Jason’s Original Little Venice Canal Boat Trip

This pleasant meander along Regent’s Canal is a great way to see this picturesque part of London.

‘Jason’ is an authentic century-old canal boat, originally used to transport cargo until – in the mid-20th Century – Regent’s Canal began its metamorphosis into a popular tourist destination lined with cute waterside cafés and colorful narrowboat homes.

Newly kitted out with a diesel engine, in 1951 Jason took his maiden voyage as a passenger vessel – the first pleasure boat here to do this – and has been ferrying happy tourists from Little Venice to Camden (and back) ever since.

Starting from Little Venice, you’ll chug across beautiful Browning’s Pool, named after the poet Robert Browning who lived on nearby Warwick Crescent in the 1870s. See if you can spot any swans or geese nesting among the weeping willows on the island as you exit the lagoon and pass along leafy, tree-lined Maida Avenue with its grand regency townhouses.

Constructed over 200 years ago, and nearly 250 meters in length, the Maida Hill Tunnel is a marvel of Georgian engineering. As you pass through the tunnel and emerge blinking back into the daylight, the unexpected sound of roaring lions and shrieking gibbons heralds your approach to London Zoo. Take in views of Lord Snowdon’s Aviary and look out for the white stucco-clad Georgian mansions designed and built around Regent’s Park by John Nash.

You’ll disembark at Camden Lock, from where it’s a short stroll to the famous Camden Market. Here, in the colorful maze of shops and stalls you’ll discover a vast array of street food options from around the world, plus clothes, vinyl records, fashion accessories and all manner of other assorted knick-knacks for sale.