Thames Cruise, London Overview

Cruising through the middle of the city to gaze at and take in the beauty and bounty of London is the 346 km long Thames river, offering the famous and the many Thames Cruises. One gets to admire a number of exemplary sights along the way, covering almost 80 islands and 200 bridges.

The Thames River is a specimen in itself, covering 7 countries of Greater London, Wiltshire, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire. The river starts in Gloucestershire near Cheltenham flowing east and ends in the North Sea. It is approximately 58 million years old and is home to a lot of aquatic and wild life like fish, otters, and eels.

A melange of short travel, sightseeing, good food, river breeze, and meeting new people, all in a matter of a couple of hours is what makes the cruises along the River Thames so interesting and a fun tourist attraction. Instead of meeting people at bars, make some new friends here and explore with them the many beautiful and breath-taking landmarks in London.

About River Thames

In the 19th century, the River Thames used to be so excessively dirty that people started to contract diseases like Cholera from it. It was around 50 years ago that the government undertook the task of cleaning it up, making the clean up a huge modern-day environmental success story.

Bans were imposed and stricter laws were enforced on companies and factories dumping the waste in the river. Over time, the river started regaining its health and is now regarded as one of the cleanest rivers in the world. It is estimated that 2/3rd of London’s drinking water comes from the Thames.

The Cruise

There are a number of cruises that are offered on this route. Depending on the pier you are at, your availability, and your interests, choose a cruise tour best suited to your needs. You can explore one of the following tours:

Hop on hop off Cruise: Get to cruise along the river and enjoy seeing the London Eye or the Tower Bridge while getting off at any pier and getting back on as and when you like.

Westminster to Greenwich: Take a one-way or return ticket of this fun and informative tour, and witness the panoramic sites along with the London skyline on this route.

Tate Boat: Witness and behold the marvellous artworks between Tate Modern & Tate Britain galleries on a Tate Boat ride.

Evening Cruise: A perfect cruise along the River’s length, and even more beautiful in the evening as the sun goes down and the buildings light up. Lasting about 2 hours, this cruise can make for a romantic date.

Famous Landmarks

On these cruise tours, one can discover and see a good part of the city depending on the kind of cruise they opt for and where they get on from, with the tours starting every 30 minutes from each pier.

The cruises cover 4 piers: Greenwich, Tower Hill, Westminster and the London Eye, and passengers can get on from and get off at any of these piers. Stay on the cruise on your way back, which will take 3 hours, and will give you memories and pictures of a lifetime.

One can see the London Eye, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, the Big Ben, the Glass Walkway near the Tower Pier, National Maritime Museum, the Greenwich Park, the Houses of Parliament, and many more such iconic, historic and magnanimous landmarks in London.

Ticket Prices

The fee depends on the tour one wants to take, such as:

Ticket	Duration	Price
Westminster-Greenwich	60-120 mins	GBP 13.25
Westminster-Tower of London	30-60 mins	GBP 10.75
Jet 50-minutes Speedboat Ride	50 mins	GBP 39
Evening Cruise	120 mins	GBP 29
Lunch Cruise	120 mins	GBP 32
Bateaux Dinner Cruise	180 mins	GBP 79
4-course Showboat Cruise	180 mins	GBP 65