Private & Bespoke | Combined Cambridge University Walking & Punting Tour With Optional King’s College Led By University Alumni

PRIVATE CAMBRIDGE WALKING AND PUNTING TOUR WITH OPTIONAL KING’S COLLEGE LED BY UNIVERSITY ALUMNI – BESPOKE & FLEXIBLE

Key Highlights

• Fully private tour with customisable route and timing when arranged in advance.
• Combine Cambridge’s premier walking tour with an iconic Scudamore’s punting experience.
• Led by Cambridge University graduates & students.
• Explore Cambridge’s most iconic landmarks.
• Entry into Trinity College Paddocks (subject to availability).
• Optional King’s College Chapel entry add-on available.
• Learn how the Cambridge collegiate system truly works.
• Discover famous colleges, hidden traditions, and insider stories.
• Discover hidden lanes and lesser-known corners.
• Exclusive private punting tour on the River Cam.
• Slide past tranquil gardens and triumphant college facades, and under iconic bridges.
• Bring your own refreshments or purchase drinks at the pontoon.
• Tours available in English, Mandarin and Spanish, with additional languages for the walking tours.

Tour Options

Option 1: Private Walking Tour + Private Half-Boat Punting

• Duration: Approximately 2.75 hours
• Includes:
  • 90-minute private alumni-led walking tour.
  • 30-minute break.
  • 45-minute private chauffeured punting tour.
• Languages: English, Mandarin, Spanish + additional languages upon request for the walking tour.
• Fully private experience tailored to your group.
• Group Size: Up to 25 guests (walking) and up to 6 per punt
• Excludes: Entry to non-pre-booked colleges, food and drinks, and gratuities.

Option 2: Private Walking Tour + Private Full-Boat Punting

• Duration: Approximately 2.75 hours
• Includes:
  • 90-minute private alumni-led walking tour.
  • 30-minute break.
  • 45-minute private chauffeured punting tour.
• Languages: English, Mandarin, Spanish + additional languages upon request for the walking tour.
• Fully private experience tailored to your group.
• Group Size: Up to 25 guests (walking) and up to 12 per punt
• Excludes: Entry to non-pre-booked colleges, food and drinks, and gratuities.

Option 3: Private Walking Tour + King’s College Chapel Entry + Private Punting

• Duration: Approximately 3.75 hours
• Includes:
  • 90-minute private alumni-led walking tour.
  • King’s College Chapel entry for a self-guided visit at the end of the tour.
  • 45-minute private chauffeured punting tour.
• Languages: English, Mandarin, Spanish + additional languages upon request for the walking tour.
• Fully private experience tailored to your group.
• Group Size: Up to 25 guests (walking) and up to 6 (half-boat) or 12 (full-boat) per punt
• Excludes: Entry to non-pre-booked colleges, food and drinks, and gratuities.

Option 4: Prospective Student Tour + Private Punting

• Duration: Approximately 2.75 hours.
• Includes:
  • 90-minute private tour tailored for prospective students (student life, admissions, subjects).
  • 30-minute break.
  • 45-minute private chauffeured punting tour.
• Shares the same characteristics as Option 2.

Option 5: Prospective Student Tour + King’s College Chapel Entry + Private Punting

• Duration: Approximately 3.75 hours
• Includes:
  • 90-minute private tour tailored for prospective students (student life, admissions, subjects).
  • King’s College Chapel entry for a self-guided visit at the end of the tour.
  • 45-minute private chauffeured punting tour.
• Shares the same characteristics as Option 3.

Option 6: Private Bespoke Combined Tour & Cambridge Experience

We specialise in fully tailored private Cambridge experiences, far beyond standard tour formats.

These may include:

•  Multi-language tours (Mandarin, Spanish, and more upon request)
•  Subject-focused academic tours (science, engineering, law, medicine, humanities, arts)
•  School, university, and prospective student programmes
•  Corporate experiences and executive away days
•  Celebration experiences (birthdays, hen parties, proposals)
•  VIP half-day, full-day, or multi-day itineraries

For premium bookings, we can arrange:

• Dedicated alumni guides for extended experiences
• Private dining and restaurant reservations
• College entry and curated academic access (where possible)
• Accommodation and transport coordination
• Multi-city itineraries (Cambridge, Oxford, London)

Each experience can be tailored to your:

• Interests and academic focus
• Group type and occasion
• Language requirements
• Schedule and preferred pace

Create Your Own Bespoke Experience

📧 Contact us at [email protected] with your request, including:

• Group size
• Dates and timing
• Occasion (e.g. proposal, birthday, academic visit)
• Academic or thematic interests
• Any VIP or logistical requests

Our team will design a fully personalised Cambridge experience for you.

