We decided to take the boat tour round Les Hortillonnages after seeing a publicity leaflet in our gite. When we asked about a tour in English we were given a leaflet and told that this would explain everything. NO, it didn't!! It gave a brief overview of Les Hortillonnages, but gave very little detail. The guide spoke only in French - I'm sure we missed lots of interesting information which I would have liked to hear. The boat trip was pleasant, despite some of the other passengers deciding that they had to stand to take photos which meant that they were blocking the view of other people.
It's a reasonable way to spend an hour on a sunny day - if you don't speak French, you'll miss a lot.

Les Hortillonnages are a really nice and unusual place to visit. unfortunately it rained when we were there but that did not stop us. Lovely gardens, we. Chose to walk thought the gardens, you can take a canal ride.

The boatride through the canals is pleasant enough, but the guide we had was unfriendly and unhelpful and did not properly explain the origin of the Hortillonages not how they are used today. He spent most of the trip insinuating how generous some tourists aren giving him tips, etc. and snapped at one of our party when she asked a question about the local fauna and fauna. Don't think he knew too much about that sort of thing, which really interested us. Of course he tried for a tip not too subtly at the end of the visit - he did not get one!

A very relaxed way to spend an hour, silently slipping through the little canals with idiosyncratic dwellings perched on the tiny islands. You can even take your dog!