6 canal-boating trips in the UK for families

There are few better ways to slow down and come together as a family than on a canal-boat break. Waterways offer a very different perspective on the UK, their quiet channels taking in some of the country’s most picturesque landscapes as well as its most fascinating industrial heritage.

Though it’s not just about floating along and admiring the scenery. Canal boats are simple to operate, but the journey requires teamwork, and everyone can pitch in – whether by taking the wheel, opening the lock gates or just following progress on the map.

There’s so much flexibility and variety too. Moor up for a pub lunch, an excursion along a waterside woodland trail, or schedule a stop at a theme park or museum. And when evening falls, turn to old-fashioned family pleasures with a game of cards or round of Trivial Pursuit. A canal-boat holiday is an opportunity to re-connect – with your surroundings and each other.

1. Chirk to Ellesmere & Llangollen

Trip length: 16 hours return
For a journey that takes in some of the most dramatic scenery in the UK, head to Chirk in Wales for a trip on the Llangollen Canal. This short route through the Dee Valley is perfect for novices, with plenty of stop-off points and the option to avoid locks. It will also impress kids as the waterway glides over the world’s tallest canal aqueduct at Pontcysyllte and through Chirk Tunnel, offering 1,575ft of total darkness. Along the way, there are historic market towns and woodland trails to explore.

2. Ely to Cambridge

Trip length: Three to four days
This East Anglian classic launches from the cathedral city of Ely, a few miles northeast of Cambridge. It’s 18 miles each way on the scenic rivers Ouse and Cam. The route passes through Wicken Fen wetland nature reserve, an ancient habitat of reedbeds and marshland that’s home to birds and butterflies. There are just four locks to tackle, which takes some of the strain out of things for beginners, and you’ll go as far as Cambridge, for a spot of picnicking and punting before the return leg.

3. Falkirk to Edinburgh

Trip length: Seven days
This Scottish break kicks off with a ride on the famous Falkirk Wheel, a towering mechanical masterpiece that lifts you onto the Union Canal. From there, sail into the Falkirk Tunnel and make a stop at the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, ruined Linlithgow Palace, which offers interactive family activities. Try watersports on Linlithgow Loch, before continuing across the 820ft-long Avon Aqueduct; kids will love that it snakes 85ft above the ground.

4. Stourport Ring, from Stoke Prior

Trip length: Seven to 14 days
Starting at Stoke Prior in Worcestershire, this 76-mile route passes Birmingham family attractions and Cadbury World, where you can pause for a chocolatey afternoon tea and new attractions unveiled for the brand’s 200th anniversary this year. Beyond the city, the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal forges through glorious countryside. You’ll then join the Severn for a spot of river cruising down to Worcester and back up the other side of the ring.

5. Acton Bridge to Wigan

Trip length: Seven days
There are various family-friendly attractions within reach of this route in the northwest of England, from Gulliver’s World in Warrington to the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes. But you’ll find enough to occupy you on the journey itself. Dutton Stop Lock raises boats just a handful of centimetres, making it the most beginner-friendly of locks, after which you’re into peaceful Cheshire countryside. You’ll skirt ancient villages such as Lymm, which was listed in the Domesday Book; enter the pitch blackness of Preston Book Tunnel; and pass through the precious Wigan Flashes and Pennington Flash nature reserves, former mining areas now covered by lakes and woods, harbouring many protected wildlife species.

6. Caldon Canal Return

Trip length: Seven days
Departing from Stoke-on-Trent, in the heart of the Staffordshire potteries, a cruise on the Caldon Canal provides a fascinating transition from the brick-built kilns of Britain’s industrial past to bucolic, timeless countryside. This canal is frequently overlooked by boaters, which makes it a peaceful stretch — though there’s also the chance to hop off for a high-octane side trip to Alton Towers theme park along the way. Alternatively, you can disembark to ride a heritage steam railway through the Churnet Valley. Look out for wildlife ranging from kingfishers to otters as you follow branches of the waterway to the villages of Leek and Froghall.