Most visitors think of Cambridgeshire’s rivers as a punt on the Backs and nothing else. That is the obvious place to start, but the county has far more water you can actually get onto: a self-drive cabin boat out of Eaton Socon, a canoe from Houghton Mill, an electric boat down a fen lode at Wicken and a lake-and-river trip at Ferry Meadows. Some of it runs all year, and a lot of it stops in October.
This guide picks thirteen operators across Cambridge and the south, Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse, and Ely, the Fens and Peterborough. Every one was checked in November 2026. We only quote prices from an operator’s own current page, and we have said where a business closes for the winter or where a lock or waterway closure affects the trip.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Prices, hours and seasons change, and river trips are cancelled in bad weather or high water, so please check with each operator before you travel.
Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire
The Cam through Cambridge splits into two very different trips. Downstream of the Mill Pond the punts run along the Backs behind the colleges; upstream the river slips out past Sheep’s Green and Paradise towards Grantchester Meadows, which is quieter, greener and better for canoes and kayaks.
Scudamore’s: Quayside and Mill Lane
Outdoor activity
- Scudamore’s was founded in 1910 and runs chauffeured tours and self-hire punts along the College Backs
- Punts leave from two city centre stations, Quayside by Magdalene Bridge and Mill Lane by the Mill Pond, with the booking office at 32a Bridge Street
- Chauffeured tours come as shared or private trips, and the company also runs Afternoon Tea, Champagne, Bat Safari and Treasure Hunt punts
- The company opens from 9am until dusk 364 days a year, closing only on Christmas Day, with extended hours from March to September
- In winter, services can be suspended for a whole day or for the morning because of river levels or weather, so the company asks you to phone the booking office to check before travelling
- Scudamore’s own access statement advises against wheelchair users transferring onto punts because of the risk of tipping; boarding involves a step down from the bank, and the Quayside and Mill Pond stations have around ten steps
- The Conservators of the River Cam list Scudamore’s among nine licensed operators and advise booking at an official punt station rather than with street touts
Address: Booking office: 32a Bridge Street, Cambridge CB2 1UJ. Stations at Quayside and Mill Lane
Website: scudamores.com
Phone: 01223 359750
How to book: Online through Scudamore’s, by phone or at the stations
Scudamore’s is the safe first choice if you want to see the Backs properly and have never handled a pole. A chauffeur takes you past King’s, Clare and Trinity, under the Bridge of Sighs and back, with the stories filled in as you go. On a cold weekday in November you might share the river with only a handful of other punts, which is the opposite of the summer scrum under Clare Bridge. Ring before setting off in winter, because a high river after rain shuts the whole operation quicker than you might expect. Wrap up well: an hour sitting still on the water feels a lot colder than an hour walking along King’s Parade.
Let’s Go Punting, Jesus Green
Outdoor activity
- A chauffeured punting company working from its own landing stage on Thompson’s Lane, at the corner of Jesus Green, at the northern end of the Backs
- Standard tours last about 50 minutes and leave at quarter past and quarter to the hour, with shared boats taking up to 12 people and private boats for 2, 6 or 12
- Tours run daily except Christmas Day, conditions permitting, with the first departure usually at 9:15am and the last at 3:15pm in winter and 8:45pm in summer
- The company says booking online can be up to half the on the day price, and shared tours are the cheapest way on
- Seasonal events include a Halloween Punt and Hunt, Christmas Carols on the River, May Week fireworks trips and Folk on a Boat, which ran on 23 July 2026
- There is no parking at the landing stage; coaches drop off on Chesterton Road, about five minutes’ walk away
- The tour has been through VisitEngland’s Quality Assessed Tour scheme, and the company is on the Cam Conservators’ list of licensed operators
Address: Landing Stage, Thompson’s Lane, Cambridge CB5 8AG
Website: letsgopunting.co.uk
Phone: 01223 651659
How to book: Online through the Let’s Go Punting website
Starting at Jesus Green means you begin among the houseboats and willows of the quieter end before the colleges close in around you. The 50 minute tour is the right length for most families, long enough to see the big set pieces without small children losing interest. The carol trips in December are the reason to come in winter, with a punt full of people singing under the bridges in the dark. Note that Jesus Lock, a few hundred metres downstream, has been closed to boats since May 2024; it does not affect the punts, but it is why you will not see cruisers coming through from the lower river.
