Be the first to hear about events and tours by signing up to our newsletter.
£35.00 – £40.00 (inc. VAT)
Our 2024 kayak season is now finished. Dates for 2025 will be released early next year.
See Birmingham’s canals as they were intended with a trip through the heart of the city on our award-winning Bustling Birmingham kayak tour. This tour includes regular stops at iconic landmarks, where your guide will share the history of Birmingham and its canals.
Suitable for almost everyone, this kayak tour is led by our qualified and experienced guides.
Want to book a stag/hen party experience or make a group booking for six or more? Visit our Group Booking page.
The Bustling Birmingham tour takes you into the heart of Britain’s canal system. Starting along the route of James Brindley’s first canal into Birmingham; that resulted in the industrial revolution booming!
You’ll discover Birmingham’s hidden heritage and have plenty of opportunities to see its landmarks from a different angle. Birmingham certainly has more canals than Venice but ours are quieter! Even though we’ll be heading towards the International Convention Centre, The Cube, The Mailbox and the heart of Britain’s canal system, Gas Street Basin, we’ll still be able find quieter areas along our blue highway.
You don’t need any kayaking experience, specialist clothing or equipment – but a basic level of fitness (walking up the stairs without being out of breath) will ensure you can enjoy our kayak experience.
The tour is around 3 miles in total.
All kayaks, paddles and safety equipment are provided. You must wear a buoyancy aid, regardless of your swimming ability, so you’ll be safe if you fall in. Sit back, paddle and have fun!
This tour won ‘Experience of the Year’ at the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2022.
What’s included:
What happens on the day:
What about the weather?: Guided tours will go ahead in all but the worst of weather. If we need to cancel the tour due to high winds or thunderstorms, we will reschedule at the earliest opportunity.
What should I wear?: Gym-style clothing is best because these won’t hold any water when wet. Everyone must wear footwear; old trainers, crocs, flip flops are all great.
Great for: Finding out something new (and old) in Birmingham; seekers of hidden gems; anyone looking for an alternative to a lecture-style museum tour; a bit of fresh air with people; something memorable to do with visiting family and friends.
Fancy organising a private tour just for your group? Please get in touch via email
Dates: Various dates Wednesday-Sunday, March-September.
Time-slots: 10:30am-12:30am or 1:30am-3:30pm.
Meeting Point: Please check in at the Roundhouse Visitor Centre on arrival, 15 minutes before your tour starts.
Directions: View our Getting here page for detailed directions.
Duration: From introductions through to a chat at the end, you should allow around two hours for this guided experience, with 90 minutes on the water.
Suitable For: 8 years plus, all under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult. We recommend that those that are 8-12 years take advantage of our two person kayaks to get the most out of the experience. Requires a basic level of fitness and mobility. Maximum weight: 18 stone.
Visitor Info:
Guided tours will go ahead in all but the worst of weather. If we do need to cancel a tour due to high winds or thunderstorms we will reschedule at the earliest opportunity.
Please provide proof of your eligibility for concessions or discounts on arrival.
Spectators are welcomed but unfortunately we can’t guarantee full sighting of the participant for the whole duration of the tour.
What to wear:
It is best to wear gym-style clothing because these won’t hold any water when wet; jeans, leather and wool are not ideal for kayaking.
Everyone must wear footwear; old trainers, crocs, flip flops are all great.
You’ll get a wet lower half, as you are exposed to the drips from your paddles and splashes. You may get a small puddle in your seat, so we'd recommend wearing some waterproof trousers if you have them. If you don’t own any, we do have some waterproof trousers and jackets available to borrow.
There's a small chance you may fall in, so we recommend bringing a towel and a change of clothes, just in case. Should you be unlucky enough to fall in, we have an onsite shower.
What to bring:
We have lockers available for your bags, and we recommend that no valuables are brought to the Roundhouse. We strongly recommend that no phones, wallets, or sunglasses are taken on the water and we will not be held responsible for any loss incurred.
