While our London walking tours are a great way to see and learn a lot about the city, Thames River cruises offer a completely different perspective that you might also enjoy - I certainly do!
In this post I am going to review all the different options you have for cruising through London, as well as sharing some of my experiences and top tips.
The most popular type of river cruise is a hop-on hop-off tour, allowing you to stop and get off the boat at various docks on the Thames.
Here are the top cruise services in London:
There are also special cruise services such as Tate to Tate by Thames Clippers, connecting both historic museums by boat.
Alternatively, you might also want to consider a circular loop without any stops, or perhaps a speedboat ride during the summer.
Like many cities, there are also lunch and dinner cruises available on the Thames River.
If you're in North London (where I live), you might want to consider a canal cruise around Little Venice and Camden Lock instead.
Concerned about the price? Check my list of combo packages that include a Thames River cruise for free!
Although I do my best to provide a balanced look at these services, it's important to get other perspectives.
Therefore, I've also included a selection of recommendations from members of our London Travel Tips Facebook group.
HOP-ON-HOP-OFF THAMES RIVER CRUISES
If you’re looking for a boat tour or cruise that will allow you the freedom to explore at your own pace, consider one of the following companies.
Although there aren’t many London boat services that specialize specifically in hop-on-hop-off Thames cruises, there are a few that provide the opportunity to explore London however you wish.
You can choose to purchase one single ride, a cheaper return ticket, or a 24-hour travel pass with unlimited rides.
TIP: Many of these cruises are included for free or at a lower cost with any of the many London tourist attraction passes available to you.
CITY CRUISES
City Cruises is probably the most well-known company offering a basic Thames River cruise. They are also the best value for the money, in my opinion.
City Cruises also offers speedboat tours and lunch and dinner cruises.
City Cruises offers both single tickets (which are fine) and a hop-on-hop-off service with 4 stops between Westminster and Greenwich (which is better).
The hop-on-hop-off ticket is called the River Pass and I bought this one just recently, when the spring weather finally hit London!
I used it to get me from Greenwich and back primarily, but I did make an impromptu stop at London Bridge to grab lunch at Borough Market.
I bought the River Pass, which gave me 24-hour unlimited access to the River on City Cruises Boats.
Even though I'm a tour guide, I enjoy going on other people's tours so I really enjoyed the live commentary on the journeys I took.
I was happy for the 24 hour pass, but if you want more time on the boat, you can get a 72-hour River Pass giving you three days to use the service, rather than the 24-hour pass I bought.
Since the weather was good, I sat on the open-aired top of the boat - but there is inside seating downstairs if the London weather gets a bit wet or chilly.
TIP: City Cruises' hop-on-hop-off service is included for free for holders of a London Pass, a tourist attraction concession card.
Click on the map for a larger view.
Ticket and Reviews
Single-ride tickets vary depending on your starting and ending point.
If you are planning on taking at least two rides, I recommend that you buy a River Pass.
This pass gives you unlimited travel between their piers.
To know more about the tickets, pricing or to buy the tickets, check out our full page on Thames river cruise by City Cruises.
City Cruises sports a 4 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor along with mostly positive reviews.
To read more about the City Cruises reviews, check out the post here.
UBER BOAT BY THAMES CLIPPERS
Thames Clippers is a commuter boat service which, in my opinion, are a vastly underrated way to travel through town.
They offer single-journey tickets, as well as an all-day ticket, that gives you unlimited hop-on, hop-off travel for one day (between 10 am and 11 pm).
This is what I always recommend to my friends and family when they come to visit me in London.
I think it's great value for money and makes travelling through town a little more fun and I take the Uber Boat at least once a month.
One of my favourite things about it is that I can pay using my contactless debit card so there's no need to faff around with tickets!
The Uber Boat is valid in their Central and East Zone lines which include 18 piers including Greenwich, Tower, Westminster, and more. Boats depart every 20 minutes.
Some of the central London landmarks you can get to easily from the Uber Boat piers:
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- Tate Modern
- Covent Garden
- Trafalgar Square
- Borough Market
- National Gallery of Art
- British Museum
- Houses of Parliament
- Churchill War Rooms
- HMS Belfast
- Shakespeare's Globe
- Palace of Westminster
You can download their free audio tour (available in English, Spanish, French, and German) if you are taking the boat for sightseeing purposes, but I feel that the journey is enjoyable even without it.