Granta Moorings, Newnham Mill Pond
Outdoor activity
- A punt and canoe hire station on Newnham Mill Pond, next to Darwin College at the head of the river, run by Paddle Ltd
- Self-hire punts let you choose your own route, either down through the Backs or up towards Grantchester, and dogs are welcome on board
- Canoe hire includes free tuition and children’s buoyancy aids, which makes it a gentle first paddle for families
- Guided tours are punted by university students and pass the Bridge of Sighs, King’s College Chapel and eight riverside colleges
- Extra thick blankets are provided on winter tours
- The website says the station is open in all seasons, with summer opening from 9am to 9pm and times varying with conditions
- A free BoatClub membership gives discounts on bookings and at partner cafés, pubs and restaurants
Address: Granta Moorings, Newnham Mill Pond, Cambridge CB3 9EX
Website: puntingincambridge.com
Phone: 01223 301845
How to book: Online through the website, which takes bookings around the clock
The Mill Pond is where the two halves of the Cam meet, so Granta is the most flexible place to start if you have not decided which way to go. Turn downstream and you are under Silver Street Bridge and onto the Backs in minutes; turn upstream and the city falls away behind Coe Fen. A canoe with a bit of tuition first is a far easier way into the upper river than a punt, because the pole has a habit of sticking in the soft river bed. On a busy summer Saturday the pond itself is a slow motion traffic jam of novices, which is half the entertainment. Bring a dog if you have a calm one; plenty of people do.
The Upper Cam to Grantchester from Scudamore’s Boatyard
Outdoor activity
- Scudamore’s Boatyard at Granta Place hires self-hire punts, canoes, single and double kayaks and paddleboards for the upper river towards Grantchester
- Hires last 90 minutes, three hours or six hours, and paddling times from the boatyard are about 10 minutes to Sheep’s Green, 30 minutes to Paradise Nature Reserve and an hour to Grantchester Meadows, so book three hours or more if you want to reach the meadows and get back
- Paddleboard hire has space for one dog where suitable
- Self-hire punts also run from the boatyard towards Grantchester, with a staff handover before you set off
Address: Scudamore’s Boatyard, Granta Place, Cambridge (booking office 32a Bridge Street CB2 1UJ)
Website: scudamores.com
Phone: 01223 359750
How to book: Online through Scudamore’s; private paddlers can launch upstream of the Mill Pit without a Conservators licence
The run to Grantchester is the Cam most locals prefer, with cattle on Coe Fen, swimmers on the bank at Sheep’s Green and willows closing over the river past Paradise. The meadows themselves are the payoff, wide and flat, with the Orchard tea garden a short walk from the bank. The outward run is against the current and slower than most people expect, so leave enough of your slot for the trip back. Scudamore’s can suspend hire on cold, foggy or high water days in winter, so this is mainly a spring to autumn trip. Sheep’s Green is a designated bathing water, but the Environment Agency rates it Poor and advises against bathing, so stay in the boat. Keep clear of the swimming spots and the low branches, and do not try a paddleboard for the first time on a windy day.
Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse
Between St Neots and St Ives the Great Ouse is a broad, slow river of locks, water meadows and mill pools, and it suits a day boat or an electric launch far better than a punt. Most operators here are seasonal, running roughly from April to October.
