Take your best friend on a Norfolk Broads boating or cottage holiday
UK holidays with dogs can be a real treat and a much easier option to taking your dog abroad. Whether you are lucky enough to live local to the Norfolk Broads, or if you’re planning a boating or cottage holiday here, the Broads has a lot to offer our canine friends. There is an abundance of dog friendly walks around the Broads and dogs are also welcome at a number of attractions and in many pubs, restaurants and cafes.
Dogs are welcome at the Fairhaven Woodland & Water Gardens, provided they are kept on the lead (50p per dog, max 2 dogs) and they’ll even provide you with a poop scoop to tidy up after your pooch. Dogs are also permitted to sit outside the café at Fairhaven. Wroxham Barns welcome dogs on a lead, although there are some restrictions to where dogs are permitted, such as the Junior Farm and inside the shops. Broads Tours’ river trips permit a limited number of dogs for £2 per pooch – taking you and your dog on a guided tour of the Broads from Wroxham with expert commentary from their experienced skippers. Or you could take out a Broads Tours day boat and your dog can join you for free! The dog friendly attractions help to make your UK holidays with the dog easier so that your four-legged friend doesn't have to miss out!
Most pubs on the Broads will allow you to sit outside in the beer garden with your dog. The Bridge Inn at Acle will also let your four legged friend join you inside. The Swan Inn in Loddon are very welcoming to dogs and will be more than happy to give yours some affection and a bowl of water. The Maltsters at Ranworth allow dogs to sit by their fire in the winter and bathe in the sun in the summer months. The King’s Head in Hoveton have one dedicated room in the pub where dogs are allowed and they even have dog treats available! The White Horse at Upton, The Ship at Reedham and The White Horse in Neatishead are also pubs which will allow your dog in their bar areas and in their beer gardens.
Dogs are very welcome on all of our holiday cruisers. Dogs are charged at £25 for a short break or £40 per week with a maximum of 2 dogs per cruiser. We also have a limited number of lifejackets for dogs for which we make a hire charge of £5 per holiday. Many of our customers take advantage of our dog friendly boat holidays and we've always received good feedback from them about their holiday. There is plenty to do, with walks on your doorstep at many moorings and lots of pubs and cafes around the Broads welcoming dogs to either sit outside or enjoy a quiet lay down indoors. You'll find many locals enjoying Broads walks with their four legged friends so there'll be plenty of other pooches to keep your dog company!
Always check local signage to ensure that your dog is welcome wherever you choose to go, or check websites in advance.
Never let your dog jump from the boat to the bank before you have properly moored. This avoids any risk of your dog either slipping between the boat and the bank, or you being unable to keep control of your dog from the boat if it is on the bank.
If your dog falls overboard, we would strongly advise you not to get into the water to rescue your dog. Where possible, direct your dog to a bank where it can climb out or where you may be able to help it out of the water.
Always pick up after your dog.
Keep close control of your dog at all times when off the lead and be aware of other Broads visitors.
If your dog is not on a lead when on the outside of your boat, we recommend using a dog life jacket.
