Explore the Grand
Explore Elora, the Gorge & Waters Beyond.
2019 Ontario Business Achievement Award Nominee
We are thrilled to have received an OBAA nomination for Tourism & Hospitality from the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce! This award recognizes a business's hard work and accomplishments across the travel industry and an acknowledgement for outstanding customer satisfaction.
Criteria:
Tour the Grand River in Grand Style
Elora Raft Rides is honoured that travel writer Melody Wren chose to feature our operation in the sister magazine of the Canadian Yachting Magazine entitled Waypoints Global!
To date, this article is the most detailed and comprehensive coverage of our initial Punt Ride operation launched in 2014 and we take our hats off to Ms. Wren's commendable journalistic initiative and superbly written experienced-based description of our unique adventures. We look forward to Sharing the River with You on many more occasions, Melody Wren.
Ontario's Best Road Trip: Small Town Escape
A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC article has just been published featuring a Musical Punt Ride with our local Juno Award winner Stephen Richards and artist Rachel Ryle from New York. Many thanks to everyone involved, we are honoured and grateful indeed!
Feature on AMI Television
Victoria Nolan and Alex Smyth report from "Ontario’s Most Beautiful Village," Elora, Ont., where they explore the town and get out on the water.
Elora Raft Rides feature at 21:45
Beneath the Plaid: There's More to Elora
For those who want to combine Elora’s history, scenic beauty and the Grand River consider a "punt" tour. These 20-foot English-style punts, hand-crafted by Ken Thompson, are similar to gondolas. Thompson’s company, Elora Raft Rides offers guided or self-piloted options as well as a myriad of customizations from white water to twilight tours to specialty (add a musician, a historian — or a picnic basket!) to eco-cruising (400 million year old fossils, anyone?) Thompson notes that the flat-bottomed punts are manageable for seniors and stringent safety precautions are in place. Ken’s sincere passion for Elora’s history presents a unique opportunity to spend some time on the river.
Fergus and Elora’s Grand River draws adventurers and fishermen
In his Elora workshop, Ken Thompson is getting ready for the season, preparing one of his boats — a sleek, flat-hulled wooden river punt — to be launched soon, when the river is calmer. Thompson’s Elora Raft Rides offers a variety of ways to experience the Grand, only one of which is a leisurely tour of the river on this boat, the Maid of the Falls — the flagship of his fleet.
Enjoy small-town charm in Elora, Ontario – the ultimate list of things to do in Elora
If riding a bicycle isn’t your style, then how about a leisurely raft ride? In the calm section of the Grand River, captains of the punt boats – a flat-bottomed, square boat – take patrons on a leisurely cruise along the water while learning about the wildlife of the Grand and the history of Elora.
Canada's Top 10 Hidden Romantic Spots
This scenic village is famous for its spectacular gorge with 80 foot limestone cliffs that descend into the Grand and Irvine Rivers. Explore the area on walking trails, zip line across the gorge or take a tube ride down the rivers. You can also celebrate summer at one of Canada's best music festivals held here every July.
Romantic pairing: Create a tailor-made romantic cruise just for two on the Grand River at Elora Raft Rides.
Top 25 Must-Try Canadian Eco-Adventures of 2018
This is white-water rafting like you’ve never experienced it before. Climb on into your one-man, self-steered cata-raft, called a RiverBug. You are guided down the Grand River on a three-hour trip, where you will encounter 36 sets of white-water rapids, a waterfall, and a whole lot of beautiful views. Your local guide makes your trip complete with a low down on the unique culture, geology and wildlife in the surrounding area. It’s the perfect adventure for both seasoned and nice white-water enthusiasts.
Nominated for Award of Excellence by Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce
Elora Raft Rides has been nominated for Award of Excellence by the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, in the categories of cultural, arts, and tourism impact.
We are honoured to have been nominated for this local business award and wish to thank Diane Cook of Travel Professional International for nominating us this year!
