Which part of Cambridge should you punt?
Punting in Cambridge is a quintessential activity to be enjoyed by tourists and locals alike, and there are two parts of the city where it’s possible to rent a punt. You can either punt on the Granta, the stretch of river which leads to Grantchester or punt along the College Backs, the part of the River Cam between Jesus Green lock and the Newnham Mill pond. The following blog gives information about each one, so that you can make a balanced decision between the two.
Punting on the Granta
Description
This part of Cambridge runs upstream from the weir at Silver Street. After about two miles, you reach the Village of Grantchester. This is a great place to stop off for a visit to one of the pubs, or to use as your turnaround point, before the river then forks in two. To the left, you will see another weir and to the right, Grantchester Mill.
This part of the river has very few buildings but benefits from an atmospheric wooded area around 500m long, as you pass through Newnham, and the famous rolling Grantchester meadows for the remainder of the route. The wooded area feels very natural with trees growing across the river, there is a thick canopy which the light beams filter through on a sunny day. The meadows are a great place for a picnic and include a selection of rope swings for the more adventurous punters.
Cost and time required
This tour takes a minimum of four hours and that’s a round trip with a very proficient guide. Most people will choose to stop off in Grantchester for at least an hour. Self-drives should allow six hours to do the full trip. You should budget at least £500 for a chauffeured tour on a weekday. For self-drives, allow £180.
The College Backs
Description
This is the most popular part of the river because it features the iconic Cambridge University College Backs. Over a one kilometre stretch of water, there are almost back to back premium historic buildings. The ages of the buildings range from 1418 right up until the present day. The majority of the punts are chauffeured and the tour includes an introduction to each of the colleges.
Cost and time required
Self-drive is the cheapest option. You can hire a punt for around £30/hour, you should allow around an hour and a half if you haven’t punted before. The next least expensive is a shared punting tour, prices start from about £12 per person online, but can be as much as £20 in person. Private tours start from around £100, but may be less for small groups. It takes 45 minutes for a professional chauffeur to cover the two kilometre round trip.
