chester zoo boat trip

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This year, get ready to discover a winter trail that promises to be better than ever.  Our reimagined winter trail is  even longer , filled with brand NEW  animal puppets , PLUS we’re opening the trail on  New Year’s Day  for the first time ever!

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There are so many exciting developments on the horizon. Make sure you are aware off all of the new plans for the zoo, along with any associated animal moves and temporary changes to animal locations before your visit.

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ChesterBoat

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Description.

ChesterBoat are a family business with a 40-year history of providing unforgettable river cruise experiences on Chester’s beautiful River Dee.

Tickets are cheapest when booked online - Book your tickets via the 'Book Now' button above for all of the fantastic options on offer with ChesterBoat:

All the river cruises below set sail from The Groves in Chester, just a short walk from the city centre and close to the historic city walls and Roman amphitheatre.

Half Hour City River Cruises - Daily

You can take a Half-hour City Cruise for a different view of historic Chester taking in the fabulous views along the River Dee and its impressive riverside homes and gardens while you listen to stories from Chester’s fascinating past.

Two Hour Iron Bridge River Cruise - Daily (from February)

Leave the city behind on a Two-hour Iron Bridge Cruise up to picturesque Aldford Iron Bridge. Keep your eyes open for kingfishers and cormorants, and fallow deer on the Eaton Estate.

Fish & Chip Fridays - First Friday of The Month (May - September)

What could be better than relaxing after a long week on a beautiful river cruise with a hearty plate of delicious fish and chips! Set sail for a two-hour cruise with a delicious fish supper and a fun game of bingo, suitable for all the family.

If you are in Chester on a Friday this highly popular river cruise is not to be missed!

Party Nights Afloat - Every Saturday (March - November) 

Join ChesterBoat as the sun goes down for one of their famous themed Party Nights Afloat with themes like 60s, 70s, 80s Rewind, Motown, Sounds of the 70s & 80s, Mamma Mia, 80s Pop Party, Hits of the 90s and 90s to Now.

Included in your ticket price is a glass of wine on arrival, a BBQ style buffet supper and disco with a professional DJ and of course there is a fully stocked bar for you to buy extra drinks throughout the night. This is the perfect night to celebrate with family or friends and of course hugely popular for Hen & Stag Parties, Birthday Celebrations and Staff Parties many groups even make it a night for fancy dress!

Chilli & Quiz River Cruises - Various Fridays (Summertime)

If you fancy yourself as a fountain of trivia knowledge you'll love ChesterBoat's Quiz Night Cruises.

Assemble your dream team and set sail on the Lady Diana to give your grey matter a workout – with a delicious chilli supper and prizes to be won.

Group Bookings

Groups can be sure of a warm welcome at ChesterBoat with special group menus, afternoon teas and cold buffets available and groups of 20 or more sailing on a weekday (excluding bank holidays) benefit from 10% off, and 1 person sails free for every 20.

They have a fleet of boats that accommodate up to 120 guests and coach drop-off and pick-up available right next to ChesterBoat's moorings at the Groves at any time of day, with coach parking available nearby at the Little Roodee Car Park (CH1 1SL)

Private Charter Hire for Private Parties and Celebrations or Weddings & Civil Ceremonies

If you’re looking for a unique venue for your special occasion, a private charter on the River Dee is sure to impress. You can hire your very own boat from ChesterBoat's impressive fleet accommodating between 5 and 120 guests to cruise you down the River Dee in style while you celebrate with your friends and family or work colleagues.

The ChesterBoat team have plenty of options for food, drinks, entertainment, and decorations that can all be organised for you as part of the private charter to make your river cruise celebration completely bespoke!

All boats have a bar on board so whichever river cruise experience you choose you can enjoy a hot or cold drink or your favourite tipple as you meander up the river.

Booking ahead for all the river cruises is highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

Click the 'Gift Vouchers' or 'Gift Experiences' buttons above to purchase any of the experiences above as an unusual present for your loved ones.

ChesterBoat's philosophy

At the core of ChesterBoat's company philosophy is the desire to deliver outstanding customer experiences for everyone who steps aboard one of their boats. Whether they are sightseeing tourists, families enjoying a day out together, a hen party wanting to dance the night away or a loving couple wanting to spend the most important day of their lives with their nearest and dearest, they want you to have a memorable and enjoyable time with them on the River Dee.

They are proud of their excellent safety record and of our helpful and friendly team and heavily invested in making sure you have the best time while in their most capable hands!

Chester.com says...

Sail away on Chester’s beautiful River Dee with ChesterBoat

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ChesterBoat Souter's Lane The Groves Chester CH1 1SZ

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Chester Zoo Islands Lazy River Boat Ride Progress

Words:  Blooloop

| 2 min read

Chester Zoo have released images showing the progress on their £30 million Islands Project.

Islands , the biggest and most ambitious zoo project in UK history, is set to open to the public in June 2015.

One of the key features of Islands is the  Lazy River Boat Journey .  Images released by Chester Zoo show the progress on the 15 minute boat trip that will transport 238 guests at a time through the recreated habitats of Panay, Papua, Bali, Sumatra, Sumba and Sulawesi.

Gareth Simpson , the zoo’s operations implementation manager, explained that the project has had its challenges to date: “Installing the boat cable is one of many, many challenging tasks we’ve already tackled on this exciting, but incredibly complex, project. The team from the zoo battled the elements, deep mud and high water to lay the cable. Such is the level of expertise needed on this project, an expert from Germany who has worked with cable cars, then joined us to advise on how to connect it all up to the mechanical wheels. The 14 boats that will be towed by the cable weigh over 11 tonnes and can carry up to 238 visitors at any one time, so installing it was no mean feat. I’m pleased to say that it’s all now starting to come together nicely and we can’t wait for June.”

Kieran Stanley , CEO of creative agency dan pearlman who designed the architecture and landscape, plantings, animal habitats and boat trip for Islands,  will be speaking at blooloopLIVE London 2015 on May 7th .

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