How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Boat for the Day?
Enjoying a drink and discussion whilst cruising along the Grand Union Canal in Apsley
If you're weighing up a canal boat day out, the first question is usually the most practical one: how much does it actually cost? The short answer is that self-drive day hire with Canal Boat Day Hire starts from £180, with a few factors — the season, whether you add a skipper, and any extras — affecting the final price. Unlike some attractions where the headline price is just the starting point before parking, extras and add-ons get tacked on, canal boat hire is refreshingly simple to budget for. This guide breaks down exactly what's included, what pushes the price up or down, and how it compares to a typical day out.
Self-drive day hire pricing
Self-drive day hire with Tilly, our narrowboat, starts from £180 for a full day (around seven hours) on the Grand Union Canal from Apsley Marina. This covers:
Full use of the boat for your hire period
Fuel for the day
A full safety briefing and boat handling demonstration
Support through the first lock
Life jackets for adults and children, if required
Use of the onboard toilet, gas hob, kettle, and all crockery and cutlery
There are no hidden extras added on top of this — the price you see is genuinely what you pay for the boat and everything needed to run your day, before any optional add-ons. There's no separate charge for parking either, which is free at the marina, so the figure you see on our pricing page really is the whole cost before any extras you choose to add.
Evening hire pricing
If a full day doesn't suit, evening hire runs from around 5:30pm until sunset and starts from £160. Evening hire is only available between 1 May and 31 August, due to how early it gets dark outside those months — day hire, by contrast, runs all year round.
Adding a skipper
If you'd rather relax and let someone else handle the steering and locks, a professional skipper can be added to your booking:
Day hire with a skipper: add £100 to the day hire price
Evening hire with a skipper: add £50 to the evening hire price
This is a popular option for celebrations, hen parties, and anyone who simply wants a completely hands-off day on the water.
Seasonal pricing
Prices are generally higher during high season — 1 May to 23 September — when demand for the canal is at its peak. Day hire prices remain at their high-season rate right through to 23 September, even though evening hire itself stops at the end of August. Outside this window, day hire is available at a lower rate, making autumn, winter and early spring a good option if you're looking to keep costs down while still enjoying a full day out.
Optional extras
A couple of small optional extras can affect your total cost:
Bringing a dog along — a small additional fee applies
Adding a skipper — as above
Beyond these, there's nothing else to factor in. Full, up-to-date pricing for every option is always kept current on our hire prices page.
Are there any discounts available?
Yes. We offer:
15% off for Blue Light Card holders (police, ambulance, fire service)
10% off for Inland Waterways Association (IWA) members
These discounts can be applied when booking — just let us know at the time.
Tips for getting the best value
A few practical ways to make the most of your budget:
Book midweek where possible. Weekend day hire tends to be the first to fill, and outside of peak periods there's often more availability at the same price, without needing to plan weeks in advance.
Consider a shoulder-season booking. April and late September, just either side of high season, can offer a good balance between reasonable pricing and pleasant weather.
Split the cost across your group. Since the price is for the whole boat rather than per person, gathering a fuller group (up to 10 people) brings the per-person cost down significantly compared to a smaller outing.
Combine day and evening hire. If you're planning a longer celebration, it's worth asking about combining a day and evening slot on the same day, which can work out more efficient than booking two entirely separate days.
Check if you qualify for a discount. Blue Light Card and IWA membership discounts are easy to overlook — worth checking before you book if either applies to you or someone in your group.
What affects whether self-drive or skippered is better value
Self-drive is the more budget-friendly option, and for many groups — especially those keen to actually steer the boat and work the locks themselves — it's also the more enjoyable one. A skipper add-on makes more sense when the occasion calls for everyone in the group to relax completely, such as a celebration, an anniversary, or a hen party, where the extra cost buys genuine peace of mind rather than just convenience. There isn't a universally "better value" option here — it really comes down to what kind of day you're after.
How Does It Compare to Other Days Out
For a group of, say, four people sharing a £180 day hire, that works out to £45 each for a full day's entertainment — genuinely competitive against a lot of ticketed attractions, especially once you factor in that lunch, drinks and however long you want to spend on the water are entirely up to you, rather than fixed by an entry time slot. If you'd like a fuller breakdown of how canal boat hire stacks up against other days out, we've covered that in more detail here.
Frequently asked questions
Is fuel included in the price? Yes, fuel is included in every hire — there's nothing extra to pay for this.
Does the price change depending on group size? No. The price is for the boat itself, which holds up to 10 people, so larger groups simply get better value per person rather than paying more.
Is a deposit required to book? Booking details, including any deposit requirements, are confirmed at the time of booking — check our booking page for full details.
Conclusion
Self-drive day hire starts from £180, evening hire from £160, with a skipper available as an optional add-on and small discounts available for Blue Light Card and IWA members. Prices stay consistent regardless of group size, up to Tilly's 10-person capacity, making it genuinely good value for a full day out shared between family or friends. Check current prices and availability or book your day with Canal Boat Day Hire today.