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💡 Reviews are calculated using the weighted average and aggregate review count from GetYourGuide, Tripadvisor, and Viator. I also include listings that I consider "arbitrary duplicates" of the original ones (e.g. the same cruise during the day vs night).
London Cruise Itinerary
Thames River cruise companies generally start from Westminster Pier and offer two disembarking points at either Tower Bridge Pier or Greenwich. Depending on the ticket tier, you have the option to remain on board and return to the starting point.
Along the way, you'll have the chance to explore sights such as:
- Cutty Sark
- Tower of London
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Tate Modern
- Borough Market
- South Bank Centre
- London Eye
- Big Ben
- Houses of Parliament
- Westminster Bridge
- Royal Festival Hall
- Cleopatra's Needle
- Somerset House
- Millennium Footbridge
- Shakespeare's Globe Monument
- H.M.S. Belfast
1. 🏆 Best Thames Sightseeing Cruise Overall (Thames River Sightseeing)
Pros:
✔️ Best All-Around — This cruise has it all for a complete sightseeing experience.
✔️ Great Ship — Modern, spacious, and well-kept, offering superb views from both decks.
✔️ Audio Guide — Available in 6 languages via smartphone app or listen to live cheeky British humour-infused live commentary.
✔️ Full Thames Curcuit — Covers all the must-see landmarks, from Westminster Bridge through Tower Bridge till the Greenwich.
✔️ Family Friendly - Generous discounts for children, including free tickets for ages 0-4 and 33% for ages 5-15.
Cons:
❌ Requires earbuds — If you'd like to listen to their app, you need to bring your own earbuds.
Summary
Thames River Cruises offers a comprehensive sightseeing experience with an audio guide available in six languages (Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian). However, you must bring your own earbuds to listen on your smartphone.
I recommend the second option: a live commentary infused with British dry humor.
The cruise takes place on a spacious, medium-sized double-decker boat with excellent views from both decks. The top deck has open-air and covered sections for all weather conditions.
The itinerary covers iconic sights from Westminster Palace to London Bridge, extending to Greenwich on the longer trip.
Overall, this cruise offers a high-quality sightseeing experience with no notable downsides, making it my top recommendation.
Before the Cruise
Boarding Area
- Thames River Sightseeing is in a great spot on the Thames at Westminster Pier, next to the London Eye, Big Ben, and Westminster Bridge.
- The boarding area is shared with other companies and has an air-conditioned, weather-proof waiting area with vending machines.
Getting There
- 🗺️ Meeting point: Westminster Pier, Victoria Embankment, London SW1A 2JH, United Kingdom
During The Cruise
The Ship
- The ship you'll board is a double-decker vessel with a 200-person capacity, offering covered or open-air seating, a bar, AC/heating, and live commentary via loudspeakers.
The Lower Deck
- The bottom deck features chairs with tables next to the windows and a small bar. The front section also has standalone chairs, but the relatively small windows do not offer the best views.
The Top Deck
- The upper deck offers 360° panoramic views, with comfortable seating. The deck has both covered indoor and outdoor seats. The seats are oriented towards the front.
Drinks and Snacks
- The ship features a bar section where you can purchase drinks and snacks.
Cruise Itinerary
- Starting from Westminster Pier, this cruise allows passengers to disembark at either Tower Bridge Pier or Greenwich Pier.
Audio Guide
Live Audio Commentary
- There's live English commentary by a crew member on board. The guide is engaging and funny (an expert at using English dry/sarcastic humour), making the tour entertaining and informative.
Downloadable Audio Guide
- Alternatively, you can download an app that provides narration in 6 languages: Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian.
Quick Facts
- 📅 Schedule: Cruises run daily from 10:20 AM to 3:00 PM, departing every hour or so.
