The Canal Boat Trip That Turned Into a 2-Week Tour of England & Scotland

Apr 18

It started the way a lot of our trips seem to start. Our friends casually mentioned canal boating in England, we watched a few videos, and instead of saying “that would be fun someday,” we were all booking flights.

A year later, we were landing in London with eight people, including four kids, and a plan that spanned city exploring, steering our own canal boat through the English countryside, and wrapping up in a Scottish castle. It ended up being a trip that had a little bit of everything. Busy days, slower days, and just enough unpredictability to keep things interesting. And even after almost two weeks, it still felt like we had only scratched the surface.

Our Itinerary

London: 3 nights
Bath + Canal Boat: 3 nights
Edinburgh: 3 nights
Scottish Highlands: 2 nights
Castle Stay: 1 night

(We booked flights using points and miles, including Virgin Atlantic’s Retreat Suite. Let me know if you would be interested in a full blog breakdown of how I book our trips using points & miles!)

London (3 Nights)

This was my fourth trip to London, Kendall and Dan’s second, Lucas’s first, and Tracie’s family’s first. And even after multiple visits, we still spent most of our time doing things I hadn’t ever done before!

London is one of those cities you could return to over and over and never run out of new neighborhoods to explore. In fact, someone on Instagram told me that if you get bored with London, you’ve gotten bored with life, and I couldn’t agree more!

If It’s Your First Time

A few things I’ve done on previous trips that I would absolutely recommend:

Black cab tour
Tower of London + Beefeater tour
Buckingham Palace
A West End show
Major museums (they’re free!)
Harry Potter - Warner Bros Studios Tour
Hyde Park and other green spaces

Note: While London looks walkable on a map, and you can certainly get from many places on foot, highlights span the entire city (think possible walks of up to 1-2 hours between neighborhoods. Distances add up quickly, so plan to use the Tube and save your energy.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at this Airbnb in South Kensington and I would stay here again in a heartbeat. Tracie’s family stayed nearby at a hotel, and we all fell in love with the entire South Kensington neighborhood.

Our Airbnb was set above a pedestrian street with a pub where locals gathered in the evenings, and a small coffee and pastry shop right below us called Filo that we ended up going to multiple times, and everything you could need, including a Tube stop, within a two-minute walk. I think what we all loved most about this area was that it didn’t feel touristy. It felt like we were temporary residents rather than vacationers settled in amongst the beautiful white townhome-lined streets.

What We Did

For our first afternoon in London, we set out to beat jet lag with as much fresh air and walking as we could muster. We spent time around Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace, then made our way over to Notting Hill and the Portobello Road Market. Notting Hill ended up being one of my favorite parts of the city. Walking the residential streets felt like a reset from the busier neighboring market areas, and once fully immersed in the neighborhood, it was hard to imagine we were in one of the world’s largest cities. From there, we wandered over to Holland Park (great playground for kids), before grabbing a quick dinner and calling it an early night.

On our second day, we focused on seeing the major highlights with Lucas while Tracie’s family spent the morning doing a Black Cab tour. We set out on foot to take in Hyde Park, Harrods Department Store, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben before making our way to South Bank where we explored Borough Market, walked through the Leake Street graffiti tunnel, and the South Bank Skate Park. After a quick lunch at Honest Burgers (We ate there twice, it was so good with their vegetarian and gluten-free options!), we then met back up with Tracie’s family and visited Sky Garden. Tickets to visit this incredible viewpoint are free, but I had to set a reminder on my phone to book tickets ~3 weeks in advance as they do run out fast. Tracie’s family didn’t get tickets in time, but they booked lunch at the restaurant Darwin Brasserie in order to secure a chance to take in the views with us.

That afternoon, we made our way to Leicester Square (a total tourist madhouse, but home to the LEGO store Lucas was set on visiting), then popped into the National Portrait Gallery before heading over to Selfridges so the kids could check out the Jellycat department. If you haven’t heard of Jellycats, consider yourself lucky 😂 they’re essentially overpriced stuffed animals that are all the rage right now. It totally felt like a repeat of Beanie Babies all over again, just for this generation.

For our final full day in London, we started things off in the Shoreditch neighborhood, where we took part in a Street Art Tour that was a highlight for both the adults and kids. Kendall even congratulated me on finally finding a tour that kept both the adults and the kids engaged for once. The tour took us all throughout Shoreditch and was so much more than just walking around looking at graffiti and murals. Led by a guide who is a street artist himself, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the artists, techniques, and stories behind the work, from iconic names like Banksy to ever-changing pieces that might only exist for a day or two. It felt like walking through an open-air museum, with context and insight that you’d never get just wandering on your own. It definitely gave me an appreciation for things I had otherwise just walked past before.

Post tour, we grabbed lunch at the historic Spitalfields Market before making our way to Regent’s Park via the Tube. From there, we stopped at Primrose Hill for excellent views of the city, walked along Regent’s Canal, and made a pit stop at Camden Market, which we quickly aborted (talk about major sensory and tourist overload). En route to dinner, we popped into King’s Cross Station so that the kids could visit the iconic Platform 9 ¾ and the corresponding Harry Potter shop.

That night, we ended the day with a Thames River Cruise from London Eye Pier right after sunset, which was the best way to see the city all lit up at night. The tour is quick (45-minutes) and was only about $20 each. After the tour, we head back to our South Kensington home away from home to pack up and prep for the next leg of our journey.

