Roundhouse Birmingham’s popular Hertiage Working Boat Trip is back for summer 2024.

This isn’t your average boat trip, on this one hour guided tour – led by Canal & River Trust’s Heritage Working Boat volunteer group – you’ll learn about the living conditions and life onboard a 1930’s narrowboat. Stepping back in time, you’ll travel in the open-air cargo hold of the boat where coal and other goods were carried through a very different canal network to today. Exploring Birmingham’s canal loops and experiencing hidden areas of our local waterways, the fantastic team of volunteer guides will share their knowledge of the canals and stories from their past.

Boat tours run on various days throughout the school holidays – including weekends – with the last tours taking place over the August bank holiday weekend. It should be noted, this tour is standing only. There aren’t any seats on this tour.

Tickets are between £6.50-£9.00 – with discounts available for National Trust Members, Canal & River Trust Friends, Independent Birmingham App Members and those with a B16 postcode. If you’d like to know more about Heritage Working Boat Trips, or book a tour, visit the Roundhouse Birmingham website here.

Why not make day of it? If you’re visiting on either a Friday or Saturday, book a free guided tour of the Roundhouses, The Workers of the Roundhouse Tour. On this short interactive tour, a volunteer guide will take you round the Roundhouse’s unique building – which this year celebrated its 150th birthday – sharing fun facts about the Victorian people (and horses) who made it a 24/7 hub for the city of Birmingham.

You can also grab lunch or a coffee from the onsite, independent Italian restaurant Ristorante Caffe Arena; bringing classic Italian flavours to the heart of Birmingham.