Doors, Dinos & Discoveries — Cambridge’s Ultimate Family Adventure Trail: A Cambridge family tour
A 90-minute family walking trail built around Cambridge’s Ds: the Dinky Doors hidden in city walls, the Dinosaurs of the Sedgwick Museum, Darwin’s Cambridge, and the Discoveries that changed the world. With a treasure hunt, business checkpoints, and a certificate at the end.
| Option | Duration | Price |
| Doors, Dinos & Discoveries | 90 minutes | £175 per group |
| In French (portes, dinos et découvertes) | 90 minutes | £175 per group |
| Best for children aged 5–14 | Any day | Year-round |
About This Tour
Cambridge is a city of Ds — and this trail finds them all. The Dinky Doors are miniature secret doors hidden at the base of walls across the city centre, each just a few inches tall. The Dinosaurs are inside the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences on Downing Street — free, extraordinary, and connected to Darwin, who studied just around the corner. The Discoveries — DNA, the electron, gravity — frame Cambridge as a city where people figured things out. And Darwin, who walked these same streets before he changed how we understand all life on Earth, ties it together.
Join us for an unforgettable Cambridge family tour experience that blends fun and education for all ages.
The treasure hunt gives every child an illustrated map at the start. Each stop has a clue leading to the next location. At checkpoint businesses across the city centre, children collect a stamp or sticker. Complete the trail and every child receives a certificate.
The Six Ds of Cambridge
- 🚪 Dinky Doors — miniature secret doors hidden in city walls
- 🦕 Dinosaurs — the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Downing Street
- 🌿 Darwin — Christ’s College Great Gate exterior and his Cambridge story
- 🧬 DNA — The Eagle pub exterior, where the secret of life was announced
- ⚡ Discoveries — Cambridge as the city where the world was explained
- 📍 Downing Street (Cambridge) — where the Sedgwick Museum sits
The Treasure Hunt
Every family receives an illustrated map at the start of the tour. Children must spot each Dinky Door before the guide points it out. At each checkpoint business, they collect a stamp. Complete the trail and receive a certificate.
A Note on College Access
⚠️ Cambridge’s colleges are private institutions. This tour follows public streets, paths, and riverside routes throughout. All college buildings are viewed from public vantage points — no entry fees, no photography restrictions, no access limitations. The best views of Cambridge are from the streets anyway.
📌 The Sedgwick Museum is viewed from the public street. Darwin’s mulberry tree at Christ’s is visible from the public pavement on Christ’s Lane. The Eagle pub is viewed and discussed from the public pavement. No college or museum entry is required or included.
Tour Flexibility — Important
💡 Our tours are live private experiences. Routes, stories, and stops may vary depending on the season, local events, and what is happening in Cambridge on the day. This is a feature, not a limitation — a guide who adapts to the city as it actually is will always deliver a better experience than one following a fixed script. Checkpoint businesses may change as the sponsorship programme develops. Dinky Door locations occasionally move. The guide always has the most current version of the route and map.
Booking Information & Terms
Cambridge Tours reserves the right to modify tour content, substitute stops, and adjust routes at short notice. Where a specific location or business features as part of a tour, an equivalent alternative will always be provided if circumstances require it.
All tours operate on public routes. No college entry is required or included. Pricing is per group, not per person. All tours available in English and French.
Minimum rate: £160 per group per hour. Bespoke and extended sessions priced on request.
Frequently asked questions
The tour is designed for children aged 5 to 14, with content and pacing adapted to your group. It works equally well as a mixed family experience — adults consistently find it more engaging than they expect.
£175 per group for a 90-minute private session. Available any day of the week in English and French. The price is per group, not per person.
Every family receives an illustrated map at the start. Children spot each Dinky Door, collect stamps at checkpoint businesses along the route, and receive a certificate at the end. The map doubles as a souvenir of their Cambridge visit.
The Dinky Doors are miniature decorative doors installed at the base of walls across Cambridge city centre, each just a few inches tall. They have no official function but have become one of the city’s most photographed curiosities.
No — the tour covers the Sedgwick Museum exterior and Darwin’s Cambridge story from the public street. The museum is free to enter independently and we encourage families to visit before or after the tour.
Charles Darwin studied at Christ’s College, Cambridge. The tour visits Christ’s College Great Gate exterior on Christ’s Lane, where Darwin’s mulberry tree is visible from the public pavement, and tells the story of his Cambridge years.
Yes — the full tour is available in French. Jean-Luc Benazet is a native French speaker. A French-language version of the treasure hunt map can be arranged on request.
Yes — checkpoint businesses are part of the cambridge.tours local sponsorship programme and may change over time. The illustrated map is updated whenever changes occur and the guide always has the most current version of the route.