We are based at Elm Hill Quay, next to the Ribs of Beef pub on Fye Bridge.

Please note we have moved location and we are no longer based at the Red Lion pub. Our new location is only a 10 minute walk from the Red Lion.

Walking

If you’re walking aim for the Ribs of Beef pub – 24 Wensum St, Norwich NR3 1HY. Walk down the narrow alley next to the pub and you’ll see our pontoon!

Driving

If you arrive by car you’ll want to park at either Monastery Court Car Park (right next to us but can be busy), St Andrew’s Car Park (7 minute walk, multi storey car park), Gildengate/Anglia Square (5 minute walk) or Magdelen Car Park (5 minute walk). They are all pay & display and not all take card payment so bring some coins. Please note that Norwich can be busy on weekends 🙂

Yes unfortunately there is a weight limit. Each canoe can hold a maximum of 250kg and each seat can hold 100kg.

If you choose to ignore the weight limit you will have a larger chance of tipping over and getting wet!

There isn’t a car park at our pontoon, however there are a number of car parks available within easy walking distance.

If you arrive by car you’ll want to park at either St Andrew’s Car Park (7 minute walk, multi storey car park), Gildengate/Anglia Square (5 minute walk) or Magdelen Car Park (5 minute walk). You can also park at Monastery Court Car Park which is right next to us but can be busy and is a bit more pricey than the others.

They are all pay & display and not all take card payment so bring some coins. Please note that Norwich can be busy on weekends 🙂

You rent the equipment only. This is not a guided tour, we do not come with you.

We provide you with the canoes and all equipment, a safety briefing, a map and explanation of where you’re going, tips on paddling (if you’re new to canoeing) and then it’s up to you!

We have 5 morning start times and you can select your preferred time during the booking process:
10am, 10.30am, 11am, 11.30am and 12pm.

The picnic rowing has two start times – 11.30am and 12.30pm. We can be a bit more flexible with this so if you’d like to start slightly later please get in touch!

Online Booking can be completed  in a few simple steps.

1. Go to the Routes and Book page, choose your preferred route and select ‘Click Here To Book Your Canoe Rental’

2. Scroll through the calendar to the correct date and select your preferred start time. (Dates that are already fully booked will show as ‘Unavailable’)

3. Then fill in the booking criteria, including the number of people and the number of canoes.

4. Enter your personal information. If you have a Gift Voucher you can enter the voucher code here.

5. Click on the ‘Pay Now’ button and enter payment details to complete your booking.

Yes of course, however please be aware when making a booking that all deposits are non-refundable.

But you can re-arrange your trip to another date as long as you inform us at least 48 hours before your original booking was due to start.

Canoeing in the rain is not a problem. Like any outdoor activity you have to be prepared for the weather.

If the weather is very bad we might consider it too dangerous to be out on the water (high winds or lightening). In such cases we may have to cancel your trip. If this happens you will have the option to rebook or receive a full refund.

No – unfortunately we no longer accept bookings from stag dos or hen parties. If you make a booking we have the right to cancel your booking, either beforehand or on the day. If we need to cancel your booking because you have arrived as a stag do/hen party without informing us, you will not be entitled to a refund.

Yes. Soft drinks are not a problem of course but drinking alcohol in the canoes or rowing boats is strictly not allowed. We provide a fun and enjoyable canoe rental, not a ‘booze cruise’!

Canoeing/rowing is supposed to be an enjoyable and relaxing activity. As well as being unsafe, there are laws about being under the influence of alcohol while in a boat (just as there are for driving).

If you’d like to enjoy an alcoholic drink during your stop, we advice all participants to not drink any more alcohol than you would if you were to take part in traffic. In addition to the laws as mentioned above, you will also lose your sense of balance very quickly and this is rather important to keep in mind if you want to avoid tipping over and getting wet!

We remind groups that you will not be allowed to begin your trip if you appear to be under the influence of drink or drugs.

If we suspect that you have brought alcohol with you, we reserve the right to check your bags and confiscate any alcohol. If you do not cooperate or we suspect you are not being truthful with us we reserve the right to not rent you a canoe and you are not entitled to a refund.

Not at all, we have beginners all the time. Canoeing is relatively straight forward so you will get the hang of it in no time.

We will show you how to paddle before you start. We also explain how to get in and out of the canoes and how to stay safe on the water.

The only “skill” you need to have is to be able to maintain your balance, everything else we will show and explain to you!

Yes, of course kids can come canoeing! Any children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult in their canoe though.

Children under 16 received 50% discount.

We have 13 canoes available. We recommend you go out in pairs so the ideal max number is 26 people. However, the canoes do have 3 seats so you could have a few boats go out as 3-seaters. We don’t recommend that you max out all the canoes as 3-seaters though; if anyone in your group doesn’t have great balance, is slightly on the larger side or a bit nervous about canoeing they will be better off going out in a pair.

If some of the canoes have already been reserved for a particular date then this will show up whilst making a booking.

Our canoes can fit 3 adults.

However, if you are beginners or if all individuals are on the larger side then it can be easier to paddle a Canadian canoe with just two people.

You can decide how many people per canoe when you book by choosing how many canoes you are hiring.

example; if you have a group of 18 people, you may want to select 9 canoes instead of 6

Yes! We love dogs in canoes and are very happy for you to take them with you in the canoes.
Unfortunately we do not provide pet buoyancy aids so you will need to provide these if you would like to use one.