One day in Ely, England

How to spend one day in Ely, one of England’s most charming cities?

Ely is the classic day trip from London or Cambridge because it’s just over an hour from London and just under 20 minutes from Cambridge on the train.

It’s a small, walkable city, with a spectacular cathedral, a lovely waterfront, and a very relaxed atmosphere.

In this guide I’ll share the best things to do in Ely and suggest an easy one-day itinerary to follow.

One day in Ely itinerary

I designed a self-guided walk as a practical itinerary for one day in Ely, with all the handy tips I discovered during my visit.

It’s a compact city, so all the stops on the itinerary are within walking distance from each other.

Start at the railway station, which is about a 15-minute walk from the city centre.

Our first stop is the most famous point of interest in the city, Ely Cathedral.

Visit Ely Cathedral

The magnificent Ely Cathedral is the main reason to visit Ely for many tourists.

I’d seen photos of it online before visiting, but it’s much more impressive in real life of course. I loved seeing the awe-inspiring building from the inside.

To get from the station to the cathedral, I walked through Cherry Hill Park. You can already see the cathedral from the park.

Enter through the west door, which is the visitor entrance.

You can buy a ticket to the cathedral itself, or a combined ticket for Ely’s main attractions called Ely Passport.

It covers the entry fees to the cathedral, as well as the Stained Glass Museum, Oliver Cromwell’s House, and Ely Museum.

The pass is valid for 48 hours and will save you money if you’re going to visit all four attractions, which is perfectly doable in 48 hours (I saw them all in one day).

Ely cathedral tours

I toured the cathedral both with a live guide and with an audiovisual guide, just to satisfy my curiosity.

An audiovisual guide is included with your ticket and I recommend you pick one up when you enter.

If you arrive at the right time for a guided tour offered by the cathedral, I can also recommend taking a tour with a live guide, it makes a difference to the experience.

The ground floor tour is free with your admission ticket. The West Tower and Octagon tours are paid.

I’ve also found a private tour that combines both Cambridge and Ely on a day trip from London, with your own dedicated driver and guide. This can be a good solution if you don’t want to plan a visit to both cities yourself, or if you’re short on time.

I got to the cathedral in time for the 11 am ground floor tour and joined a rather large group of people.

The guide was knowledgeable and took us through all the main parts of the cathedral. It gave me perspective and a lot of historical context.

The tour lasted about 90 minutes, after which most of us stayed longer to walk around and take photos.

I used the audiovisual guide at this point to learn even more, especially about the architecture and history.

What to see inside Ely Cathedral

Here are the main highlights at Ely Cathedral:

The Nave ceiling: Just after you enter you’ll see the long nave. The painted ceiling above it is massive, with 12 panels telling biblical stories with life-sized figures. Interestingly, it was created by two amateur artists.

Lady Chapel: A very large chapel with carved medieval stonework and a rather unusual modern sculpture of Mary. It used to be even more beautifully decorated before the Reformation, when a lot was destroyed and never restored.

The Octagon Tower: Considered an engineering masterpiece, built after the original central tower collapsed. Its lantern floods the space with natural light. You can see it from the ground floor, looking up and zooming in on your camera, or take the Octagon Tower tour.

The West Tower: Climb it for sweeping views across the Fens. It involves 288 steps and a steep spiral staircase, so it isn’t for everyone. Book the West Tower Experience in advance (not included in the general admission ticket).

See the Stained Glass Museum

Without leaving the cathedral, you can visit another beautiful attraction in Ely: the Stained Glass Museum.

It was one of the most unique museums I’ve been to, a personal highlight for me on this day trip.

When you enter, there’s a film about the history of stained glass. It was interesting to see how little has changed in the technique used since medieval times.

The film is short and will help you notice small details when you walk around the museum.

The museum features a large collection of stained glass from different time periods. They’re displayed like pictures on the wall at a gallery, so you can see the glass up close.

I enjoyed learning how styles evolved over the centuries and seeing the shift from the familiar religious windows to more modern themes, including the Arts and Crafts movement.

