Best London boat tours and River Thames cruises to do in 2023 (2023)

FAQs

Is there a dress code for Thames river cruise? ›

Lunch and Afternoon Tea is smart casual. Dinner Cruise is smart formal. Both ladies and gentlemen are asked to dress in a manner appropriate to a smart formal occasion. Sports shoes and leisure wear are not permitted.

Single Tickets

Prices start at £10.80/adult (16+), £7.05/child (5-15), free for infants 4 and under. See their full list of single and return ticket prices here. If you are planning on taking at least two rides, we recommend that you buy a River Pass. This pass gives you unlimited travel between their piers.

The London Eye River Cruise is a 40 minute circular sightseeing tour, along the River Thames. Departing from The London Eye pier you will be taken on route to see the House of Parliament, though to The Tower of London and Tower Bridge, where you will return back to The London Eye Pier.

What can I see from the boat? From the comfort of the sightseeing boat, you can see many of London's most famous buildings and cherished landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe, the Tate Modern, Cutty Sark and The Shard.

Basically, it means you should dress casually and comfortably, but not sloppily. Men can wear any type of well-fitting slacks, jeans or even shorts in warm weather.

On formal nights, proper attire includes tuxedos, suits or slacks (jackets required) for men and evening gowns, cocktail dresses or dressy pantsuits for women. Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but they're not appropriate in any public venues for dinner or cocktail hour.

Fares and tickets

Generally, you need to buy your ticket in advance online or at a pier ticket office before boarding a boat.

There are toilets with accessible facilities on board most of the fleet. Our larger boats also have baby changing tables.

To avoid crowds and experience cooler temperatures, consider traveling in the shoulder months of May and September.

Danube River, Europe

The Danube is Europe's most popular cruising river. It flows through Germany, Austria, Hungary and other counties on its 2,000-mile route, and you'll find itineraries that include Vienna, Munich, Prague, Budapest and other don't-miss cities.

Which river to visit in London? ›

London's river Thames is famous for landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the London Eye and Shakespeare's Globe. Take a river cruise all the way to the Thames Barrier or drift back from Hampton Court Palace.

With over 50 years' experience, we operate a daily sightseeing river cruise service from Westminster Pier to Greenwich Pier calling at Embankment Pier, Festival Pier, Bankside Pier and Tower Bridge Quay.

Tower Bridge to Westminster Bridge

This section is our favourite because it contains so much of what makes London… London – history, culture, world-famous landmarks, food, people and vibrant atmosphere! If you walk the whole path from the Thames Barrier to Putney Bridge, you will notice this is the busiest section.

Maybe the most recent strange item found would be a 5,000-year-old human bone found this year (2022). The slightly dark object dates all the way back to the stone age and is a key part of history.

Bottom Line: As a rough guide, for a 7-night cruise you will need to bring enough clothing for at least 4 formal or semi-formal nights, a couple of casual evenings, pool and loungewear, and practical clothing for excursions on dry land.

T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurants at any time. In addition, shorts and flip-flops are not permitted during the evening hours.

Minibars that include complimentary alcoholic beverages as well as soft drinks, water and snacks (replenished once daily). Complimentary clothes pressing and shoeshine services. A welcome bottle of Champagne. Earlier access to cabins on embarkation day.

But you don't have to wear a tuxedo to enjoy the evening. Women can simply wear a cocktail dress or a nice blouse with pants. For men, it's fine to wear a suit, or even a buttoned-down shirt and a pair of slacks if you don't want to get too fancy.

What Is The Average Amount of Cash to Bring on a Cruise? On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. In a survey of 850 cruisers, 71% stated that they took over $100 per person per day when cruising.

How much does the London Ferris wheel cost? ›

You can also combine a ride on the London Eye with a guided boat tour. Standard admission for adults starts at 24.50 pounds (around $33.50). Keep in mind that if you book your ticket in advance online, you'll save a few pounds.

Does the ship care? The answer: no. While most river cruise tours are included in the cost of the voyage itself, there's absolutely no obligation for you to participate in one or even all of them. If you so choose, you can do your own thing in every port of call.

Thames Rockets do not operate a 'get wet' water experience, however, in windy conditions it is possible for spray to blow across the decks and if it rains the boat is open to the elements. We provide waterproofs and (weather permitting!) all our passengers leave us as dry as they arrived.

The smell of London's sewage can still be smelt today, with sewage still entering the Thames when the system reaches capacity at overflow points along the river, such as at Blackfriars. As the population of London continues to increase, so does the amount of waste and the use of these overflow points.

The River Thames appears brown because there is silt on the riverbed. This silt is made up of fine particles which disperse in the water and make it look muddy.

During the Victorian era, industrial waste, untreated sewage, slaughterhouses' wastes – everything got routed into the Thames and, as a result, the river started to get polluted swiftly. World War II bombings over sewage treatment plant forced more sewage to spill the Thames.

