Boat Trips in London on the Canal
Boat Trips
Boat Trips on London's Canals
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Afloat
Everybody loves a boat trip! There is a mixture of regular and
occasional boat trips available on the canals in London, enabling you to see a
different view of the capital city.
Cruise through London
Take a canal boat ride in London. There is a variety of trips available and you can enjoy an excellent day out including:
A boat trip
A walk on the towpath
A visit to London Canal Museum
A visit to Camden Markets
Contact us about:
Trips that we organise, e.g. Tunnel trips, long trips from the museum, cream tea cruises.
Boat charter arrangements in connection with a visit to the museum
To charter our jointly-owned boat
Long Tom
contact our partners
Angel Community Narrowboat Trust
Boat Trips from the museum
On Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from Easter
to the end of October, the museum offers a programme of boat trips starting from the museum and including a museum visit. A guide travels
with you to give a commentary. except for short trips, tea and coffee are served on board and a guide offers a commentary. See our
Boat Trips page
for details and to book your place in advance. The
trips include long day trips to Paddington or Victoria Park in East London, and a weekly cream tea cruise from the museum lasting around 90 minutes on board
the sightseeing boat
Long Tom
.On some Wednesdays we offer short trips to St. Pancras and back in about 25 minutes without a guide or refreshments.
We also offer
Historic Boat Trips
on selected Saturdays. See
Historic Boat Trips page
There are also
community narrowboats
that offer trips for school parties and other community groups. If you are
visiting the museum in a group we'll put you in touch with the appropriate boat
operators.
West London Boat Trips
The route which has the most frequent services is from Camden to
Little Venice (near Paddington). Three boat companies operate regular services
in summer and there are less frequent boats at weekends in the winter. All the
boat hire companies offer private hire which is ideal for groups of people.
Private hire boats can bring a party right to the door of the London Canal
Museum. There are also regular boat trips operating in west London. The
following is a summary of the boat services that are available on London's
Canals. Please contact the operators direct for more detailed information.
Boat Operators in London
Scheduled Services and Charter
Route
Service summary
Long Tom
From the museum in partnership with Angel Boat.
London Canal Museum boat trips on Thursdays Fridays and
Sundays, also short trips on some Wednesdays. Cream tea cruises. Long cruises on Fridays, some of which pass through
Maida Hill Tunnel rather than Islington. Tunnel trips run through Islington Tunnel.
Advance booking essential. Mince pie tunnel trips in December.
Five tunnel trips on Sundays, one long trip on Fridays,
tunnel trips and a cream tea cruise on Thursdays. Short trips on some Wednesdays.
Nearest station:
King's Cross
Jenny Wren
020 7485 4433
Camden to Little Venice and back (does not pick up or
set down passengers at Little Venice)
Four per day in season. Refreshments.
Guide service. Also operate a large hospitality boat, "My Fair Lady" for
private charters.
Nearest stations:
Camden Town, Camden Road
Jason's Canal Boat
Trip
(no telephone, email info@jasons.co.uk)
Little Venice - Camden
Three or four per day in
season, plus limited winter weekend service. Refreshments. Guide service.
Nearest stations:
Paddington, Warwick Avenue
London
Waterbus Company
020 7482 2660
(For private hire/groups 020 7482
2550)
Little Venice - London Zoo - Camden
Hourly service in summer, half hourly on
peak days. Winter weekend service. Occasional all day trips to Limehouse.
Nearest stations:
Camden Town, Camden Road, Paddington
Lee Valley Boats
0845 1162012
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park tours
Regular tours operate. Departs from Stratford Waterfront, close to the London Aquatics Centre.
Nearest stations:
Stratford International, Stratford.
Ideas for a day out
Make your way to Little Venice (near Paddington and Warwick Road
Underground stations) and take a one-way cruise to Camden. (allow an hour) Walk
along the towpath to King's Cross. (allow 40 minutes) If you have a smartphone you
can do the
Webwalk
using the phone as
your walk guide. (allow an hour if taking the Webwalk. Alternatively we offer a free
MP3 audio tour of the canal towpath.See our
podcasts page
for details. This section of canal is mainly industrial with plenty of reminders of its history.
You may also see the wildlife that thrives on the canal. If you are lucky, you
may see a heron fishing! Finish your day on the canals with a visit to London
Canal Museum. (allow 1-2 hours). You'll find our why the canal was built and
it's fascinating history over more than 180 years. Of course, depending on
timings, you can stop for refreshments or a meal at Camden or at King's Cross
before or after your museum visit. There are plenty of cafes, pubs, and fast
food outlets at both these places. In bad weather use bus 214 instead of the
towpath walk.
Alternatively, start your day out at the museum. A morning visit can be
followed by lunch in a local pub or cafe. Then walk to Camden along the
Regent's Canal towpath. At Camden, explore the famous market (weekends) before
embarking on a cruise to Little Venice. You can return to Camden by boat as
well, if you wish. For information on
getting to the
museum
click the link. Don't forget to check what additional events are on
offer at London Canal Museum.
Skippered charter for groups
You can charter one of London's community boats for a group of up to 12 people. A skipper is
provided by the operator of the boat. So long as it is practical, your itinerary is for you to decide. Community boats
are available for private events and usually offer low-cost hire for community groups and educational purposes. Consider booking
Long Tom
or
Tarporley
or one of the
other London community boats for your small group trip. For a list of boats see our
Community Boats
page.
Private Self-Drive Hire
Only one day-boat hire service operates in London, from just outside
Uxbridge. It is based at Denham Deep Lock, a lovely rural location in the Colne
Valley Park that can only be reached on foot or by boat. Cars may be parked at
the
Colne Valley Park Visitor
Centre
, a few minutes' footpath walk away. Contact Denham Day Boats on
01895 271070 (no website available)
One hire company operates in London, for weekend or longer narrowboat hire. They are
Southern Narrowboats
, based near Uxbridge.
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