England · THAMES RIVER CRUISES
The river is the cheapest sightseeing in the city and the only angle that puts the whole skyline in one frame. These 15 cover the scheduled hop-on boats, the speedboats and the dinner sailings, priced and clear about how long each runs.
Board at London Eye Pier for a 50-minute Thames Rockets ride with up to 12 passengers. Your guide, perhaps Sofia, Jack, or Leoni, mixes London stories and British music with fast runs near Canary Wharf, sharp turns, and close views of Tower Bridge.
“Lots of fun! Great tour guide, James, very knowledgeable and funny, and fun captain as well. Would recommend for a fun way to see highlight along the Thames!”
See London from an open-top double-decker bus on three routes covering Westminster, Buckingham Palace, the Tower, St Paul’s, Kensington, and King’s Cross. Your pass also includes a Thames sightseeing cruise, audio commentary, children’s commentary, and an app for tracking buses and finding stops.
“Tootbus locations not well signed. Poor directions given by attendants. Very complicated process. Would not choose this hop on hop off in the future.”
Sail east from Westminster Pier to Greenwich in about an hour, passing Big Ben, the London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. Live commentary adds context, while multilingual smartphone audio is available. Disembark at Greenwich to visit the Cutty Sark, market, museums, park, and observatory.
“Great trip up/down the Thames. We did the return trip, despite it being freezing above deck the delicious mulled wine went down a treat. Great commentary during the trip and we both enjoyed it.”
Board at Westminster Pier for an approximately three-hour evening cruise past the London Eye, St. Paul’s, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, and the Thames Flood Barrier. You’ll receive a welcome drink, set three-course dinner, live music, and dancing, with VIP seating and canapés available.
“The cruise and staff were good. Main course was good. Would have preferred a choice in food. I looked on the reservation and didn’t see a place to put dietary restrictions. It was difficult to find which pier boat left from.”
Use Uber Boat by Thames Clippers as a scenic one-way ride between Battersea Power Station and Barking Riverside. Your mobile ticket covers one journey, with indoor, covered outdoor, and air-conditioned seating. There is a small onboard café, but no guided commentary, so bring the digital River Guide.
“I bought a ticket online which I was not able to get from the app I pay full money but when I reach the place they didn’t let me in so my money was waste”
Use a 24-hour City Cruises pass to sail between Westminster, London Eye, Tower, and Greenwich piers. Sit in the glass saloon or open deck, hear onboard commentary, and hop off for sights along the Thames. Check return times carefully, since the final boat can leave early.
“Smooth and easy; informative overview; easy access, polite staff and comfortable trip. Live commentary was excellent”
Set out from Tower Pier at 11:45 a.m. for a 90-minute Thames cruise past the Tower of London, The Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe, London Eye, HMS Belfast, and Westminster. Your fixed table comes with a two-course lunch, tea, and coffee. Drinks cost extra, and commentary may be live or recorded.
“Would recommend this lunch cruise and is value for money excellent service lovely trip down the Thames”
Board City Cruises at Tower Pier for a 90-minute afternoon tea sailing past the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, and Westminster. You’ll have a guaranteed table, unlimited tea or coffee, finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and optional drinks from the bar.
“Such a shame to pay over £300 for a family cruise with a cream team which didn’t live up to expectations. The food was very poor quality for a cream team and we didn’t eat much of it. We asked to take what we hadn’t eaten away in a box as it felt wasteful to leave. We were not allowed but were told we could put it into disposable coffee cups. Sadly that didn’t really work and everything ended up squashed. The boat broke down, which I’m sure is just one of those things. Once it got started again, after 35 minutes we ended up whizzing through the tour. I…”
Use one day of unlimited Uber Boat by Thames Clippers travel between Putney and Barking Riverside. Board at Westminster, Tower, Greenwich, or other piers, then hop off for sights such as the London Eye, Tower of London, Tate Modern, and Cutty Sark. Bring your mobile ticket and allow time for activation.
“Great time all the themes river in the middle of the night seeing all the lights in London and its greatest moments”
Board City Cruises at Tower Pier at 6:30 pm for a two-hour Thames sailing toward Westminster and back. Expect one glass of sparkling wine or a soft drink, light canapés, live music, and views of Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, the Shard, HMS Belfast, and Canary Wharf.
“The 2 hour river cruise was fabulous from start to finish. Excellent service from all the staff, very professional, aswell as being friendly. The entertainment was also excellent providing an beautiful atmosphere for all on board. A great way to see so many sights along the Thames. Thank you for making our trip very memorable.”
Join a professional skipper and comic guide for a 45-minute RIB ride from central London. Expect Tower Bridge, Greenwich, the O2 and Thames Barrier, plus 35 mph runs, sharp turns, wave jumps, music and a small group capped at 12 people.
“Fantastic ride. Very friendly staff. Excellent commentary from Ross. Brilliant ride. Highly recommended.”
See central London from an open-top double-decker on 24-, 48-, or 72-hour passes. Ride three routes to landmarks including Westminster, St Paul’s, the Tower, Kensington, Notting Hill, King’s Cross, and the British Museum. Use the Tootbus app for tracking, commentary, and four walking tours.
“We waited 2 hours for a Tootbus bus to come, and our group is seniors. Some with challenges walking. To stand 2 hours! There is too much to write pls get ahold of me, as I want my money back. Horrible day. Group not happy. [email protected]. Thanks Lesley BR10870802015”
Explore the Tower of London with an English-speaking guide, see the Crown Jewels, White Tower, ravens, and historic prison spaces, then use a flexible one-way Thames cruise ticket. Guides such as Peadar, Ariana, Warren, and Adrian are praised for turning royal history into lively stories.
“Stephen, our guide was very knowledgeable and courteous. He thoroughly educated us about the tower of London.”
See central London from a 1960s open-top double-decker bus, then cruise the Thames from Tower Pier past the Tower, London Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, and the London Eye. Guides such as John, Lisa, Magnus, and Alan bring the route to life. Add fish and chips at a central pub.
“Great way to get acclimated to the city and then decide what you want to see! Loved it and learned quite a bit. Recommend to people who have not visited London before!”
Cruise the Thames between Westminster, the London Eye, Tower, and Greenwich piers on a flexible City Cruises ticket. Expect landmark views, live commentary or app narration, a cafe bar, and roughly 30-minute sailing legs. Check the timetable closely, since flexible does not mean any-time boarding.
“There are actual boarding times that are not provided on the tickets or email communication. You cannot just drop by whenever you want. We were under the impression that this would be a round-trip that would take, in total, one to two hours. We got on board at the London Eye. We took a half hour journey to the Tower of London pier. Unfortunately, it started to pour and all the guests ended up on the bottom floor, so as to be covered. Unfortunately, the tour guide remained on the top floor, and we could not hear any of his commentary. When we stopped at the Tower of London, the…”
Pick a city, a castle or a coach out of town.
