Wildlife boat trips

NWT Ranworth Broad

There is no reserve fee at Ranworth, but donations are welcome.

NWT Hickling Broad

There is a reserve admission fee to pay at Hickling in addition to the boat fee on all daily trips (evening trip prices include reserve admission):

• Members and children: free
• Non members: £5.50 (with Gift Aid), £5 standard price
• Non member children (16 and under): free

The Pleasure Boat Hickling

There is no reserve fee to pay for boat trips leaving from The Pleasure Boat Hickling pub. Donations are welcome.

For your own and other passengers’ safety, you need to be able to get on and off of our boats on foot, negotiating two steep steps. If you are coming with someone, we recommend they get on/off first so they can offer you assistance.

Please bear in mind that when our boats moor at the jetty, you may need to step up into, or step down into the boat depending on water levels. Hickling Broad is tidal so water levels fluctuate daily throughout the year.

We reserve the right to refuse carriage if we feel you would be putting yourself, other passengers or our staff at risk.

For further access information on the walks to the boats, please read the 'Where do the boats go from?' FAQ, below.

The car park at NWT Hickling Broad is adjacent to the visitor centre. At The Pleasure Boat Hickling there is a carpark adjacent to the pub.

Car parking at Ranworth is near the staithe. There is then a walk of approx. 1 km to the floating visitor centre and boat departure point.

NWT Ranworth Broad

If leaving on the outward bound ferry service from Ranworth village staithe, please arrive 15 minutes before departure. If leaving from on a boat trip from Ranworth Broad visitor centre, please arrive 30 minutes before departure.

NWT Hickling Broad

Please arrive 30 minutes before departure to ensure you have time to check in at the visitor centre and walk to the boat departure point. 

The Pleasure Boat Hickling

At The Pleasure Boat Inn Hickling pub, please arrive 15 minutes before the trip departure time.

NWT Ranworth Broad

Ranworth offers the shortest walk to the boat departure point if you catch the ferry to the visitor centre before heading out on your main boat trip. The ferry departure point is at Ranworth staithe, which is approximately a 0.3km walk from the car park. Otherwise, there is a walk of approximately 1km from the car park to the main boat departure point at Ranworth Broad visitor centre. 

NWT Hickling Broad

For boat trips from Hickling Broad, there is a walk through the nature reserve to the boat departure point of approximately 1km. This can take up to 20 minutes and is why we ask you to arrive 30 minutes prior to the departure time of your trip. 

The Pleasure Boat Hickling

Boats leave adjacent to The Pleasure Boat Hickling pub, which is a short walk from the carpark.

There are no toilets onboard the boats. At NWT Hickling Broad you will find the facilities at the visitor centre. At the Pleasure Boat Hickling there are public toilets in the carpark.

At Ranworth there are public toilets at the staithe opposite The Maltsters pub.

Please bring appropriate clothing for all weather conditions as the boats are open to the elements. Even on warmer days it can be cool out on the open water. Sun hats and sunscreen are advised on sunny days. Please consider the crotch straps on our buoyancy aids that are required to be worn by all passengers when dressing for the occasion.

We advise you to bring binoculars should you have them. Binoculars are also available from Hickling and Ranworth visitor centres for hire and purchase.

Yes you can bring light refreshments to consume on the boat and facilities for purchase and consumption are also available at the visitor centres.

Our boats are open craft to allow for the best views. We highly recommend wearing clothing appropriate to the weather. Layers, a hat and sunscreen are recommended. Waterproofs are always useful.

We would not recommend booking infants under 8 months as all passengers will be required to wear buoyancy aids. We have appropriate buoyancy aids for infants of that age however we often find that little ones can find them uncomfortable, especially in hot weather. Once on board, all passengers are asked to remain seated throughout the trip for their own safety.

If you have an active child please consider booking the shortest boat trip (45 minutes, Ranworth & 1 hour, Hickling) to ensure everyone enjoys the experience

Our boat operators are very knowledgeable about the wildlife, nature and history of the broads and will guide you with bird identification and other natural history experiences.

As part of our licensing agreement to be able to run public boat trips all of our passengers are required to wear correctly fitted buoyancy aids. Ours have crotch straps which must be done up at all times please consider this when dressing for the occasion. Our boat operators will help you to fit them correctly.

Yes! We can arrange tailored guided boat trips for larger groups of at least 10 people, whether for wildlife watching, photography, or celebrating a special occasion. Visit our bespoke boat trips webpage for more information.