Boat Tours London

Boat tours in London come in five clear shapes: a short sightseeing loop on the Thames, a slow ride through the locks of Regent’s Canal, a lunch, tea or dinner cruise, a party boat, and a self-drive electric boat you hire for your group. I compared the 13 boat tours in London you can book on GetYourGuide right now, from an $18 one-way ticket to a $158 coach tour that ends with a river cruise. Everything below comes from the listings: prices, ratings, durations, piers and what is included. I haven’t been on any of these boats, so my picks rest on that data and the review snippets, not on a personal sail.

My short answer for a first London boat tour: I’d book the Thames River Cruise with Optional London Eye Ticket at $21, rated 4.5 from 4,503 reviews. If you would rather see the quieter side of the city, I’d take the Canal Boat Ride on Camden Lock at $31 (4.6 from 1,326 reviews). Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.

Boat Tours in London

The simplest of the boat tours in London starts at the pier directly under the London Eye. The Thames River Cruise with Optional London Eye Ticket is $21, rated 4.5 from 4,503 reviews, and it is a circular trip: the listing says the boat goes as far as Tower Bridge and is back about 40 minutes later, with live commentary and both covered and sun-deck seating. On the way you pass the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe and Westminster, Millennium and Tower Bridges.

The Eye ticket is optional, which keeps the base price low, and the listing says free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before the start. Because the loop is short, it works as a first hour on the water rather than a half day out. Unaccompanied minors are excluded.

The London Eye - MEG

Thames River Cruise with Optional London Eye Ticket

• ★ 4.5 (4,503 reviews)
• 45 minutes - 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick for a first hour on the Thames: $21, about 40 minutes, 4.5 from 4,503 reviews.

from

$21

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A very different boat tour in London is the Bottomless Brunch Party Cruise: $64 for three hours with 1.5 hours of bottomless prosecco, a buffet brunch and a live DJ. It is rated 4.8, but from only 5 reviews, so I treat the score as a promising start. It is also listed as non-refundable and not for anyone under 18. I cover it, and its evening sibling, on my party boat page.

London Party Boats LTD

River Thames Bottomless Brunch Party Cruise

• ★ 4.8 (5 reviews)
• 3 hours

My pick: The party option: $64, 3 hours, bottomless prosecco and a DJ, but only 5 reviews and no refunds.

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$64

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London Boat Trips

If London boat trips for you mean a meal with a view, the lunch cruise is the easiest to fit into a day. The City Cruises Lunch Cruise on the River Thames is $70, 105 minutes, rated 4.5 from 2,272 reviews. It leaves from Tower Pier, which the listing places next to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, and the price includes a 2-course lunch with tea or coffee, commentary and a regular seat.

The listing sails past the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and the Shard, and one reviewer praised the glass-covered boat and the fact that it ran in both directions, so nothing was missed. Another snippet on the narration said it was sporadic, so I would not book this expecting a full guided tour. The free cancellation window is 3 days, longer than most London boat trips offer. My dinner cruise page puts it next to the evening options.

City Cruises Limited

Lunch Cruise on the River Thames

• ★ 4.5 (2,272 reviews)
• 105 minutes
• Free cancellation

My pick: A meal on the Thames in under two hours: $70, 4.5 from 2,272 reviews, free cancellation up to 3 days ahead.

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London Boat Cruises

For London boat cruises away from the big river, the canal is the better value. The Walkers Quay Canal Boat Ride on Camden Lock is $31 for 90 minutes, rated 4.6 from 1,326 reviews. You travel from Camden Town through Hampstead Road Lock, which the listing says gives you a live demonstration of a working lock, then past London Zoo and Camden Market, with a guide’s commentary on the classic Jenny Wren canal boat. The boat has a full-length canopy, so rain is not a reason to skip it.

Look for the blue and yellow flags saying Boat Trips by the lock, which is how the listing describes the meeting point. Pets, smoking and vaping are not allowed. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours. I’d choose this over the Thames loop when you have already seen the river sights, and the full comparison is on my canal cruise page.

