Nice little tour to check out if youre in the area. Our tour guide Cotton was a nice guy and made sure we had a great time while learning the history of Richmond. Very interesting tour worth checking it out. $10 bucks a person.

The boat operator did a terrific job explaining the history of the canal and its construction. Also, I learned a lot about the history of Richmond, Virginia during the boat operators talk. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves learning about history, and especially for kids who are learning about American history in school.Canal tour is 40 minutes and it is in located downtown on the Canal Walk. Perfect location to include it in a day of sightseeing of Richmonds numerous attractions.

Serene, cant wait til cruises restart, Hopefully the guide will be respectful of All cultures

Wonderful inexpensive little cruise. The guide was awesome I could of listened to him all day with his heavy Scottish/Irish morgue. My only suggestion is they should offer some miniature boats and stuff for sale to commemorate the activity.

I am a Native Richmond Resident and I was in awe of the Beauty it had. As a child I watched as they perfected this but time got away from me and I never thought to frequent there. It took my breath away to hear about the history of my town but it made me prouder to be able to say I was born there. Im taking my family back soon so they can witness the beauty of this tour.

Was a lot of fun and informational. Made for a nice activity to add into a date evening. Over all great experience.

It was a lot of fun and educational. The water was very calm so riding in the boat was nice. We saw some turtles and a lot of birds. I would actually do it again. I did not know that you can tip the boat driver so get some cash.

Every year the management trying to do something new, which actually the same each year..better than staying at home .

Great boat ride for a lazy day. Our guide was knowledgeable on Richmond history which make the tour much better

Great place to gather with family and friends.

Its was a nice canal cruise on a rainy day, the boat was so quiet which was good. The tour guide I guess his name was Billy was so informative and cool he answered all of my questions with the great history knowledge he has at his young age. I would totally recommend this cruise for tourists and Richmond natives.

Forty five inexpensive minutes of fun and Virginia history education on the route designed by the Father of the USA himself: George Washington! Our steersman, Cotton, was skilled and engaging. The boat only draws a foot of water, and the canal for the most part is three feet deep, but you will be shown the life preservers. Have fun!

A fun and relaxing thing to do when visiting Richmond! The price was very reasonable, and our captain was entertaining.

Online booking was not a hassle, usd10 per person (not including tax) for a 40 minute cruise with a guide/boat operator briefing of the canal history and surrounding areas.We went during end of summer/beginning of fall so it was fairly good weather.We were also lucky cos a train was passing by during our 3pm slot.I recommend this to first time visitors to richmond, couples on dates as well as families with children,although kids need to sit still and would not be allowed to stand up.

Its a nice way to enjoy a beautiful afternoon! Our guide was full of historical facts about the canal and its uses. Well worth the trip!

Relaxed 40 minute Canal Ride

Relaxing and pleasant. Our guide Dave was very informative,

Really like the part where they steer through the tight spaces. They tell some quite interesting facts about RVA and history. Must go to if you stay in RVA.

I did the walking tour of the area. I inquired and got great information from the ticket booth operator about the rates, route, and time of departure. The boat departs every hour on the hour, and rates seemed very reasonable. Due to time restraints I was not able to do the boat tour, but would definitely schedule on my next trip.

Have gone on twice, had very nice experiences both times.Whats great:•They run on the hour, boats usually do not completely fill up, so a fun spontaneous activity in you have some free time in the area•Offers nice historical information about the area•You will see some nice wildlife!•Boats are clean and very nice, does NOT feel touristy•Nicely pricedWhat to know:•I did not experience any of the issues that Sarah Linden-Brooks talked about in her review. Sorry that happened.

Relaxing tour and nice views

Theyre closed due to COVID

I sent my mother and sister for happy birthday and they enjoyed it thoroughly

Great relaxed ride. But definitely not scary. A few tweaks and this could be the haunted ride that will make you scream.

A pleasant way to learn more about the history of Richmond while taking in the views. Groups can reserve a boat, which is what we did. Then we were able to bring a catered lunch for the trip. Very relaxing. Nice surprises, like a blue heron nested just off the water. Some nice shops and restaurants nearby for after your canal cruise.

The cruise was rescheduled 3 times because if it starts to rain they dont have the boat leave the dock. Never got a chance to get to experience the cruise. Hopefully your experience will be better than mine. The staff is very accommodating and friendly and it seemed like it would be great to experience. Ill definitely try again sometime in the future.

Neat canal ride right downtown. Some are filled with people while others are almost empty.

