Skipper a canal boat holiday
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
At walking pace the country looks entirely different, and working your first lock as a crew is deeply satisfying. Hire firms teach you to steer before you leave, so no experience is needed.
ModerateOver £500 / $650A few weeksOutdoorsWith othersUKSpring to autumn
How to start
- Read the Canal & River Trust's guidance for first-time boaters.
- Choose a route with a manageable number of locks and gather a crew.
- Hire a boat, take the handover lesson and steer it yourself.
Where to go
We opened this link on 6 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. The hard part of a day out is the timing: the right season, tickets and getting there. The plan watches the calendar for you.
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