Also, to the delight of myself and my friends, you can buy alcoholic (and non) refreshments on board.
I can personally recommend the rose' wine they sell, although the pre-mixed cans of Jack Daniels and Coke seemed to be the most popular option the last time I was at the bar.
And prepare yourselves...
The boat travels at a moderate speed through the city but once we passed Tower Bridge, it sped up and I was flying past the docklands toward Canary Wharf!
It's a thrill not everybody on board was expecting.
Uber Boat Ticket Prices and Reviews
To know more about the ticket prices or to purchase the ticket, visit our separate post on Uber Boats Tickets and Reviews.
Thames Clippers has received a 4 out of 5 stars rating on both TripAdvisor and Get Your Guide.
To read more about the reviews of Uber Boats, read our post here.
THAMES RIVER SERVICE
Thames River Services (TRS) offers a variety of guided sightseeing tours that cover several different highlights along the river.
Prices and the length of the trip vary depending on what route you select.
There are a total of six different tours offered out of Westminster, Greenwich, and St. Katharine's Docks (my favourite hidden gem and place to get a drink or bite to eat after finishing my All in One Tour).
I would recommend the Westminster to Greenwich journey to soak up all the sights on the riverfront.
Guests have the option to pay for a one-way ticket or round-trip fare, a 2 days hopper pass, or a hop-on, hop-off ticket (through Circular Cruises).
Reviews
With a 4 ½ out of 5 stars rating on both Yelp and TripAdvisor, TRS is one of the highest-rated cruise companies in London.
To read more about reviews and tickets of TRS cruise, visit our post on Thames River Service (TRS).
Tate to Tate by Thames Clippers
This route on the Thames Clippers service is the "RB2 Tate to Tate".
It takes visitors between the two Tate Museums: the free Tate Modern at Bankside Pier and Tate Britain at Millbank Pier.
I recently took this ride to see the latest exhibition at the Tate Britain.
Boats run every 30 minutes and when I arrived at the pier I just tapped with my contactless card to pay for my journey - like with the Uber boats.
I only needed to wait 10 minutes for the boat and the ride took me 20 minutes so I got across town in a half an hour which is great!
The boats have both outdoor seating but the weather was not great on the day I travelled so I sat indoors.
As this is not a sightseeing boat there is no live commentary, but that wasn't the purpose of my journey so I didn't mind.
You can purchase tickets in advance online from the Tate Shop website, or before you board a boat from a self-serve kiosk on the pier.
You can also use your Oyster card, if you have one, upon boarding the boat.
When you purchase, look for the RB2 service, a central zone ticket price.
Find out more or book tickets here.
Prices (single one-way ticket)
- Adult: One Way - £10.90
- Child 5 to 15: One Way - £5.45
- Children under 5 travel for free
- Adult TfL Travelcard: One Way - £7.30
- Child 5-15 TfL Travelcard: One Way - £3.65
Schedule
For a complete timetable of the RB2 route that stops at both Tates, click here for schedules.
Look for times for Bankside (the Tate Modern) and Millbank (the Tate Britain).
Reviews
The Tate Boat service has been given a 4 ½ star rating on TripAdvisor.
Although it is not a full five stars, the reality is that they haven’t received any negative ratings.
There is only one complaint thus far, and it focuses on the length of time it may take to get tickets onto the boat.
I found that this is no longer a problem as I just used my contactless card so there is no need to wait for tickets these days.
But, even that reviewer suggests that you persevere and use this ferry service to get from Tate to Tate as it was worth the hassle.
Most passengers love this form of transportation, and I find it pretty reliable!
CIRCULAR LOOP THAMES RIVER SIGHTSEEING CRUISES
A circular loop cruise is specifically a river tour of the Thames.
From the boat, you will see many amazing sights such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben.
Most circular loop cruises are about an hour long.
Note that some circular loop cruises are hop-on-hop-off while others allow you to leave the cruise at any pier, but you may not board again.
Thames River Service Circular Cruise
This circular loop cruise allows you to hop on and off whenever you wish so that you can get a better look at the sites located all along the Thames.
The full cruise takes about an hour, but you can embark and disembark at your discretion throughout the day.
