30+ brilliant things to do in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire is on my doorstep – I live in Hertfordshire – so we enjoy exploring Cambridgeshire attractions when we have a spare weekend. With the long summer holidays fast approaching, I decided to put together this list of things to do in Cambridgeshire for readers who live nearby or for those of you planning a staycation in the area.

Aside from the obvious attractions of Cambridge itself, there are some brilliant places to visit in Cambridgeshire which are often overlooked. If you know of anywhere I should add to this list of Cambridgeshire days out, please do get in touch in the comments section at the end of the article.

This page contains affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.

The best things to do in Cambridgeshire with kids

Most of the Cambridgeshire attractions I’ve detailed in this article are great for families. However, I thought the following places to visit in Cambridgeshire work particularly well with children.

Take the kids on a sculpture trail around Cambridge

If your kids aren’t interested in visiting colleges and museums, try exploring Cambridge through its sculptures. There are four sculpture trails to follow which cover different parts of the city – it’s a great way to take in some of the sights from a different perspective. Some children – depending on their age and inclination – will enjoy seeking out each sculpture.

There’s a real mix of public sculptures throughout the city, plenty of which the kids will enjoy tracking down. Cambridge-based artist Esther Melamed (who, helpfully, believes that sculptures should be touched as well as seen) has produced a sculpture of a figure disappearing into water, displayed outside Parkside swimming pool. Meanwhile, outside the Scott Polar Institute is a bronze husky – surely that’s asking to be touched too?

Find out more about the Cambridge sculpture trails

For more ideas of sculpture trails across the UK, check out my article about outdoor art.

Nene Valley Railway

My kids have always loved train rides and I’m sure they would enjoy a trip on the Nene Valley Railway near Peterborough. As well as trips on the trains, there’s a model railway and museum as well as the obligatory gift shop and café.

The Nene Valley Railway has themed days – Thomas of course – plus seasonal events such as a Santa train and experiences for older visitors including murder mysteries and dinners.

Find out more about the Nene Valley Railway

Go for a wander at Wandlebury Country Park

This country park near Cambridge is a nature reserve with woodland walks, open spaces, and a play area. There are eight miles of waymarked trails.

It’s a great place to spot wildlife and wildflowers, and to learn about local history. The remains of a iron age hillfort can be found here and there are buildings dating back to the 15th and 18th century.

Find out more about Wandlebury Country Park

Skylark Maize Maze and Funyard

Seasonal fun can be had at the Skylark Maize Maze and Funyard with lambs to feed in spring and a field of maize to get lost in during the summer. There’s also tractor rides, inflatables and various play areas.

Find out more about the Skylark Events

Learn about medieval life at Longthorpe Tower

Just outside Peterborough is the village of Longthorpe with its well preserved tower. The tower is three stories high and dates back to the 14th century. It is famed for its remarkable wall paintings which cover much of the ground floor.

How is this of interest to children?

English Heritage are clearly tapping into the minds of their more youthful visitors. The webpage about Longthorpe Tower describes one of the highlights as a wall painting of a “mythological beast armed with projectile flaming excrement”. Now that is something my children would enjoy tracking down.

Find out more about Longthorpe Tower

National Trust Wimpole Estate

We visit Wimpole every year with our friends. It’s a great place for the kids to run around and expend their energy.

There are lovely walks – the stroll across fields to the ruined folly is a great one to do with little ones as it gives them a destination to head for. Back at the farm, there’s a good play area next to the café so parents can enjoy a coffee while the kids clamber on the wooden tractor.

Find out more about the Wimpole Estate

Go on a family bike ride in Cambridgeshire

Looking for free family days out in Cambridgeshire? This predominantly flat county is a good place for bike rides with young kids and there are plenty of decent cycle paths. Wicken Fen, Grafham Water, Wimpole and Milton Country Park offer cycling trails suitable for all ages. Cambridge itself is also a great destination for cycling with plenty of traffic free routes.

We enjoyed a bike ride across Wicken Fen (you can hire bikes there) to Anglesey Abbey. It is flat the whole way with a short stretch on quiet village roads at the very end. Anglesey Abbey has a great restaurant to refuel in if you haven’t packed a picnic. It’s around 12 kilometres each way.

Cambridge Museum of Zoology

We popped into this museum when the kids were quite young and I wasn’t sure how successful the visit would be. It’s a modest sized museum, and it’s free, so it’s perfect for smaller children who tire of endless halls packed with glass cases. We had a short wander and chatted about some of the highlights, there are plenty of skeletons and fossils to marvel at.

Find out more about the Museum of Zoology

Discover Duxford Imperial War Museum

We live fairly close to Duxford and we ended up visiting it three times in the space of a year after our first trip there – it really captured the kids’ imaginations. It is vast and you have to walk quite a distance between the various hangers so you need to pace yourselves, especially if you’re visiting with little children.