Great place to visit for Richmond history

Ventured out earlier today. The tour started pleasant enough. Unfortunately, the tour guide (wearing a Boston Red Sox cap, I didnt catch his name). Literally yelled and cursed at a fellow passenger. Based on other events, I believe the passenger likely did not speak English. However the captain shouted What the hell are you doing?... across the deck of the boat. There was a young kid on the boat which made this rather inappropriate. Furthermore the captain seemed interested in chasing down local wildlife. He would get close to baby geese, herons, and the turtles until they felt threatened and tried to fly away. He literally said When they get scared and fly away youll get the best photograph. I didnt sign up to harass wild animals or hear someone in a customer service industry shout at a customer.

Lovely tour, with great Richmond history plus modern insights. Cotton, our guide, was informative and lightly humourous- just the right amount to help you relax and have a good time! He really knows what hes doing. Though the tour seemed short (out and back), it was still a value for the price. It was also like a teaser for so many other attractions in Richmond that I will have to return to visit.

This is a step back in history. My Dad was in the Navy in WW II and was on a ship like this, as was my husband in the 1960s. Very informative people all around the ship. A nice lunch is served. Plenty of water always available too.

Great activity while getting to take in some little unknowns of history. We enjoyed it.

This was fun and very educational! Nice cruise up the canal. Very inexpensive. Really enjoyed it!

Nice tour. informative. interesting.

It was a great ride. I am grateful to the driver for incorporating Black History about the story of Henry Box Brown. Its important that the struggles and achievements of black ancestors that are deep rooted in VA are not silenced.

The scenery and the attraction was beautiful. Its an area/ride where you can obtain alot of historical information. Knowledge is power.

The tour was quick, concise and the guide did a fantastic job relaying some of Richmonds past. Would definitely recommend to visitors and even natives of the city to learn more about Richmonds history. Seating was comfortable and the weather was ideal today for this tour.

I havent actually taken the cruise yet. But I had questions and the woman at the booth was patient friendly and very helpful. I am planning to take the cruise because of her help and her attitude.

We loved it, especially my 5 yr old grandson. Well worth the money.

Nice outing. I had family visiting from out of state and this was a small adventure for them. The boat captain offered some really interesting information about the history along the Riverfront.

I enjoyed this little Cruise only because Im a history buff...and I love boats. The ticket lady was very impersonal, acted like we were bothering her, and the guide was slightly rude in the beginning, but got better once he started talking about the canal, which he was extremely knowledgeable about, answered our questions with pride. They do not have a bathroom, which was a major bummer because we had just hydrated from touring the area on foot and needed one. They did direct us to a local pub across the street that let us use theirs.

If you consider the cost of your parking, its not a total waste of time. The course is short. You will get some local history. The ride is smooth and equipped for emergency.

Interesting and unique! Our captain was a real history buff and knew his stuff. The canal meanders around under the tangle of high over head bridges and roads.

Good time --informative-- scenic-- definitely glad I did itGreat restaurants in the areaDefinitely do it on a nice weather day you wont regret it

I enjoy riding on the cruise and hearing the history stories!!!

You have got to go here..great eating establishments n walking distance

Great lil canal trip in Richmond! The guide was very informative and the boat ride was very relaxing. You learn about Richmonds history and get to see some canal wildlife too!

Great experience overall just seems like its missing something

The tour guide was awesome. Dressed in colonial attire made the tour more eventful. A must do on your activities list. You will not be disappointed

Definitely fun to do.

An inexpensive and informative boat ride in the Kanawa canal.

Just need to upgrade the microphone system. Can be a bit hard to hear. But a very knowledgeable tour guide when we went and a interesting little tour.

Eerie Historic River boat ride. They only had one young lady selling tickets to a huge crowd so the wait in the ticket line and the actual boat ride line was a bit long. The ride was nice, short, and relaxing. I will go again, but will get there earlier.

Nice slow ride on the canal. The guide was great, very knowledgeable

Took a canal cruise for the first time and liked it a whole lot. We had a nice time and thought is was an interesting thing to do.

Very interesting but a little short through no fault of their own. A lot of the canal is not available for exploration. Still, interesting history and Im glad I went. Cotton was our captain and he is very knowledgeable and pleasant.

L Suggest going during cooler months, but overall the experience was quite informative and family friendly.

Excellent tour, the guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Was not open!

This was a nightmare give minutes onto the boat ride. Guide was extremely rude. I was with friends from abroad and we were comparing canels. The guide yelled at me to be quite. And verbally abused me . He asked me if I wanted to return to the dock and get money back ? I said no and tried to comply. He continued to verbally abuse me to the point so told him to return me to the dockHe was the worst customer service employee I have ever metHe should be fired.

Very neat to see richmond in different places on the river

A bit short but great introduction to the local history.

Very informative and a great activity to partake in as a new Richmond resident

Short tour providing a unique perspective and some history too.

