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Cambridge
City and district in Cambridgeshire, England

Cambridge

Cambridge is a city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England.

Plan a trip to Cambridge→From Luton, Luton

It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, 55 miles (89 km) north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of the City of Cambridge was 145,700; the population of the wider built-up area was 181,137. There is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dating back to as early as the Bronze Age, and Cambridge became an important trading centre during the Roman and Viking eras. The first town charters were granted in the 12th century, although modern city status was not officially conferred until 1951.

Get in

Getting to Cambridge

Cambridge is around 50 mi (80 km) north of London. Two railway routes connect Cambridge with the capital, with additional routes to towns and cities throughout the East of England and the Midlands. Several major routes including the M11 motorway connect the city with other UK destinations. Cambridge is around 30 mi (48 km) from

  1. 01
    London Stansted Airport

    You can fly into Stansted from destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and domestic destinations including Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newquay.

  2. 02
    London City Airport
  3. 03
    London Heathrow Airport
  4. 04
    London Gatwick Airport
See

Worth seeing

Cambridge University consists of a number of semi-independent colleges, many central, some up to 3 mi (4.8 km) from the town centre (traditionally measured from Great St. Mary's church). The following are a good selection for sightseeing. Most of the colleges within the central area are worth a look, if you have the time. Some colleges charge for entrance. It can be expensive, around £5 per person or more.

  1. 01
    King's College and King's College Chapel

    Grounds closed during exams (late April to mid June) though Chapel is open.

  2. 02
    Queens' College

    Founded by two Queens - Margaret of Anjou in 1448 and Elizabeth Woodville in 1465, the College stretches across both sides of the Cam, linked by the famous Mathematical Bridge.

  3. 03
    Trinity College

    Large attractive courtyard and library designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

  4. 04
    St John's College

    Formerly the St Johns Hospital (13th century) before being refounded as a college in 1511, this college houses the oldest academic building in Cambridge (the "School of Pythagoras").

  5. 05
    Jesus College

    Attractive grounds and sculptures scattered throughout.

  6. 06
    Pembroke College

    The 3rd oldest college in Cambridge, founded in 1347 by the Countess of Pembroke, Marie de St Paul, is well known for its beautiful gardens.

Do

Things to do

Explore the backs. It's free, and gives you a real flavour of the city. You can walk through King's College, onto King's Parade, a beautiful row of exclusive shops. You can also experience the backs by punt which is extremely popular. Punting. 9:30AM-dusk daily. If anything is stereotypically 'Cambridge', this is it.

  1. 01
    Cambridge United

    United were promoted in 2026 and now play soccer in League One, the third tier.

  2. 02
    Cambridge Ice Arena

    This rink has public skating, ice hockey, curling, figure skating, and lessons.

  3. 03
    Lets Go Punting

    Landing Stage, Thompsons Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8AG, info@letsgopunting.co.uk.

  4. 04
    Traditional Punting Company
  5. 05
    Cambridge Corn Exchange

    The city's centre for arts and entertainment.

  6. 06
    ADC Theatre

    Hosts student and local amateur productions.

Eat

Where to eat

Cambridge has a good range of eateries, as well as a daily market next to Great St Mary's Church where there are maybe 10-15 food stalls. Many of these offer vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, all for reasonable prices (a falafel wrap, for example, is £4-5).

  1. 01
    Michaelhouse Cafe

    Beautiful cafe serving excellent sandwiches, salads, hot dishes, and soups.

  2. 02
    Tatties

    Busy cafe serving jacket potatoes and sandwiches.

  3. 03
    Savinos

    3 Emmanuel Street.

  4. 04
    Trockel

    Ulmann & Freunde, 13 Pembroke St.

  5. 05
    The Garden Kitchen

    82 Mill Rd.

How locals move

Getting around Cambridge the local way

  • Go nextMap of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby Grantchester: Take a day trip to enjoy the countryside and have scones and tea at The Orchard.

From Wikivoyage: Cambridge, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.