All Aboard Boating, Eaton Socon
Outdoor activity
- A self-drive day boat hire business on the Great Ouse at St Neots, working from the River Mill at Eaton Socon
- No previous experience is needed, as every hire starts with instructions and a safety briefing
- Three boats are available: Dory, a small cabin boat for four; Nemo, a four seat speedboat style launch; and Bruce, the largest, which seats eight
- At the time of research the website listed Dory at £65 for two hours, £85 for four hours and £155 for a full eight hour day, with Bruce at £75, £115 and £195 including fuel; prices may change
- Every hire carries a £150 refundable deposit
- The boats run seven days a week from April to October, from 10am until sunset, and booking ahead is recommended
- Duck food is sold on site for cash
- Customer reviews from September 2026 mention clear safety briefings and family trips out in light rain
Address: The River Mill, School Lane, Eaton Socon, St Neots PE19 8GW
Website: allaboardboathire.co.uk
Phone: 07765 846145
How to book: Online through the website or by phone
A day boat is the easiest way to give a group the feeling of having their own river for a few hours. Cruise downstream past Riverside Park and the town moorings, tie up for a picnic and come back when you like, with nobody having to learn anything harder than steering. Bruce suits a family gathering or a group of friends, while Dory has a cabin to duck into if the weather turns. The season ends with October, so this is one to bookmark for spring. Weekday slots in May and June tend to be quieter than summer weekends.
The Ladybird Boat Trust, Hartford Marina
Outdoor activity
- A charity running wheelchair accessible river trips for disabled and disadvantaged people of all ages, with their carers, from Hartford Marina near Huntingdon
- Its widebeam boat, Ladybird, carries up to 20 passengers and has a heated cabin, a kitchen, an accessible toilet and an open foredeck for fine weather
- Trips usually last between one and five hours, running between 10am and 3pm
- Routes head upstream towards Godmanchester and Brampton, or downstream past the Hemingfords to St Ives
- Volunteer crews run the boat from mid April to early October
- There is no fixed fare; the trust suggests a donation of £15 for a four to five hour trip and at least £10 for shorter ones, and offers free trips to people who cannot pay
- Hartford Marina also has a waterside restaurant and bar open to non-boaters, and kayaking and paddleboarding were bookable there in summer 2026
Address: Hartford Marina, Huntingdon Road, Wyton, Huntingdon PE28 2AA
Website: ladybirdboat.org.uk
How to book: Through the trust’s website, which takes bookings from individuals and small groups as well as larger parties; book early for summer dates
The Ladybird is one of the few boats in the county built around the people who usually get left on the bank. Care homes, day centres and special schools come back year after year because the boat has the space, the toilet and the warm cabin that make a long trip possible. A run down to the Hemingfords takes in the church spires, the water meadows and the lock, with nothing to do but watch the river. Trips are booked ahead rather than taken on a walk-up basis, and individuals and small groups can book as well as care homes and day centres. Volunteers keep it running, and the trust is always glad to hear from new crew.
Houghton Boats, Houghton Mill
Outdoor activity
- Houghton Boats hires canoes, wide and stable rowing boats and punts beside the National Trust’s Houghton Mill, between Huntingdon and St Ives
- Punts here can be paddled as well as poled, and canoes can be rafted together for extra stability with nervous passengers or young children
- The National Trust publishes a 5.5 mile canoe route from the mill down to St Ives and back, which takes about two hours and is rated moderate
- The route passes several weirs on your left, so stay right, and uses the slipway to get round Hemingford Lock
- At St Ives the river splits around Holt Island, a seven acre nature reserve open on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 10am to 4pm between April and September
- If you bring your own canoe or paddleboard you need a waterways licence, and signs at Hemingford Lock warn of fines without one
- The National Trust strongly advises against swimming at the mill because of sluices, strong currents and submerged objects, and the water is not tested
- The mill car park is pay and display, free for National Trust members, with a maximum stay of three hours
Address: Houghton Mill, Houghton, Huntingdon PE28 2AZ
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/houghton-mill-and-waterclose-meadows; houghtonboats.com
Phone: 07759 316260
How to book: By phone with Houghton Boats; season and prices are not published, so call ahead
Houghton is where the Great Ouse is at its most gentle and its most watchable, with the big timber mill straddling the stream and meadows on every side. A rowing boat is a good choice for a family who want to potter rather than travel, while a canoe opens up the run to St Ives with a coffee stop in the town. The three hour car park limit catches people out on longer paddles, so plan the trip around it or walk in from Houghton village. We could not find a published season or price list, so ring before you go. The mill’s tea room is the obvious place to finish.
