Small group overnight manchester canal boat cruise

See Manchester from a different angle on a small group overnight narrowboat trip. Relax as your hosts cruise though the city, passing sights like Deansgate Locks, Canal Street (Manchester’s famous gay village) and the Old Trafford football grounds, and then moor overnight in the leafy village of Worsley. Have a go at steering the boat, help your hosts in workings the locks and relax out on deck with a drink; it’s the perfect experience for anyone looking for a unique way to see Manchester and experience canal boat life!

Day 1: (L)
Step aboard your canal boat at Manchester Piccadilly Basin in the Northern Quarter and meet your hosts – the boat’s friendly owners, Mark and Ruth.

After making yourself comfortable on board, start your cruise through the city on a route that passes through a total of nine locks. Try your hand at steering the 70 foot narrowboat or work the locks if you wish, or if the weather is good, then sit out on the roof of the canal boat with a drink from the onboard pump, as well as wine, lager and cider (own expense).

Even if you feel you know Manchester like the back of your hand, you’ll probably feel disorientated as you pass through the hidden side of the city along the Rochdale Canal. Pass underneath roads and pop up in places that you never realized were so close to each other. Canal Street (Manchester’s famous gay village), Deansgate Locks and the site of the old hedonistic party venue, Hacienda nightclub, are just a handful of the sights seen as you cruise.

Continue to Castlefield Basin, passing the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, as well as a cluster of waterside bars. Here you will moor and enjoy a break to stretch your legs before eating a delicious lunch on board. Then, it’s time to leave the city, passing old mills from Manchester’s bygone industrial era and Old Trafford -- Manchester United’s famous football stadium.

Your late afternoon and evening route includes the waters of the Bridgewater Canal. This was Britain’s first major canal, created to bring coal from the mines in Worsley into Manchester. Having cut the price of coal by almost 50 percent overnight, the Bridgewater Canal is said to have helped spawn the world’s first industrialized city.

Moor in the village of Worsley, on the outskirts of Manchester. Head out for dinner with your hosts at a local village pub (own expense), and then spend your night on board your boat in one of the two comfortable, yet basic, four-berth bunk rooms.

Overnight: Narrowboat moored in Worsley

Day 2: (B)
Enjoy a breakfast of cereals and toast on the boat, and then cruise away from Worsley back toward Manchester. Your narrowboat cruise then finishes around midday in Castlefield. From there, it's an easy walk to many of the cities attractions, or your hosts can point you in the right direction for any public transport.

Please note: If traveling on Wednesday August 7th, September 11th or October 9th 2013, the tour operates the schedule in reverse.
On Day 1 the tour departs from Manchester Castleford Basin at 3pm, and finishes at Manchester Piccadilly Basin on Day 3 at 5pm.