Full Description

Experience Cambridge in the most complete and refined way with this private walking and punting combination tour, designed for guests who value privacy, flexibility, and depth.

Begin with a private walking tour led by Cambridge alumni and academically trained guides. Your guide tailors the experience to your group’s interests, whether focusing on history, architecture, student life, admissions, academic subjects, or Cambridge’s global intellectual influence. Explore renowned colleges including King’s College, Trinity College, and St John’s College while gaining insight into the University’s unique collegiate system.

The private format allows for deeper discussion, flexible pacing, and a more engaging experience. This makes the tour ideal for families, schools, universities, corporate groups, prospective students, and special occasions.

For guests seeking an enhanced experience, an optional add-on allows entry to King’s College Chapel — one of the world’s finest examples of Gothic architecture — subject to availability.

After the walking tour, continue your experience on the River Cam with a private punting tour operated by Scudamore’s, the oldest punting company in Cambridge. As an official partner, Alumni Tours ensures a high-quality and professionally managed experience.

Your private punt is reserved exclusively for your group. Choose between a half boat for up to 6 guests or a full boat for up to 12 guests. As you glide along the river, your chauffeur provides engaging live commentary while you pass the Backs, historic college gardens, and Cambridge’s most famous bridges.

Guests are welcome to bring their own refreshments, and additional drinks, blankets, and seasonal items such as mulled wine may be available for purchase at the pontoon.

For a more atmospheric experience, twilight punting options may be available, featuring softly illuminated boats and quieter river conditions.

For guests who wish to deepen their experience, there is an optional add-on to enter King’s College Chapel (subject to availability). Started in 1441, King’s College can offer access to its marvellous late gothic Chapel reflecting the founder’s deep religious heritage. When selected and open on the day, this option adds a further layer of immersion within the college walls.

The tour runs to around 2 hours 45 minutes, or 3 hours 45 minutes should you add King’s College Chapel.

This combination tour offers the ultimate Cambridge experience — seamless, personalised, and unforgettable.

Itinerary

Part 1: Walking Tour

• King’s College & King’s Parade Viewpoints – The historic heart of Cambridge and home to its most iconic chapel
• Corpus Christi Clock (Exterior) – A striking modern timepiece symbolising the passage of time
• The Eagle Pub (Interior subject to availability) – Where the discovery of DNA was first announced
• Site of the Old Cavendish Laboratory (Exterior) – Groundbreaking scientific discoveries and Nobel Prize history
• Corpus Christi College (Exterior) – One of Cambridge’s oldest and most atmospheric colleges
• Queens’ College & The Mathematical Bridge (Exterior) – Famous riverside architecture and engineering legend
• The Backs and King’s College Chapel (Exterior) – Scenic views across the river and college gardens
• Trinity College Paddocks (Interior subject to availability) – Academic powerhouse and home of Sir Isaac Newton
• St John’s College (Exterior) – Grand courts, historic rivalries, and stunning architecture
• Senate House, Gonville & Caius, and Great St Mary’s (Exterior) – The ceremonial centre of Cambridge
  • King’s College Chapel (when purchased as an extra addition) – Visit at the end of the walk, where your guide will leave you to explore this masterpiece of late Gothic architecture at your own pace, taking in its stunning fan-vaulted ceiling, the elegant wooden choir, and the colourful stained-glass windows, some of which are over 500 years old.

Part 2: Punting Tour

• Departure from Mill Lane (Scudamore’s Station)
• Laundress Green and Darwin College – Drift past open commons and the islands belonging to a college.
• Queens’ College and the Mathematical Bridge – The celebrated wooden bridge, said to have been built without a single nail.
• King’s College Chapel and the Backs – One of England’s most photographed views.
• Clare College and the oldest Bridge on the Cam – The elegant and oldest surviving bridge on the river.
• Kitchen Bridge and the Wren Library – Trinity College’s famous bridge, with Christopher Wren’s library standing close by.
• St John’s College and the Bridge of Sighs – Cambridge’s own Bridge of Sighs, inspired by the one in Venice.
• Magdalene College and back to the station – A last look at the riverbank before returning to Mill Lane.

