canal cruises staffordshire

Georgie's Canal Cruises

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Georgie's Canal Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Great Haywood

Mill Lane, Great Haywood, Stafford, ST18 0RJ

Canal boat holidays on the Trent & Mersey Canal and Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

We’re situated on the crossroads of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire and Trent & Mersey canals, so there’s a great choice of routes.

Head north on the Trent & Mersey Canal and you can join the Caldon Canal, taking you into the Peak District to Froghall, a short bus ride away from Alton Towers theme park.

The beautiful Tixall Wide is just 15 minutes cruise from Great Hawyood. where the canal opens up to the size of a lake.

Further along the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal you’ll come across Victorian Wightwick Manor with its William Morris interiors and colourful garden.

You can complete the Four Counties Ring and Black Country Ring from Great Haywood.

For information about the Trent & Mersey Canal and canal boat holiday routes from Great Haywood, click here

For further information please consult the Pearson (P) or Nicholson (N) Guides indicated above and found  here .

Below is a selection of Narrowboat routes that we have hand picked to help you decide which holiday you would like to take.

So why choose Anglo Welsh?

Over 55 years providing unique canal boat holidays in England and Wales. Modern and spacious narrowboat and wide beam barge hire – from 2 to 12 berths. Wide choice of narrowboat hire locations and canal boat holiday destinations. Canal boat holiday routes for novices & experienced boaters. Flexible holiday booking, no hidden costs. Family friendly and pet friendly holidays. Great days out on the water. Luxury canal boat hire and Thames boating holidays.

...but don't just take our word for it

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1st June 2022

Cruise guide to the Staffs & Worcs Canal

From Great Haywood the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal meanders through attractive Midlands scenery before following the Stour valley down to the Severn at Stourport

The splendid brick arch bridge which carries the Trent & Mersey Canal’s towpath over the very start of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Great Haywood Junction is a classic piece of 18th century waterways design. It’s attractive but also entirely functional, its brick parapets sloping right down to the ground at each end, ensuring that the boat horses’ tow-ropes wouldn’t snag as they crossed the bridge.

Fine towpath bridge spanning Great Haywood Junction

Part of Brindley’s grand design

It was also a key location in the early waterways network of the late 18th Century, forming a crucial part of famous canal engineer James Brindley’s ‘Grand Cross’ masterplan for linking four great rivers to the Midlands. The irregular V-shaped route of the Trent & Mersey formed two of the arms of this cross, reaching north westwards to the Mersey (via the Bridgewater Canal), and north eastwards to the Trent. Here at Great Haywood it met the Staffs & Worcs, which formed the south western arm linking to the River Severn at Stourport. And finally a few miles east of here at Fradley Junction was the start of the south eastern arm of the Cross, a connection via the Coventry and Oxford canals to the Thames.

To further add to its importance, near its mid-point at Aldersley Junction the Staffs & Worcs was joined by the Birmingham Canal, forerunner of today’s much-rebuilt Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line. This provided the Staffs & Worcs Canal with much of its trade from the developing industries of Birmingham and the Black Country.

Today it’s one of the most popular leisure cruising routes, thanks to its stunning scenery, its canal heritage and its position at the heart of the network, forming part of several attractive cruising circuits. But for a time in the mid 20th century it was in danger of closing. Competition from other, more direct canals such as the Worcester & Birmingham and the Shropshire Union as well as newer modes of transport in the form of railways and roads had left it with little trade. So much so that when waterways revival pioneer Tom Rolt came this way on his famous 1939 journey on his narrowboat Cressy , he reported that this northernmost length for the first four miles from Haywood was completely unused, the channel weeded-up, the locksides overgrown and the paddle gear stiff from lack of use.

By 1949 the only freight carried on the entire canal was on a one-mile section between Autherley and Aldersley junctions. A decade later it was proposed for closure, but the arrival of leisure traffic and some active campaigning by the Staffs & Worcs Canal Society saved it.

