A day strolling through Cambridge.

Journey to Cambridge

From London, you can take the Great Northern train from King's Cross station to Cambridge, a journey of approximately 45 minutes, with tickets costing around £16-25 per adult. King's Cross is a stunning architectural landmark of London, comprising two main areas: St. Pancras International and King's Cross. Platform 9 is located between platforms 9 and 10 of King's Cross.^3/4, a must-visit destination for fans of the Harry Potter series.

Unlike most other trains departing from London, which are usually noisy and crowded, the journey to Cambridge was quiet and peaceful.

Alternatively, you can travel to Cambridge from London by National Express bus, but I wouldn't recommend this option as bus tickets aren't necessarily cheaper than train tickets and the journey takes over two hours.

800-Year-Old University

Like many other tourist cities, Cambridge also has double-decker hop-on hop-off buses to help visitors get a panoramic view of the city in the shortest time. A single bus ride takes 90 minutes (if you only stay on the bus). But Cambridge is a relatively small city, and you can easily walk through every nook and cranny at a leisurely pace in a single day. Strolling along the centuries-old cobblestone streets, you'll feel like you've stepped back into the Middle Ages, with its moss-covered ancient buildings and charming, winding alleyways.

Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is one of the world's top five universities, comprising 31 colleges, most of which are free to visit (except for the lecture halls). A few colleges charge an entrance fee, but it is usually very small (around 2-5 GBP per adult).

From Cambridge Station, it's just a 20-30 minute walk to the University of Cambridge complex, and from there you can freely wander and explore the magnificent, ancient architectural structures that have been the residences of many great figures in world history such as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Alan Turing, Stephen Hawking... The universities here are quite close together, so a tour of the 10 attractions below, even with stops to admire the scenery and take photos, will only take about 1-2 hours.

• Pembroke College
• Corpus Christi College
• Queens' College
• King's College
• St Catherine's College
• Clare College
• Trinity Hall
• Gonville and Caius College
• The Senate House
• Trinity College

Paddling a flat-bottomed boat on the Cambridge River

If you don't want to walk, a flat-bottomed boat ride on the Cambridge River is an equally enjoyable option. You can buy tickets for a guided tour for around 10-20 GBP per adult (depending on the size of the boat and the duration of the ride) to relax and enjoy the fresh air amidst the gentle waves, while admiring the schools nestled under the willow trees along the riverbank...

If you wish, you can rent a flat-bottomed boat and paddle yourself, but it's best to have a rower/guide with you, unless you already have experience rowing.

Museums and Botanical Gardens

Besides its universities, Cambridge is also famous for its museums and libraries. There are many museums in Cambridge, and I spent quite a bit of time at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Museum of Ancient Archaeology, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, being captivated by the artifacts and works of art from thousands of years ago. Equally interesting are the Polar Museum, the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, and the Zoological Museum. Cambridge museums are free to visit, but you should check the closing times (usually 4:30-5:00 pm) and the days off (usually Mondays or Tuesdays) for each museum.

Not far from the heart of Cambridge's Old Town are Kettle's Yard, a uniquely designed building that houses the University of Cambridge's modern art exhibition center, and the Botanic Garden, a beautiful garden with over 8,000 plant species from around the world. Unlike meticulously designed, trimmed, and shaped exotic plants, the Botanic Garden is beautiful in a very different way, with each shrub and plant growing freely as in nature, because its main purpose is to serve the research needs of Cambridge students. Admission to the Botanic Garden is £6 per adult, and it's a worthy final stop on your Cambridge journey as the sun sets.

Huong Thao