Cambridge packs a thousand years of history into a square mile you can cover on foot. A guided walking tour of Cambridge is the closest look you will get at the colleges, courtyards and back streets, led by a local guide who knows the stories behind them.
Book a walking tour on its own, or pair it with a punt along the Backs for the one view walking cannot give you. Whether it is a date, a family day out, a trip with friends or a Cambridge alumni visit, a few hours on foot is time well spent.
Buy your walking tour tickets now, or read on for more information:
Your walking tour at a glance
- Duration: about 2 hours
- Availability: see the booking calendar for live dates and times
- Start point: shown on your booking confirmation email. Many walks set off from the Round Church, a central and easy meeting spot
- Guide: professional local guide
- You will see: King’s College Chapel, Corpus Christi, Great St Mary’s Church, the Mathematical Bridge, the Round Church and more
- Good for: couples, families, friends and Cambridge alumni
See Cambridge from every angle: the walk and punt combo
Our combined walking and punting tour pairs a guided walk through the historic streets with a chauffeured punt along the Backs – booked as a single trip, in one transaction. The walking tour shows you Cambridge at street level; the punting tour shows you the view no amount of walking will give you.
What you will see on a walking tour of Cambridge
A guided walk covers the landmarks most visitors come for, plus the corners you would walk straight past on your own. Your guide fills in the history, the science and the odd bit of Cambridge humour along the way.
The Round Church. Also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, it is one of the oldest buildings in a city that is over a thousand years old, and one of only a handful of round churches left in England. Central, and a common starting point for walks.
The Round Church
King’s College Chapel and the colleges. The colleges are the heart of Cambridge, from King’s and Corpus Christi to Pembroke and Great St Mary’s Church. Your guide covers the ones open to view and the stories behind the walls of the ones that are not.
The Mathematical Bridge. The famous wooden bridge at Queens’ College, better known for the myth about Isaac Newton than for its real and rather clever engineering. It crosses the Cam, so you may pass under it on a punt too.
The Bridge of Sighs. Named after its Venetian namesake and tucked inside St John’s College, its enclosed arches give a continental feel to the river. Through the windows you will see punts passing below.
Senate House and Great St Mary’s. The ceremonial centre of the University, best appreciated with someone to explain what actually happens here.
Senate House. It doesn’t usually look like this
Cambridge is not only stone and learning. From the King’s College Fellows’ Garden to Sheep’s Green, Coe Fen and the Backs, some of the finest greenery in England sits a short walk from the colleges.
Why walk Cambridge
Cambridge is a city built for going slowly. By car it is next to impossible, and on a bike you fly past the details. On foot, with a guide, you catch the hidden gems and the funny stories that make the city more than its famous alumni.
Every walk is a little different and very much what you make of it. Stick to the landmarks, or get off the beaten track. Either way you go home with stories, and walking tours make a fine date or group outing too.
Want more on the city before you visit? Read our guide to the history of Cambridge or plan your trip with Visit Cambridge.
Seen enough on foot? Round off the day on the water with a Cambridge punting tour as the light drops over the Backs, or book both together with the combo above.