This circular cruise will take you past more than a dozen historic locations that are visible from the water.
There is commentary provided along the way to point out significant sights such as Old Scotland Yard or the Houses of Parliament.
To find more information or to purchase tickets, click below.
Ticket Prices
Click here to purchase tickets.
Single Ticket
- £15.50 for Adults
- £12.50 for Children/Freedom Pass Holders
Reviews
This cruise service has been in operation for several years, but they don’t have a lot of reviews.
The few negative reviews say that the tour feels short and that you do not see so many sights.
Mostly though the reviews are positive, saying that the live commentary is very informative and humorous.
Reviews say that the boat ride was relaxing and enjoyable, and well-organized. I haven't taken this one yet myself so we will take their word for it for now!
The London Eye River Cruise
Whether you’re planning to visit the London Eye or you just want a tour around the Thames which focuses on the giant Ferris wheel, this river cruise is a great alternative to other services.
Although the London Eye River Cruise is not as long as other boat tours in the area, it can be a lot more affordable.
This circular loop will take you past locations such as Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London, and the Houses of Parliament.
You can also purchase this as a bundle with your London Eye Tickets which is great for visitors wanting to take a journey on the Ferris wheel.
I've done this in the past and booked online which saved me over £11.00!
TIP: This cruise is also part of the London Explorer Pass, which could save you between 20-50% off of the retail price.
Find out more or purchase tickets here.
Ticket Prices and Reviews:
Prices of the cruise are £19.50 for Adults and £16.50 for Children.
To buy tickets or to know about the Children's offer, operating hours and other details, check out our detailed post on The London Eye River Cruise.
This river cruise company has also earned a 4 ½ out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor.
To read more about the reviews of the London Eye River Cruise, visit our post here.
Sail on a 1920s Barge
Hop aboard a historic wooden Thames Sailing Barge, and enjoy a voyage through history along the Thames.
Lady Daphne was the last wooden sailing barge still working on the Thames - and has recently be replaced by the Sailing Barge "Will."
There are regularly run tours and the ship is also available for private hire.
A fellow tour guide, Jess, and I were lucky enough to take a journey on the Lady Daphne and hope to repeat it with Will in the future!
On our journey, we boarded at Tower Millennium Pier and rode all the way to Greenwich (where we got an awesome view of the Thames Barrier) and back.
But the best part was that we also got to sail under Tower Bridge - and they raised the Bridge just for our boat! We felt like real VIPs.
Check our post for prices and more information.
SPEEDBOAT RIDES
Speedboat rides on the Thames are not a budget option, but they are thrilling - and I find them to be very popular with families who take my walking tour.
Throughout the experience, passengers will alternate between enjoying a leisurely ride along the Thames for sightseeing and a fast-paced thrill ride.
Guests are well protected with waterproof jackets, a life jacket, and goggle-style visors to withstand the thrilling wind speeds they will experience.
Thames RIB Experience
This RIB (Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat) is one of the fastest boats on the Thames, jetting visitors along the river at approximately 30 knots.
Each boat (which only holds up to 12 people) is manned by a guide who provides commentary throughout the journey.
In addition to their longer tour of the Thames, this company also manages three shorter tours of Canary Wharf, and the Tower Millennium Pier.
Ticket prices typically depend upon the length of the boat ride.
Find more information or purchase tickets here.
Ticket Prices & Reviews
This company operates Speedboat rides on three different routes.
These routes are Thames Barrier Experience (75 minutes), Canary Wharf Experience (50 minutes) and Tower RIB Blast (20 minutes).
To know more about the prices or to purchase the tickets, read our post on Thames Speedboat Tours.
The Thames RIB Experience has earned a full 5-star rating on TripAdvisor – and that includes over 2,500 positive reviews.
To know other details about the reviews on Thames RIB experience, read our post here.
Thames Jet by City Cruises
This speedboat service is managed by City Cruises and offers a similar excursion to the RIB Experience I listed above.
They don’t offer as many tours as their competitors, but the Thames Jet is an excellent alternative.
Their Thames Rush speedboat tour is over 50 minutes.
Ticket prices are comparable to similar services, but they also offer family tickets at a concession.
More information or to purchase tickets.
