Things to Do in Cambridge in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Cambridge
Is March Right for You?
Advantages
- Boat Race season begins late March - the Tideway feels genuinely electric with training crews on the water from 6am daily, and you can watch from the towpath for free between Putney and Mortlake
- Daffodils and crocuses transform the Backs into something genuinely stunning - King's College meadow and Clare College gardens hit peak bloom mid-month, with far fewer tourists than April through September
- Indoor attractions are comfortable without summer queues - the Fitzwilliam Museum, college chapels, and Kettle's Yard gallery have 30-40% fewer visitors than peak season, meaning you can actually spend time with the collections
- Early spring pricing on accommodation - hotels typically run 15-25% cheaper than Easter onwards, and you can still find college rooms available for under £80 per night if you book 6-8 weeks ahead
Considerations
- Weather genuinely swings between lovely and miserable - you might get 15°C (59°F) sunshine one day and 5°C (41°F) with sideways rain the next, which makes planning outdoor activities frustrating
- Some colleges close for exams and Easter term prep - Trinity and St John's often restrict visitor access for a week or two in late March, and opening hours can be unpredictable across all colleges
- Punting season technically starts but the water is properly cold - if you fall in (and people do), it's genuinely unpleasant at 8-10°C (46-50°F), plus many punt companies run reduced fleets until April
Best Activities in March
Walking the Backs and college gardens
March is actually ideal for this because the spring bulbs are out but the tourist crowds haven't arrived yet. The light at 4-5pm has that golden quality that makes the stone architecture look incredible. King's College Chapel from the meadow, the Bridge of Sighs without twenty people photographing it, Clare College fellows' garden when the crocuses carpet the lawn - you get these moments to yourself. The damp grass means proper waterproof footwear matters, but the air smells like spring earth and you can hear the chapel choirs practicing through open windows.
Cycling the Grantchester meadows route
The 5 km (3.1 mile) path from Cambridge to Grantchester village is muddy but rideable in March, and you see the countryside waking up - lambs in the fields, early wildflowers, the Cam running high from winter rain. The Orchard Tea Garden opens for the season in early March, and sitting outside with a pot of tea when it's 10°C (50°F) but sunny feels properly English. The route is flat, takes 25-30 minutes each way, and gets you out of the city center into proper Cambridgeshire farmland.
Evensong services at college chapels
March is actually peak season for college choirs because it's full term time - King's College Chapel, St John's, and Trinity all have their full choirs singing 6 days a week. Evensong typically runs 5:30-6:15pm, it's free, and sitting in a 500-year-old chapel while boy sopranos sing Stanford in the candlelight is genuinely moving. The chapels are cold though - properly cold - so this isn't a light jacket situation. King's is most famous but also most crowded; St John's chapel is equally beautiful with half the visitors.
Market Square food and vintage browsing
The daily market runs year-round but March is ideal because you can browse comfortably without summer heat or December cold. The food stalls do hot salt beef sandwiches, fresh stroopwafels, and local cheese that you can actually taste without your hands freezing. Sundays add the vintage and craft stalls - genuine finds on old books, prints, and clothing if you spend 45-60 minutes looking properly. The surrounding independent shops (bookstores, delicatessens, chocolate makers) make this a good rainy day backup.
Fitzwilliam Museum and Kettle's Yard gallery
Both are free, both are world-class, and March gives you space to actually look at things. The Fitzwilliam has Titians, Monets, Egyptian antiquities, and medieval manuscripts in a building that's warm and well-lit - ideal for a 2-3 hour visit when it's grey outside. Kettle's Yard is different - a converted house filled with modern art and beautiful objects, with enormous windows overlooking a garden. The light in March is perfect for the gallery spaces, and they serve excellent coffee. These aren't backup plans; they're genuinely worth building your day around.
Pub walks along the River Cam
The riverside paths from Jesus Green to Grantchester link several proper pubs, and March walking weather is ideal if you dress right - cool enough that you don't overheat, and the paths aren't yet crowded with summer tourists. The Fort St George sits right on the water with outdoor tables, The Granta in Grantchester has fires burning, and The Mill does excellent food. A 8 km (5 mile) loop from the city center to Grantchester and back takes 2.5-3 hours with pub stops, or you can do shorter sections. The riverside is muddy in places so waterproof boots matter.
March Events & Festivals
Cambridge Science Festival
Typically runs for two weeks in mid-March with free lectures, hands-on exhibits, and lab tours across the university. It's genuinely interesting if you like science - talks on current research, interactive exhibits in college courts, and rare access to normally closed laboratories. Events book up fast but many are free and suitable for non-specialists. The festival brings the research side of Cambridge to life in a way regular tours don't.
Boat Race training season
While the actual Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race happens in late March or early April (date varies), the training period means you see crews on the water every morning from 6am onwards. The towpath between Putney and Mortlake in London is where the race happens, but Cambridge crews train on the Cam near Ely for weeks beforehand. It's free to watch, genuinely atmospheric if you care about rowing, and you can see the boats up close from the riverbank.