Britain's 3,000-mile canal network takes boaters into some of the nation's best-loved towns and cities, steeped in history and ghost-sightings.
Drifters offer the choice of 500 narrowboats available to hire from 40 bases across England, Wales and Scotland, with a range of boats accommodating up to 12 people. Narrowboats are like floating holiday cottages, with well-equipped kitchens, central heating, hot water, TV, showers, flushing toilets, and most now have WiFi too.
With 2026 October Half Term hire available for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for up to four people – with tuition included, here's a guide to Drifters' Top 6 spooky canal boat holiday destinations for Halloween/October Half Term 2026:
1. Visit Mary Shelley's House of Frankenstein in Bath: On a weekend break from Hilperton on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire, boaters can travel to the World Heritage City of Bath and back. The return journey travels 25 miles, passing through two locks (one each way) and takes around 13 hours. Once in Bath, boaters can moor up at Sydney Gardens and take a 15-minute walk into Bath city centre to visit Mary Shelley's House of Frankenstein, where there's a multi-sensory museum dedicated to the story of Frankenstein, escape rooms and the Frankenstein Experience walking tour.
***The 58ft 'Ringed Plover' narrowboat for up to five people is currently available for a 3-night break from Hilperton 30 Oct to 2 Nov 2026, with price includes damage waiver, bed linen, towels, car parking, three pets, buoyancy aids, Wi-Fi and tuition. A fuel deposit of £60 is payable with the balance of hire.
2. Explore the sinister side of Shakespeare's Stratford with a Ghost Walk: From Drifters' narrowboat hire base at Wootton Wawen, on the Stratford Canal near Henley-in-Arden, it takes around six hours, travelling through 17 locks to reach Stratford upon Avon. Once in Stratford, boaters can moor up in Bancroft Basin, just a stone's throw from the Swan Theatre and take a guided walking tour exploring the sinister side of Shakespeare's Stratford, hearing tales of plague, murder, ghosts and witches.
***The 66ft 'Poppy' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a weekend break from Wootton Wawen 30 Oct to 2 Nov 2026 for £1,060. Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.
3. Take a guided tour of Oxford Castle Prison: On a 4 or 7-night break from Lower Heyford on the Oxford Canal in Oxfordshire, boaters can cruise to Oxford and back. The return journey travels 29 miles, passing through 20 locks (10 each way) and takes around 16 hours. Once in Oxford, boaters can moor up at Aristotle Bridge or Jericho Footbridge and walk to spooky Oxford Castle Prison walk to spooky Oxford Castle Prison to take a guided tour through centuries of crime, power, legend and life behind bars.
***The 58ft 'Duchess' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a 7-night break from Lower Heyford 24-31 Oct 2026.
4. Experience the Skipton Ghost Tour: On a weekend break from Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire, boaters can cruise through Airedale to the historic market town of Skipton and back. The return journey travels 13 miles and takes around seven hours. Skipton Ghost Tours run every Saturday at 6.30pm from Skipton Castle and includes a section of the canal.
***The 57ft 'Meghan's Drum' narrowboat for up to seven people is currently available for a weekend break from Silsden 30 Oct to 2 Nov 2026, with damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.
5. Explore ancient Chester's eerie haunts on a Chester Ghost Tour: On a short break (three or four nights) from Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire, boaters can cruise to the ancient city of Chester and back. The return journey travels 24 miles, passing through 18 locks (nine each way) and taking around 14 hours. When boaters reach Chester, they can moor up close to the city centre and take a guided ghost tour around the eerie haunts of Chester's mysterious and murky past. From September to November, tours depart on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from the Town Hall at 7.30pm.
***The 67ft 'Buckland' narrowboat for up to six people is currently available for a weekend break from Bunbury 30 Oct to 2 Nov 2026, including boat hire, damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet. A fuel deposit is taken for short breaks.
6. Navigate through the spooky Blisworth Tunnel: On a weekend break from Weedon on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire, boaters can cruise to the pretty canal village of Stoke Bruerne and back, passing through the spooky 1.74-mile-long Blisworth Tunnel along the way. The return journey travels 23 miles, passing through four locks (two each way) and takes around 9 hours. Construction of Blisworth Tunnel, one of the longest on the canal system, began in 1793. Teams of navvies worked with picks and shovels for three years until they hit quicksand and the tunnel collapsed, killing 14 men. A new route for the tunnel was found, and it finally opened in 1805. Over the years, a number of boaters travelling through the tunnel have reported seeing lights and a second route emerging. But the tunnel runs straight through the hill so people have must seen the flicker of candlelight where the first tunnel would have intersected with the main canal tunnel. Perhaps the ghostly navvies are still working there…?
*** The 55ft 'Driftweed' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a 7-night break from Weedon 30 Oct to 2 Nov 2026, with prices including damage waiver, parking, gas, bedding, buoyancy aids, towels and tuition. Fuel is extra, charge based on use, with pets being extra charged.
Drifters Waterway Holidays is made up of 10 hire boat companies: ABC Boat Hire, Anglo Welsh, Black Prince, Countrywide Cruisers, Foxhangers, Grand Union Narrowboats, Kate Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Shire Cruisers and Union Canal Carriers. Drifters holidays are pet-friendly.