St Ives Electric Riverboat
Outdoor activity
- A small family business running quiet electric boats from the Quay at St Ives, beside the medieval bridge with its chapel
- It offers public passenger trips, self-drive hire, skippered private trips and special events
- The fleet includes two 21ft electric launches, Whisper and Meander, which are run up the river between St Ives and the Hemingford locks
- In summer 2026 the boat carried visitors on Thursday afternoons from 28 May to 24 September up through Hemingford Lock to the Manor at Hemingford Grey for a guided tour and time in the gardens, with ten places a trip
- Children and dogs are welcome on board
- The company is closed for the winter and says it will reopen at Easter 2027
- The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire has run early morning wildlife cruises with the company
Address: The Quay, St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Website: electricriverboat.co.uk
Phone: 07906 257308
How to book: Through the website or by phone; Manor trips book through greenknowe.co.uk
Electric boats suit this stretch of river, where the loudest thing is usually a swan taking off. The trip upstream gives you St Ives from the water, then the Hemingfords, with gardens running down to the bank and the Manor’s Norman walls showing through the trees. The Manor trips are the best value outing on the river, though they sell out with only ten places each Thursday. Self-drive hire is the alternative for a couple or small family who want to choose their own pace. Check the website in early spring for the 2027 programme.
Ely, the Fens and Peterborough
North of Cambridge the rivers run straight between high flood banks, with the cathedral or a pumping station on the skyline and very few other boats on a weekday. The Nene at Peterborough is different again, with Ferry Meadows giving you a lake and a river side by side.
Fish and Duck Marina Day Boats, Pope’s Corner
Outdoor activity
- A marina at Pope’s Corner near Little Thetford, where the Cam meets the Old West River and the Great Ouse, about four miles south of Ely
- Its day boats can head in three directions, towards Ely, up the Cam or along the Old West, with waterside pubs and visitor moorings within reach
- Bramble and Fern take up to five people, and Willow takes six or seven depending on the group
- At the time of research the marina’s own page listed Bramble and Fern at £150 a day including VAT, fuel and life jackets, and Willow at £180 a day; prices may change
- Hire runs from 10am to 4:30pm, and no experience is needed, as you get a full briefing before leaving the marina
- Dogs and fishing are not allowed on the hire boats
- The page gives the season as running from Easter or April until the end of September or October, so check the exact dates when you book
- Gift vouchers are sold for any amount and are valid until the end of the season
Address: Popes Corner, Holt Fen, Little Thetford, Ely CB6 3HR
Website: fishandduck.co.uk
Phone: 01353 648081
How to book: Through the marina’s contact page, by email or by phone
Pope’s Corner is a three way junction in the middle of nowhere, which is exactly why it makes a good day out. Head north and Ely Cathedral grows on the horizon for most of an hour before you reach the waterside; turn south and the Cam takes you towards Upware and its lodes. Six and a half hours sounds long, but with a pub lunch and a stop at the Ely moorings it fills easily. There is no shade on the open fen rivers, so bring hats, water and suncream in summer. The no dogs rule matters if you were planning to bring yours.