Ticket Prices and Reviews:
Prices are £49 for adults and £39 for Children (15 and under).
To know more about operating hours or to buy tickets, check out our post on Thames River Speedboat Tours.
TripAdvisor has given the Thames Jet service 4 ½ out of 5 stars.
To read more details about the review, check out our post on Thames Jet by City Cruises.
CANAL BOAT RIDES
Operating entirely along the canals that flow through the north of London, a canal ride is a charming way to see parts of London that most tourists miss.
As I live in north London, a canal ride is a yearly tradition of mine!
For a true experience off the beaten path, these relaxing and beautiful rides are a definite must.
Jason's Original Canal Boat Trip
From March to November, you can take a canal boat ride with Jason's Original with live commentary from trained guides.
- One Way: Adult - £18 / Concession £14
- Return: Adult - £23 / Concession £19
Jason’s London Canal Boat Trip is offered as part of the London Pass, which means more savings for you!
This is the company I usually book with as the price is great, the boats are comfortable, and the staff are fantastic.
The last time I went was a beautiful summer day and I boarded in Little Venice and travelled to Camden Lock (where Camden Market is).
On the ride, we passed through Regent's Park and the grounds of London Zoo for some charming views!
It took us just 45 minutes for the one way journey, and I enjoyed live commentary the entire way.
- Adult (17-59 years) £16.00
- Child (5-16 years) £12
- Student 17+ with photo student ID £12
- Senior 60+ years £12
- Toddler (under 3 years) Free
Check their website for more details and to purchase tickets.
LUNCH AND DINNER CRUISES
Sightseeing cruises are nice, but they might not be the best option for business events or dating.
If you’re looking for a more sociable trip along the Thames, consider one of the following Dining Cruises.
In addition to the typical dinner cruise, many companies offer a variety of dining and party cruises, such as tea and showboat cruises, that allow you to enjoy more than just the sights and sounds of London.
To browse a full list of lunch and dinner cruise options by type rather than by company, click here.
City Cruises
Whether you want to go on a cruise with wonderful music and fabulous food, or you just want to have your afternoon tea out on the Thames, City Cruises offers a wide variety of options.
The Jazz Cruise is my favorite! I did this one just a few weeks ago, in fact.
I arrived with a friend about 15 minutes before departure.
When I boarded I was given a glass of sparkling wine to kick things off!
I was shown to our pre-allocated table and then we were free to wander the boat and enjoy the live music.
After being on the water for a bit, we returned to our table for a fantastic 3-course dinner, followed by dancing as the band continued to play.
The whole experience lasted about 3 hours and was worth every penny!
If you order online during the summer, you can save 20% on each dining cruise offered through this company.
Tickets are already quite affordable, so this is an excellent opportunity to save money while having fun out on the water.
Ticket Prices and Reviews
I am lucky because I live in London which means I can take advantage of these tours all year long.
The reason I'm saying this is because their prices fluctuate throughout the year and on different days of the week.
Read our complete post to check out the cheapest price you can expect on your trip.
Most reviewers have given them a 5-star rating, reporting that the food is quite excellent and the cruise itself is very relaxing.
To read more about the reviews, check out our post on Thames River Lunch & Dinner cruise.
There are a lot of boat tours and cruises offered on the Thames, but none of them can show you EVERYTHING worth seeing in London.
To experience more than just the river that runs through this beautiful city, you’ll want to consider combining a cruise with either walking tours or bus tours.
Thankfully, there are a lot of companies in the area that provide combo packages that include many different types of excursions.
These combination packages can be a great way to save money on all kinds of activities!
Big Bus Tours
Big Bus is one of the most popular tour companies in the world.
They offer services internationally and are well known for providing quality service.
Their combo package for London includes a cruise with City Cruises, their hop-on, hop-off bus tour, a selection of guided walking tours, and a promo codes booklet.
Tickets for this combo package can be purchased either for 24 or 48 hours, allowing you to take as much time as you wish to enjoy everything included.
If you’re looking for a combination package that will allow you to discover as much of the city as possible without paying a lot of money, this is a great choice.
Click here for more information or to book.
Ticket Prices & Reviews:
"Discover" 24-Hour Ticket and "Explore" 48 hours tickets are offered by Big Bus Tours.