Aqueducts and the ‘wide’

It’s a far cry from that situation today, with a boatyard and basin right by the junction, moorings along the start of the Staffs & Worcs, and plenty of passing craft as it begins its journey with an aqueduct over the River Trent. It’s a typical James Brindley aqueduct from the early years of canal construction: heavily built in stone on a series low arches rather than the lightweight cast iron structures of later eras. And the canal’s route is similarly characteristic of Brindley’s work. It meanders gently as it follows the contours to keep earthworks (and therefore cost) to a minimum, but without the exaggerated windings of some canals completed by Brindley’s successors who seem to have taken this technique to extremes. Incidentally, this is one of the few canals that he saw completed: it opened in May 1772; he died in September.

Moored on the curious large expanse of water known as Tixall Wide

One feature that isn’t characteristic of Brindley, the Staffs & Worcs, or indeed of any other canal is Tixall Wide, a remarkable wide expanse of water that the canal passes through. It appears to have been created to appease the owner of Tixall House, who preferred a view from his land that looked more like a lake than the canal. The house is long gone, but the three-storey (plus turrets) gatehouse is impressive enough, and is now a Landmark holiday let. Be wary of straying to the edges of the Wide, as it’s shallow in places.

The first lock, Tixall Lock, begins the gentle climb towards the canal’s summit. Like most canals in the Midlands, the S&W was a narrow canal, so it’s built to take narrowboats of around 72ft by 7ft. Another Brindley style aqueduct crosses the River Sow, as the canal follows its valley west towards Stafford.

Passing the entrance to the former River Sow or Stafford branch of the canal (see our feature about the canal’s branches ), the canal turns south westwards, missing Stafford town centre by a mile or so – the nearest access to the town is from Bridge 98.

Tree-lined length near Baswich

Climbing to the summit

Locks continue the gentle climb as the canal rubs alongside the little River Penk through what would have been quiet, gentle Midland countryside until the 1960s arrival of the M6 motorway which disturbs the peace for a few miles. To the east, the ground rises towards Cannock Chase, with 26 square miles of heath and woodland within a few miles of the canal. Penkridge, a large village close to the canal, is a handy place to stop for shops and pubs.

Reaching the canal’s summit at Gailey Lock, with its distinctive roundhouse

Five locks spread out over a couple of miles end at Gailey Lock, accompanied by its distinctive circular lock house, where the canal reaches its summit level at around 340ft above sea level. A winding length, as the canal sticks to this contour, leads via Hatherton Junction (where the Hatherton Branch used to lead eastwards towards Cannock) to Coven, with a handy waterside pub.

Skirting the Black Country

The canal is approaching the outskirts of Wolverhampton, but for much of the way it manages to distance itself from the warehousing and residential estates, partly thanks to a long, narrow and rocky cutting (so narrow that passing places were built to allow boats to pass each other) that enables it to maintain its level through higher ground. On emerging from the cutting, a towpath bridge on the right marks the start of the Shropshire Union Canal at Autherley Junction. Barely half a mile further on at Aldersley Junction, the main line of the Birmingham Canal Navigations branches off on the left, climbing a long flight of locks leading upwards into Wolverhampton.

In fact the closeness of these two junctions led to some shenanigans between canal companies. Following the opening of the Shropshire Union route in the 1830s, much of the busy long distance trade between the Birmingham Canal Navigations and the North West, which for the previous 70 years had travelled via the Staffs & Worcs and the Trent & Mersey, switched to using the ‘Shroppie’ instead. Understandably miffed at seeing their trade disappear, the Staffs & Worcs company responded by imposing extremely high tolls for the remaining half mile of their canal (between the two junctions) that the boats still had to use to get from the BCN to the ‘Shroppie’. These two companies, equally unhappy at what they saw as being held to ransom by the Staffs & Worcs, planned a short new direct link between their canals, bypassing the S&W by crossing over it on an aqueduct. They got as far as submitting parliamentary bill for the link before the Staffs & Worcs backed down and reduced the tolls.

The descent begins

Continuing south west from Aldersley, the canal maintains its semi-rural appearance through Wolverhampton’s suburbs as it follows a wooded cutting between sports grounds and a racecourse. At Compton Lock the summit level comes to an end, and the descent towards the River Severn begins – gently at first, as the built-up area is left behind and the canal meanders through countryside past Dimmingsdale and Awbridge.

