Mississippi River Boat Ltd

What it’s like

A gentle river cruise through the Norfolk Broads where the skipper lets kids take the wheel and points out kingfishers and otters along the way.

You board the Southern Comfort at Horning and head down the River Bure, with the skipper keeping up a running commentary on the history of the area and whatever wildlife shows up: kingfishers, marsh harriers, herons, otters if you're lucky. The bit kids will remember is being allowed to steer under the skipper's supervision, which is a proper novelty and not something you get on most boat trips. Public trips run at 10:30am, 1pm and 3pm and last an hour and a half, going as far as Malthouse Broad near Ranworth.

There's inside and outside seating on both decks, so you can duck in if the weather turns or stay out for the views. Food is limited to soft drinks, hot drinks and homemade cakes from the on-board bar, and they'd rather you ate any picnic before or after the trip since table space is tight. It's £9 for a child, £12 for an adult, or £36 for a family of four, which feels fair for ninety minutes on the water. If you fancy the atmosphere without the daylight, sunset cruises run some Tuesday and Thursday evenings in June and July at 7:30pm, and August at 7pm, running a bit longer at two hours and going as far as St Benet's Abbey.

Booking isn't compulsory but is strongly recommended, since you can turn up and pay on the day only if there's space left. Wheelchair users get a ramp onto the lower deck, though the upper deck is stairs only and there's a cap of five wheelchairs per sailing. The on-board toilets are small galley ones rather than fully accessible, though there's a proper accessible toilet by the public car park in Horning if you need it. Dogs are welcome for £2 each, on a lead, which is a nice touch if the walk isn't enough for your dog either.

Facilities

Need to know

Booking

Advance booking strongly recommended to reserve space

Parking

Public pay and display car park opposite mooring (Swan Inn car park)

How long to allow

1.5 hours for daytime trips or 2 hours for sunset cruises

Food

On-board bar with soft drinks and hot drinks available

Picnics

Food/picnics should be consumed before or after trip, not on board due to limited table space

Wheelchairs

Wheelchair accessible via ramp (29 inches wide)

Dogs

Well-behaved dogs welcome (£2 fee, max 5 per sailing, must be on lead and under control)

Parties

Available for private hire for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and corporate events

• The bar is cash only, so bring change for cakes or drinks
• Table space is tight, so eat picnics before or after rather than on board
• Sunset cruises only run on certain Tuesday and Thursday evenings in summer
• Group bookings of 20 or more need to contact the boat directly
• The boat is also available for private hire for birthdays and other celebrations

Plan your visit

Featured in 1 Huddlepin list

See all Steam Railways & Boat Trips in Norwich · Things to do in Norwich