Read our post to check out the prices and to know about operating hours.
Big Bus Tours of London has a 4-star rating on TripAdvisor. Most reviews are very positive, and comments about this specific combo package tend to be favorable.
To read more about the reviews of Big Bus Tours, read our post here.
This tour service is almost the same as Big Bus Tours.
Much like their competitor, they also offer a Thames River cruise pass through City Cruises.
In recent times, I have found that the Tootbus has become more popular with my visitors than Big Bus Tours and they seem to be getting ever more popular.
You’ll also have access to 80+ stops at attractions all over London on their hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
Ticket prices are very similar, so this might be a great alternative if other combo packages are all sold out.
Ticket Prices and Reviews:
Tickets are available for 24 hours and 48 hours.
To know about the ticket price, hours or to book, read our post here.
Tootbus, once known as the Original London Sightseeing Tour, has received a 4-star rating on TripAdvisor.
A majority of the reviews are positive, but experiences with this tour company are a bit more mixed than other services in the same range.
Read our post to check out complete details about the review of Tootbus tours.
Things to Know When Going on a River Thames Cruise
Do you need to book Thames River Cruises in advance?
You don't necessarily need to, but if you do not book your tickets in advance, then you can get ticket from ticket counters on piers.
Due to limited availability, you may not always get tickets for a particular date or time slot.
As such, it is always advisable to book your cruise tickets in advance.
Note that it depends which boat journey you are going to take as to whether this is needed or not.
I found it worth it to book in advance for the London Eye and Boat bundle as that saved a bunch of money but for my trips on the Uber Boat, I wouldn't - and don't need to.
Where can I catch a Thames River Cruise?
Piers of some popular cruises are listed below:
- City Cruises - Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier, and Greenwich Pier
- Uber Boat by Thames Clippers - Embankment Pier, Westminster Pier, Tower Millennium Pier, London Bridge City Pier, Canary Wharf, Greenwich Pier, North Greenwich Pier
- Thames River Service - Westminster Pier
- Tate to Tate by Thames Clippers - Bankside Pier, Millbank Pier
- Thames River Services' Circular Cruise - Westminster Pier
- London Eye River Cruise - The London Eye pier
- Lady Daphne - Tower Millennium Pier
- Thames RIB Experience - Embankment Pier
- Thames Jet by City Cruises - Westminster Pier
Our Westminster Walking Tour ends within walking distance of the Westminster Pier and our City of London and All in One Tours finish right next to Tower Millennium Pier!
Tips From Locals and Travelers
Assuming you've read all or even just some of this post, you've had the chance to see my personal recommendations when it comes to Thames River cruises.
However, it's important to get a variety of opinions when it comes to these types of services.
Thankfully, many members of our London Travel Tips group on Facebook will offer their own thoughts on these cruise companies, and I've included some of their most helpful suggestions here.
It can get pretty cold in London during the winter, so travelers might be surprised to learn that they actually do keep most of the Thames River cruises open all year.
While it can get cold, pretty much every company uses boats with an indoor area where you can stay warm as you enjoy the ride.
Even so, it is recommended to bundle up during the winter anyways, so you shouldn't be too cold on a river cruise boat as long as you wear warm clothing.
A lot of locals recommend using the Uber Boat, because it's a very easy and consistent service and it offers stops all along the Thames, even in Greenwich.
As you already know, this is my favourite!
The reason this river cruise boat is so popular is because it's often used as transportation by people who live in London, and in fact they rely upon these boats to get to and from work.
Locals also note that you can pay for the Uber Boat by using an Oyster Card, and they offer price cuts for card holders.
Even better, once you get past the Tower Bridge, the boat will speed up and allow you to get around the city much quicker!
If you're wondering whether to take a hop-on hop-off tour on the river or a dinner cruise, it's worth noting that the dinner cruise does not include any commentary.
Travelers who want to learn more about the city while cruising down the Thames might not enjoy the dinner cruise as much, but it's still a great service for anyone who wants to enjoy the view of London as the sun is setting!
Other travelers suggest skipping the dinner cruise and hopping on the speed boat.
As Trish notes, these boats will wait until they are in clear waters and take off at thrilling speeds!
For even more helpful advice, you can always visit our London Travel Tips group on Facebook and ask whatever questions you might have.
