Cambridge Punting Prices
What punting in Cambridge costs in October 2026: shared seats from US$22 a person, punts for two or three from US$34, a private punt for 12 from US$166, self-hire.
Punting in Cambridge costs from about US$22 a person for a seat on a shared chauffeured punt, as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026, while a whole punt for a small group starts around US$34 for two and a private punt for up to 12 is US$166. The trap is the unit: some listings price per person and others per group, and they sit side by side in search results.
Every option, side by side
| Tour | From (October 2026) | Priced | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford's shared punt with guide | US$22 | per person | 50 min | Raised seats, tables, blankets |
| Granta shared tour, student guides | US$32 | per person | 50 min | From Granta Moorings |
| We Are Cambridge, student guides | US$38 | per person | 50 min | Adds Darwin College; app guide |
| Alumni Tours guided punting | US$40 | per person | 45 min | Mill Lane station |
| Let's Go Punting, chauffeured | US$34 | per group up to 2 | 45-50 min | Pre-book a time with the office |
| Scholars guided River Cam tour | US$39 | per group up to 3 | 45 min | Weather refund |
| Scudamore's guided shared tour | US$109 | per group up to 3 | 45 min | Walk-up ticket valid 180 days |
| Granta self-hire, 1 hour | US$51 | per group up to 6 | 1 hour | You punt; ID deposit |
| Rutherford's Bridge of Sighs, private | US$166 | per group up to 12 | 50 min | Whole punt, table, cushions |
How to get cheap punting in Cambridge
Buy at the kiosk. The operators’ own walk-up prices are often lower than the online listings, and they move with the season and the time of day. Rutherford’s publishes its November 2026 shared tours at £12 to £21 a person (mornings cheapest, weekend evenings dearest) and a whole private punt from £113 on a weekday morning. Self-hire at Granta Moorings is £38 a boat for the first hour, and Trinity College hires punts at £24 an hour until the end of October. All checked on the operators’ own sites in October 2026.
Take a shared seat. The per-person shared tours are the cheapest way to see the Backs with a guide, and they carry the same commentary as the private punts.
Do the maths for a group. For four people, a punt priced per group can cost less than four shared seats; for a party of eight or more, a private punt for up to 12 often beats shared seats per head.
Self-hire if someone can punt. Hiring a punt for an hour and poling it yourself is the cheapest per head for a group of up to six, with a quick lesson included; you lose the guide, and you will zigzag. Self-hire or chauffeured? explains.
Book online rather than at the kiosk. The listings above can all be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, so there is no risk in fixing the price early, and the walk-up ticket from Scudamore’s stays valid for 180 days.
Tips are not included on most listings and are optional. For which company to pick, see the best punting tour in Cambridge.
Check times and book
The Cheapest Seat on the Backs
Rutherford's shared punting tour puts you in a guided punt with raised seats, tables, blankets and umbrellas for 50 minutes along the Backs. Rated 4.7 from 802 reviews, from US$22 a person as of October 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check Shared Punt Times