The 15 River Cruises in London That Earn Their Price

1.Westminster to Greenwich River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22,836 reviews · 1 - 2 hours · from $22Our pick

Travel by boat from Westminster to Greenwich in about an hour, passing Parliament, the London Eye, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. Expect lively English commentary from the crew, with a smartphone audio guide in six languages. Choose one way or return, then walk to Greenwich Market, the Cutty Sark, and the Royal Observatory.

“A great experience! The crew was amazing especially the live commentary they gave us.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.London Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10,803 reviews · 3 hours 35 minutes (approx.) · from $39

Ride Big Bus London’s open-top double-decker through three routes linking Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s, Notting Hill, and the British Museum. Use the 24-hour or 48-hour pass to hop off at major sights, or stay aboard for the full circuit. Select options include a Thames cruise, walking tours, and an evening panoramic ride.

“Good tour - took us off the normal tourist path! Gave good history of city! Always fun on big bus! Take the bus 😃”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Tootbus Hop-on Hop-off (Optional River Cruise)

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 7,045 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $47

See London by Tootbus across 24, 48, or 72 hours, with open-top routes linking Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s, Soho, and more. Use the app for live bus locations, audio commentary, and self-guided walks. Add the one-way City Cruises trip between Westminster and Tower Pier for a fine river-level view of London.

“So easy! Guides were waiting to help you with any questions and give out maps etc. the route was perfect to see everything you needed to. We had 2 kids and the weather was 30 degrees so this was perfect for us all to enjoy the sites without them having meltdowns!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Westminster to Tower Bridge River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6,127 reviews · 30 minutes - 1 hour · from $18Best value

Board at Westminster Pier for a 25 to 30 minute Thames cruise past Parliament, St. Paul’s, Tate Modern, the Globe, and The Shard. Choose a one-way trip to Butler’s Wharf or return by changing boats there. Crew commentary is often funny and engaging, and boats have an open deck, indoor seating, and a bar.

“The tour guide announcer during the cruise was very useful and informative”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.London Eye, River Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5,332 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $74

See London from three angles: an open-top Big Bus, the London Eye, and a Thames cruise between Westminster and Tower Pier. Use the bus to reach Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s, and more. Book your Eye time in advance, then let the Big Bus app guide your route and bus connections.

“We used the hop-on hop-off during the Underground strike. Although the drivers couldn’t get you from point A to point B quickly they were incredible in assisting you and worked well past the scheduled end time of 18:00.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Thames River Cruise with Optional London Eye Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,900 reviews · 45 minutes - 1.5 hours · from $20

Board beneath the London Eye for a relaxed 40-minute Thames cruise to Tower Bridge and back. An English-speaking guide such as Mitch, George, Ben, or Josh brings the landmarks to life with facts, jokes, and well-timed photo tips. Choose the London Eye option if you want both attractions.

“River cruise was very enjoyable. It was nice to sit drown a minute and relax. Josh was awesome. Funny and informative!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off with Optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3,875 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $35

Use a one, 24, or 48-hour Big Bus ticket to visit London landmarks across three routes and more than 50 stops. Add a Thames cruise, guided Royal Walk, Harry Potter and Jack the Ripper tours, or a two-hour evening ride. Expect recorded commentary, helpful staff, heavy traffic, and fine upper-deck views.

“It was great and very useful to get to k ow the city in the first days”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.London Tootbus Hop on Hop off Bus Tour and Thames River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3,834 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $53

You can tour London by double-decker bus on three routes covering Buckingham Palace, Westminster, St Paul’s, the Tower of London, museums, and Notting Hill. Use the app to track buses, listen to adult or children’s commentary, and add a Thames sightseeing cruise. Passes last one, two, or three days.