The exhibition text looks at how historical events, such as the Reformation and the Industrial Revolution, affected stained glass.

When you see the art at eye level you can spot small details and it’s a very different experience to squinting up at windows from a distance in a church.

Browse Ely High Street and Ely Markets

After seeing the cathedral and the Stained Glass Museum, I walked to the nearby High Street. It only took a couple of minutes to get there.

Ely High Street has a few of the standard British high street shops, but also some unique indie shops that caught my eye, such as:

Topping and Company Booksellers, for endless book browsing.
The Eel Catcher’s Daughter for unique gifts.
Positively Magickal for handmade crafts and gifts.
cattywampus for fashion and homeware.
The last two are on High Street Passage.

Continue along the high street and you’ll soon see Ely Markets.

I went on a Saturday for the Craft, Food and Vintage Market. It was larger than I’d expected.

Depending on the day of the week, you’ll find food stalls and food trucks, vintage and antique stalls, fresh produce, books, and more.

It’s perfect for eclectic shopping and having a bite to eat. You can have your lunch at the market or at any of the cafes or restaurants on the high street.

If you’re not into shopping, it’s great for browsing and enjoying the atmosphere.

Check this page for a list of markets for each day of the week (except Monday) plus opening hours.

Visit Ely Museum

The city museum in Ely is just a few minutes away from the market. It’s a small museum worth visiting if you want to learn about the history of the city.

It starts with an exhibition on prehistoric times and continues in chronological order to present day Ely.

When I went up the stairs from the ground floor to the first floor, the timeline on the wall by the staircase explained the changes leading up to modern times (read them from the bottom up).

The main thing I learnt at this museum was that the big change for the entire region occurred in the 17th century, when the surrounding marshlands were drained. These days they’re agricultural land producing a lot of the food consumed in England.

If you’re interested in history and archaeology, add Ely Museum to your itinerary for a day in Ely.

Visit Oliver Cromwell House

If you still have the energy for another indoor attraction and even more history, then Ely has a very unique museum dedicated to Oliver Cromwell.

The museum is inside the house he used to live in, restored with period rooms and costumed characters.

You’ll get an audio guide when you enter, with a self-guided tour that takes about 45 minutes.

In the first room, which used to be the parlour, I watched a short film and then followed a one-way route from one room to the next using the audio guide: the kitchen, Mrs Cromwell’s room with family portraits and costumes to try on, and an extensive display about the Civil War.

It gives you just the right amount of information about each room, with optional further information if you want a deeper dive.

I felt that a lot of attention was placed on making you think about the complexities of Cromwell’s legacy and conflicts in his views and actions.

By the time you finish the tour you’ll know all about Cromwell’s life story and the English Civil War, as well as a bit more about English history.

If you’d like some souvenirs or have any questions about Ely at this point in your day trip, Ely’s Tourist Information Centre is at the same house.

Chill in Jubilee Gardens and the riverfront

After consuming so much history and culture, I made my way to the waterfront for some beautiful urban nature.

From Oliver Cromwell’s House it takes about 15 minutes to get to Jubilee Gardens by the water. It also gets you closer to the railway station.

The gardens are great for a picnic or a stroll. Look out for the eel sculpture!

From Jubilee Gardens it’s a very short walk to the riverside area that has some cafes and pubs.

I took a walk along the River Great Ouse and watched the boats for a while before going back to the station.

Is Ely worth visiting?

Ely is worth visiting. It’s charming, relaxed, and easy to explore.

It’s a pretty effortless day trip from Cambridge or London.

The city is compact and very easy to navigate on foot.

Despite its size, it has enough attractions for a full day trip or a weekend trip, including museums, architecture, good food options, and beautiful nature.

Top reasons to visit:

The magnificent cathedral
The picturesque waterfront
The historic houses
The markets and indie shops

I think it has something for everyone, but it’s especially worth visiting for history lovers, photographers and slow travellers.

Table of contents