Cambridge University

Visit Cambridge from London

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Visiting Cambridge from London in one day is one of the most typical excursions when visiting London, since the famous and beautiful city of Cambridge is located just over an hour from London, and is the perfect size to be able to visit it in just one day.

Cambridge is a beautiful city, famous for its university and for being a city where students, architecture and bicycles are the protagonists. Here we can visit numerous museums, art galleries, markets, see the university, but actually walking through its streets in one day is something that is not forgotten.

What will you find in this article?

How to get to Cambridge from London

Basically, to visit Cambridge in one day from London you have two options: Go by public transport on your own to Cambridge and visit the city at your own pace, or go with an organized excursion. Below we explain each option in a little more detail:

a) Visiting Cambridge from London on your own using Public Transport:

  • Bus: It takes approximately 1h 45 min to 2 hours. Buses depart from London Victoria Station and arrive at Cambridge City Center Station, located in the center of Cambridge. You can see the schedules and prices of the journey here: National Express . Another company that does very cheap intercity travel in England is Megabus , but so far we haven’t seen them offer London – Cambridge routes.
  • Train: Direct trains run from London Liverpool Street and London King’s Cross stations to Cambridge Station. The train station is a little further from the city center than the bus station, but it is possible to walk to the center without problems. Also, if you are thinking of taking the Cambridge tourist bus , there is a tourist bus stop right outside the train station and you can get on it right there. Depending on the route, the train from London to Cambridge can take from 45 min to 1h 25 min, but it will always be faster than the bus. Train tickets are much cheaper if you buy them online in advance on the website: The Train Line . Here we tell you how to buy train tickets online in advance:Buy train tickets

b) Visit Cambridge from London with an organized excursion
Another option is to go to Cambridge with an organized excursion and not have to worry about buying train or bus tickets. The truth is that visiting Cambridge with an organized excursion means that you can combine the visit to Cambridge with the visit to another city, which is not bad at all.

One of the most typical organized excursions is to visit Cambridge and Oxford in one day, as both cities are small it is possible to visit both in one day without problems, and the direct bus ride from one city to the other makes visiting both in one day possible. More information: Excursion to Cambridge and Oxford from London .

Visit Cambridge from London in one day

The first time we visited Cambridge we used the Cambridge tourist bus , since it stops right in front of the Cambridge train station and we only had one day to see the most important things. The tourist bus runs through the city of Cambridge and has free stops, being able to get on and off as many times as you want, and the biggest advantage is that you will be able to see a little more of Cambridge than if you just walk, since the route reaches the American Cemetery which is quite far from the city center.

But honestly, walking through the streets of Cambridge is the best way to see this city. Cambridge itself is quite small, but you will see that it has a lot of charm, and walking through its streets is one of the best things you can do if you are going to visit Cambridge from London. A great way to get to know the secrets of Cambridge is to join a guided tour of Cambridge .

One of the possibilities is to take a tour of the River Cam , a 45-minute tour from which we can admire 8 universities and 9 bridges, including iconic sites in Cambridge such as the mathematical bridge, the King’s College chapel, the bridge of the sighs…

What to see in Cambridge in one day

As you may already know, Cambridge is a city mostly of students, and the University of Cambridge is one of the most prestigious in England along with the University of Oxford. The city of Cambridge traces its origins back to Roman times, thanks to easy access to the River Cam.

In the S. XI a group of students from religious colleges in Oxford left to start a new training in Cambridge, and thus the University of Cambridge was born. The University of Cambridge has 31 colleges in total, many of which are located in the city center of Cambridge. At the back of many colleges we find gardens that overlook the River Cam, and this is what is known as the ” Backs ” and is undoubtedly one of the most famous views of Cambridge.

Visit the Colleges of the University of Cambridge

Many of Cambridge University’s colleges can be visited, and they are usually open to the public from 2-5pm. Each College usually has a sign at the entrance with the opening hours to the public. Many of them are free to enter, but others charge admission. Of the 31 Colleges, Peterhouse is the oldest college in the city of Cambridge (1284), and Robinson the most recent (1979).

Some of the most famous colleges that can be visited are: King’s College, Peterhouse, Trinity College, Newhman College, Magdalene College, St John’s College, Queen’s College, Jesus College, Corpus Christi College and Emmanuel College. It is also possible to enter the library of the University of Cambridge, the Cambridge University Library.

List of places to see in Cambridge in one day

  • Mathematical Bridge (Mathematical Bridge): Bridge built by Isaac Newton without any support.
  • Bridge of Sighs
  • Trinity Bridge
  • Round Church
  • King’s College Chapel
  • King’s College
  • Queen’s College
  • Great St Mary’s Church
  • The Backs
  • Pickerel Inn: One of the oldest pubs in Cambridge. This is a traditional British pub, where they serve typical pub food such as Fish and Chips, Sausage and Mash, Burgers, plus a wide selection of sandwiches and jacket potatoes, making it a good place to eat in Cambridge. Official Website: The Pickerel Inn .
  • The Eagle: Pub where the discovery of DNA was announced. This is a traditional British pub, where they serve typical pub food such as Fish and Chips, Sausage and Mash, Burgers, plus a wide selection of sandwiches and jacket potatoes, making it a good place to eat in Cambridge. Official website: The Eagle .

If you are thinking of staying in Cambridge, some of the hotels we recommend are the following:

  • Hotel du vin & bistro
  • Royal Cambridge Hotel
  • Doubletree City Center

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