Guide · punting stations · Cambridge
Where to go punting in Cambridge: the six licensed stations
Nearly every visitor asks the same thing at the river's edge: is this the right place to get on? There are only six licensed punting stations in Cambridge, and picking the right one decides whether you see the Bridge of Sighs or a stretch of quiet water heading the other way.
Written and guided by Jordan Harrington, Cambridge punting guide since 2021
The short answer
The best place to punt is the College Backs, and every legitimate punt leaves from one of six stations licensed by the Conservators of the River Cam. For the Backs, start at Quayside by Magdalene Bridge at the northern end, or at the Mill Pond on Silver Street or Mill Lane at the southern end. For meadows and a long trip to Grantchester, start at the Granta mill pond near Sheeps Green. La Mimosa on Jesus Green sits downstream and does not serve the Backs at all.
Where is the best place to go punting in Cambridge?
The College Backs, without much argument. It is the stretch of the Cam that runs behind King's, Clare, Trinity and St John's, and it holds the Bridge of Sighs and the Mathematical Bridge. Start at Quayside for the northern end or the Mill Pond and Mill Lane for the southern end. Both cover the same water.
People imagine the choice is between companies. It is really between two stretches of river. The Backs give you the postcard: chapel walls rising straight out of the water, lawns you cannot walk on, bridges built for colleges rather than traffic. Upriver, past Sheeps Green, the Cam turns into meadow and willow and cows. Lovely, but nobody's mental picture of Cambridge.
If this is your first time, or your only afternoon here, take the Backs. A chauffeured run covers it in about 45 to 50 minutes while somebody else does the work. Our College Backs route guide walks the whole thing college by college.
Where are Cambridge's punting stations?
There are six, licensed by the Conservators of the River Cam: La Mimosa on the corner of Jesus Green, Quayside, Trinity College inside the college grounds, the Mill Pond on Silver Street, Mill Lane, and the Granta mill pond near Sheeps Green.
That list matters more than it looks. It is the difference between a licensed punt and a stranger with a clipboard. Here is each one, running north to south down the river, and what it actually reaches.
| Station (north to south) | Where it is | What it reaches |
|---|---|---|
| La Mimosa | Corner of Jesus Green | Downstream, north of Magdalene Bridge. Not the Backs. |
| Quayside | By Magdalene Bridge, in the centre | The Backs, northern end. Starts you near St John's. |
| Trinity College | Inside the grounds, via Garret Hostel Lane | The Backs, middle. Self-hire, seasonal, first come first served. |
| The Mill Pond | Silver Street | The Backs, southern end, and the upper river. |
| Mill Lane | Beside the Mill Pond | The Backs, southern end, and upriver to Grantchester. |
| The Granta mill pond | Near Sheeps Green | Upriver to Grantchester meadows. |
Source: the licensed station list published by Cambridge City Council.
Should you start at Quayside or Mill Lane?
Either. They are the two ends of the same route, so the honest answer is: whichever is closer to where you are standing. Quayside is the northern end by Magdalene Bridge. Mill Lane and the Mill Pond are the southern end by Silver Street.
Quayside is a short walk from the city centre and the bus and coach drop-offs, and it puts St John's and the Bridge of Sighs early in your trip. Mill Lane and Silver Street sit closer to King's Parade and the Fitzwilliam, and start you at Queens' College and the Mathematical Bridge instead. Same colleges, same bridges, reversed order.
The one real difference: the southern stations also open onto the upper river, so if you want the option of Grantchester rather than the Backs, start there.
| Quayside (north) | Mill Pond & Mill Lane (south) | |
|---|---|---|
| You start near | Magdalene Bridge, St John's | Queens' College, the Mathematical Bridge |
| Closest to | City centre, coach drop-offs | King's Parade, the Fitzwilliam |
| Reaches the Backs | Yes | Yes |
| Reaches Grantchester | No | Yes, upriver |
Which punting company should you book?
Book any licensed company. Cambridge has several long-established ones, and the ratings across them are genuinely high, so the bigger risk is not picking the wrong firm, it is buying from someone who is not licensed at all.
We are an independent guide, not an operator, and we are not going to pretend we have ridden with every company on the river. What we can tell you honestly is this: the well-known licensed names in Cambridge include Scudamore's, Let's Go Punting, the Traditional Punting Company, the Cambridge Punt Company, Scholars Punting and Rutherford's. Most sit around 4.9 out of 5 across thousands of public reviews, which tells you the standard on the Backs is high across the board.
What actually varies is the format: shared or private, chauffeured or self-hire, and whether a student guide or a professional is on the pole. That choice matters far more than the logo on the punt. Our comparison page lays out the formats side by side, and the prices guide covers what each one costs.
The tours we link on this site are the ones you can book instantly through the operators' official GetYourGuide and Viator listings, where you see the live price and cancellation terms before you pay. That is the whole of our affiliate relationship, and it is set out in our disclosure.
Should you punt the Backs or go to Grantchester?
