Planning
Lockport Locks Cruise
Schedules, fares and what you actually see on the Lockport double locks cruise.
How To Pick An Erie Canal Cruise
Start with length. Options here run from 90 minutes up to a week on the water.
Choosing Where To Go
Location
Colonial Belle Fairport
Four Fairport cruises compared: fares, lock passages, packages and the 2026 season.
Location
Sam Patch Pittsford
The 90-minute Lock 32 cruise from Pittsford village, plus the lunch option and how it compares with Fairport.
Planning
Herkimer Canal Cruise
The only Mohawk Valley cruise on the canal: 90 minutes through Lock 18 from Herkimer.
Planning
Rochester Area Cruises
Which Rochester-area dock sells which canal trip, with from-prices and lock passages compared.
Location
Erie Canal Museum
Hours, pay-what-you-wish admission and cruise pairings for Syracuse's canal museum.
Location
Free Canal Activities
Trail miles, lock watching and one free museum, plus what only a paid cruise can give you.
Planning
Riverie Cruise
The 90-minute Rochester river and canal cruise from Corn Hill Landing, from $30.
Prices, Safety And What To Expect
Planning
Erie Canal Cruises
Every narrated Erie Canal cruise compared: towns, locks, durations and 2026 fares.
Logistics
Canal Boat Rental
Self-skippered canal boat charters from Macedon: rates, inclusions, lock hours and who a charter suits.
Logistics
Meal Cruises Guide
Colonial Belle and Sam Patch serve brunch, lunch, and dinner on the Erie Canal. Compare packages and prices.
Season, Wildlife And Planning Your Trip
Planning
Cruise Prices
Every 2026 Erie Canal cruise fare side by side, from the $26 Lockport locks cruise to private boat charters.
Planning
Best Time To Go
The 2026 canal season runs May 15 to October 14. See what cruises each month.
Planning
Trail And Bike Guide
Ride the Erie Canalway Trail, dodge the 2026 closures, and pair the trail with a canal cruise.
Planning
Canal History
How a $7 million ditch dug by hand in eight years reshaped New York and the nation.
Planning
Erie Canal Locks
How a lock lifts a boat, the Lockport double locks, and which cruises pass through a lock.
Planning
Canal Length
338 miles today, 363 originally, 35 locks and a 571-foot climb: every Erie Canal length number explained.