Food/drink:
Looking for something to eat and drink after your tour? Ticket holders receive 20% off food at The Distillery pub and 10% off food and drink at Ristorante Caffe Arena. Discount is valid on the day of your tour on production of your ticket. Booking is recommended.
Alternatively, you’re welcome to bring a packed lunch to eat in our courtyard.
We are an accredited British Canoeing Delivery Partner.
You want to know that the centre you choose is high quality, and that’s what the Delivery Partner badge means. A paddling centre displaying the British Canoeing Delivery Partner badge has agreed to the Delivery Partner Charter. This means the paddling centre has agreed to high standards of safety, value for money and customer service.
The badge is an indication to schools, parents and other customers that the partner takes its responsibilities seriously. They will use highly trained, qualified and competent staff, to deliver a high-quality customer focused product.
Venue: The Roundhouse
Directions: 1 Sheepcote St, Birmingham B16 8AE
Kayaking is easy to pick up, we cater for all abilities on our tours and our guides are trained in being able to assist you should you require further advice.
Many people may think that kayaks are easy to flip over but they are a lot more stable than they might look, we have chosen the kayaks specifically for their stability.
Sports clothing is light, dries easily and doesn’t make you freeze, simply stay away from denim, leather and wool and you will be fine. We can provide waterproof jackets and trousers to keep you drier too!
You need to wear something on your feet during the tour; old trainers, crocs, sandals all work well.
There will always be the odd splash and dribble that will get you damp and, because of the nature of the kayaks that we use, you will get a wet bottom!! We can provide waterproof jackets and trousers to keep you drier though.
And, of course, we recommend bringing a change of clothes should you capsize.
Yes, we always assume that no-one can swim. If someone should capsize our guides will be there to assist you; normally, because the canals are only 4-6 feet deep, you could stand up.
All participants regardless of ability will be required to wear a buoyancy aid provided by us.
Due to equipment limitations the maximum weight we can currently cater for is 18 stones.
Our buoyancy aids have a maximum chest size of 50 inches.
Both of our kayaking tours involve approximately 90 minutes on the water
It’s better to book all our tours in advance. You may be lucky if you show up on the day and one of our guides will be available but we recommend always pre-booking.
8 years old and upwards (because of the size of our equipment)
We don’t recommend taking any valuables on the water, we are not responsible for any damage and loss.
We have lockers available free of charge for tour participants.
We have lockers suitable for bags and personal items available for all tour participants free of charge.
Please visit Visitor Reception to book in, your guide will meet you there.
A canoe is paddled with a single-bladed paddle, and you will have seen these paddled generally by two people. A kayak is paddled from a sitting position with a two-bladed paddle.
We use sit-on-top kayaks, which mean should you fall off you’ll simply slide into the water.
We paddle on the canals so if you are not participating you can walk alongside but there is a lot of places that can’t be accessed by pedestrians.
We do have 2 x Two person kayaks available; these are ideal for an adult and young person. These will need to be arranged on the day so please mention this at the earliest opportunity.
We do have facilities for changing available in our visitor centre and a shower should you take a dip in the canal, however the shower is not for general use.
Please get in touch with us to organise a group booking.
Alternatively please visit our Group Booking Page for more information on how to make a booking enquiry.
The Roundhouse, 1 Sheepcote St, Birmingham, B16 8AE
0121 716 4077
/// perky.palm.exact
Registered Charity No. 1169232
Paul Edwards –
A brief instruction on kayaking followed by a fantastic tour, paddling along the canals, with knowledgable, friendly guides. We’ll do it again! Highly recommended.
Sam Turner –
Fantastic chance to see the center of Birmingham from the canal. Lilly our fantastic guide was so knowledgeable with really interesting historic facts and Amy her superb assistant kept us all safe. What superb ambassadors for Birmingham these guys are. To anyone not sure their kayaking abilities are good enough ..really don’t worry you receive great tuition both before launch and on the water. Thanks SO much Lilly, Amy and The Roundhouse.