Afloat
Everybody loves a boat trip! There are 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.
Exclusively for children accompanied by adults. See our Halloween page for details of this joint event with Camden Canals and Narrowboat Association on 27th and 28th October 2007.
Take a canal boat trip in London. There are a variety of trips available and you can enjoy an excellent day out including:
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 which are available on London's Canals. Please contact the operators direct for more detailed information.
| Scheduled Services and Charter | Route | Service summary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenny Wren 020 7485 4433 |
Little Venice - Camden. | Four per day in season. Refreshments. Guide service. Also operate a large hospitality boat, "My Fair Lady" for private charters . | |
| Jason's Canal Boat Trip
020 7286 3428 |
Little Venice - Camden | Three or four per day in season, plus limited winter weekend service. Refreshments. Guide service. Small party boat "Dusk Till Dawn" available for private hire. | |
| 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. | |
| Willowtree
Narrowboat Trips Horsenden Hill Visitor Centre, Horsenden Lane North Greenford UB6 7PB 020 8903 2008 |
Trips on the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal in west London. Starts from close to Perivale station (Central Line) | Wednesdays Thursdays and Sundays plus private charter. | |
| Charter-Only | Location | Summary | |
| The Floating
Boater Tel: 020 7266 1066 |
Paddington | Luxury Hospitality Boat The Prince Regent. | |
| London Canal
Cruises Tel: 020 8440 8962 |
Private charter through London on the picturesque Regents Canal | Exclusive wine-and-dine charter day-trips aboard narrowboat 'Helix', for 2-4 people. | |
On Selected summer Sundays, London Canal Museum offers guided tour trips through Islington Tunnel. See our Tunnel Trips page for details.
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 WAP enabled mobile phone you can do the WAPwalk using the phone as your walk guide. (allow an hour if taking the WAPwalk) See WAP information page for more details. This section of canal is mainly industrial with plenty of reminders of its history. You may also see the wildlife which 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. The table below shows some events in the next few weeks.
There are also community narrowboats which offer trips for school parties and other community groups. If you are visiting the Museum we'll put you in touch with the appropriate boat operators. If you are interested in a trip on the tidal river Thames, see London on Thames website.