2018 Luxury Travel Guide Award Winner
We are delighted to announce that Elora Raft Rides has been chosen as a winner in the 2018 Luxury Travel Guide Awards and has been given the distinction of being the Water Sports Company of the Year in the category of The Americas for a second year running. Elora Raft Rides wants to thank its anonymous nominator and the judges of LTG Awards for choosing us for this prestigious Award and to extend its sincere gratitude to all who have supported Elora Raft Rides once more - our volunteers, staff, advisors, agents, associates, officials, customers, friends and kin. Thank you one and all!
Winner in Canada's 24 Best Eco-Adventures in 2017
Elora Raft Rides has been selected and featured as one of Canada's 24 Best Eco-Adventures in 2017 by Canada's 2nd largest online travel company, FLIGHT NETWORK. At no cost to us, Flight Network is currently promoting Elora Raft Rides on their website (with over +250K monthly readers), on its social media channels, through travel writers' blogs, journalists at national and local newspapers, the Huffington Post, and email marketing; and we are delighted that Elora Raft Rides has been honoured in this way in Canada's Centennial Year.
Many thanks to Matthew Greenspan, Content Marketing Director of Flight Network, for selecting us!
Escape to Elora for a day of adventure with river rides and quarry glory
We were thrilled to have Jonathan from the The Toronto Star enjoy the all new River Bug White Water Rafting ride. Here are just a few of the great lines from the article:
"I kick my legs as I float down the Grand River with flippers fastened to my feet and webbed gloves snug around my wrists. I feel like a duck."
"I'm in a one-man inflatable cata-raft (catamaran raft) called a "RiverBug," with my feet dangling below the surface like propellers as I drift with the whitewater."
"In my wetsuit, I can barely feel the frigid water. All I feel is my gut drop as I approach a series of waterfalls."
"Though much of the ride down the river is calm, the rapids and small waterfalls are intense."
"...my stomach is aflutter but I'm fired up. I feel like I could take on a beast."
About to do something crazy with @EloraRaftRides. Ever heard of riverbugging? 🌊 This is the only spot in North America to do it! @eftourism pic.twitter.com/E0kzrxaVVF
— Brandon Sousa (@brandon_sousa) June 30, 2017
Before and after riding through the rapids in Elora with @EloraRaftRides 🌊 You gotta try riverbugging! @eftourism #adventure #travel pic.twitter.com/RcwagW3z0E
— Brandon Sousa (@brandon_sousa) June 30, 2017
Runnin' through the rapids with my woes (I mean with @EloraRaftRides) 🌊🚣♀️ Thanks @eftourism for setting this up! What a great adventure! pic.twitter.com/bPYxvyTC26
— Brandon Sousa (@brandon_sousa) June 30, 2017
2017 Luxury Travel Guide Award Winner
Exciting NEWS - I am delighted to announce that Elora Raft Rides has been chosen as a WINNER in the 2017 Luxury Travel Guide Awards and has been given the distinction of being the WATER SPORTS COMPANY OF THE YEAR in the category of The Americas...
According to LUXURY TRAVEL GUIDE AWARDS Program :
"The awards program selects winners based on their achievements and strengths in the travel industry. Only the most deserving firms and individuals walk away with one of these prestigious accolades and gain a place in our awards winners' guide, which will be distributed to over half a million subscribers alongside our printed distribution which will see over 250,000 hard copies sent to luxury hotels, cruise ships and airport lounges across the world." "We received an overwhelming number of superb nominations this year and the judging panel had the unenviable task of selecting those firms, teams and individuals within each category most worthy of an award … therefore, to come out as a clear winner is an achievement to be proud of".
Honoured to win the title of Water Sports Company of the Year in the America's 2017 Awards, ELORA RAFT RIDES wants to thank the judges of LTG Awards for choosing us for this prestigious Award and to extend its sincere gratitude to all who have supported Elora Raft Rides once more - my volunteers, advisors, agents, associates, officials, customers, friends and kin. Thank you One & All!