The Story of Cambridge's Colleges

Immerse yourself in the life of a Cambridge student on this superb tour. Join Emmanuel College graduate and popular Travel Editions’ lecturer and guide, Julian Humphrys to explore the ancient past (as well as his own more recent time there) and present of this beautiful city and its famous colleges.  Accommodation is in Christ’s College so that you are within a few footsteps of all the main sights – a dinner here in the sumptuous dining hall will replicate a Cambridge student institution. You will also be joined on the tour by Dr Nicola Tallis, an independent historian and researcher who will give a talk on Lady Margaret Beaufort and her strong connections to Cambridge and Christ's College. 

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive independently at Christ’s College from 15.00.
This evening there will be a welcome reception, talk from Julian Humphrys in the Lloyd Room of Christ’s College and private dinner with wine in the Dining Hall.

Day 2: Walking tour of the city, King’s College and Kettle’s Yard. 
Our day starts with a walking tour of the beautiful and historic city of Cambridge with a Blue Badge guide who will show you some of the 31 colleges dotted around the city’s beautiful centre. This afternoon, we visit King’s College, one of the grandest and oldest colleges which was founded in 1441 by Henry VI. The college is an architectural gem and widely regarded as one of the greatest examples of late Gothic English architecture. It is famed throughout the world for its chapel whose stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are some of the finest from their era. Our final visit for the day is to Kettle’s Yard Art Gallery and House. It is the University of Cambridge’s modern and contemporary art gallery, whilst the historic house is home to the remarkable collection assembled by Jim and Helen Ede, who lived here from 1958 until 1973. This evening we have a talk in the Lloyd Room of Christ's College by Dr Nicola Tallis - 'Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch', before you have the rest of the evening at leisure to enjoy dinner in one of the host of restaurants in the city centre.

Day 3: Emmanuel College, punting on the Cam and Fitzwilliam Museum. 
Our day starts with a tour of Julian’s old college, Emmanuel, with an anecdote or two to entertain about his time here where his lifelong fascination with history was forged and some behind the scenes visits not normally available to the general public. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth and its 1677 chapel was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Time free for an early lunch (not included) before a chauffeured punt trip on the Cam, without which no visit to Cambridge is complete. Finally, our last visit is to the superb Fitzwilliam Museum with its superb collection of art, comprising some 1700 paintings from the 13^th to the 21^st centuries. Its myriad collections also includes coins, ceramics, armour, manuscripts, including the original draft of Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale and antiquities. Return to Christ’s College for approximately 17.00.

All tours are conducted on foot, so a reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required for this tour.

NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour managers' discretion.

Please note: Post tour extra nights are available at a supplement.

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 48 passengers.

Tour Grading: This tour has been graded as demanding due to the amount of time spent of foot, lots of standing for viewing, and uneven terrain, eg. cobbled streets. The visits to each College involve many steps, and 1.5 - 2 hour walking tours. On Day 2 there is a half mile walk from the College to Punts. For the punt trip you need to be able to get in to, and up from, a seated position at the bottom of the punt. For further information please visit the mobility page of our website, and call our team prior to booking.

INCLUDED

• Two nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at Christ's College based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
• Welcome reception
• First night private three-course dinner with wine at Christ’s College
• All talks, guided tours and admissions
• Tour manager throughout

NOT INCLUDED

• Transport to the accommodation is not included
• Single supplement - £86
• Holiday insurance 
• Extra nights on a bed and breakfast basis 
• Meals other than those stated 
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc 
• Porterage and gratuities 

HOTEL

Christ’s College, Cambridge

Stay in one of the city’s most famous and oldest colleges, established in 1437, in a simple, clean and comfortable student room with private bathroom. The rooms do not have hotel facilities such as TV and telephone but breakfast is served in the college and they have free wifi. Please be aware that the College has four floors of accommodation, and no lift. As is typical in Cambridge Colleges, accommodation is based on staircases, not corridors. 

Parking: There is no car parking available at Christ’s College. The closest multi-storey car park to the city centre, colleges and riverside is the Grand Arcade Car Park on Corn Exchange Street. There is another car park on Park Street which is a 10-minute walk into the city. There are also five park and ride sites around Cambridge which permit overnight parking. 

College Website

MORE INFO 

Your Tour Lecturer Guide

Dr Nicola Tallis 
Dr Nicola Tallis is an independent historian and researcher, who has also worked as a curator and lecturer. She received her doctorate from the University of Winchester in 2019, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Nicola has worked with Historic Royal Palaces and the National Trust, and has appeared on BBC’s Countryfile, Who Do You Think You Are? and Booktalk. She is also a regular contributor to history magazines and radio. Nicola has given talks at the Emirates Literature Festival, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, the National Archives, and the British Library to name but a few. She is the author of four critically acclaimed books: Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey, Elizabeth’s Rival: The Tumultuous Tale of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester, Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch, and All the Queen’s Jewels, 1445-1548: Power, Majesty and Display.

UK Tours

Please note that all our UK tours start and finish at the relevant hotel.  

You can normally check in from 3pm onwards but hotels will always be happy to store your luggage if you arrive earlier in the day. 

For full details of how to get to the hotel, directions and the nearest train station, please click on the hotel website or call our office for details. These will also be sent automatically with your confirmation. 

The welcome reception and first evening dinner / talk will commence at about 6pm - full details will be sent with your joining instructions about 10 days prior to the arrival date.