Canals, Steam & Historic Chester 2026

Duration

5 Days

Departure Dates

12th May 2026, 7th July 2026, 15th September 2026

Prices from

£825 Per person

Similar tours are available in the following categories:

Explore the industrial age of waterways and railways on this fantastic tour staying in an historic hotel at the heart of Chester. Cruise across the magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, enjoy a nostalgic journey on the Llangollen Railway, stroll through beautiful gardens at Arley Hall, and visit the delightful village of Port Sunlight.

Overview
Itinerary
Further Information
Departure Dates
Helpful Links

Chester 1 ©Shutterstock

5 days from £825

DEPARTS

Tuesday 12 May 2026

Tuesday 7 July 2026

Tuesday 15 September 2026

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Discover 2,000 years of history in the beautiful city of Chester
Wander along waterside paths and ancient city walls
Visit the lavish Arley Hall Gardens
Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the River Dee
Cruise across the breathtaking Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Enjoy a nostalgic journey along the Llangollen Railway
Tour the fascinating National Waterways Museum
Explore the beautiful village of Port Sunlight
Stay in an historic hotel in the heart of Chester

Also included in your Tour Fare:

4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 cream tea
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Chester and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Mill Hotel, our hotel for the next four nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings and can take a stroll to the ancient City Walls or Roman Gardens before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast today, we travel by road to Arley Hall Gardens where we explore their lavish gardens. The gardens are regarded as one of the finest in Europe and have been created over the last 250 years, offering an interesting blend of history, design, and modern ideas. We return to Chester in the afternoon and enjoy a cruise on the River Dee followed by time at leisure in the city's charming streets of black-and-white houses, Roman museum, beautiful Cathedral, and famous Rows. You can walk below the towering walls, marvel at the ingenious Northgate Staircase Locks, or idle away a moment watching the boats in Chester Basin before reconvening for our evening meal.

B, D

DAY 3

Today, our private coach takes us to the Llangollen Canal for a breathtaking aerial cruise across one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Canals', the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Crossing 126ft above the River Dee, it is the highest and longest aqueduct in Britain and a World Heritage site, and we indulge in a sumptuous cream tea on our journey. Afterwards, we continue by road to Llangollen with time to look around the delightful town before a thrilling return train journey along the beautiful Llangollen Railway through the Dee Valley to Corwen.

B, LR, D

DAY 4

After breakfast, we travel by train to Ellesmere Port to discover the colourful world of Roses & Castles at the National Waterways Museum. We enjoy a guided tour of the large collection of narrow boats, other canal craft, and recreated workshops. After lunch, we continue to Port Sunlight, the village that William Hesketh Lever built for his Sunlight Soap Factory workers in 1888, where we enjoy free time to explore the many attractions including the Port Sunlight Museum and Lady Lever Art Gallery before we return to Chester by train.

B, D

DAY 5

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Chester and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTEL

Mill Hotel & Spa, Chester

Located on the banks of the Shropshire Union Canal, the historic Mill Hotel offers beautiful canalside dining, a relaxing bar and lounge, and fantastic leisure facilities including an indoor pool, sauna, and gym. The stylish bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom with complimentary toiletries, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

FARES

Fare Region	First*	Standard
London: Euston	£1,095	£949
Greater London	£1,115	£965
South of England	£1,165	£999
East Anglia	£1,199	£1,015
South West	£1,119	£965
Heart of England	£1,005	£895
Midlands	£905	£875
Yorkshire	£1,015	£929
North East	£1,119	£989
North West	£1,009	£915
South Wales	£1,135	£959
North Wales	£949	£875
Scotland	£1,089	£955
Join & Leave at Hotel	£830
Single Traveller Supplement	£280
Deposit	£85

*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey.

£5 tour discount for holders of National Railcards

July Departure Supplement £50

September Departure Supplement £80

4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 cream tea

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

Number of passengers:

Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
12th May 2026	£825 Per person	Book Now	Callback
7th July 2026	£875 Per person	Book Now	Callback
15th September 2026	£905 Per person	Book Now	Callback

Can't see a date that suits you? Please register your interest for additional departures on this tour.

Register interest

Enter your details to receive updates on upcoming departure dates for the Canals, Steam & Historic Chester 2026 rail tour.

Mill Hotel & Spa, Chester

Visit Chester

Arley Hall & Gardens

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Llangollen Railway

National Waterways Museum

Port Sunlight

Chester 2 ©Shutterstock

Arley Hall 1 ©Arley Hall

Arley Hall 2 ©Shutterstock

River Dee ©Shutterstock

Llangollen Canal ©Dreamstime

What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

View Dates and Book

Why Book with Railtrail

Railtrail Tours is a family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years – Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care

Unique Experiences

Our tours are unique to us, created by our team of rail travel experts who each have a lifetime of knowledge and experience in the rail holiday industry

Financial Protection

Railtrail Tours are members of ABTOT and ATOL, meaning you can relax knowing that you are fully protected when booking any holiday with us.

Loyalty Rewards

For every pound spent you will receive Loyalty Points on return from your holiday, which can then be used as a discount on future bookings.

Award Winning Team

We were proudly awarded Silver at the British Travel Awards for ‘Best Small Travel Company for Rail Holidays’ in 2024.

More about us

Destinations

Tour Types