Guided Boat Tours on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Quick Details

Duration: 1 Hour

This guided tour is fun whatever the weather, featuring the finest countryside views you can get without moving your feet.

One-hour tour
Daily, March – November
Hilarious recorded cruise commentary by Dave Spikey
Gift cards available

This is the best 60 minutes of rib-tickling historic escapism you can find in Skipton.

Your guide for the canal tour is award-winning comedian Dave Spikey of Phoenix Nights and 8 Out of 10 Cats fame. With his characteristic Northern patter, Dave takes you on a recorded whistle-stop tour of Skipton and shares canal history that’s refreshingly different from your average commentary.

Above the jokes and laughter, you hear points of interest and fascinating stories of how the Leeds & Liverpool Canal delivered the lifeblood of the industrial-revolution through Yorkshire. There’s food and drink on board, too, so it’s a fun twist on your lunchtime break.

Our lively canal trip proves you don’t have to let planning or nasty weather get in the way of a good time. The Cobbydale sails at 10:45 am, 12 pm, 1:15 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:45 pm (The 10:45 am and 3:45 pm trips run in the high season and are weather-dependent).

All trips are run subject to demand with a maximum of 60 passengers, and large groups are therefore advised to book well in advance.

Dogs welcome! All we ask for is a donation to the RNLI charity box in return.

See inside the boat

Before you know it you’ll be tootling along seventeen miles of quiet lock-free water like a true captain of the Leeds & Liverpool canal. Your canal trip is a restful way to explore Skipton’s lush green dales at your own effortless pace, where nature’s so close that you can reach out and touch it.

This 2-hour cruise on the Leeds and Liverpool canal is ideal for couples, small groups, and large groups. During the voyage, delicious sandwiches, scones, and cakes will be served at your table, along with tea or coffee. It’s a perfect activity for all kinds of occasions.