Who This Tour Is For

• Families and private visitors
• Schools, colleges, and university groups
• Corporate groups and academic delegations
• Prospective students and their families
• Alumni groups and VIP guests
• Couples and special occasions (proposals, anniversaries)
• Birthday celebrations and private events

Practical Information

Meeting Point:
King’s College Main Gate, King’s Parade, Cambridge

Group Size:
Up to 25 guests per guide

Languages Available:
Walking tours are conducted in English. Mandarin and Spanish are available when selected at booking; other languages are available upon request.

Accessibility:
The route is largely step-free but includes cobbled and uneven historic streets. Please contact us before booking and we will advise on your specific requirements.

Why Choose Alumni Tours

• ✔ This is the original, widely imitated “Alumni Tours” format, created around a genuine student experience.
• ✔ Includes all features of our Cambridge Walking Tour plus punting
• ✔ Led by Cambridge alumni and academically trained guides.
• ✔ Fully private and tailored tours.
• ✔ Ideal for academic, cultural, and celebratory visits.
• ✔ Flexible pacing and subject-focused touring available.
• ✔ Trusted operator with thousands of positive reviews.
• ✔ Professional, rigorously trained chauffeurs from Scudamore’s.
• ✔ High-quality, safe, and well-organised tours
• ✔ Ideal for both sightseeing and special occasions

🎟️  Book your private combined tour today and experience Cambridge at its finest.

What’s Included

• Cambridge University student or graduate Guide
• 90-minute guided walking tour
• Exceptional access to Trinity College Paddocks (when accessible)
• Gain an insight into student life at an elite university
• Learn about the Oxbridge application process from a student
• Historical insights and storytelling
• Entry to King’s College Chapel (when you book this option)
• 45 minutes punting tour
• Live commentary throughout

What’s Not Included

• Indoor access to structures unless booked in advance
• King’s College Chapel entry (unless selected)
• Gratuities
• Food and drinks on the punt (available for purchase or BYO)

Upgrades & Add-Ons

• King’s College Chapel self-guided visit (subject to availability; access at the end of the walking tour, escorted by the guide).
• Private bespoke Cambridge day experiences
• Cambridge + Oxford private tours
• VIP academic-led experiences
• Concierge travel planning

Check-In & Arrival Information

Please arrive 5–10 minutes before your scheduled start time.

Your guide will wear an official lanyard, potentially alongside branded Alumni Tours apparel.

If you are running late, please contact us as soon as possible. Delays unrelated to the company’s responsibility are not covered by refunds. If you are late, we will not be able to guide you over the phone to catch up with the group, so please be on time.

Additional Information

What to Bring:

• Weather-appropriate clothing
• Comfortable walking shoes

Special Requirements:
Children under 16 should be accompanied by an adult

Health & Safety:
The walking tour takes place on historic streets, which may include uneven surfaces and cobblestones. The punting tour takes place on the river — please follow the safety briefing before boarding.

Important Information

College Entry:
Entry to Trinity College Paddocks is subject to availability and university opening times.

Weather Policy:
Tours operate rain or shine

Late Arrival:
Late arrivals may miss part or all of the tour

Route Variations:
Routes may vary depending on access, weather, or events

Behaviour:
We reserve the right to remove guests who disrupt the experience

Liability:
Guests participate at their own risk

FAQ

What makes this tour different?
Our guides are Cambridge alumni or students, offering an informed and authentic perspective grounded in real history and folklore.

Do we go inside colleges?
This tour focuses mainly on exterior locations. Occasional college access is possible but not guaranteed. Access to King’s College Chapel is included when the option is booked.

How long is the tour?
Approximately 2.75 hours (or up to 3.75 hours if you visit King’s College Chapel)

Is this a private tour?
Yes, it is a private tour.

Can the private tour be customised?
Yes, private tours can be tailored. Please contact [email protected]

What languages are available?
Standard walking tours are conducted in English, Mandarin, and Spanish, with additional languages available upon request at booking. Punting tours are subject to guide availability and linguistic proficiency.

Is it suitable for children?
Yes, it is suitable for all ages.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?
Yes, the tour runs in all weather conditions.

Contact & Confirmation Notes

Communications:
Please provide an email address and phone number that you can access regularly, as we may need to communicate updates. While we are responsible for sending updates, it is the guest’s responsibility to check for and receive these communications.

Cancellations & Refunds:
For small groups, cancellations made 24 hours or more in advance are eligible for a full refund. Larger groups may require a longer cancellation notice period. Please contact management to confirm the applicable cut-off time.

Guests must check in on time and at the correct meeting point or risk missing the tour and needing to purchase new tickets. Traffic or train delays will not qualify for reimbursement or rebooking.

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early.

✆ +44 1223 787270
📧 [email protected]
alumni.tours