Is Punting in Cambridge Worth It?
Is punting in Cambridge worth it? Yes on a first visit: 45 minutes shows you the colleges' river fronts you cannot see from the street, from US$22 for a shared seat (October 2026).
Yes, punting is worth it on a first visit to Cambridge: in about 45 minutes a chauffeured punt shows you the river fronts of King’s, Queens’, Clare, Trinity and St John’s, which you cannot see from the street, for the price of a sandwich and a coffee on a shared punt. It is less worth it on a cold winter afternoon with an hour of light left, or if you have done it before and would rather walk the Backs.
What punting actually is
A punt is a long, flat-bottomed wooden boat with no keel and no oars. The chauffeur stands on the flat deck at the back and pushes a long pole against the riverbed, which on the Cam is shallow enough for that to work. On a chauffeured tour you sit low on cushions facing the colleges and listen; on self-hire, one of your group does the pushing.
Why it is worth it
The view is the colleges’ backs. The colleges were built facing the river, and their lawns, chapels and bridges line the Backs. From the water you pass under the Mathematical Bridge, Clare Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs, which are hard to get close to on foot.
It is short and cheap. A shared tour like Rutherford’s shared punt with a guide is from US$22 a person (October 2026) for 50 minutes, and the punts carry blankets and umbrellas.
The guides are the bonus. Many chauffeurs are students, and the stories of college life are as much the point as the buildings.
When it is not
In the last hour of a winter day. Punting runs in daylight, and the last tours leave about an hour before dusk, so in December the river closes in the mid-afternoon.
On a peak summer weekend if you hate crowds. The Backs fill with punts, and the bumping is part of the fun only for some. Go early in the morning instead.
If you only want to see the colleges. The lawns of the Backs are free to walk along, and a walking tour shows you the courts and chapels from the inside. The walk and punt tour does both.
The verdict
Go, on a shared punt if you are on your own or a couple, on a punt of your own if you are a group or celebrating. Every tour here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, so book the time you want and decide on the day.
Check times and book
The Most Reviewed Punt on the River
Scholars Punting's guided River Cam tour is 45 minutes along the Backs with live commentary and a refund if the river closes for weather. Rated 4.7 from 1,570 reviews, listed from US$39 for up to three people as of October 2026.
Check Punting Tour Times