Located in Ely, this houseboat is in the city centre. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Haddenham Closed Cemetery and Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, while Ted Coney's Family Portraits and Stained Glass Museum are cultural highlights. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's going on at Mildenhall Stadium, or consider a night out at Burwell House. Visit our Ely travel guide
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; check-in end time: 10:00 PM. After-hours check-in is not available.
What time is check-out at Narrowboat Puzzle?
Checkout is at noon.
Where is Narrowboat Puzzle located?
Located in the heart of Ely, this houseboat is within a 5-minute walk of Jubilee Gardens, Cherry Hill Park and Waterside Antiques Centre. Ted Coney's Family Portraits and Babylon Gallery are also within 10 minutes. Ely Station is 6 minutes by foot.
Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?
Yes, this property offers free cancellation on selected room rates because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.
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Reviews
Narrowboat Puzzle Reviews
10
Exceptional
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
10
Cleanliness
10
Location
10
Staff & service
10
Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 23 out of 24 reviews
10 - Excellent
23
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 24 reviews
8 - Good
1
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 24 reviews
6 - Okay
0
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 24 reviews
4 - Poor
0
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 24 reviews
2 - Terrible
0
Reviews
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
Penny
1 Oct 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, room comfort, communication
Great stay on a lovely, clean, comfortable, well equipped narrow boat. Plenty to see in Ely, all attractions within a short walk and good longer walks in the surrounding countryside. Very helpful host offered suggestions for local restaurants and a comprehensive tour of the boat
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
Verified traveller
30 Aug 2022
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort, communication
Great stay
Enjoyable stay on Puzzle, attractive and comfortable, boat. Peaceful and quiet, we liked watching riverside life. Great for walks by the river and easy to walk to the town. Internet access was limited as there is no Wi-Fi, but ok for a few days stay. We hope to return in the future
Unusual accommodation picked for this very reason. The boat is wonderfully presented and in a great position. Would highly recommend
Verified review
8/10 Good
Valerie
30 Apr 2022
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort, communication
A great experience
A different and delightful experience. Being a narrowboat the accommodation and facilities are slightly restricted but are in super condition and we had a thoroughly enjoyable 3 night stay. Access is slightly tricky (for us older folk) due to it being a boat on a mooring but its location more than makes up for that.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
Steve
11 Sept 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort, communication
Unique
A unique property. Great location.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
Bianca
15 Aug 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort, communication
Gorgeous, clean Narrow Boat on River Ouse
Lovely birthday escape on Narrow Boat Puzzle.
Tranquil setting on River. All you could need to self cater.
Easy access to town and amenities.
Special mention to Garf who was super friendly and helpful in our welcome.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
Kayleigh
6 Jun 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort, communication
excellent little escape away
This was our first trip away in well over a year - and our first ever stay on a boat. We were greeted with a lovely, friendly welcome. The narrow boat was very clean, tidy and we slept soundly. The boat can get rather warm when thendoors and windows are closed but the fan was enough to keep us cool through the night. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would highly reccommend others to stay. It would be worth noting that we had limited access to 4g whilst onboard the boat but this is what we experienced in Ely over all that signal was poor - however this didnt cause us too much bother as the point of being away was to escape from our emails for a while!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2021
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
J
12 Oct 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort, communication
Weekend on water.
So much fun staying on a boat! Made the weekend. So central for Ely and surrounding areas. Great welcome and tips on local eateries.
A first-time experience of being on a narrowboat. I was drawn to the quirkiness of the experience taken as a whole. It exceeded my expectations. My fear of not getting a good night’s sleep, given the size of the bed, was unfounded. The setting and the proximity to Ely centre are big plusses too.
Fabulous stay! Wonderful experience with the boat being in a great location. Super clean with all the mod cons and super cosy.
Little treats left for us too which were really appreciated
Very good location. Very positive experience, positive welcome upon arrival. Provided a true experience of narrowboat living, just what we were looking for. Ample fresh linen, towels, coffee/tea etc. Pots and pans to cook if desired. Everything had been well considered for our comfort during our stay. A small table and chairs on deck provided a nice vantage point to contemplate the beautiful surrounds.
The only possible negative was a disused narrow boat sat alongside our boat and this may likely deter some people from revisiting, the owner may want to consider this aspect. We did not mind as felt it was just part of the real experience of living on a narrowboat. It was very picturesque with plenty of local historical buildings etc, to explore. Quaint tea shops within 10/15 minute walk and eating places within 2 minute walk. Beautiful easy access to varied countryside walking.
Booking in was a breeze and the communication and helpfulness of G was fantastic throughout. I would list this under a very positive new and different experience that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Definitely highly recommend.
We had a great stay on this lovely narrowboat. Immaculately clean, excellent location on the river with great views, easy walking distance to the shops, eateries and cathedral, peaceful and quiet. Graf was very helpful, answering our questions and explaining how things work. We had all the amenities we needed on board including a bottle of wine and some nice chocolates. I would definitely recommend.
Something a bit different. Very comfortable and quiet and could hardly feel the motion of the water at all. Great location - walkable everywhere. Garf who looks after the boat was a great help! Highly recommend.
Excellent!! They had thought of everything! We stayed for my husbands 50th and he loved it! Bed was so comfortable and boat was lovely and warm and cosy :) lots of space too! Thank you very much, great experience
A superb and unusual weekend away - we honestly couldn't have chosen much better. Narrowboat Puzzle is a great little find in a quiet part of Ely, yet there are pubs and the town close by. The narrowboat is superbly appointed and spotless, and the owner is very helpful - he spent time explaining local tourist attractions and telling us which restaurants in town were best.
The boat itself has a comfy seating area, a good kitchen with everything you might need (including a coffee pod machine!) and a comfy bed, and a great shower with (very!) hot water. Despite the weather outside we found the boat warm and comfortable and we very much enjoyed all that it had to offer.
One thing to bear in mind - access to the boat involves climbing over another boat and using a number of steps. I would therefore suggest that it isn't ideal for anyone with mobility issues.
My partner and I will definitely be back - this place is amazing.
Fantastic and unusual accommodation. Nestled between two pubs on a quiet river this secluded narrow boat is an amazing choice for staying a night or two on. It has all the amenities you need to cook and live aboard (cooker, oven, mains plugs, TV, a really good shower) with all the quirkiness of living on a boat. I cannot recommend this enough. Parking is available by the pub. A 24 hour Tesco is about 150 meters away. Check-in is easy as the owners live on the next boat.
Fab experience, lovely narrowboat and moored near Restaurants , Teahouse, Art Gallery and Antique Centre and nearby Ely Town Centre.
Warm and gracious welcome by owner Martin .
Peaceful and relaxing setting with comfortable if different accommodation ( mind your head going up the steps the first time- you soon learn!)
Made friends with Fishermen and Geese!
A lovely retreat
We really enjoyed our stay. Two of us but we used both the sofa bed and main bed, both comfortable. We didn’t cook on board as it was only 1 night but there was a good stock of pans, utensils etc. and the place is certainly spotless and cozy for a boat, we both felt very much at home. Location is perfect and because we had 2 beautiful sunny days in January it was ideal and also quiet.