Guided Tours
Visit Ely has always been incredibly proud of the city that we serve. From the majestic Cathedral to the riverside, there are fascinating facts and spellbinding sights wherever you look.
It might well seem like there is simply too much to see and discover, and that is where our expert guides come in. Join one of our team on a guided tour of our city.
Perhaps you want the perfect launching point for your visit? In that case, book one of our Ely Highlights Tours – a tour designed to give you that ideal introduction to the city; giving you the chance to explore afterwards at your leisure. Maybe it will fuel the fires of curiosity and before you know it you’ll be booked on one of our specialised tours covering a multitude of subjects ranging from Ely’s Riverside to the pubs and inns past and present!
Many of our tours have something special at the end: including Monastic Tours that end with tea and cake or a Riverside tour that ends with a fantastic carvery with riverside views!
Below you’ll find our ever-growing range of tours including dates and booking links for each one. Check back regularly to see what new tours are being added and the dates for current tours. Also, don’t forget October every year is our “spooky season” when we turn our attention to the spectres that haunt the streets of the city with our ghostly season of tours!
The Ely Highlights Tour
There is so much to see in Ely, so much to learn and sometimes we get asked “Where do I begin?” – We have the perfect answer- The Ely Highlights Tour!
Our expert guides are ready and waiting to lead you on a comfortable ninety-minute walk around Ely showing you the “Highlights” of our incredible city. With a 1.5-mile route, this is a delightful and relaxed amble. Starting and finishing at Oliver Cromwell’s House, this tour will look at the rich history of this medieval city including its architecture, its monastic roots, the unique relationship the city has with eels and the riverside, once the bustling centre of trade.
Tours depart from Oliver Cromwell’s House at 2 pm and run throughout the year on a Saturday.
Tickets – £7.50
For availability and bookings, please check here – The Ely Highlights Tour
Specialist TOURS of Ely
The first of our specialist tours this year! This is a real tour of discovery and learning all about the names beneath the stones, and their relevance to Ely.
All prices vary. Please check here for availability https://www.olivercromwellshouse.co.uk/events/
Also available this summer:
- Ely’s Hidden Gems – A tour of discovery
- Ely Cemetery Tours – Discover names beneath the stones.
- Ely’s Evacuees – a talk at Oliver Cromwell’s House
- Ely’s Pub, Past and Present
- Tastes of Ely – discover our Ely artisan eateries.
- Spooky Season 2025 (Oct 1st – Oct 31st)
- Riverside Walks (no boat trip included)
- Tours of Ely’s Monastic Precinct and it’s Architecture
- Special request tours also available.
WE ALSO HAVE GUEST SPEAKERS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR GROUP
Here’s a selection of what we have available.
- Witches, Ghosts and Demons of the Fens – An illustrated talk on Superstition and Legends of the Fens.
- From Austerity to Hedonism – An Illustrated look at the contrasting life in England under the rule of Charles 1st and 2nd.
- Monastic Ely – Learn more about Ely’s largest group of Monastic buildings still in use today, hear about Ely Monk’s and Royalty
- Costume and Entertainment – Fashion and past times in teh 17th Century
- Railway 200 – A fascinating insight into the celebration of the Railway arriving to Ely. This a look into the Past, the Present and the Future of Travelling by Train to Ely and Beyond.
Private and Bespoke Tours
Are you looking for that truly special event for you and your family? A birthday with a difference or something different to do when friends meet? It might be that the dates and times don’t line up with what you need but you’d still love to do one of our tours as a group!
Visit Ely are happy to help. All of our tours can be booked for private groups (minimum two people) so that you can enjoy one of our brilliant tours just as you need it to be.
We offer a range of bespoke options including specific finishing locations – for example, why not book a table for your party at Riverside Bar Kitchen, for a delicious carvery, and before have a tour that takes in Ely’s Riverside and finishes with our guided waving farewell at the door of the restaurant so you can sit in comfort, eat and discuss the new facts and tales you’ve learned!
For all such enquiries, please complete the form below and we will be in touch!