Descending the remarkable Bratch not-quite-staircase locks

Approaching Wombourne the descent steepens as the canal reaches the remarkable Bratch Locks. This closely-spaced set of three locks might look at first appearance like a staircase, with each chamber leading directly into the next one, but closer examination reveals that they are in fact separate locks, each one with its own top and bottom gates – albeit the bottom gates of one lock are just a few feet from the top gates of the next. This isn’t just a quirky feature; it’s fundamental to the operation of the flight. These short pounds are linked via culverts to side-ponds on the far side of the towpath, which act as small reservoirs to increase the effective size of the pounds. This means that the flight is operated like normal non-staircase locks. (But don’t worry – there’s usually a keeper available to help). Small stone and metal staircases provide access to the locksides, and the whole structure is topped off with another unusual lock house – this one is octagonal rather than circular.

A mile two further on, you’ll appreciate the difference when you reach Botterham Locks – which actually do form a genuine staircase, with the top lock opening directly into the bottom one. So as usual with staircases (and unlike Bratch) you’ll need to remember not to try to empty a lock into one that’s already full, or fill a lock from one that’s already empty.

Botterham Locks, which (unlike Bratch) do actually form a staircase

Into the Stour Valley

The canal is now entering one of its most attractive lengths, as it gradually descends into a deepening wooded valley with outcrops of red sandstone. In the three miles of secluded water from Greensforge to Stourton, only one very minor road crosses the canal. Look out for the aqueduct (and the sharp bend immediately after it!) where the canal crosses the River Stour, which it follows for the rest of its route, and the ‘Devil’s Den’ – a former boathouse carved out of the rock.

In a characteristic sandstone cutting near Greensforge

At Stourton Junction the Stourbridge Canal branches off on the left, climbing through four locks on the start of its journey to meet the Dudley Canal and provide another route into the Black Country. Just beyond is the unlikely-named Stewponey Lock, named after a former nearby pub. This in turn is claimed (by none other than Rev. Sabine Baring Gould, author, collector of folk songs and writer of Onward Christian Soldiers ) to have been a a corruption of the Spanish place-name Estepona, that being where the landlord had met his Spanish wife while on military service.

Returning to quiet countryside again, the canal reaches its first tunnel: although at a mere 25 yards it seems barely long enough to merit that description, it was clearly hewn through the sandstone and left largely unlined.

Cookley Tunnel passes right under the village

Kinver is an interesting village, notable for its remarkably recent cave dwellings and for a number of pubs. The canal’s journey down the wooded valley continues with another slightly longer tunnel passing dramatically directly under the outcrop carrying Cookley village, and for the curious cavern (perhaps a lock keeper’s store or boat horse stable?) hollowed-out alongside Debdale Lock. The contorted turns of the canal as it keeps to the narrow valley make for some interesting steering for those in full-length craft.

Kidderminster, carpet town

Finally as the canal approaches Kidderminster the valley begins to broaden out, and Kidderminster Lock stands is overlooked by the parish church in the town centre. The lock exits through a tunnel-like bridge under a main road junction into what used to be a canyon-like length hemmed in by tall industrial buildings, the carpet mills for which the town was famous. Today many have gone, and others have found new uses, but some carpet making continues and there is a museum of the industry.

Kidderminster Lock, overlooked by the parish church

Another of the town’s attractions is the Severn Valley Railway (see inset), whose steam trains can be seen crossing the canal on a high viaduct as the canal leaves the town.

The steam railway is heading for its first stop at Bewdley on the banks of the River Severn, and there is an often-repeated story that the original plan was for the canal to also meet the river at Bewdley – but that the citizens of Bewdley were having none of this, and told James Brindley to “take his stinking ditch elsewhere”. He did so, and took it to a tiny riverside hamlet called Lower Mitton, which (thanks to the trade that the canal brought) soon grew into the prosperous town of Stourport, while Bewdley was left to rue its remarks as its fortunes declined, bypassed by trade. It’s a great story, but it probably isn’t true: the local geography meant (as evidenced by the viaduct and a tunnel on the railway line) that a route to Bewdley was always going to be much harder to build (especially to an early engineer seeking to avoid heavy engineering works) than simply continuing down the Stour valley to end where the Stour meets the Severn.

