Two days in Cambridge featuring a magical early morning punt on the river Cam, pints in cosy old pubs and a wander through a little-known university college’s grounds.
Next up in the Ellie & Co. Not-Touristy Weekends travel series, we’re heading to Cambridge, the ancient English university city, a late-winter trip we booked on a whim.
Ever since I found out about the direct train to Cambridge from my hometown of Brighton on England’s south coast, I’ve wanted to make a trip to see the beautiful ancient buildings, eat and drink in cosy pubs, and punt on the River Cam, avoiding the crowds, of course!
So here’s a useful 48-hour Cambridge itinerary for inspiration if you’re planning a trip soon.
A Weekend in Cambridge: a 48-Hour Itinerary
Friday afternoon in Cambridge
We got the train from Brighton station at 9.40am on Friday, and two hours later, we were in Cambridge! It was so easy – no hold-ups, or delays, just a lovely smooth two-hour pootle.
My first impressions of Cambridge? It’s so flat compared with hilly Brighton (which explains the bikes and cyclists everywhere).
It’s also more pristine with its perfectly preserved historic architecture and impeccably manicured college lawns (keep your tourist feet off, please).

Planning my trip, I soon realised just how chain-dominated the hotel scene is in Cambridge. I’d wanted to stay in a university room for backstage access to wander the historic college corridors, but it was term time when we visited.
Instead, we opted for a new hotel with a playful feel called The Graduate on the River Cam, which is worth it for the morning river view, which made a relaxing break from the seaside city or urban jungle.
Friday night in Cambridge

On our first night, we had dinner with the cool kids at neon-lit Vanderlyle, a sleek new place with a dark facade, no signage, polished plaster walls, small plates to share, and natural wines.
It’s located in a buzzy residential area called Mill Road we fell in love with, filled with charming, quiet streets of Victorian terraced houses, a 15-minute walk for us across Parker’s Piece, the city’s main green space.
We ordered wine, chose a few dishes, and easily settled in to watch the chilled-out chefs at work in a spacious open kitchen packed with implements and spice jars.
Saturday morning in Cambridge

Even off-season, Cambridge’s city centre gets mobbed come the weekend. We began our weekend with a walk to get our bearings, dipping in and out of the city centre via the historic side streets.
We loosely followed a trail around the city’s independent bookshops, which took us into little alleys and narrow lanes. My favourites: St Edward’s Passage, home to The Haunted Bookshop, and Little St Mary’s Lane.
Both skirt inner-city nature sanctuaries and overgrown churchyards we returned to a few times.

Portugal Place (pictured above) was another beauty. It’s a few minutes north of the city centre, with a narrow street of Georgian cottages on either side and a community feel.
Lunch in Cambridge

Occasionally, a popular cafe, pub, shop or restaurant with an interesting history that has stood the test of time will get my vote.
For our trip to Cambridge, we grabbed lunch at one such place: Fitzbillies. This long-standing Cambridge bakery and tea room opened in the 1920s and has an interesting story.
It’s much loved for its original shopfront and sticky, sweet Chelsea buns which fly out the door. To enjoy Fitzbillies, I’d recommend avoiding the peak times, or if you can’t, order sandwiches and Chelsea buns to go, as we did, which we ate at our next destination.
Saturday AFternoon in Cambridge

Until I started to explore Cambridge, I hadn’t realised just how central to Cambridge life the colleges are – there are 31 in total. The most famous include King’s College, Trinity College, St John’s College, and Jesus College.
Undoubtedly, they’re beautiful, particularly King’s, which is the oldest dating back to 1209 and took 100 years to build. Needless to say, they attract hoards of visitors, so I was happy with an outside glimpse from afar.

To appreciate the colleges without everyone else, make a beeline for one of the lesser-known establishments. The best time to do this is when the city centre gets busy.
There are several alternative colleges within walking distance, like Pembroke College, which is free to enter, and we had pretty much all to ourselves.
Founded in 1347, it’s the third oldest college in Cambridge. As we walked through the gated arch, the sound of tourist chatter, cars, and cyclists faded away, and we couldn’t believe our eyes, let alone imagine calling it home for three years as a student here.
Saturday night in Cambridge

Most of the time, we were in the mood for cosy pubs and found our favourite, a traditional backstreet boozer called The Free Press in the Mill Lane neighbourhood. It’s tiny, with friendly bar staff and a nice mix of people – students, tradesmen, locals and tourists.
It had been a pub for nearly 100 years. It got its name from when part of the building was a printing press that circulated a free local newspaper. It only lasted for one issue, but the name stuck.
Sunday morning in cambridge
With time on our hands, we went for an early Sunday morning punt, which was magical! With a traditional wooden gondola all to ourselves, we drifted along a waterside area known as The Backs.
This refers to the green spaces behind some of the colleges, which are enormous, as are some of the colleges’ courtyards. All were closed when we visited, so a punt was the only way to get a glimpse at the time. We went with Scudamores , who were brilliant.
Traveller tip: This is such a nice thing to do first thing on Sunday morning – again to beat the crowds – and was another of my favourite activities in Cambridge.
Sunday afternoon in cambridge

If I had one complaint for my Cambridge weekend, it would be the limited seasonal opening times. Lots of museums were closed on Sunday, which meant we crammed a lot into Saturday and ended up with things left to see yet lots of free time on Sunday.
There was one place, in particular, I wanted to visit that no one talks about – the David Parr House. It was closed on my dates. Ah well.

David Parr was a working-class Victorian decorative artist who worked for Cambridge design firm, FR Leach & Sons, who created important interiors that William Morris leading figures of the Arts and Crafts and Gothic Revival movements designed.
With these skills, he decorated his own humble terraced house at 186 Gwydir Street, which he bought in 1886 and has just been restored. So if you’re in Cambridge at the right time, please go to this place and tour it for me.
Sunday evening in Cambridge

We found cheap pre-dinner drinks in a traditional pub called the Cambridge Blue, which I loved for its curio-filled décor – lots of old metal signs and beer mugs. Before a splurgy dinner at Parker’s Tavern, an elegant brasserie in the University Arms Hotel.
It’s set in a grand landmark building dating back to 1834 once a coach house for people travelling to and from London. If you don’t want to eat, staff don’t mind if you fancy popping in for a snoop around, and there’s always room at the bar for a cocktail.
Final tips
Whether you love heritage buildings, punting along the river, shopping at markets, or exploring museums, Cambridge has something for everyone. I hope you enjoyed my little weekend guide and might find it useful one day.
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