambridge colleges (Downing, Peterhouse) and they are the start of central part. Botanical gardens is also close to station.

That’s true,@PoosyCat - but it’s mostly a wasted half hour unless you desperately want to stretch your legs.

I’d suggest you jump in a cab and get it to take you to Robinson College. You’ll be able to have a look around - it’s very different to most people’s idea of an Oxbridge college. Interesting chapel, nice cosy grounds. And then you can walk back into the city centre from there.

(Sorry, wasn’t ignoring your strictures on cabs - crossed your post.)

There are no choral services at King’s or St John’s now until Holy Week because Full Term (when undergraduates have to be in Cambridge, I think) ends today.

You’ll have to come back 😀

If you want to look at Robinson College, get a U1 or a U2 bus from the station. It will drop you directly outside, and you can enjoy views of the Botanic Gardens, the Fitzwilliam and a brief glimpse of the river on the way.