Overhanging red sandstone outcrop at Falling Sands Lock

Not that this was an entirely trouble-free route, as the name of the last lock before Stourport suggests: Falling Sands Lock sounds like a name to strike fear into the heart of a canal-building contractor.

Stourport, canal town

A final winding length leads into the town, where the deep York Street Lock takes the canal into the upper basin. This is the start of a complex of no fewer than five canal basins, linked together by connecting arms, and by both broad and narrow locks to the River Severn.

Part of the complex of five basins at the canal town of Stourport

Normally the broad locks are only used by wide-beam craft from the river which are using the basins for mooring. For narrow-beam craft arriving from the canal, the usual route through is to turn right at the first basin, then left into the first of two pairs of narrow-beam staircase locks, then straight on into the second pair, which leads into the river.

But don’t just head through the basins and on down the Severn: stop for a while to visit what’s probably the country’s best example of a canal town, built around the canal basins, and (irrespective of whether the “stinking ditch” story is true) a town which owes its existence and its prosperity to this fascinating waterway.

by Martin Ludgate

Our Deputy ed is a guru on all things to do with canals.

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STAYCAY 2024!

SEE NATURE’S GOLDEN GLORY

A HOLIDAY FOR ALL THE FAMILY

INSIDE STORY…

WHERE CAN WE GO IN A WEEK?

See england from a different perspective, rediscover relaxation on a canal boat hire holiday.

This coming Summer, slow right down and cruise the inland waterways of England. Enjoy the beauty of the English countryside as you drift through timeless vistas. Experience first hand the tools that forged Britain's proud industrial legacy. Take time away from our hectic lives and reconnect with a bygone age...and yourself!

KODRAN is a well appointed 60′ cruiser stern canal boat with 6 configurable berths . There’s 2 washrooms, each with a toilet and there’s a hip bath with shower. A fully equipped kitchen and dining area, Freeview TV and free WiFi completes everything you need for a canal boat holiday for All the Family!

Two centre holidays

If you’re travelling from overseas in 2024 to take advantage of the exchange rate or just to experience England's historic sites then make a real Euro-trip of it with a two centre holiday. Once in Europe - despite Brexit the UK still counts geographically - travel to other major cultural centres is easy and cheap.

Our central location is ideal for modern transport hubs as well as the canal network: Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is a connecting train journey away from Gailey wharf and from it we’ve weekended in Paris, taken to the Swiss slopes and golfed on the Costa Blanca.

And London itself is just a 90 minute express train journey away.

So bring your travelling bags - Kodran has cleverly designed storage solutions - and make it a trip to remember!

Never been on a canal cruise before?

We have a professional team to look after you. They’ll take you through the operation, pre-start checklist and safety features of our narrowboat. You'll soon get the hang of it! Moreover, they'll fit you and your crew with lifejackets: your safety is very important to us!

Once we’ve shown you how to operate a lock, you’ll be off exploring England’s historic canal network.

See how our own family got on when they joined us aboard for the very first time in 2022 in this blog post.

And here’s a useful list of FAQs to bring you up to speed.

Where can we go in a week?

We are centrally located on the historic Staffordshire and Worcester Canal in the rural English Midlands. This makes for easy scenic cruising to the picturesque Shropshire Union Canal, the Trent and Mersey canal for the Potteries or the Birmingham canals for industrial history buffs. And the Peaky Blinders are just around the corner at the Black Country Living museum !

There are several routes for long weekend breaks, 1 week trips and cruises further afield for those with two weeks or more to relax.

Some popular routes are here or you can  plan your own route using this tool .

Day Boat Hire

We are good friends with Georgies Canal Cruises who moor narrowboat Elsie Elizabeth at Gailey Wharf and hire her out for day trips for up to 8 crew members from £125!

And if you’re in the local area, check out Elsie Elizabeth’s big sister Georgie Kate for afternoon tea or evening speciality dining cruises including Pie and Mash and Pizza and Prosecco nights!

