A canal cruise is a great way to see your destination from a new perspective. Our favorite canal cruises offer unforgettable views of some of our favorite places around the world, from bustling waterways to tranquil lagoons. You can enjoy a canal cruise in each of these four destinations on Go Ahead tours.
Venice: Built on a once-swampy lagoon, Venetians get around by boat out of necessity rather than choice. But even after centuries of creating gorgeous architecture and a brief stint as the most powerful city-state in Europe, Venice’s canals remain the city’s calling card. The low-slung black silhouettes of Venice’s iconic gondolas are as much a part of the city’s charm as the cheeky pigeons in St. Mark’s Square and the waterfront arcades of the Doge’s Palace. This past Valentine’s Day, we highlighted Venice as one of the most romantic cities in Europe, and when you first step aboard a Venetian gondola, you’ll understand why the romance of this city continues to attract people from near and far. You can board a gondola on our Venice, Florence & Rome tour.
Amsterdam: Amsterdam’s summers are typically less balmy than those along the sun-kissed Mediterranean, so you won’t find any open-air gondolas here; instead, the Dutch opt for comfortable, unassuming houseboats which can ply the placid waters in near silence. Amsterdam didn’t begin building canals in earnest until the mid-17th century, but the city’s construction efforts helped expand a busy port into the world’s leading financial center, a status Amsterdam would hold for nearly 200 years. There are four major concentric canals in the city, with dozens of smaller canals and hundreds of small bridges connecting the city’s stately homes and squares. Along one canal, the Herengracht, you can find the Golden Bend, a tony neighborhood of double-wide mansions built during the Dutch Golden Age. You can cruise the canals of Amsterdam on our Amsterdam, Brussels & Luxembourg tour.
Panama: The Panama Canal is the domain of massive oceangoing ships. Like the canals of Amsterdam, the Panama Canal was considered an engineering marvel in its day and an important boost to maritime trade—but unlike the flat tidal flood plains of The Netherlands, Panama’s dense rainforests, steep hillsides and lack of infrastructure presented unprecedented challenges. The French had tried to dig a canal in the 1880s but were overwhelmed by the mosquito-borne illnesses of the jungle. It wasn’t until American doctors discovered methods of controlling diseases such as yellow fever that the canal project could begin in earnest. Today, the Panama Canal is both a vital component of global trade and a lovely place to spend an afternoon. The transit through the channels, rivers and lakes that make up the canal takes about a day, and a highlight of the journey is the time you’ll spend in Gatun Lake, a flooded valley dotted by islands that were once hilltops. Experience the Panama Canal on our Best of Panama: Capital to the Canal tour.
Kerala: The famous backwaters of Kerala are actually a series of coastal lagoons at the edge of the Arabian Sea. Here, palm trees line the wide waterways, and carpets of water hyacinths part as traditional houseboats known as kettuvalams pass by. Kettuvalams seem built for travelers who want to kick up their feet and take in the scenery, and life seems to move more slowly when you’re making your leisurely way through age-old canals aboard one of these boats. The Kerala backwaters are protected by international environmental law, so the scenic beauty of this sleepy corner of India will be preserved for generations yet to come. Relax on the Kerala canals on our Grand Tour of India.
Have you been on one of these canal cruises, or are you planning a trip to Venice, Amsterdam, Panama or Kerala? Leave us a comment and let us know!