- 🕒 Duration: 1 hour (Westminster - Tower Bridge Roundtrip), 2 hours (Westminster - Greenwich Roundtrip)
- 🎟️ Ticket type: Mobile/printed
- 🌐 Wifi: Available ✔️
- 💨 Open air-section: Available ✔️
- ❄️/🌡️ Aircon: Available ✔️
- 🐶 Animals: Not allowed (except service animals) ❌
- 🚬 Smoking: Not allowed ❌
- ♿ Wheelchair accessible: Accessible ✔️
- 🚻 Restroom: Available ✔️
- 👶 Baby stroller accessible: Accessible ✔️
- % Children discounts: free for infants (age 0–4), 9.90£ tickets (age 5–15)
2. 🥈 Runner-Up Thames Sightseeing Cruise (London Eye)
Summary
The London Eye's boat tour is a fantastic choice for a leisurely Thames cruise.
Enjoy a live commentary that's as witty and cheeky as Thames River Sightseeing's, adding a delightful touch to your journey.
This tour also boasts an audio guide in 10 languages (Spanish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Traditional Chinese). Keep in mind, there's one device for every four seats on the top deck, and you'll need to bring your own earphones.
Cruise on a medium-sized double-decker boat with superb views from both decks. The bottom deck is spacious, but the top deck is the place to be, unless it rains.
The itinerary showcases iconic sights from Westminster Palace to Tower Bridge.
Overall, this tour offers a stellar sightseeing experience, with the only drawback being that it doesn't extend to Greenwich.
Before the Cruise
Waiting Area
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- London Eye Cruises kicks off at the London Eye Waterloo Pier, opposite of Westminster Pier.
- The boarding area is shared with other companies and has an air-conditioned, weather-proof waiting area with vending machines.
Getting There
- 🗺️ Meeting point: 30 The Queen's Walk, London SE1 7PB, UK
During The Cruise
The Ship
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- The ship you'll board is a double-decker vessel, offering covered or open-air seating, a bar, AC/heating, and live commentary or smartphone audio guide app.
The Lower Deck
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- This deck features rows of chairs equipped with audio guide devices for your earbuds and a small bar. The atmosphere is cozy, and the chairs are comfortable.
The Top Deck
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- The top deck provides 360° views with open-air seating only. I found the seats to be uncomfortable.
Drinks and Snacks
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- Onboard, there is a bar section offering soft drinks and snacks for purchase.
Cruise Itinerary
- Departing from London Eye Pier, passengers can choose to get off at Tower Bridge Pier, with no stop at Greenwich.
Audio Guide
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Built-in Audio Guide
- Available if you bring your own earbuds, but there are too few devices on the top deck (one device built into the sidewall for every four seats). On the bottom deck, there's a device for each seat.
- The audio guide is available in 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Czech, Dutch, Hindi, Italian, Polish, and Portuguese.
Live Audio Guide
- Alternatively, there's expert commentary provided by a professional and knowledgeable guide. The guide is cheeky and engaging, enhancing the experience.
Quick Facts
- 📅 Schedule: Cruises run daily from 10:45 AM to 5:45 PM, departing every hour or so.
- 🕒 Duration: 60 minutes (Westminster Bridge - Tower Bridge round trip)
- 🎟️ Ticket type: Mobile/printed
- 🌐 Wifi: Not available ❌
- 💨 Open-air section: Available ✔️
- ❄️/🌡️ Aircon: Available ✔️
- 🐶 Animals: Not allowed (except service animals) ❌
- 🚬 Smoking: Not allowed ❌
- ♿ Wheelchair accessible: Accessible ✔️
- 🚻 Restroom: Available ✔️
- 👶 Baby stroller accessible: Not allowed ❌
- % Children discounts: free for infants (age 0–1), -33% tickets (age 2–15)
3. Also-Great Thames Sightseeing Cruise (London City Cruises)
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Summary
London City Cruises offers a sightseeing experience comparable to the leading cruises, featuring the same itinerary and similar double-decker boats.
They provide an audio guide app available in 13 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, and Spanish.
