Punting on the River Cam and The Backs

The Backs stretch is England's most famous boat ride: the river passes behind the colleges, under St John's Bridge of Sighs, Queens' Mathematical Bridge and beside the lawns of King's and Trinity. With a punter, they tell you about it while they pole; if you hire, you do the punting yourself.

Scudamore's, Cambridge's oldest punt company (since 1910), leaves from Quayside and Mill Lane and operates all year. There are chauffeured trips along The Backs, a quieter one upstream, past Sheep's Green and the Grantchester meadows, and hire by the hour. Prices change with the season and the size of the group: check them on its website when booking. In summer, book.