Our verdict
Best overall
London: Canal Boat Ride on Camden Lock
A 90-minute ride from Camden through Hampstead Road Lock, past London Zoo and Regent’s Park, with live commentary — about £23 and 4.6★ from 1,300+ reviews.
4.6★ · 1,338from £23 GetYourGuide →
Best value
Jason's Trip, Little Venice to Camden
An original 1906 narrowboat with a live guide on the outbound leg, £19 single or £25 return, pay on board by card or cash.
Best private option
London: GoBoat Rental for Regent's Canal & Paddington Basin
Self-drive electric GoBoat from Paddington Basin along the Regent’s Canal — no licence needed, up to eight aboard, from about £95 for the boat.
4.5★ · 91from £95 GetYourGuide →
Skip it if
You need step-free access
The historic narrowboats have no disabled facilities, and buggies must be folded before boarding. Walk the towpath instead — it’s flat.
Which canal boat tour in London?
The classic canal boat tour in London runs along the Regent’s Canal between Little Venice and Camden Lock: about 45 minutes past houseboats, the edge of Regent’s Park and London Zoo. Two narrowboat companies run it on a timetable — Jason’s Trip and the London Waterbus Company — and the Canal & River Trust lists Jenny Wren and Canal and River Cruises among the other boat-trip operators in the area. From the Camden end, GetYourGuide sells a 90-minute ride through Hampstead Road Lock. And if you’d rather steer, GoBoat hires out electric boats with no licence needed.
Canal boats compared
| Jason’s Trip | London Waterbus | Camden ride (GYG) | GoBoat (self-drive) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Little Venice ⇄ Camden Lock | Little Venice ⇄ Camden Market | From Camden, through Hampstead Road Lock | Your choice from Paddington Basin or Canary Wharf |
| Time | ~45 min one way | ~45 min one way | 1.5 h | 1, 2 or 3 h |
| Price | £19 single, £25 return (adult) | from £17 | ~£23 pp | from ~£95 per boat |
| Commentary | Live guide Little Venice → Camden only | Live on the historic boat; music, no tour on the wide barge | Live | None — you’re the captain |
| Boat | Original 1906 narrowboat, covered | Historic narrowboat or wide-beam cruiser with bar | Canal boat | Electric, up to 8 people |
| Book | Pay on board, card or cash | Online | Online | Online |
| Best for | Purists and first-timers | A drink on board, the cheese cruise | Camden visitors | Groups, birthdays, picnics |
Jason’s Trip and Waterbus figures are from each operator’s site on 21 October 2026; GetYourGuide prices and ratings are from our partner feed.
Canal boat trips and GoBoat hire you can book now
London: Canal Boat Ride on Camden Lock
from £23
See on GetYourGuide
London: GoBoat Rental for Regent's Canal & Paddington Basin
from £95
See on GetYourGuide
London: GoBoat Rental from Canary Wharf to the Docklands
from £95
See on GetYourGuidePrices and ratings checked 21 Oct 2026; they change daily.
Little Venice to Camden, step by step
Start at Little Venice, a short walk from Warwick Avenue Tube. Jason’s Trip leaves from the pool beside Westbourne Terrace Road Bridge, opposite 42 Blomfield Road, at 10:30, 12:30 and 14:30 daily, with extra 16:30 sailings on summer weekends (June to August). Boats come back from Camden Lock at 11:15, 13:15 and 15:15. Commentary — the canal’s story from about 1800 to today — runs on the Little Venice to Camden leg; the return is quiet unless a group has booked a guide.
An easy plan is one way by boat and back by Tube: boat to Camden, lunch at the market, then the Northern line home. Jason’s boat is covered with roll-down sides, so it runs in almost any weather. For what else to pair it with, see things to do in London.
London Waterbus runs the same stretch in either direction on a classic narrowboat with live English commentary, or on a wider “comfort cruiser” with music and a bar. Its 90-minute cheese-tasting cruise starts from £35.
GoBoat: skipper your own
GoBoat’s electric boats take up to eight people and need no licence or experience. In London it has bases at Paddington (for the Regent’s Canal towards Little Venice and Camden), Canary Wharf (Docklands), and at Kingston and Thames Ditton upriver. The boats putter along at 3–6 mph. At Paddington you bring your own picnic but no alcohol; at Canary Wharf there’s a bar kiosk and food to pre-order. Split eight ways, a GoBoat is cheaper per head than a narrowboat ticket — and you set the route and the pace.
If you’re short of time, the canal also makes a good leg of a bike tour, and Camden’s market and murals feature on our street art tours page. For the Thames itself, see Thames river cruises.
Questions people ask
How much is a canal boat trip from Little Venice to Camden?
How long is the canal boat from Little Venice to Camden?
Do canal boats stop at London Zoo?
Do I need to book the Little Venice canal boat?
Can you hire a canal boat in London without a licence?
What is there to do in Little Venice, London?
Sources
- Jason's Trip — canal boat trips, timetable and prices (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Jason's Trip — FAQ (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- London Waterbus Company (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GoBoat London — locations and rules (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Canal & River Trust — Little Venice (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Winkworth — London canal walks (Little Venice to Camden distance) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide — boat tours in London (partner feed)
Written and checked by the Private Tours London desk