Final Thoughts: London felt like the perfect mix of familiar and new this time around. Even on my fourth visit, we were still discovering neighborhoods and experiences that made it feel fresh, and it left all of us excited to come back and explore even more. I’m already dreaming up what things I will visit on my 5th visit!

Dining Highlights

All of these were great for vegetarians with celiac-friendly options:

Dishoom
Honest Burgers
Ask Italian
Niche (dedicated Gluten-Free)

Bath + Canal Boat (3 Nights)

After London, we took a short train ride to Bath, and it immediately felt like stepping into a completely different pace of life.

Bath somehow feels both grand and cozy at the same time. The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, originally built around natural hot springs that the Romans turned into elaborate bathhouses nearly 2,000 years ago. Today, it’s known for its architecture, winding pedestrian streets, and inviting charm.

We arrived with plenty of time to explore before picking up our canal boat, and even in a few hours, it completely won us over. We walked through the heart of town, past Bath Abbey, which dates back to the 7th century and anchors the entire city. From there, we made our way along the River Avon and stumbled upon one of Bath’s most iconic spots, Pulteney Bridge, a historic 18th-century bridge lined with little shops on both sides (one of only a handful like it in the world).

There was something happening everywhere we turned. The Bath Rugby team was playing that day, so the streets were filled with fans, creating an energetic buzz that made the whole city feel alive. It turned out to be an unexpected highlight of the day, and later that night, as we floated down the canal, we could still hear the roar of the stadium in the distance.

We had lunch at The Salamander, which we all loved. Definitely make a reservation if you want a proper table, but if you can grab a spot in the bar like we did, it’s just as fun.

If you can carve out a full day here, do it. Bath is incredibly walkable, full of history layered into every corner, and easily one of the most charming towns we visited on the entire trip.

Canal Boating: What It’s Actually Like

We booked our canal boat through Anglo Welsh, and yes… there’s no captain. You’re driving the boat!

After about an hour-long orientation, you’re handed the keys (so to speak) of your 6-foot-wide, 69-foot-long boat, and sent off to navigate it all yourself, steering, working the locks, and figuring it out as you go. It sounds slightly unhinged at first, but within a few hours, you find your rhythm and start to understand why this way of travel has been around for centuries.

England’s canals were originally built during the Industrial Revolution as a way to transport goods across the country, with horses towing long, narrow boats along the towpaths. Today, those same canals have been preserved and transformed into one of the most unique ways to explore the countryside. There are over 2,000 miles of navigable canals in the UK, with thousands of boats still in use, from holiday travelers like us to people who actually live full-time on the water.

The stretch we explored between Bath and Bradford-on-Avon is part of the Kennet and Avon Canal, one of the most scenic and well-loved routes. It’s surprisingly active, especially on weekends, with a steady mix of vacationers, seasoned boaters, and locals walking or biking along the towpaths. At times, it felt like we were part of this slow-moving, floating neighborhood where everyone waves, offers help at the locks, or casually chats from canalside pubs.

And while the mechanics of it all, steering, mooring, opening locks, definitely take some getting used to, that’s also what makes it so memorable. It forces you to slow down completely, work together, and be present in a way that you just don’t get with any other type of travel.

What We Loved

This ended up being one of the most unexpectedly restful parts of the entire trip (at least for those of us not steering the boat!). Despite all 8 of us feeling quite literally piled up on top of each other, I easily slept 10 hours each night in my cozy little canal bed.

After the pace of London, the canal forced us into a completely different rhythm. Hours were spent at the front of the boat, bird watching with my Merlin app in hand, chatting, or just sitting in silence watching the countryside pass by. There’s no rushing a canal boat. You only move at about 3–4 miles per hour, and eventually you stop checking the time altogether.

We also ended up cooking a lot of our meals onboard, which added to that slower, more grounded feeling. Mornings felt unhurried, evenings felt cozy, and everything about it just felt simpler in the best way. It was one of the few parts of the trip where everyone naturally unplugged without being told to (okay, well maybe NOT the kids!).

Dining Stops

When we did tie up and venture off the boat, the stops along the canal were just as memorable as the boating itself. These little pubs feel like they’ve been there forever, filled with both locals and other boaters, all sharing the same slow-paced experience.

The George Inn
The Hop Pole Inn
Bathampton Mill

A Note on the People

One of the things that stood out most on this part of the trip was just how kind and welcoming everyone was.

Whether it was someone hopping in to help us figure out a lock, locals sitting along the canal offering encouragement (or lighthearted commentary 😄), or the easy conversations that seemed to happen in every pub, there was a warmth that made everything feel approachable. It genuinely felt like you were being welcomed into something, not just passing through.

Quick Tips

A few things that made a big difference for us:

Keep your first day light. You don’t get far after pickup, so use it to get comfortable with the boat.
Expect teamwork. Locks require people hopping on and off the boat and working together.
Bring groceries. Having food onboard makes the whole experience easier and more relaxed.
Embrace the slower pace. That’s the whole point, and honestly, the best part.

Edinburgh (3 Nights)

From Bath, we made our way north to Edinburgh by train, which is about a six-hour journey with a couple of transfers along the way.

Yes, it’s much quicker to fly, but the train journey takes you through incredible landscapes that make the trip an experience in itself. The scenery shifts as you head north, from rolling English countryside into something that feels distinctly more rugged and dramatic, and I would have regretted missing it all had we taken a flight instead.

Once we arrived in Edinburgh, it felt like stepping into a completely different chapter of the trip. The city is layered with history, built on volcanic rock, and split between the medieval Old Town and the more structured New Town. It has a moody, dramatic energy to it (in the best way!), where every street feels like it has a story.