Cambridge in 2 Days: Colleges, Punting and Art

Start among the market stalls behind Great St Mary’s, with food and produce alongside crafts and second-hand books. King’s Parade is a short walk west, so this is an easy breakfast or lunch stop.

The chapel’s fan-vaulted ceiling and stained glass are the main reason to visit King’s. Book the college’s visitor ticket for the chapel and grounds, then continue north along the college streets.

Pause at the Great Gate on Trinity Street before continuing towards St John’s. The courts are not open for independent sightseeing; book a porter-led tour for an interior visit.

Walk the public paths along Queen’s Road for lawns, bridges and views of the colleges across the river. For a punting trip through the same stretch, boats depart near Magdalene Bridge or from the Mill Lane end.

See the college gardens and bridges from the Cam on a 50-minute chauffeured punt. The selected shared tour leaves from Jesus Green Moorings near La Mimosa. Use it as the main riverside outing after the college visits, with a shorter walk along the Backs.

The suspended whale skeleton marks the entrance to this free museum of animal life. Its displays make a manageable morning visit before the Fitzwilliam, which opens at noon on Sundays.

Give the paintings, sculpture and ancient collections a proper visit rather than trying to cover every gallery. Permanent collections are free; on Sundays the museum opens at noon, after the earlier stops on this route.

Finish south of the centre among the garden’s trees, planted beds and glasshouses. It is a paid visit and closes at 4pm from November to January, so an early-afternoon arrival works best for winter weekends.

Choose this small Norman church for a short visit near the northern college streets. Its circular nave and Cambridge history exhibition fit naturally beside a visit to St John’s or Kettle’s Yard.

An alternative for modern art, with paintings and sculpture arranged through Jim and Helen Ede’s former home. Book the house visit; the adjoining gallery runs a separate programme of exhibitions.

Climb the surviving earthwork north of the river for a view over Cambridge’s rooftops. It is a short outdoor alternative beside the Castle Street museums, rather than a castle interior tour.

Choose this free museum instead of Zoology for Cambridge archaeology and collections from around the world. The two stand close together on the Downing Site, making the swap straightforward.