The ACTUAL Cheapest Punting in Cambridge (by a Local!)
The centre of Cambridge is full of touts who want you to go on their punt tours over that of their rivals (and that’s true of the Internet as well!), but some are cheaper than others, even though they all cover the same basic route.
I’ve lived in Cambridge for years and taken family from out of town on punt tours, and I have a pretty good idea of which is the best company to go with, and which is the cheapest price you can expect to pay, but this does depend on group size, route, the type of tour you want, and when you are visiting.
In August 2024, the cheapest shared tour was by Cambridge Chauffeur Punts on Silver Street or Trinity Punts at Trinity College, both at £20 per person, while the cheapest self-guided punt hire is at Trinity College at £24 per hour for a maximum of 6 people.
There are two main routes for punt tours in Cambridge:
- the Backs (most popular, cheapest and most interesting route)
- towards Grantchester (longer and countryside views)

And for both, you can also choose:
- Group tours which are the cheapest if you are an individual
- Self-guided tours can be cheapest depending on group size and length of hire
- Private tours are usually the most expensive unless you have a large (~10) group

Prices for each vary depending on the time of year and whether you visit on a weekend or weekday and prices can even vary depending on the time of day, with 9 am tours being cheaper than 1 pm tours, for example.
I will cover every punt company operating in Cambridge in this guide, for both routes and all types of tours. You can see the cheapest price for each:
- for a 1/1:30 pm weekend tour in August (peak)
- typical peak self-guided punt hire
- typical peak private punt hire
I will assume that the tour is for 2 adults, but bear in mind that you can often get discounts for larger groups and cheaper tickets for kids.
The Backs
The Backs is definitely the most interesting part of Cambridge to punt down, and lets you see into the colleges, crossing under the Bridge of Sighs and going past the Wren Library, among other spots.

Group Tours (Cheapest Guided Punting)
Group punting tours mean that you share your punt with others booked into the same time slot.
Every punt has between 9 and 12 seats. Most benches are arranged facing each other in pairs, but there is decent leg room so this shouldn’t be a problem for you.

Group tours down the Backs are the most scenic and touristy punt tours, going from the Quayside behind Magdelene College behind most of the other colleges that back onto the river, up to the weir near Mill Lane.

There are two main locations where you can get a shared tour from:
- The Quayside
- Mill Lane
Plus Trinity Punts at Trinity College.


Both starting locations offer the same tour, heading from the Quayide to Mill Lane and back, and vice versa, and both ends are about as busy as each other in peak times.
As an individual, shared tours are the cheapest option, but if you are in a couple and comfortable with punting, then self-hire is cheaper.
Prices last checked August 2024:
Peak Prices (1pm tour on a Saturday in August) for 2 people
Company | Cost per Person | Website | Location | Notes |
Cambridge Punt Company | £30 | https://www.cambridgepuntcompany.co.uk/punting-tours/shared-punting-tour-cambridge/ | Quayside | |
Scholars | £26.50 | https://www.scholarspuntingcambridge.co.uk/tours/ | Quayside | Raised seating |
Rutherford’s | £28 | https://rutherfordspunting.com/ | Quayside | 50 minute tour |
Let’s Go Punting | £27.50 | https://letsgopunting.co.uk/cambridge-punting-prices/ | Quayside | 50 minute tour |
Granta | £24 | https://puntingincambridge.com/punting/guided-tours/ | Mill Pond | Closed in Winter |
Scudamore’s | £38 | https://www.scudamores.com/college-backs-punt-tour | Quayside & Mill Lane | Capacity: 12 people over 6 benches |
Cambridge Chauffeur Punts | £20 | https://punting-in-cambridge.co.uk/chauffeur-punt-tours | Silver Street (nr. Mill Lane) | No need to pre-book; 45 min tour |
Trinity Punts | £20 adults (£10 <=16 years) | https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/about/punting/ | Trinity College | Cash or Card (ignore website); Bookings 01223 338483; Open Good Friday – End October |
The Traditional Punting Company | £27.50 | https://traditionalpuntingcompany.com/ | Quayside | 50 minute tour |
Self-Guided Tours (Cheapest for Couples & Families)
If you are happy to punt yourself and want privacy, then self-guided is the cheapest option, particularly if you are in a larger group.
Because self-guided tours are charged per hour, per-punt, you can get a much cheaper per-person price with an hour’s hire than the same number of people on a guided tour.

It’s not too tiring or difficult and most adults will have no trouble punting, although steering takes a little practice, particularly in the busy sections in the middle of the Backs.

Self-guided punt hire starts from:
- The Quayside (most operators)
- Trinity College (College only)
- Mill Lane
- The Mill Pond (Granta only)


You can go anywhere you like on the river between the Mill Pond/Mill Lane weir and the lock just past the Quayside, so in practice you follow the same route as the shared tours.
It does tend to be much quieter on the small section towards the Mill Pond though, where you can have that bit of river all to yourself (then stop at the Millworks for lunch!).
Punts are charged on a per-hour basis, and you need photo ID to rent one. You can also only have a maximum of 6 people per punt.
Prices last checked August 2024 (peak prices only are given):
Company | Cost per Hour | Website | Opening Hours | Location | Notes |
Trinity College | £24 | https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/about/punting/ | 11-6 M-F / 10-6 S-S | Trinity College | Cash or Card (ignore website); Bookings 01223 338483; Open Good Friday – End October |
Granta | £38 | https://puntingincambridge.com/punting/self-rental/ | 10-9 | Mill Pond | Time over 1 hour pro-rata to each 15 min period |
Scudamore’s | £42 | https://www.scudamores.com/college-backs-punt-hire | 9-6 | Quayside & Mill Lane | Time over 1 hour pro-rata for 6 mins at £3.50 |
Cambridge Chauffeur Punts | £30 | https://punting-in-cambridge.co.uk/self-hire | 9-Dusk | Silver Street (nr. Mill Lane) | No bookings at busy times; Time over 1 hour pro-rata to each 15 min period |
Private Tours (Cheapest for Large Groups)
This is the most expensive option in general, but if you are part of a large group (~10 people), then it can actually work out cheaper on a per-person basis to take a private tour.