So worth the $10! Learned a little, saw a lot! A great thing to do on a cooler summer day!!

The guide was knowledgeable and provided historical insight about the James River, Richmond and the slave trade. We gave and tip and the tour guide didnt even thank us. Where I come from, that is just plain rude. Soured the entire experience.As a consumer, I have choices and I do not want to spend my money where I am not appreciated. I would not recommend this ride based on the manners of the tour guide.

A great way to learn some of the history of this great city.

A fun, short trip down the canal and back. Really pleasant assuming the weather cooperates. The employees are super nice, friendly, and helpful. Boats are a little cramped, but its hard to complain for the price. A short history lesson is provided orally, and its interesting.

Fun tour for adults and kids. Affordable but finding parking is tough sometimes.

What an enjoyable excursion from normalcy. It was fun, learned something or two, saw wildlife and just liked smelling the air as I say to my cats! Cotton did a great job narrating the canal. Well worth going. Have fun.

Probably the most interesting and cool historical place to visit in all of Richmond!! We have gone 5 times and always learn something new. Every time we have out of state guests, we take the tour, and they so impressed stating it was their favorite part! A must!!

To short of at ride.. maybe 20min. I had a 45 min ride to get there.

Lots of history on this tour.. very scenic... May see blue heron and turtles

A wonderful ride full of Richmonds history! a great tour guide and beautiful sites

Nice 40 min guided tour through the canal, understanding the history makes it even more enjoyable. Saw blue heron, turtles and geese.

Really liked the tour, I was actually surprised at the quality!

Chris our tour guide was very knowledgable and entertaining. Lots of things I learned about Richmond that I never knew about.

A short boat ride amid roaring traffic from bridges above the river. Well-informed guide provided good knowledge of the history of the river and adjacent places. Do not expect a serene ride in a thick flora and fauna habitat.

So much fun. Captain Chris is the coolest

Learned alot

The tour-guide was very informative and enlightening. The cruise was a bit noisy with all the nearby city life, but once we got moving away from the large buildings and highways it became more quiet. The canal is interrupted by buildings and infrastructure, so the tour is limited to the lower section only. So much has happened along the canal that it is well worth it to take a trip back in time. Where else can you see the only Triple Railroad Crossing in the world? I would recommend after the tour heading for Browns Island and walking across the Tyler Potterfield Bridge to complete your view of the area.

Fun for the family and great for photos.

I chartered one of their boats for my moms 60th birthday party. It exceeded my expectations. I was a little nervous given no bathroom on board, but the coordinator assured me that keeping it to 2 hours would likely be okay. They have an agreement with Railway Station Taphouse that is just up the steps from the boat for passengers to use their restroom. That day we found free street parking very close on Virginia St and nobody had to park more than a block away. The boat was available to board 30 min early to decorate and they had an approx 3x6 table for us to put food on. It comfortably accommodated 20 people including children, elderly, and some obese folks. My mom was late and they had no problem waiting for her. Our guide, Chris (aka Capt Stump)allowed time for us catch up, and also shared the interesting history of the canal. He was funny and quite polite. He even helped us take down the decorations in the end. The older attendees really loved the history and old buildings around the canal. The younger folks seemed to just enjoy the peaceful ride in the middle of the city. The only thing I wish went better was my mom being very late, but that certainly wasnt the companys fault.

Fantastic excellent Guide very I formative

Guides do a good job of providing a window to Richmonds history as well as wildlife on the canal.

We had a great tour guy.

Great little trip

Short canal trip but very informative tour guide

Cool experience. It was pretty relaxing.

Outstanding info and beautiful scenery. Loved the turtles, too.

There isnt much to see on the ride, but the driver is knowledgable of history and friendly. Its underwhelming.

Nice place to relax.

Being from Richmond I totally didnt think this boat tour would be interesting to me. I was so wrong! I learned all about the Triple Crossing and lots of other historical stuff I didnt know.And the tour guide was so funny! I really enjoyed this boat ride!

This cruise was fun. The man at the ticket counter was great! The cruise itself is a slow one, so if its in the summer, take water and a fan for you.

Hidden secret. Wonderful place to walk after dinner!

Very nice! Relaxing with a cool breeze.

So fun! Good history lesson!

Very relaxing and enjoyable ride on the canal. Never realized theres so much history surrounding the canal.

Enjoyable way to pass some time in Richmond, but its not a lot of history to be reported and the canal isnt particularly charming. The narrator did a good job with was what to be said though, so no complaints about his effort! Richmond seems like a city thats trying to come into its own, but hasnt quite got there yet (for tourism).

The canal cruise is affordable, relaxing, and informative!