Cambridge Gondola

If you’re looking to book a Gondola in Cambridge, then click here. There are no Gondolas, but there are punts. People often to confuse punts with Gondolas.

Are there Gondolas in Cambridge?

There are no Gondolas in Cambridge, but there are punts. Punts are similar to Gondolas because they are used to give tours of the River in Cambridge.

Why do people think there are Gondolas in Cambridge?

Like Gondolas, punts are small wooden boats which are manually propelled by a boatman. Gondolas of Venice are slightly more famous than the punts of Cambridge, so it follows that people often assume that the Cambridge Punts are Gondolas.

What are the differences between punts and Gondolas?

To the untrained eye these boats appear very similar, however there are quite a few differences.

Construction

The punt has a very basic design with two sides and a base, whereas the Gondola has a curved hull. The Hull of the Gondola is asymmetric in order to compensate for the single oar, whereas the punt is completely symmetrical.

There are absolutely no Gondolas in Cambridge because the hull would not take the damage caused by constant crashes with the more robust Cambridge punts.

Propulsion method

Gondolas are powered by a single oar, fixed to a bracket on the side of the boat. Punts are propelled by a quant which the driver pushes off the river bed.

Capacity

Gondolas are typically set up for two or four customers, although they have been made to carry more. Punts have seating for 5 or 12 passengers.

How can I book a Cambridge punt tour?

Click here to be put through to our quick book. You can choose between shared or private tours. There are also a selection of specialist tours like our proposal tour available in the tours section of our website.