You get a chauffeur to punt you around, and you usually follow the standard route down the Backs, although you can probably negotiate a route if you want to linger anywhere.

Private tours are available from:
- The Quayside (most operators)
- Mill Lane
- The Mill Pond (Granta only)
- Trinity College
Prices last checked August 2024 (Peak Prices):
Company | Cost per Punt | Website | Opening Hours | Location | Notes |
Granta | £168 | https://puntingincambridge.com/punting/guided-tours/ | 10-9 | Mill Pond | Max. 12 people |
Rutherford’s | £200 | https://rutherfordspunting.com/private-punting/ | 9-8 | Quayside | Max. 12 people |
Scholars | £212 | https://www.scholarspuntingcambridge.co.uk/tours/ | 9-7:30 | Quayside | Max. 12 people. Lower prices for fewer people. |
Let’s Go Punting | £219 | https://letsgopunting.co.uk/cambridge-punting-prices/ | 9:15-8:15 | Quayside | Max. 12 people. Lower prices for fewer people. |
Punting Cambridge | £250 | https://punting-cambridge.com/tour/private-punting-cambridge/ | 10:45-5:45 | Quayside | Max. 12 people. Lower prices for fewer people. |
Scudamore’s | £280 | https://www.scudamores.com/cambridge-punt-tour | 9-6 | Quayside & Mill Lane | Max. 12 people. Lower prices for fewer people. |
The Traditional Punting Company | £179 | https://traditionalpuntingcompany.com/tours/private-punting-cambridge/ | 9:15-7:45 | Quayside | Champagne/Picnic punting also available. |
Cambridge Punt Company | £260 | https://www.cambridgepuntcompany.co.uk/punting-tours/private-punting-tour-in-cambridge/ | 10-5 | Quayside | Max. 12 people. Lower prices for fewer people. |
Trinity Punts | £160 | https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/about/punting/ (not shown on site) | 11-6 M-F / 10-6 S-S | Trinity College | Max. 8 people. Fixed price for 45 min tour. Bookings 01223 338483 |
Grantchester Punting
It’s a longer route to Grantchester, and goes through countryside rather than the city which means that it tends to be less busy and offers better spots for picnics.

You can only hire punts for Grantchester from Mill Lane (the other side of the weir from the Backs tours), and from Granta moorings at the Mill Pond.
It takes around an hour to reach Grantchester Meadows.
Shared Group Tours
Prices last checked August 2024:
Company | Cost per Person | Website | Opening Hours | Notes |
Cambridge Chauffeur Punts | £30 | https://punting-in-cambridge.co.uk/chauffeur-punt-tours | 9-Dusk | Minimum number of people per punt needed |
Self-Guided Punt Tours
Prices last checked August 2024:
Company | Cost per Hour | Website | Opening Hours | Notes |
Scudamore’s | £42 | https://www.scudamores.com/college-backs-punt-hire | 9-6 | Time over 1 hour pro-rata for 6 mins at £3.50 |
Cambridge Chauffeur Punts | £30 | https://punting-in-cambridge.co.uk/self-hire | 9-Dusk | No bookings at busy times; Time over 1 hour pro-rata to each 15 min period |
Private Tours
Prices last checked August 2024:
Company | Cost per Punt | Website | Opening Hours | Location | Notes |
Scudamore’s | £630 | https://www.scudamores.com/grantchester-punt-tours | 9-6 | Mill Lane | Max. 12 people. Lower prices for fewer people. Includes 1hr30m stay in Grantchester. |
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Hi Tim,
I help run Trinity Punts and the chauffeur punt operation there, called GHL Punts.
Your information is mostly correct, but does not include the chauffeur punt prices:
We charge £20 per person for our shared guided punt tours (45minutes), with a £10 charge for children (16 or younger). Babies are free.
Our private tours for 1 to 8 people are £160 for the group (45 minute tour).
Both chauffeured and self hire punts can be paid by card or cash (as or last year).
Phone 01223 338483 for further details. Our prices are identical for pre booked or non booked tours.
Hope this helps complete your excellent and informative web page.
Thanks
Jon Lyall
Thanks, Jon. I’ve added your info to the article.
Tim.
Hi Tim,
I’m Joe Merwiak, owner of The Traditional Punting Company. Your guide on punting in Cambridge is great, and wanted to suggest including our company in your guide. We’re one of the highest-rated operators with a 4.9-star rating on Google and thousands of positive reviews. We offer some of the most affordable prices on the river, starting from £20 for shared tours and £79 for private tours. Licensed by Cambridge City Council, we operate just up from the Quayside area. You can find more details on our website: traditionalpuntingcompany.com.
Thanks for considering us!
Many thanks,
Joe
Thanks for the info – I’ve included it in the post.