One major advantage is their hop-on-hop-off feature, which means you can use it as much as you want within a 24-hour period.
Starting from Waterloo London Eye Pier, you could cruise over to Tower Bridge, explore the area, and the next day head down to Greenwich and back. It's a great way to save some money.
One big cons is the metal seating on the top deck. It was uncomfortable and my back was hurting. The padded chairs on the lower deck were perfect though.
Heads up: they have a variety of ships, so make sure you get on the right one. Avoid the catamaran since it doesn't have a top deck.
Before the Cruise
Waiting Area
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- As with Thames River Sightseeing, London City Cruises is at Westminster Pier, next to the London Eye, Big Ben, and Westminster Bridge.
- The boarding area is shared with other companies and has an air-conditioned, weather-proof waiting area with vending machines.
Getting There
- 🗺️ Meeting point: Westminster Pier, London SW1A 2JH, United Kingdom
During The Cruise
The Ship
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- Like the previous cruises, the ship you'll board is a double-decker vessel with indoor covered and open-air seating, a bar, AC/heating, and live commentary performed by a crew member or a pre-recorded commentary through a smartphone app.
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- Please note that City Cruises has a large fleet with various ships, so you might not board the same type of boat I tested. I don't recommend boarding the catamaran ship as it doesn't have a top deck.
The Lower Deck
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- The bottom deck has two rows of tables and chairs next to the windows, with a middle row that has minimal views. The chairs are comfortable, and the indoor space is cozy.
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Upper Deck
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- The boat offers unobstructed 360° views. The top deck has open-air seats facing the front. The metal seating was uncomfortable and my back was hurting.
Drinks and Snack Bar
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- Onboard, there is a bar section offering soft drinks and snacks for purchase.
Cruise Itinerary
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- Setting off from Westminster Pier, passengers have the option to disembark at either Tower Bridge Pier or Greenwich Pier.
Audio Guide
Live Audio Guide
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- Exactly the same as with other cruise companies, there is live English commentary provided by a crew member onboard. The guide is engaging and funny, using dry/sarcastic English humor expertly to make the tour entertaining and informative.
App-Based Audio Guide
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- Alternatively, you can download an app that provides narration in 13 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, and Spanish.
Quick Facts
- 📅 Schedule: Cruises run daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- 🕒 Duration: 30 minutes (Westminster Pier - Tower Bridge), 1 hour (Westminster - Greenwich), 2 hours (Greenwich roundtrip)
- 🎟️ Ticket type: Mobile/printed
- 🌐 Wifi: Not available ❌
- 💨 Open-air section: Available ✔️
- ❄️/🌡️ Aircon: Available ✔️
- 🐶 Animals: Not allowed (except service animals) ❌
- 🚬 Smoking: Not allowed ❌
- ♿ Wheelchair accessible: Accessible ✔️
- 🚻 Restroom: Available ✔️
- 👶 Baby stroller accessible: Allowed ✔️
- % Children discounts: free for infants (age 0–4), -10€ from ticket price (age 5–15)
4. Speedboat Cruise London (Thames Rockets)
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Summary
Thames Rockets is one of the leading speedboat companies in London, so naturally I had to test them.
If you're up for an adrenaline-packed adventure, London's speedboats are a must-try.
These sleek vessels zoom along the Thames at thrilling speeds of up to 30 knots (55 km/h), making them perfect for those who find traditional sightseeing cruises too sedate.
You'll stay (sort of) dry and very safe thanks to the waterproof jackets provided and metal guard rails to hold onto.
(Not that you'll ever be in danger of flying out of the boat, haha.)
Your journey starts from the London Eye Waterloo Pier, heading down to Greenwich before returning to the starting point. Along the way, you'll switch between leisurely cruising and heart-pounding speedboat mode. Their ride lasts a comfortable 50 minutes.
