Two punt chauffeurs guiding tour punts past a college wall, with pink coneflowers in front.

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What is punting in cambridge?

Wondering what punting in Cambridge is all about? Punting is a traditional way of travelling along the River Cam in a flat-bottomed boat called a punt, which is propelled using a long pole. In Cambridge, punting is one of the most popular ways to explore the city, offering beautiful views of the historic University of Cambridge colleges along the River Cam. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or looking to experience your city from a different perspective, a chauffeured punting tour is a relaxing way to discover Cambridge from the water.

What is punting?

A punt is a small rectangular-shaped boat, and punting describes using a punt to traverse a body of water. The front and back sides of the vessel are squared off, making punts optimal for carrying passengers and maintaining stability. You can manoeuvre a punt with equal facility in either direction, making it the perfect vessel to navigate narrow river bends! This makes punts an excellent choice for ferrying passengers up and down the River Camb. It’s a relatively shallow river, making it easier to manoeuvre and turn a punt in its waters.

Cambridge punting tours have been optimised for this purpose, creating unforgettable memories for countless people. Pleasant recollections of peaceful meandering down Cambridge’s tranquil waters.  These boats used to be built as floating platforms for fishers and those hunting waterfowl. However, since the beginning of the 20th century, punts have been popularised as vessels used for leisure.

What is a punter?

The punt is propelled by a “punter” who stands on a platform at the stern of the boat. The punter, or chauffeur, is able to advance the boat using an aluminium punting pole 4.3 meters long. The chauffeur produces momentum by driving this pole into the water and pushing against the riverbed. This results in a relaxing glide down the river, a wonderful way to take in the sights and tranquil sounds of the countryside.

a punter making the tour fun, viewed during a cambridge punting tour

How do you go punting in Cambridge?

As proud recipients of a gold accolade from VisitEngland’s attraction quality assurance scheme, we can attest to the quality of our customer service, cleanliness, staff engagement, and overall visitor satisfaction. These aspects of our services have been inspected by independent assessors, and we have been awarded one of the highest honours as a result.

You can book a Cambridge punting tour with us online through our booking portal here. You are also able to reach us over the phone. Please call us on 01223 651 659 and press option 2 to speak with our office team. Our dedicated staff will be delighted to assist you in completing your booking over the phone. Email is another convenient option; you can contact us at info@letsgopunting.co.uk and simply send us the details of your booking request, and we’ll promptly get back to you with the necessary information and confirmation.

Let’s Go Punting’s chauffeured tours depart from our landing stage on Thompson’s Lane, at the corner of Jesus Green in Cambridge (CB5 8AG).

You can book your punting tour online in advance or purchase tickets directly from our team at the landing stage. However, booking online offers lower prices than purchasing tickets in person, and we recommend booking ahead to secure your preferred departure time, particularly during busy periods.

a beautiful bridge viewed during a cambridge punting tour

How long does a punting tour in Cambridge last?

A standard chauffeured punting tour in Cambridge lasts approximately 50 minutes. During your tour with Let’s Go Punting, you’ll travel along the River Cam, passing some of the University of Cambridge’s most famous colleges, including King’s College, Trinity and St John’s.

Your tour starts and finishes at our landing stage on the corner of Jesus Green, making it easy to continue exploring Cambridge afterwards.

Types of punting in Cambridge

Before booking a punting tour in Cambridge, it’s helpful to understand the different experiences available.

There are two main ways to enjoy punting in Cambridge: chauffeured punting and self-hire punting. With self-hire punting, you rent a punt and navigate the River Cam yourself using a long pole. Although this can be a fun experience, steering a punt can be more challenging than it looks!

At Let’s Go Punting, we specialise exclusively in chauffeured punting tours, meaning you can sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery while an experienced chauffeur navigates the river.

We offer both shared and private chauffeured tours. Whichever option you choose, you’ll enjoy commentary from your chauffeur and beautiful views of Cambridge’s historic colleges.

 

Shared tours

Shared punting tours are a popular and affordable way to experience Cambridge from the River Cam. You’ll share a punt with other visitors, but our seating arrangements are designed to keep separate bookings comfortably accommodated.

Our punts can carry up to 12 passengers, with seating arranged in rows of three. Depending on your group size, you may share the boat with other groups, but our team will organise the seating to ensure everyone has a comfortable experience. During your approximately 50-minute tour, your chauffeur will guide you along the College Backs, sharing interesting facts and stories about Cambridge’s historic colleges.

Private tours

If you’d prefer a more exclusive experience, a private punting tour gives your group sole use of a punt and a dedicated chauffeur. Private tours are ideal for couples, families, celebrations and groups of friends who want to enjoy Cambridge together without sharing their boat with other customers.

Each private punt accommodates up to 12 passengers, making this a flexible option for both smaller and larger groups. Like our shared tours, private tours last approximately 50 minutes and follow the scenic College Backs route, passing some of Cambridge’s most famous colleges.

 

What makes punting in Cambridge special?

Only in Cambridge do you have the opportunity to voyage through the unforgettable iconography of Cambridge University. To witness the stomping grounds of its esteemed student body, and capture a snapshot of their scholarly toils.

Our tour travels the length between Magdalene College and Silver Street Bridge on a two-mile return journey to the college backs.  From this renowned riverside path, we can see into College courtyards and footpaths that are either often cut off from public access or are available to the public on an irregular basis. We have to remember that these College gardens are not just the heart of Cambridge. They represent the homes of countless students and research fellows. A punting tour in Cambridge is an excellent, non-invasive way to tour these private premises. A chance to witness these well-trodden courtyards and secret gardens that are sequestered from the public.

a lovely and crowded river with many people enjoying themselves, viewed during a cambridge punting tour

Why go on a Cambridge punting tour?

That’s the thing about Cambridge punting tours: you get to see the city from such a unique angle. You may have heard of the gondolas of Venice, a striking way to experience the City through its intricate vasculature of canals. In Cambridge, you would embark on a similar sightseeing enterprise. Cambridge punting tours have become a very popular pastime for tourists and residents alike!

Cambridge emerges as a top destination when it comes to the most scenic places to go punting in the UK.  Daffodils and cherry blossoms line the river in the warmer months, and beautiful willow trees stand with their branches dancing against the surface of the water. Not to mention the striking Boston Ivy of St. John’s College turning crimson in the autumn.

lovely red boston ivy, viewed during a cambridge punting tour

 

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