
+ 1000’s Customers
Every year we take thousands of customers from all over the world on tours of the Manchester Ship Canal, from the city centre, to the former docklands at Salford Quays and beyond along the 30 mile stretch of the Manchester Ship Canal to Ellesmere Port.
City centre to Salford Quays
We can pick you and drop you off at multiple points, from our city centre landing stage at Spinningfields to our base at Salford Quays.
Our Crew
A family built business with a heritage of working the waterways of Manchester stretching back over a hundred years, our local knowledge will help you make the most of any tour.
Our professional partners
We work with Le Mange Tout professional caterers to provide a great range of buffet selection or something made just to suit you. For entertainment we recommend Unit One Entertainment one of Manchester’s premier act agents for anything form a DJ to a magician.
The Princess Katherine
Dutch designed and built for the canals of Amsterdam the Princess Katherine had a short stint in Glasgow as part of the commonwealth games under the name ‘Robert the Bruce’. Before making the move south to plough the waters of the River Irwell while her sister ship headed to Lake Windermere.
The Princess Katherine has a full capacity of 90+ passengers, toilets and is centrally heated as well as being the only boat in Manchester with open air seating.
A venue for any event
We host a variety of events throughout the year from live Rat Pack nights, nights of Gin tasting, cruises with Father Christmas and mutiny as the Dastardly Irwell Pirates takeover for our amazing kids events.
- Hot Drinks
- Catering
- Iconic Photo Opps
A trip from history into the future
Manchester’s waterways have always been part of the heartbeat of it’s industry from the first attempts at creating navigable waterways in the 1700’s to the colossal epic of Victorian engineering the Manchester Ship Canal. Our tours take you from the along these through the changing landscape from the city centre along the Irwell, onto the Ship Canal and onward toward the Mersey Estuary with our Ellesmere Port trips.
- Audio guide
- Parking
“Come and explore with us”
Media City UK is home to the Princess Katherine which moors up alongside the Lowry Arts Theatre. Media City sits on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal on the site of the former Manchester Docks, itwas built with a ยฃ650 million is now how to the BBC as well as ITV. It is a great place to visit with the Imperial War Museum, Lowry Theatre as well as a host of bars and restaurants.
The rivers Irk, Irwell & Medlock feed into the Manchester Ship Canal as it starts it’s 35 mile journey from the heart of the Northwest toward the Mersey Estuary being joined with Rivers Weaver & Mersey.
What our customers says

Get exploring with Manchester River Cruises
Either contact us about hosting an event with us or check out our range of tours and events
- 1Select your preferred tours
- 2Purchase tickets and options
- 3Tickets are emailed direct to you