Trains, Planes and Automobiles: How do we get there?

Arriving by car is easy with the base located a half mile from Junction 12 on the M6. There’s plenty of free, secure parking.

*** UPDATE: M6 DELAYS - delays for road users may be experienced especially during Friday and Monday peak periods. Click here for latest road travel conditions .

Rail travellers reach us by fast train to Stafford or Wolverhampton and can pick-up a taxi outside for the onward journey; Gailey Wharf is less than 10 miles away.

Manchester(MAN) and Birmingham(BHX) airports are well connected to both the rail and motorway systems.

Full directions, a Google map and further information can be found here .

Kodran is a non-smoking narrowboat.

You can get more information in the FAQs  and all the Ts&Cs , otherwise contact us with specific questions or check booking availability below:

Learn more about Kodran?

...or ask us a question, check availability & book, from the blog….

Where can we go in a week? Easy canal cruises from Gailey Wharf

Our base at Gailey Wharf is centrally located on the northern section of the historic Staffordshire and Worcester Canal in the rural English Midlands. This …Read More

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Canal Boat holiday questions answered on one page (or so) I stumbled across this article written in the Canadian Globe and Mail newspaper some 10 …Read More

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Kodran is a 60′ Derwent class cruiser-stern canal boat providing superb narrowboat holiday accommodation. Built and fit-out by JD Boat Services, Gailey in Staffordshire, Kodran …Read More

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Canal cruise through Staffordshire’s Peak District

Peak district, staffordshire.

Escape the hustle and bustle of city life by hiring a canal boat and leisurely cruising through picturesque scenery.

Staffordshire is renowned for its beautiful canals, once the beating heart of the county’s industrial past. Black Prince organise narrowboat and canal holidays. And one of the most beautiful and tranquil routes is the Caldon Canal. From the Black Prince marina in Stoke-on-Trent, you’ll progress through the very centre of the Potteries where you can pick up some designer bargains – from Emma Bridgewater to Wedgwood. The canal route then takes you through remote countryside, becoming more dramatic as you enter the edge of the Peak District. From here you can either follow the waterway down to the tranquil village of Froghall, or to Leek town centre to browse its antique shops. Whichever path you choose, you’ll find a wealth of gastro pubs and bistros. So moor up and enjoy some fine dining as well as some magnificent rural views.

Content provided by Enjoy Staffordshire

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Georgie's Canal Cruises

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

GEORGIE'S CANAL CRUISES (Penkridge) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

NEWS & AVAILABILITY

NARROWBOAT MADDISON

Boating for everyone, welcome to your 2024 narrowboat holiday afloat on the uk canals.,   our 2024 breaks cost no more than 2023. only £180 per night for up to 8 people, "as family people, there are no price hikes in mid or high season or school holidays".

Click Here To Book Your Family Holiday

A Warm Welcome Aboard Narrowboat Maddison

Here's where you can start your canal boat holiday adventure. 

" Spending time with family and friends on the canal is one of the UK's best kept secrets" 

Whether you’re a seasoned boater or new to canal boating and want to experience a barge holiday aboard our family boat, we'd like to offer you the opportunity to get afloat at an affordable price and experience the joys of the UK Canal Network.       

With our base in Penkridge, Staffordshire on the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal, you'll have access to some fantastic canal routes . It's perfect for a peaceful and enjoyable canal boat holiday with your family and friends.

Maddison The Boat

Maddison is fully equipped with everything you need whilst you cruise and explore the canals.  She's your home-from-home afloat, giving you a very comfortable, peaceful and relaxing canal cruise. Take a look inside.

Located in Penkridge on the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal gives you access to some wonderful canal holiday routes . From countryside to industrial heritage. The choice is yours. It's perfect for an adventure on a boating holiday with family and friends who want to enjoy the UK canal boating holiday. 

Why We Offer "Maddison" For Hire

We're just ordinary family people who happen to own a boat that we had built and love to use. We take a certain pride in maintaining Maddison to high levels, personally making sure everything is up to our own standards.

