London Boat Tours: 4 Beautiful Thames Cruises Worth Taking

London Boat Tours: Routes, Options & Tickets

Before we dive into our favorite Thames cruises, here’s a quick rundown of the most important info for each tour.

This way you can see at a glance which boat tour suits you best.

If you’re also planning to ride the Hop-on/Hop-off Bus in London, definitely check out the combo ticket options. Every provider lets you bundle the bus tour with a river cruise — a great way to cover more ground in one go!

London Boat Tours on a Map

To help you get a better sense of where each London boat tour starts and how far it goes, we’ve mapped out all the routes below.

The Classic: London Thames Boat Tour from Westminster to Tower Bridge

If it’s your first time in London, the classic Thames cruise is the perfect place to start.

The ride from Westminster Pier to Tower Bridge takes just half an hour, but you’ll pass a ton of landmarks along the way — St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern, The Shard, the Tower of London, and of course Tower Bridge itself. Seriously impressive for just £14!

By the way: The piers along the Thames are super easy to reach by public transit. To use London’s public transportation, you can either get an Oyster Card or use the tap system.

You can enjoy the river cruise either up on deck or inside the cabin. Below deck you’ll also find restrooms and a small bar for snacks and drinks.

Throughout the ride, the captain delivers live commentary about London’s landmarks — with a healthy dose of British humor thrown in.

Our take: The classic Thames cruise should absolutely be part of your London itinerary. If you’re planning to visit Tower Bridge or The Shard anyway, it’s easy to combine the two. The boat drops you at Tower Bridge, from where you can stroll along the waterfront to The Shard — and grab dinner near Borough Market, our favorite market in London.

Book tickets for the classic Thames cruise in London

The Long Thames Boat Tour: From Westminster to Greenwich

This tour follows the same route as the classic cruise, but instead of stopping at Tower Bridge, it keeps going for another 30 minutes all the way to Greenwich.

For £17 — just £3 more — you get twice the time on the water and a lot more to see. As you head toward Greenwich, the city gradually quiets down and you drift past the old docklands and historic harbor facilities.

But the real bonus of those extra 30 minutes: you arrive in a neighborhood that’s well worth exploring on its own. In Greenwich, you can visit the Prime Meridian (not sure what that is? Check out point #3 in our London insider tips).

You can choose between a one-way ticket or a round trip — if you go for the round trip, you’re free to pick whichever return time works best for you.

Our take: If Greenwich is already on your list, this is the perfect way to get there in style. Short on time? We’d stick with the classic Thames cruise instead.

Book the boat tour from Westminster to Greenwich

For Adrenaline Junkies: Speedboat Tour on the Thames

If the other river cruises feel a little too relaxed for your taste, the speedboat tour is what you’re looking for.

The boat departs from London Eye Pier and starts out at a gentle pace, gliding past landmarks like the London Eye, The Shard, and the Tower of London while your guide shares funny anecdotes about each one. That’s the calm part.

Then the captain hits the throttle — and the real fun begins. The boat rockets across the Thames at full speed, the landmarks blurring into the background as you hang on and grin.

At £60 for a 50-minute round trip, it’s not cheap — but it really is a one-of-a-kind experience on the water.

Our take: Totally worth it for anyone who wants more than just a leisurely cruise past the sights. We’d recommend doing it in summer during London’s best travel season — you’re sitting outside and fully exposed to the wind, which can get pretty cold in winter.

Book tickets for the Thames speedboat experience

For Food Lovers: Culinary Thames Cruises in London

And finally, something for the foodies. On the culinary London Thames tours, great food comes with the views — no need to choose.

Here are our three favorite culinary boat tours in London:

Dinner Cruise on the Thames with Cabaret Show

On the dinner cruise, you’ll enjoy a 4-course meal and a cabaret show over three hours on the water, cruising all the way to the Thames Barrier and back. All of this for £92.

Book the Thames dinner cruise with cabaret show

Evening Cruise with Sparkling Wine and Canapés

The two-hour evening cruise is a much more wallet-friendly option at £39. You’ll sip sparkling wine and enjoy delicious canapés while the city’s highlights drift by at sunset — with live music to set the mood.

Book the evening cruise with sparkling wine and canapés

Afternoon Tea Cruise

It doesn’t get more quintessentially British than this. For £50, you’ll be served tea, sandwiches, cake, and pastries while spending 1.5 hours on the Thames. Honestly, a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Book the afternoon tea cruise on the Thames
Our take: If you want to be fully pampered on your London boat tour, the culinary options are a fantastic choice. The two evening tours are especially magical — you get to see London’s landmarks in a completely different light, quite literally.

Our Tip: London Boat Tours with a London Pass

If you’re planning to get a city pass for your trip anyway, it’s worth taking a closer look at what’s included. The London Explorer Pass by Go City and the London City Pass both include the classic Thames cruise, while the London Pass gets you a boat tour through Little Venice.

For a full breakdown of which pass gives you the best value, check out our detailed comparison article.

Compare all London Pass options