Black Prince Holidays, Ely
Indoor and outdoor
- A holiday cruiser hire base at Bridge Boatyard, right next to Ely railway station, for three, four and seven night breaks
- No previous experience is necessary, and full coaching is given when you arrive
- Suggested routes include a Cambridge short break of 34 miles and four locks, and Ely to St Ives and back, 44 miles and six locks
- Boats range from 47ft to 58ft and sleep two to six, each with a toilet and shower
- Hires start at 2:30pm and boats are returned by 9:30am on the final day
- Weekly hire was listed from £1,299 at the time of research; prices may change
- The 2026 season has ended, and the company says boats are back on the water from Friday 12 March 2027
- With Jesus Lock closed to boats since May 2024, a cruise up the Cam stops below the lock and cannot continue into central Cambridge
Address: Bridge Boatyard, Bridge Road, Ely CB7 4DY
Website: black-prince.com
Phone: 01527 575115
How to book: Online through Black Prince or by phone
A few nights afloat is the slow way to see how the Fen rivers join up, and Ely is the natural place to start. The St Ives round trip takes you up through the Ouse Washes country and the Hermitage Lock at Earith, with time to moor in St Ives before the run back. The boats are heated, which makes March and October breaks realistic as well as summer ones. Arriving by train is easy, as the boatyard is almost on the platform. Book early for school holidays, when the best boats go first.
Wicken Lode Boat Trips, Wicken Fen
Outdoor activity
- The National Trust runs 50 minute trips along Wicken Lode on Mayfly, an open-topped electric boat, from a pontoon about a ten minute walk from the visitor centre
- Booking is essential and places are very limited; call the visitor centre, check in on the day and pay there
- National Trust members get reserve admission included, while non-members pay admission as well as the boat fare
- Special trips run through the summer, including dragonfly spotting trips, which cost £7.75 for adults on 25 August 2026, and evening boat rides in the Summer Evenings programme
- The boat does not run in high winds or thunderstorms
- Only assistance dogs are allowed on the boat and on Sedge Fen
- All ages are welcome, but children must be supervised by an adult, and anyone with access needs should talk to the team when booking
Address: Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, Wicken, near Ely
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/wicken-fen-national-nature-reserve
Phone: 01353 720274
How to book: By phone with the Wicken Fen visitor centre
Our rivers and waterways guide covered Mayfly as a general boat trip; the specialist runs are the reason to book it again. On a dragonfly trip in high summer you sit at water level while hawkers patrol the lode beside the boat, and a guide helps you tell one species from another. The evening rides catch the reserve as the light drops and the reed warblers start up. Because Mayfly is electric and open, you hear everything, and you also feel every gust, so take a layer even in August. Phone early in the year, as the special trips fill quickly.
Wyndham Boat Trips, Ferry Meadows
Outdoor activity
- Wyndham is Nene Park Trust’s electric passenger boat, taking trips around Overton Lake and out onto the River Nene at Ferry Meadows on the western edge of Peterborough
- Public trips last 45 minutes, and the trust’s boat page listed £11 a person and £3 for children aged four and under at the time of research; prices may change
- Guided wildlife trips last an hour and a half, and family wildlife trips and combined boat and bat walks run at certain times of year
- Private hire for up to 12 guests is available, and you can bring your own refreshments
- Public trips run at weekends and daily in school holidays from the jetty opposite the Visitor Centre
- A gently sloping ramp and a hydraulic lift take up to two manual wheelchair users at a time; arrive about 15 minutes early
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome on board
- Parking at Ferry Meadows is charged for every vehicle, including Blue Badge holders
Address: Boat jetty opposite the Visitor Centre, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/take-a-boat-trip
How to book: Online through the Nene Park ticket site or at the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre; private hire by email
Wyndham is the gentlest boat trip in the county and one of the most accessible, thanks to the lift. The best moment is when the boat leaves the lake and noses onto the river, swapping open water for reedy banks and the odd train on the Nene Valley Railway. The wildlife trips are worth the extra time if anyone in your group is keen on birds, as the guide knows where the kingfishers sit. Trips are seasonal and do not run every day out of the holidays, so check the ticket site before you set off. Pair it with a walk round Gunwade Lake afterwards.
