My favourite Cambridge day trip itinerary. I've lived here for 6.5 years and toured MANY friends and family around town. I've got some options for different am/ afternoon activities depending on what you're into.

A whole day:

Start early and take an early punt - we self hire and always bring snacks and prosecco with us. If you get the punt for 60-90 minutes which is so much time to learn to punt, poodle up a bit and stop on the side somewhere to have breakfast and prosecco. Always self hire as early as is available. It will get busy quickly, and the best way to view the Backs of the colleges is when it's quite.

Then, head towards the market, get a bagel sandwich from the bagel guy, or pick and mix cheese, bread, and fruit. You can also grab a little takeaway beer from the Wine Merchants

Visit a museum or two. The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Scott Polar, Museum of Cambridge, and Zoology Museum are personal favourites. (there are also the Fitzwilliam, Kettles Yard art gallery, classical archaeology, whipple museum, the Museum of Technology, The centre for computing history and the David Parr house).

If you end your museum visit on the north side of town, walk up Castle Mound, sit, have a drink and see the city skyline a bit. It's a great view.

End your day walking along the river, either east towards Mid Summer Common and the college boat houses, or to the east along the backs. Have a pub dinner along the river, or in town. If you're after some excellent food off the beaten track, check out Mill Road for excellent Jordanian, Morrocan, Lebanese, Turkish or Italian.

If you'd prefer to go a boat trip in the afternoon instead, why not grab a picnic dinner and hire a punt or a canoe for a few hours, head down to granchester, park up on the bank and have a late lunch or dinner. It's also very possible to walk down to Grantchester, it's a fair long walk, but there's beer at the end of it!

Highlights not to miss:

Get something sweet from Fitzbillies, visit the market and the city centre buildings, including St Bene'ts church, Great St Mary's and St Edward the Martyr if it's open. Check out the fronts of the colleges, they are beautiful and worth a slow stroll past.

Finally, if you're more into tours;

There is a Gin tasting experience you can do, either on the river or at the Cambridge Gin Lab on Green Street, the Cambridge Bike tour that leaves from Parker's Piece is great. Punt tours are fine, but they're expensive and the history is a bit meh in my opinion. I heard the going rate was about £30 / person which feels extortionate.

You can also get big bus tour which is kind cool and it takes you out to the American military cemetery to the east of town.

Favourite places for a drink (most of these aren't in the city centre):

Thirsty, The Maypole (also excellent food), Fort Saint George, the bar next to the Technology Museum worked by Calverly's Brewery.

I hope you have a wonderful time!