Before the Cruise
Waiting Area
- This cruise kicks off at the the London Eye Waterloo Pier, right next to the London Eye. The boarding area is shared with other companies and has an air-conditioned, weather-proof waiting area with vending machines. Thames Rockets is at the very end of the pier.
Safety
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- Inflatable life jackets are provided in case of an emergency. Nothing too surprising here.
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- Onboard, you will be seated in a comfortable padded seat with metal handles to hold. Even during the speedy parts, there was never any real danger of falling out or hitting yourself during a hard break.
Getting There
- 🗺️ Meeting point: The London Eye Millennium Pier, London SE1 7PB, United Kingdom
During The Cruise
The Ship
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- Thames Rocket's speedboat has a 12-person capacity, with comfortable seats equipped with safety handes to hold onto.
Cruise Itinerary
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- Starting at London Eye Pier, this cruise takes passengers down to Canary Wharf and back.
Live Commentary by Skipper
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- The cruise offers live English commentary in a cheeky, English humor style, making the tour both entertaining and informative.
Slow vs. Speedy Parts
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- The initial part of the cruise proceeds at an enjoyable, leisurely pace, accompanied by live guided commentary, until the boat passes the Tower Bridge. Then the fun begins!
- Once we crossed Tower Bridge, the skipper finally put the pedal to the metal! It was thrilling to speed along the Thames with the beautiful British cityscape all around us. This part lasts until Greenwich, with short breaks between the high-speed periods.
- This a fun activity especially for families and with friends.
Quick Facts
- 📅 Schedule: Cruises run daily from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
- 🕒 Duration: 50 minutes
- 🎟️ Ticket type: Mobile/printed
- 🌐 Wifi: Not available ❌
- 💨 Open-air section: Available ✔️
- ❄️/🌡️ Aircon: Not available ❌
- 🐶 Animals: Not allowed (except service animals) ❌
- 🚬 Smoking: Not allowed ❌
- ♿ Wheelchair accessible: Not accessible ❌
- 🚻 Restroom: Not available
- 👶 Baby stroller accessible: Not accessible❌
- % Children discounts: 12€ discount (age 0–14)
5. Speedboat Cruise London (Thames Ribs)
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Summary
Thames Ribs is another premier speedboat operator in London, offering an exhilarating way to experience the city's iconic river.
For those seeking a heart-racing adventure on the water, Thames Ribs delivers an unforgettable ride at impressise speeds, similar to Thames Rockets.
Again, safety is a top priority, with life jackets provided to keep you from meeting the Great Almighty before your time. Sturdy handrails offer additional peace of mind as you zoom along the river's twists and turns.
Depending on your chosen experience, your aquatic journey launches from either Embankment Pier or Tower Bridge Pier.
Thames Ribs offers two speedboat options: an extended 70-minute cruise which includes a visit to the Thames Barrier, or a condensed 40-minute ride for a quick but intense Thames adventure until Greenwich.
The tour alternates between calm cruising and pulse-pounding high-speed runs. During these faster segments, prepare for thrilling sideways maneuvers that amp up the excitement and give you a true taste of the boat's capabilities.
An engaging guide provides live commentary throughout the trip, sharing fascinating tidbits about London's riverside landmarks.
Before the Cruise
Waiting Area
- This cruise kicks off at the the Embankment Pier (not to be confused with Westminster Pier!). The boarding area is shared with other companies and has an air-conditioned, weather-proof waiting area with vending machines.
Safety
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- Inflatable life jackets are provided in case of an emergency. Metal safety handles are located at every seat that you can hold onto, unless you want to go for a swim in the Thames.
Getting There
- 🗺️ Meeting point: Embankment Pier, WC2N 6NU, London WC2N 6PA, United Kingdom
During The Cruise
The Ship
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- Thames Ribs' speedboat has a 12-person capacity with comfortable seats equipped with safety handles. Essentially, it is identical to the speedboat offered by Thames Rockets but with a different look and feel.
Cruise Itinerary
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- Starting at Embankment Pier, this cruise takes passengers down to the Thames Barrier and back.