The Backs if you want Cambridge. Grantchester if you want an afternoon on the water. The Backs run 45 to 50 minutes chauffeured. Grantchester is roughly two to three hours of punting each way, so it eats most of a day.
Grantchester has a real pull: meadows, willows, the village at the end, and a literary history that draws people upriver every summer. But it is a self-hire proposition for most visitors, and punting your own boat for a few hours against a current is a workout, not a nap. People underestimate this constantly and turn back halfway.
| The College Backs | Upriver to Grantchester | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | About 45 to 50 minutes, there and back | Roughly 2 to 3 hours each way |
| Start from | Quayside, Trinity, Mill Pond, Mill Lane | Granta mill pond, Mill Lane |
| You see | King's, Clare, Trinity, St John's, Bridge of Sighs, Mathematical Bridge | Meadows, willows, countryside, Grantchester village |
| Usually | Chauffeured, someone else poles | Self-hire, you pole |
| Best for | A first visit, the classic view, short on time | Confident punters with a free afternoon |
If you fancy self-hire either way, read our self-hire punting tips first. Steering a punt is harder than the people gliding past you make it look.
Where should you punt for a first visit, a date, or with family?
First visit: a shared chauffeured tour from Quayside or the Mill Pond. A date or a special occasion: a private punt, same stretch, no strangers. With children: chauffeured, every time, because nobody is balancing a pole while watching a four-year-old.
The station matters less here than the format. All four Backs stations reach the same colleges, so pick on convenience and pick your punt on who you are with.
- First time in Cambridge: shared chauffeured from whichever Backs station is nearest. Best value, and the guide's commentary is most of the point. See the shared tour.
- A date, a proposal, a birthday: a private punt, so the boat and the guide are yours. More on proposals and occasions.
- With kids: chauffeured, seated, no poles in small hands. Our punting with kids guide covers the practicalities.
- On a budget: the student-guided shared tour is the cheapest seat, poled by a Cambridge student.
- Confident and stubborn: self-hire from Trinity or the Granta mill pond, and good luck at the Mathematical Bridge.
How do you get there, and how do you avoid the touts?
All six stations are walkable from the centre. Buy your ticket at a licensed station or through an official online listing, and ignore anyone selling punts on King's Parade or Market Square, because neither is a punting station.
This is the part the council is blunt about, and it is the most useful thing on this page. Cambridge City Council warns that unlicensed operators sell tickets illegally in central spots including King's Parade and Market Square. The licensed companies have signed a voluntary code that keeps touting near the authorised stations, limits how many touts work, and requires them to be identifiable.
So the rule is simple. If someone stops you outside King's College with a laminated card and a discount, you are not being offered a licensed punt. Walk to Quayside, Mill Lane or Silver Street, or book online before you arrive and skip the conversation entirely.
Opening hours shift with the season and the weather rather than a fixed timetable, and stations run later in high summer than in winter. Booking ahead through an official listing shows you the live times and prices for your date, which is the honest reason we link them. More in do you need to book punting in Cambridge.
Where to punt in Cambridge: FAQ
Where is the best place to go punting in Cambridge?
The College Backs. Start at Quayside by Magdalene Bridge for the northern end, or the Mill Pond on Silver Street or Mill Lane for the southern end. Both cover the same run past King's, Clare, Trinity, St John's, the Bridge of Sighs and the Mathematical Bridge in about 45 to 50 minutes.
Where are the punting stations in Cambridge?
Six are licensed by the Conservators of the River Cam: La Mimosa on the corner of Jesus Green, Quayside, Trinity College inside the grounds, the Mill Pond on Silver Street, Mill Lane, and the Granta mill pond near Sheeps Green.
Should you start punting at Quayside or Mill Lane?
Both reach the same College Backs, so pick whichever is closer to where you already are. Quayside sits at the northern end by Magdalene Bridge and starts you near St John's and the Bridge of Sighs. Mill Lane and the Mill Pond on Silver Street sit at the southern end and start you near Queens' College and the Mathematical Bridge. Only the southern stations also open onto the upper river toward Grantchester.
Can the public punt from Trinity College?
Yes. Trinity's station is open to the general public as well as college members. It is seasonal, self-hire, and first come first served from the punt house via Garret Hostel Lane.
Is punting to Grantchester worth it?
It is a different day out: meadows instead of colleges, and roughly two to three hours of punting each way from the Mill Pond or the Granta mill pond. Take the Backs for the famous view in under an hour; take Grantchester for a long, lazy self-hire afternoon.
How do you avoid unlicensed punt touts in Cambridge?
Buy at a licensed station or through an official online listing. The council warns that unlicensed sellers work central spots such as King's Parade and Market Square, neither of which is a punting station.
Which punting station is best for families?
Any Backs station, as long as you take a chauffeured punt rather than self-hire. Quayside and the Mill Pond are the easiest to reach, and a guide doing the poling turns it into a seated, relaxed ride.
Ready to get on the water?
Start with the most-booked option: a shared chauffeured punt along the Backs, past King's, the Bridge of Sighs and the Mathematical Bridge, with the live price and cancellation terms shown before you pay.