There’s a huge range of aircrafts to look at – both military and commercial. You can walk through a Concord and also step inside a Lancaster bomber – there’s a guide who tells you the reality of life flying in a Lancaster, grim but fascinating stuff.

Read our review of visiting Duxford

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Gardens might not seem like an obvious choice for kids but the Cambridge University Botanic Garden has glasshouses to explore – covering different habitats and themes from alpine to tropical.

There’s a grass maze – I expect this is a seasonal attraction – and a couple of areas which specialise in draught-resistant planting, something we all might need to learn about pretty soon.

Find out more about the Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Explore wetland landscapes at Wicken Fen

This National Trust-managed wetland is one of the oldest nature reserves in the country. There are lots of ways to explore the area – walking, cycling (there’s bike hire) or boat trips. Children will enjoy wandering along the boardwalks in search of wildlife including the little Konik ponies.

If you enjoy cycling, there’s a fun ride from Wicken Fen to the National Trust Anglesey Abbey. It’s about 12 kilometres each way and – of course – it’s completely flat.

Find out more about Wicken Fen

Historical places to visit in Cambridgeshire

Tour the colleges of Cambridge

Visitors to Cambridge can take a tour of the university’s colleges with a current or former student – exploring the history and culture and learning about current student life.

If you’d like to attend the famous carol concerts at Kings College, you need to enter a ballot or be prepared to queue on the day.

Find out more about tours of Cambridge

Ely Cathedral

Ely cathedral has over 1300 years of history to explore. One of the highlights is climbing the West Tower which offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Fans of medieval architecture might prefer a guided tour of the Octagonal Tower – a real feat of engineering. There’s also a stained glass museum which includes stained glass from both religious and secular buildings.

Find out more about Ely Cathedral

Bourne windmill

So, this is the oldest windmill in England. The main post of the mill comes from a tree dated as being felled in the early 16th century although the windmill itself was likely not completed until the early 17th century.

The windmill has limited open days during the summer when visitors can take a guided tour and see the mill in action. Outside of these times, it’s still possible to visit the mill to admire the exterior and take in the surrounding countryside.

Find out more about Bourne windmill

Discover historic towns and villages in Cambridgeshire

If you’re after country pubs, walks along the river, and pretty thatched cottages, there’s a good choice of Cambridgeshire villages which tick all these boxes. Here’s a couple to get you started:

Grantchester, accessible by punt or on foot from Cambridge (it’s around 2.5 miles), is located on the River Cam and is a lovely spot on a summer’s day. The water meadows are a popular spot for picnicking and the river attracts swimmers and paddle boarders.

St Ives near Huntingdon is another appealing village – again, with a riverside location, this time the River Great Ouse over which sits a lovely old stone bridge.

Hinxton watermill

Another pretty village worth visiting is Hinxton near Duxford. Here you’ll find the 17th century watermill which is open to visitors on a handful of Sundays over the summer.

Find out more about Hinxton watermill

Peterborough Cathedral

This cathedral -of Norman origins – is the resting place of Katharine of Aragon. Peterborough Cathedral has an incredible exterior as well as impressive medieval features inside – the decorative wooden ceiling of the nave dates back to the 13th century.

There’s a fun sounding tour into the upper reaches of the cathedral where you can discover medieval graffiti and climb through tiny doors in the hidden roof space.

Find out more about Peterborough Cathedral

Oliver Cromwell’s House

In Ely you can explore the former home of this famous statesman and military leader and learn about his life and impact on British history. The house is an opportunity to learn about 17th century life through a series of recreated rooms. There’s also an exhibition about the Civil War and kids will enjoy dressing up in period costumes.

Find out more about Oliver Cromwell’s House

Anglesey Abbey

This Jacobean-style house and garden near Cambridge has lovely grounds to explore with themed gardens including some very photogenic silver birch trees.

I have to admit that although I have visited this National Trust property a couple of times, I’ve yet to step inside the house. But, we have enjoyed the woodland play area and made bread from flour which was ground at the water mill.

Find out more about Anglesey Abbey

Animal-themed days out in Cambridgeshire

The Raptor Foundation

The Raptor Foundation near Huntingdon has a variety of birds of prey, including owls, eagles, and falcons. It’s an important centre for medical care and rehabilitation, not just a visitor attraction.

Find out more about the Raptor Foundation

Shepreth Wildlife Park

This small zoo and conservation centre has red pandas, monkeys, and reptiles. There are daily animal talks and there’s a play area and café.

Find out more about Shepreth Wildlife Park

Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre

As well as the usual animal attractions and tractor rides, this working farm near Peterborough is also a museum offering a history of farming from Roman settlers to the present day.

Find out more about Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre

The Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

Another one for agricultural heritage, this museum and abbey in Waterbeach has historic buildings to explore, interactive displays, and the history of farming traditions in the Cambridgeshire Fens.

Denny Abbey dates back to the 12th century with a mix of architectural styles and interesting features.

