Explore Britain on a boating break
Great British Boating offers a wide range of canal boat holidays along Britain’s scenic 3,000-mile network of navigable canals and rivers.
With our self-drive narrowboat rentals, you can adventure at your own pace along our recommended routes. Cruising at less than 4 miles per hour, you can experience watching out for wildlife and stopping to enjoy traditional pubs, tea rooms, country walks, as well as historic and cultural sites.
Our peaceful canals and rivers offer a great way to relax, be in nature and discover Britain from a unique perspective. Choose from hundreds of top quality canal boats with all the comforts of home, and all operated by established canal boat hire companies.
Experience British heritage on a canal boat
We offer over 500 canal boats for rent, and a big choice of destinations from 40 starting points in England, Scotland and Wales. You can cruise through the countryside, ‘off the grid’ and immersed in nature, as well as exploring some of Britain’s most popular tourist destinations, including:
- UNESCO World Heritage Bath on the Kennet & Avon Canal
- Oxford on the Oxford Canal and River Thames
- Cambridge on the Fenland waterways
- Birmingham where there are more canals than Venice
- The ancient city of Chester on the Shropshire Union Canal
- UNESCO World Heritage Saltaire on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal
- UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales
- Edinburgh on the Union Canal in Scotland
Choose from a range of vacation lengths
Short breaks: 3-night weekends or 4-night mid-week holidays that are great for beginners, offering the chance to get a taste of life aboard a canal boat on Britain’s inland waterways.
7-night vacations: usually start on a Friday or a Saturday and offer the chance to travel further and explore more historic sites.
Longer holidays: can be 10-nights, 11-nights, two weeks or longer, offering the chance to travel round some of the larger canal holiday circuits, taking in a wide range of landscapes and destinations.
To find out more about the different vacation options available, please use our interactive map below.