Nene Outdoors Paddle Hire, Ferry Meadows
Outdoor activity
- Nene Park Trust’s watersports centre on Gunwade Lake at Ferry Meadows hires stand up paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, rowing boats and swan and dragon pedalos
- Hire runs in 30 minute sessions, and two slots can be booked back to back
- Buoyancy aids, equipment and use of the changing rooms are included in the hire
- Qualified sailors can hire dinghies and windsurf boards, and accredited sailing courses run for adults and children
- The full programme runs from March to October, and the centre is cashless
- Winter bike and pedalo hire ran on the Saturdays of November 2026, from 10am to 3pm
- Paddling here is on a sheltered lake rather than the river, which makes it a safer first try for children and nervous beginners
Address: Nene Outdoors, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk
How to book: Online at tickets.nenepark.org.uk or at reception
If the river feels like too much for a first paddle, Gunwade Lake is the answer. There is no current, no lock and no cruiser coming round the bend, and the changing rooms mean you can get wet without spoiling the drive home. Teenagers tend to head straight for the paddleboards while younger children want a dragon pedalo. Half an hour is short, so book two slots if anyone is keen to get the hang of a kayak. Once the skills are there, the Nene and the Ouse are waiting.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: Scudamore’s longer hours return from March, Black Prince boats are back on the Ouse from Friday 12 March 2027, day boats at Eaton Socon and Pope’s Corner start again from Easter and April, the Ladybird Boat Trust starts its season in mid April, Holt Island at St Ives opens at weekends from April, and the St Ives Electric Riverboat reopens at Easter 2027.
Summer: Evening punts on the Backs with last departures around 8:45pm, Folk on a Boat with Let’s Go Punting in July, Thursday boat trips from St Ives to the Manor at Hemingford Grey (late May to late September in 2026), and dragonfly and evening boat rides on Wicken Lode in August.
Autumn: The Halloween Punt and Hunt with Let’s Go Punting in October, the last weeks of the St Ives Electric Riverboat, All Aboard Boating and Fish and Duck day boats before their seasons end in September or October, and winter bike and pedalo hire at Nene Outdoors on November Saturdays.
Winter: Christmas Carols on the River with Let’s Go Punting (tickets went on sale on 4 November 2026), chauffeured punting on the Backs every day except Christmas Day when conditions allow, with last tours at about 3:15pm, and blankets on the student-punted tours from Granta Moorings. King’s Dyke on the Middle Level is closed to boats until 22 January 2027.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
We wanted this guide to show that a trip on the water here does not have to mean queueing for a punt in August. A canoe at Houghton or a day boat out of Pope’s Corner gives you a very different county, flat, quiet and full of birds, and most of it is cheaper than you would think.
If you run one of these boats, or you went out recently and something has changed, please let us know. Seasons, prices and lock closures move every year, and we would rather fix a detail now than send someone to an empty landing stage.
Before You Go
- Most hire boats and trip boats outside Cambridge run from roughly April to October, so check the season before planning a winter trip
- Phone ahead in winter and after heavy rain, as punting on the Cam and boating on the Great Ouse are suspended when the river runs high; on Environment Agency waters, red strong stream boards mean stay off the river
- Wear a buoyancy aid when one is offered, and always on canoes, kayaks and paddleboards; cold water in winter and spring is dangerous even for strong swimmers
- Punters on self-hire punts need grippy shoes that cover the toes and heel, and should sit down when passing under low bridges
- Book with a licensed operator at an official punt station in Cambridge rather than with street touts, and book online for the best prices
- Do not swim from boats; Sheep’s Green on the Cam is rated Poor for water quality, and the National Trust advises against swimming at Houghton Mill
- Bringing your own canoe, kayak or paddleboard needs a licence or registration, such as Paddle UK membership or Environment Agency registration, and a Cam Conservators licence downstream of the Mill Pit
- Jesus Lock in Cambridge has been closed to boats since May 2024, and King’s Dyke between Stanground and Whittlesey is closed until 22 January 2027, so cruising plans between the Cam, the Nene and the Ouse need checking
- Cambridge city centre parking is limited, so use the park and ride or the train for punting, and allow for parking charges at Houghton Mill and Ferry Meadows