To continue the boating experience, our aim is to support the Inland Waterways , Canal River Trust and all the canal restoration projects who spread the word about the joys of canal boating and introduce affordable UK Boat Hire to people wanting to experience a canal adventure, whether it's your first time afloat or you're a seasoned boater.

Family First - As a family we enjoy spending time together, So we answered a question we'd asked ourselves years before!   "Why should anyone be asked to pay more for a holiday with your family just because it's high season and the sun is out, the schools are on a break or it's Bank Holiday"

That's why when we retired and had the time and flexibility to dedicate our time to Maddison, we made a conscious decision to offer our boat to you, keeping the hire fees the same all year round . 

Our base & Contact details

Maddison is moored at Otherton Boat Haven. Penkridge, Staffordshire, England. ST19 5NX.

Her mooring here is where you'll start your canal boat holiday and where you will return her to.

Click here on Jones Family Cruising or on the map for directions. Alternatively, use the Post Code ST195NX on your Sat Nav.

Email - [email protected]

Call or WhatsApp on 07477643432

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Monday to Friday - 9am : 6pm

Saturday - 10am : 5pm

Sunday - 10am : 5pm

• Any Location
• Aldermaston Wharf
• Alvechurch Marina
• Anderton Marina
• Blackwater Meadow Marina
• Falkirk Canal
• Gailey Marina
• Gayton Marina
• Goytre Wharf
• Hilperton Marina
• Kings Orchard Marina
• March Marina
• Nantwich Canal Centre
• Springwood Haven
• Whitchurch Marina
• Worcester Marina
• Wrenbury Mill

Home / Our Routes / Short Breaks / Gailey Base / Stone And Return

Short Breaks

Stone and return from gailey marina.

4 Nights TOTAL LOCKS: 30 CRUISING TIME PER DAY: 6 HOURS (24 HOURS TOTAL)

Maps & Guides for this route: P4, N4, L10 | Click here buy maps

Travel up the Trent & Mersey to the market town of Stone. 

Featured Boats

Featured boats from gailey marina, staffordshire, two to five berth boats.

Alvechurch Swift

Max: 4 People

Length: 49ft

Alvechurch Kestrel

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Viking Nene

Length: 42ft

Six to eight berth Boats

Alvechurch Duck

Max: 6 People

Length: 60ft

Alvechurch Goose

Max: 8 People

Length: 69ft

Alvechurch Gull

Length: 66ft

Alvechurch Warbler

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WILLOW CRUISES  

Welcome to willow cruises.

*** ALLERGEN INFORMATION ***

Whilst care is taken to avoid cross contamination, please note that all food is prepared in small kitchens/work preparation areas therefore it is not possible to guarantee the absence of allergens. Please contact us if you suffer from an allergy or food intolerance or require information of what allergens are included in the food served during our dining cruises. 

    Contact us:   Willow Cruises   Telephone: 07544 502645   email: [email protected]   Find us:   We are moored directly outside Canalside Cafe,   Mill Lane,    Great Haywood,  Staffordshire.   ST18 0RQ

Canal Boat Routes

Click each route on the drop down menu on the right, then then the small black box to highlight the routes on the map below..

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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• Guided tour

River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat

• Description
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Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

The most relaxing and picturesque tour that Moscow can offer: a great way to see the city center and its main attractions. This is a perfect alternative to exploring the city by car, if you only have time to do sightseeing during weekday rush hours.

Your English-speaking guide is eager to share every bit of their knowledge about the surrounding landscape, the architecture and historical details.

We conduct Moscow river tour on Radisson Flotilla boats all year around!  It’s warm inside during winter months, while there’s air conditioning during hot summer days. You may also treat yourself to drinks, lunch or dinner on board (drinks and food are not included in tour price).

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

Quay at Radisson Collection Hotel

Government Headquarters ("the White House")

Kievsky Railway Central

Novodevichy Convent

Luzhniki Stadium

Academy of Sciences

Monument to Peter I

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow Kremlin

St.Basil's Cathedral

Novospassky Monastery

U-turn and back to Quay at Radisson Royal Hotel

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Who's going.

• Excursion River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat
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See photo of the meeting point