Experts say it's best to book a cruise six to 12 months ahead for the best price, but you might be able to snag a better deal if you have the flexibility to wait a bit longer.

The Danube River is a charming destination to visit at almost any time of the year, though most travel experts agree the that best times to take a Danube cruise are Spring (April and May) and Fall (September and October).

The best time of year to book a cruise is often January through March. During this period — also known as wave season — industry-wide sales occur and the price of that cruise you've been dreaming of may drop significantly.

1. Viking. With its fleet of more than 50 contemporary "longships" on rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube, and the Seine, plus additional ships in Europe, Egypt, and Vietnam, T+L's top-ranked river cruise line for 2022 is often praised for its steadiness.

What is the number 1 cruise line? ›

The time slot you select is the time you are granted access to the queue for the London Eye. We ask guests to anticipate queues of around 45 minutes for standard tickets and a queue time of around 20 minutes for Fastrack ticket holders.

Thames, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park - Thames River.

Standard Ticket

30 minutes up high in one of our 32 pods. 360° moving views from the heart of the city. Get up close to London's iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. You can even see as far as Windsor Castle on a clear day!

The tidal Thames is a fast-flowing waterway and the busiest inland waterway in the UK accommodating over 20,000 ship movements and hosting over 400 events each year. It is for these reasons the PLA restricts swimming throughout the majority of its jurisdiction for the safety of swimmers and river users.

Unlike many other rivers, there are no river features such as waterfalls or rapids found along the River Thames.

Kew is bordered by the Thames so bodies of drowned people frequently were washed up along its shore. Originally such bodies would be taken to either facilities provided by the local Vestry or more often a local public house, although publicans were not required to receive dead bodies.

What time of year should I walk the Thames Path? ›

The weather is generally the same regardless of which section you are on. You can, of course, walk at any time. However, the driest time is May and September.

The District, Victoria, Northern, Bakerloo, and East London lines all run under the Thames, and the Underground sees approximately 4.8 million passenger journeys a day.

The Thames Head Inn is the ideal starting point for your walk along the Thames Path situated a 10 minute walk from the official source.

Packing for a river cruise

Bring casual clothes that are comfortable – that's your main priority. Unlike ocean cruises where guests often dine in ballgowns and tuxedos, the dress code on a river cruise is much more relaxed and informal.

Scenic River

Daytime dress codes are comfortable and casual, with a dress or two for the formal evening occasions. Scenic advises guests to pack a comfortable pair of shoes for excursions and sandals for if the weather is warm. During specific Freechoice or Enrich events, bring a pair of smart shoes or heels.

There can be 1 to 4 formal nights during a sailing and is at the ship's discretion. Our Chef's Table dining experience also enforces a formal dress code policy. Bare feet are not allowed at any time in any venue and tank tops are not permitted in the Main Dining Room or Specialty Dining venues for dinner.

There are no formal nights on a river cruise, though some guests may choose to dress up for events such as the Captain's Welcome Dinner.

Women: One or two dressy outfits – dressy pants and blouse, cocktail dress. Some women still wear long formal dresses but not as often. Men: One sport coat or dark jacket, 2 ties, 1 or 2 collared shirts.

You can get away with wearing jeans to the Main Dining Room on formal night. However, it's a good idea to make sure the jeans are fairly nice and do not have any holes or rips in them. A dark-washed jean will look more formal, although you will likely not be turned away with any type of jean.

Are gratuities included on scenic river cruises? ›

On all of Scenic's river cruises, all gratuities are included in your cruise fare. This includes gratuities for your butler and crew, as well as tips for on shore activities.

Royal Caribbean's dress code rules

Jeans, polos, sundresses and blouses are all the right amount of laid back. Please keep swimwear to the Pool Deck. Shorts are welcomed for breakfast and lunch. Smart Casual: Think of this as a step up from your typical dinner wear.

Think of our formal dress code as a night out in your best black-tie look — suits and ties, tuxedos, cocktail dresses or evening gowns are all acceptable options. There can be 1-3 formal nights during a sailing and is at the ship's discretion. Our Chef's Table dining experience also enforces a formal dress code policy.

Royal Caribbean encourages you to “Wear Your Best” whenever you want. This means that you can dress casual with jeans, polos, and blouses for our restaurants, but please do keep the swimwear, tank tops and bare feet to the pool deck.

There are no “formal nights” in the evening; evening dress is “elegant casual” for all dining venues, performances and special events. On these occasions, required attire for ladies includes a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt.

There are no formal nights on Viking so there's no need for long dresses for women or dinner jackets for men (even neckties are discretionary). Instead, the dress code is “elegant casual,” which can mean anything from a sundress in the Caribbean—to slacks and a blouse for women cruising in colder climates.

If you want to attend a “cruise elegant” evening, bring a fancier, more formal outfit. Men can wear suits or dress slacks with a sport coat and dress shirt. For women, cocktail dresses, pantsuits or elegant skirts and blouses are appropriate. Some guests like to go all out with a tuxedo or ball gown.