VISIT THE BROADS

2 Day Boating Itinerary 1

Upper River Bure –Wroxham, Salhouse Broad and Horning

Day 1 – Wroxham and Salhouse Broad Holiday cruisers are available to hire from Norfolk Broads Direct and Barnes Brinkcraft in Wroxham and Ferry Marina in Horning.

This 2-day itinerary starts in Wroxham, the heart of the Broads. The two villages of Wroxham and Hoveton sit on either side of the River Bure. Bustling hubs full of places to eat and shop, they are often referred to as the capital of the Broads. There is a Broads National Park Information Centre based at Station Road Hoveton, where you can also book boat trips on Ra, which is accessible to wheelchair users.

Book an early table at the Hotel Wroxham where you can enjoy breakfast on the terrace overlooking the water. The restaurant and stunning waterside terrace are open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Watch the hustle and bustle of the day unfold as the hire boats go out and people start to arrive for their Broads Tours river trips.

After breakfast, wander up to the Bure Valley Railway station at Wroxham, where you will take a nostalgic trip by steam train on Norfolk’s longest narrow-gauge railway. Steam trains operate regularly between the old market town of Aylsham and Wroxham. The Bure Valley Railway was built on the trackbed of part of the former Great Eastern Railway and the nine-mile line runs through meadowland, ancient pastures and picturesque Broadland villages. The trip to Aylsham by train takes about 45 minutes.

At Aylsham station, you’ll find lots of facilities including the Whistlestop Café and a shop stocking a wide range of railway-themed souvenirs and gifts, as well as being a paradise for any model railway enthusiasts.

Leave the station and take in the historic market town of Aylsham. The prominent marketplace is surrounded by beautiful 18th-century houses and reflects the town’s prosperity from the textile and cloth trade at the time.

A mile from the marketplace you will discover Redwings Horse Sanctuary, home to almost 90 friendly horses and donkeys who now live there. They love visitors and you can get up close and cuddly every day between 10.30am and 4pm until the end of August.

Take the return journey by steam train back to Hoveton station, where you will pick up your holiday cruiser.

Follow the River Bure south out of Wroxham, taking in the pretty riverside properties along the way. After about 30 minutes, gently cruising you’ll come to Salhouse Broad. Moorings are available but it can get very busy in high season, so please arrive early.

Salhouse Broad is a place of great natural beauty,