Find out more about the Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

Things to do in Cambridgeshire on a rainy day

As well as all the other indoor Cambridgeshire attractions listed elsewhere in this article, here are a few other ideas to tempt you indoors.

Go climbing in Cambridgeshire

There are several indoor climbing walls in Cambridgeshire – perfect when the weather is against you.

Kids will enjoy the colourful walls to scramble up at Clip n’ Climb in Cambridge. For bouldering, Cambridge has two options – Rainbow Rocket near Cambridge train station, and the Kelsey Kerridge climbing wall.

If you’re close to the Herts border, check out my complete guide to climbing walls in Hertfordshire.

Visit the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge

Part of Cambridge University, the Fitzwilliam Museum houses art from all over the world with highlights including works by Picasso and Van Gogh.

Find out more about the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge

The Byard Art Gallery

The Byard Art Gallery in Cambridge showcases contemporary art and crafts by local and international artists. It’s a great place to explore unique artworks and perhaps find a special piece to take home.

Find out more about the Byard art gallery

Learn about the history of Ely

I love visiting smaller museums with my kids. They’re less exhausting and tend to hold the kids’ attention for just the right amount of time. Ely museum sounds like a good one – housed in a former 13th century jail and covering life in Ely and the surrounding Fen countryside from prehistoric time to the present. It’s just around the corner from the cathedral so the two combined make an excellent rainy day out in Cambridgeshire.

Find out more about Ely Museum

The Museum of Technology

There are lots of ways to sell this museum to potential visitors – it focuses on the history of technology and showcases vintage machinery and inventions. I’m sure children will be delighted to discover there’s a section on the history of sewage.

The museum has plenty of hands-on exhibits and there are trails for families to follow plus the all important dressing up opportunities.

Find out more about the Museum of Technology

Enjoy afternoon tea in Cambridge

There are some fantastic places to enjoy afternoon tea in Cambridge and in the surrounding towns and villages. I particularly like the sound of the Orchard Tea Garden – afternoon tea among the apple trees on a sunny day in Grantchester.

Find out more about afternoon tea in Cambridge

Things to do in Cambridgeshire on the water

Enjoy a day at Grafham Water

This large reservoir near Huntingdon offers many things – a nature reserve, a walking and cycling destination (it’s a nine mile circuit) and a place to swim and enjoy all manner of water sports.

Grafham has a dedicated Water Centre where families can try out a range of sports including kayaking and sailing.

You can hire water sports equipment or bring your own – we’re planning to take our paddle board this year.

Find out more about Grafham Water

Punting on the Cam

I’ve always enjoyed taking in the sights of a city from the water – London looks brilliant from the Thames – and Cambridge by boat is rather lovely too.

It’s unlikely you’ll escape Cambridge without being accosted by at least one punting tout. There are several options – take a group tour, pilot your own punt or have a private punting experience with a guide. Whichever you choose, you’ll glide past beautiful colleges and see areas of the city which are hard to reach on foot.

Lidos in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire boasts four outdoor pools – Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge, Lammas Land and Sheeps Green pools and the lovely art deco lido at Peterborough.

I’ve also written articles about outdoor swimming in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire – check them out if you’re near to these counties.

Open water swimming in Cambridge

There are several places to go open water swimming and wild swimming in Cambridgeshire.

If you prefer an organised swim, there are open water swimming sessions at Milton Country Park, Nene Park and Lake Ashmore or you can have a wilder experience by swimming in the Cam or the River Great Ouse.

Find out more about open water swimming in Cambridgeshire

Unusual things to do in Cambridgeshire

The Centre for Computing History

This is rather a niche attraction. I think once I’ve looked wistfully at a Commodore 64, I’ll probably be done. However, if you have a keen interest in the history of computing, I’m sure this centre will be brilliant – there are interactive exhibits and retro gaming consoles and a look at how computers have changed over the decades.

Find out more about the Centre for Computing History

Kettles Yard

The former home of Jim Ede – a curator at the Tate in the 1920s and 30s – Kettles Yard holds Jim’s collection of early 20^th century art along with a whole range of other artefacts from furniture to natural objects.

Find out more about Kettles Yard

The Plague walking trail in Cambridge

Fancy a slightly different tour to the usual university colleges and gardens? Embark on the Plague Trail in Cambridge, a self-guided walking tour that explores the impact of the plague on the city. Learn about the history of disease outbreaks, quarantine measures, and how the city coped with the epidemic.

Find out more about the plague walking tour in Cambridge

The National Stud

I’m not sure I’ll be paying a visit to this Cambridgeshire attraction any time soon but no doubt if you’re a fan of horseracing you’ll find the National Stud a fascinating day out. Guided tours (you need to pre-book) cover the history of horseracing and there are opportunities to see some impressive thoroughbred horses.

Find out more about the National Sud

****

What are your favourite things to do in Cambridgeshire? Let me know in the comments below if you have any days out in Cambridgeshire to recommend.