“Was a fabulous day with my daughter, all the bus crew were friendly and helpful. The river cruise interesting.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.River Thames Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,112 reviews · 1 day · from $33

Cruise central London and Greenwich aboard a wheelchair-friendly, all-weather City Cruises boat. Hop on at Westminster, London Eye, Tower, or Greenwich Pier, then ride as far as you like within 24 hours. Expect live historical commentary, open-air views, indoor seating, and a bar selling coffee, drinks, and snacks.

“Another good way of sight seeing London. Really t enjoyed would do it again. The commentary was awesome educational with a bit of bunter.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Westminster to Greenwich Sightseeing Thames Cruise in London

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,969 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $22

Sail east from Westminster Pier to Greenwich in about an hour, passing Big Ben, the London Eye, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. Live commentary adds context, while a return ticket gives you time to visit the Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory, Greenwich Market, and more.

“This was a wonderful tour. Next time we would come earlier to spend more time in Greenwich. Loved the vantage point of the Thames River”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.River Thames Evening Cruise with Bubbly and Canapés

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,493 reviews · 2 hours · from $37

Set sail from Tower Millennium Pier for a relaxed two-hour Thames cruise with one glass of sparkling wine or a soft drink, canapés, live chill-out pop, and views of Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Canary Wharf, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament. Choose the indoor saloon or open-air upper deck.

“The entertainment was really enjoyable, the singer was very talented. The canapés were terrible. Almost un edible. Thank goodness there was only 5 tiny ones. That being said I would totally go again. Also maybe 2 glasses of bubbly instead of 1 would have been nice”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.London River Thames Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,014 reviews · 1h 45m · from $48

Board at Tower Pier beside the Tower of London for a 105-minute lunch cruise past Tower Bridge, the Shard, London Eye, and Parliament. You receive a reserved table, two-course meal, tea, and coffee, with drinks available to buy. Commentary may come from the captain or a live host and can be both informative and funny.

“Wonderful event and a great intro to the sights and vibe of London. We chose the lunch cruise for our 1st day in London and it was everything we hoped it would be. We relaxed while enjoying the sights, enjoying a wonderful meal and getting an excellent feel for the city. Highly recommended for your intro to wonderful London! Make it your first ‘Must do’ !”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Ghost Walk and River Thames Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,251 reviews · 2 hours · from $26

Follow a guide such as Marvin, Julia, John, or Luke from Green Park through London’s darker stories, then choose a Thames boat ride or Tube transfer to the Tower of London. Expect historic landmarks, gruesome tales, stairs, and a two-hour evening route in English, French, or German.

“Marvin was absolutely amazing. The tour was fabulous fun and we enjoyed it. You can tell he is an absolute expert on historical facts, blending them with fun stories even reaching far beyond the subject of this tour. We were a group of 4 and would recommend it, when visiting London, ask for Marvin as a tourguide... he made a good tour amazing.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Warner Bros. Studio Tour and River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 845 reviews · 1 day · from $117Top rated

Spend a day at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, seeing the Great Hall, Platform 9 3/4, Diagon Alley, Gringotts, costumes, and props. Make your own way to Leavesden, then use the included City Cruises ticket from Westminster or Tower Pier. The studio has timed entry, English-speaking staff, airport-style security, and wheelchair access.

“Took us roughly 8hrs to complete the tour with 3 kids. A really great experience to go behind the scenes and see how the magic is created. Did have a snafu from the ticket supplier as they only put the 4 Adult tickets in the envelope but was missing the 1 Kid. The Studio ticket office thankfully went above and beyond and took care of getting us in! A must do if you have the time and in the area.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Warner Bros. Studio Tour and River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 627 reviews · 1 day · from $107

Visit Warner Bros. Studio Tour London at a timed entry, with free shuttle buses from Watford Junction. See the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, Gringotts, the Forbidden Forest, props, and costumes. Your City Cruises ticket adds a full-day Thames route between Westminster, Tower, and Greenwich, and can be used on another day.

“Absolutely fantastic. Thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Harry Potter studios.”

Check availability →Read our full review