Cambridge Tour

Tour Details

About the Tour

Duration: 4 hours
Location: London

Photos & Highlights

King's Chapel

Tour Description

Cambridge. The name evokes unforgettable images of a prestigious university, the grand architecture of British colleges, a storied conflict with Oxford, the beauty and the calm of the tree-lined Backs and the River Cam, the bustle of bicycling students on King's Parade, and the extraordinary vivacity of its research and literature. In this Cambridge Tour, a four-hour day trip from London, we'll explore Cambridge's history, architecture, landscape and world-class art in the company of a historian, putting the university into the context of the intellectual history that is has so fundamentally shaped.

Cambridge tour led by local expert
Explore the hallowed grounds of one of the world's most famous universities
Tour tailor-made to your requirements

After taking the train from London to Cambridge, you will meet your guide at the station, from where you'll have the opportunity to discuss any particular interests, so that they can tailor the tour to your requirements. Cambridge is a city with a wealth of extraordinary architecture, galleries and history, but the tour will typically focus on the University itself; the colleges, past and present and alumni who have walked these hallowed streets.

University Campus and Colleges

An exploration of the university and its colleges may take us in myriad directions from the main thoroughfare, King's Parade, depending on the interests of the group and the proclivities of our guide, but will often include Emmanuel College, where John Harvard of the university fame studied and Pembroke College, the third oldest and one of the largest colleges. Both of these institutions are further distinguished by the 17th century addition of chapels designed by Christopher Wren.

We might also include Queens' College, with its beautiful medieval Old Court. The Court consists of the chapel, library, and dining hall and is home to both an unusual 'sun and moon dial' and also William Etheridge's 'Mathematical Bridge', a great feat of 18th Century engineering. Finally we may stop by King's College and, Chapel founded in 1441 and the icon of the city of Cambridge; a masterpiece of English architecture, with its fan-vaulted ceiling and Rubens' altarpiece.

A stroll down Trinity Street will take in Trinity College, which was founded by Henry VIII in 1546, and St. John's College, with its School of Pythagoras and its neo-Gothic Bridge of Sighs—two iconic emblems of Cambridge.

Want to pick a side? Take our Oxford Tour and decide for yourself which is better.

FAQ

Where are we meeting our guide?

You will meet your guide in Cambridge, at the train station, however, if you are booking a private tour and are staying in Cambridge, we can arrange for a different meeting point. Trains leave from both London Liverpool Street Station and Kings Cross Station and run pretty frequently. The journey ranges between 1 hour to 1.5 hours depending on the train. Tickets can be bought online ahead of time or at the station. Online tickets and schedules are available at: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Do we go inside the venues or just see them from the outside?

You will go inside colleges and other sites. We will purchase tickets at the time of the visit.

What if it’s raining?

Tours operate rain or shine, but in the case of inclement weather, your guide will modify the tour so more time is spent indoors. It never hurts to have an umbrella on hand.

Is this tour good for kids?

Yes! We have some excellent family friendly guides who can appeal to the learning styles of children. Please book privately if you have children under 13. Feel free to provide us with information about your children such as favourite school subjects, and hobbies. This way we can match you with the best possible guide.

Is this a walking intensive tour?

We cover about 2.5 miles during the walk. There are plenty of opportunities to sit down and rest, but please let us know if you have any concerns.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Simona

Simona has a strong passion for art and the meaning of visual arts, and strongly believes in the added value that history of culture and art gives to individual life and this is why she loves to share knowledge and curiosities with other people. Specialized in Italian Renaissance Art, she studied both in Venice and in Rome, where she had her PhD in History of Art with a thesis on the Ara Pacis Augustae. She is actually living in the university city of Cambridge, where she teaches History of Art; she knows London auction houses, museums and its artistic treasures like a real local.

Sarah Jane

Sarah-Jane Kitching was born and brought up in London. She studied at Cambridge University and qualified as a doctor, working in the NHS initially in Gynaecology and latterly as a General Practitioner. Having gained a First in the History and Philosophy of Medicine as part of her medical training, she has now changed career to pursue her long-standing love of history and of London in particular. After two years of intensive study, Sarah-Jane qualified as a London Blue Badge Guide and was awarded Guide of the Year in 2012. She is passionate about the city she lives in with her family and loves to share its fascinating past and present with others.

Rosie

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable Cambridge guide, Rosie is full of stories about her beautiful and historic home city. She is the author of The Cambridge Book of Days and The Michelin I Spy Guide to Cambridge.

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27 Reviews – (4.88)

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

Brilliant engaging docent. Very accommodating. Helped us with pre-tour parking. Gave us a great and animated tour.

Jeremy

Sep. 29, 2018

Very accommodating to what you wanted to see. Learned about Cambridge University as well as future growth in the community

Janet

Sep. 24, 2018

Having attended Cambridge, Sarah was extremely knowledgeable about the various colleges and was able to bring a sense of what it is like to be part of the Cambridge community. We enjoyed our time with Sarah as we explored Cambridge together.

Seth

Jan. 29, 2017

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