Private Birmingham Canal Kayak Tour: Discover the City by Water
5.0
16 Ratings
West Midlands
Experience the hidden heritage and landmarks of Birmingham on a private kayak tour through the city's canals. Discover the heart of Britain's canal system and see Birmingham from a unique perspective.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham - We’ll pass by the Sea Life Centre, they won’t let us paddle in their shark tank but we do talk about about aquatic life on the tours.
- LEGOLAND Discovery Centre & LEGO Store Birmingham - We’ll paddle past the big Giraffe made of Lego that marks the Legoland Discovery centre, we used to be part of their displays.
- Gas Street Basin - All roads lead to Rome but all canals lead to Gas Street Basin, the heart of the UK canal network. Here we’ll learn about a legal battle over water and how the government got involved.
- The Cube - Looking up at the Cube from a unique perspective, you’ll learn about how a goose stopped construction and how its heated by canal water.
- Roundhouse Birmingham - Our start and finish point, the Roundhouse was built in 1874 as stables and stores and is now home to our kayak stores.
What's Included
- Safety Equipment
- Use of kayaking equipment
What's Not Included
- You’ll need to bring some clothes to get damp in - and a change just in case
Additional Information
Looking for an exciting activity in Birmingham? Why not consider a Personalised Kayak Adventure exclusively tailored for you and your chosen companions? Continue reading for more details on this robustly unique way of exploring Birmingham.
Experience the very essence of Birmingham’s canals through a scenic kayak journey that lies at the city’s core. Embarking on this personal Kayak Adventure, you’ll be navigating the heart of the UK’s intricate canal structure, commencing the course of James Brindley’s pioneering canal into Birmingham that was the springboard for the exponential industrial revolution. You’ll unearth the concealed heritage of Birmingham, with ample occasions to view its iconic sights from a fresh perspective. Birmingham boasts a canal system larger than that of Venice, yet with a calmer atmosphere! Despite making our way toward notable landmarks such as the International Convention Centre, The Cube, The Mailbox, and the crux of the UK’s canal network, Gas Street Basin, we will still manage to discover serene spots on our azure navigational route.
Location
Roundhouse Birmingham
Sheepcote Street
Please come to the visitor centre to check-in for your tour
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(16 Ratings)
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Markfx9549mc
Sep 4, 2023
A real eye opener, highly recommended. - We all know Birmingham has LOTS of canals but until you actually take a tour, of even a small part of the waterways, you cannot imagine the rich history associated with the city's past.
The tour was relaxing, informative and a real eye-opener. I'm planning to do it again next year with even more friends.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marciama1631eg
Sep 3, 2023
Do it! - Fantastic experience kayaking through some of the city canal network. Would like to have gone further into the city itself but it was a great tour and Lilly was the perfect leader.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Harknessdr
Aug 19, 2023
Great way to see the town - Very informative of the industrial history of the area, the guides were very knowledgeable. You get to see a great mix of the old and new birmingham. The trip is well organised, a thorough briefing is given at the start and waterproof clothing offered if needed. Don't miss it, the whole area just oozes history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helengd5908df
Aug 7, 2023
Excellent! - A great team bonding activity. Well organised, easy to book, helpful staff, simple check in and Keith, our guide, was terrific! Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rlonergan
Aug 6, 2023
Fantastic kayak experience - Brilliant guided tour, completely suitable for a complete beginner and the guide/instructor put everyone at ease. Lots of interesting background to the history of the canals and the birmingham area. We will definitely be booking one of the other tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karenmk9002ki
Aug 6, 2023
SeeTheCityDifferently. - We joined the See the City differently tour on a VERY raining Saturday morning, but the rain didi not dampen the enthusiasm of the the guides and the other members of the groups. We had a great time. The event was well organised and completely safe. i would definitely recommend the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kem678
Aug 6, 2023
Kayaking with Fam - Fathers Day gift - Great couple of hours on the cut. Father’s Day present - he loved it! It was chucking it down but despite the rain we had a laugh, met nice people and welcomed a beer to ‘warm up’ once out the water.
Thanks RoundHouse!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fortybefore40
Aug 4, 2023
Paddle Pizza Pint Perfect! - We went on the paddle, pizza and pint tour for an early birthday present for my husband. It was a really fun experience with plenty of guidance from Lilly and fun facts about the canal history of Birmingham. Its a great way to see Birmingham. The pizza at The Distillery was delicious as well - a great way to end the visit
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Iolaj2016
Jul 30, 2023
Excellent kayaking tour - Had the best 1.5 hours on the Bustling Birmingham kayaking tour. Our guide was brilliant, really helpful with technique, funny, with lots of anecdotes and knowledge about the city. Excellent value for money, we want to come back to do the Green sights tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Moominmoggy
Jul 23, 2023
Paddle Pizza and Pint - perfect! - We did the paddle, pizza and pint experience, it was brilliant!
Lily was an excellent tour guide. She gave helpful instructions and incredibly helpful tips before we started to feel confident in our kayaks and shared lots of interesting historical facts about the canals on the way.
It was a great way to get a feel for doing a longer experience - we were on the water for 90 minutes and it was a really gentle tour.
Lily was so friendly and fun but clearly focussed on safety at all times too, she was fantastic.
Some helpful tips:
-The roundhouse had a selection of waterproof trousers to borrow - would recommend making use of them!
-You can take a bottle of water in your kayak with you
The distillery next door was great - delicious pizza and friendly staff.
A brilliant unique afternoon out!
Review provided by Tripadvisor