Live Commentary by Skipper
- This speedboat cruise offers a live English commentary in a typically cheeky, English humor style, making the tour both entertaining and informative. I didn't notice much difference between this and previous speedboat I tested.
Slow vs. Speedy Parts
- Similarly as before, the initial part of the cruise proceeds at an enjoyable, leisurely pace, accompanied by live guided commentary, until the boat passes the Tower Bridge. Our guide provided commentary all through the trip when we were passing by some interesting sight, not just in the beginning.
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- Like with the Thames Rockets, things got exciting after Tower Bridge. The fast ride, with quick breaks, lasted until the Thames Barrier (a unique sight!) vs. turning around at Greenwich.
- It's a fun way to see London, great for friends and families who like a bit of adventure with their sightseeing.
Quick Facts
- 📅 Schedule: Cruises run daily from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
- 🕒 Duration: 70 minutes (40 minute shorter version also available)
- 🎟️ Ticket type: Mobile/printed
- 🌐 Wifi: Not available ❌
- 💨 Open-air section: Available ✔️
- ❄️/🌡️ Aircon: Not available ❌
- 🐶 Animals: Not allowed (except service animals) ❌
- 🚬 Smoking: Not allowed ❌
- ♿ Wheelchair accessible: Not accessible ❌
- 🚻 Restroom: Not available ❌
- 👶 Baby stroller accessible: Not accessible❌
- % Children discounts: 11€ discount (age 2–13)
6. Thames River Lunch Cruise (London City Cruises)
Summary
The name says it all!
Enjoy a tasty lunch cruise along the Thames. You'll have tea with sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, cakes, and unlimited tea and coffee.
While cruising, listen to interesting audio commentary using City Cruises' app, available in 13 languages, or hear live English commentary.
This relaxing 1.5-hour trip goes from Tower Bridge to the Houses of Parliament.
Before the Cruise
Waiting Area
- This cruise kicks off at the the Tower Millenium Pier, next to Tower Bridge.
- The boarding area is shared with other companies and has an air-conditioned, weather-proof waiting area with vending machines.
Getting There
- 🗺️ Meeting point: Lower Thames St, London EC3N 4DT, UK
During The Cruise
The Ship
- The ship you'll board is a double-decker vessel with 200-person capacity that offers indoor seats at tables and open-air seating options on the top deck, AC/heating and audio guide commentary via smartphone.
Food and Drinks
- Enjoy traditional English tea with sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, cakes, and unlimited tea and coffee. You can also buy drinks at the bar.
Cruise Itinerary
- Embarking from Tower Bridge Pier, this cruise offers a roundtrip journey to Westminster Pier.
Bottom Deck
- The bottom deck includes tables and chairs next to the windows and a middle row with seating facing the sides, offering minimal views.
Top Deck
- Like the sightseeing cruise of London City Cruises, the top deck features 360° views with front-facing open-air seats.
Audio Guide
Live Audio Guide
- This cruise is run by City Cruises, the audio guide options are the same as on their sightseeing cruise.
- As with previous cruises, this one also offers live English commentary by an engaging guide.
App-Based Audio Guide
- Alternatively, you can download an app that provides narration in 13 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, and Spanish.
Quick Facts
- 📅 Schedule: Cruises run daily 3:30 PM.
- 🕒 Duration: 90 minutes
- 🎟️ Ticket type: Mobile/printed
- 🌐 Wifi: Not available ❌
- 💨 Open-air section: Available ✔️
- ❄️/🌡️ Aircon: Available ✔️
- 🐶 Animals: Not allowed (except service animals) ❌
- 🚬 Smoking: Not allowed ❌
- ♿ Wheelchair accessible: Accessible ✔️
- 🚻 Restroom: Available ✔️
- 👶 Baby stroller accessible: Allowed ✔️
- % Children discounts: free for infants (age 0–2), -12€ tickets (age 3–15)