Walkers Quay

Canal Boat Ride on Camden Lock

• ★ 4.6 (1,326 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The best-rated slow ride in the city: $31, 90 minutes through a working lock, 4.6 from 1,326 reviews.

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London Boat Tour Night

After dark the choice narrows to two types. The City Cruises Dinner Cruise on the River Thames is $105 for 3 hours, rated 4.3 from 2,529 reviews, and it departs from Westminster Pier. The listing includes a sparkling wine on arrival, a 3-course dinner, tea or coffee, and live music with optional dancing. A reviewer enjoyed the singer and the dancing, while another found the vegetables under-cooked, which is the kind of detail I would weigh against the price. Children under 13 are excluded.

Night tour

City Cruises Limited

Dinner Cruise on the River Thames

• ★ 4.3 (2,529 reviews)
• 3 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The classic evening out: $105, 3 hours, wine, 3-course dinner and live music, 4.3 from 2,529 reviews.

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The second card here is a leftover, not the best night match for most readers. The River Thames Party Boat Cruise by London Party Boats LTD is $39 for 4 hours from Festival Pier, with a light buffet, a live DJ and a dance floor. It is rated 3.9 from 22 reviews and is non-refundable, so it is the weakest score in my set. I’d book it for a birthday group that wants a dance floor rather than a view, and read the party boat page first.

Night tour

London Party Boats LTD

River Thames Party Boat Cruise

• ★ 3.9 (22 reviews)
• 4 hours

My pick: A cheap late-night party with a DJ: $39, 4 hours, but 3.9 from 22 reviews and no refunds.

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$39

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London Cruise Reviews

People who search for London cruise reviews are usually deciding whether a ticket is worth the price, and the best-reviewed Thames option in my set is also one of the cheapest meals on the water. Tea on the Thames offers a Thames Cruise with Afternoon Tea, Coffee or Dinner from $29, rated 4.7 from 169 reviews. You choose a 90-minute afternoon tea cruise, a 90-minute top-deck coffee cruise or a 2.5-hour evening dinner cruise with soft live music.

The listing’s route starts and ends at Butler’s Wharf Pier and runs past Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, the Shard, Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and Big Ben. Reviewers mention a friendly guide and a plentiful tea spread. Children under 5 and wheelchair users are excluded, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours. If you came here for cruise transfers between piers, the one-way ticket in the next section is the better fit.

Night tour

Tea on the Thames

Thames Cruise with Afternoon Tea, Coffee or Dinner

• ★ 4.7 (169 reviews)
• 1.5 - 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The best-reviewed meal cruise: from $29, 4.7 from 169 reviews, tea, coffee or dinner on the river.

from

$29

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London Boat Tour Prices

Prices for London boat tours start at $18, and that is the Flexible One-Way Thames River Cruise Ticket from Thames River Sightseeing. It is a 24-hour ticket that lets you board at Westminster Pier, Butler’s Wharf Pier by Tower Bridge or Greenwich Pier, with cruise times of 25 minutes to 1 hour between them. In a straight line, Westminster to Greenwich is 8.1 km, Westminster to Butler’s Wharf 3.5 km and Butler’s Wharf to Greenwich 5.0 km.

It includes live commentary, multilingual audio guides, a licensed bar and full accessibility with toilets and wheelchair access; tips and food are not included. It is rated 4.4 from 31 reviews. At $18 I’d use it as transport with a view, for example to reach Greenwich. For the full ladder, my river cruise page compares the three Thames sightseeing tickets, and the table further down shows every type.

Thames River Sightseeing

Flexible One-Way Thames River Cruise Ticket

• ★ 4.4 (31 reviews)
• 24-hour ticket
• Free cancellation

My pick: The lowest price in London: $18 for a 24-hour one-way ticket between Westminster, Tower Bridge and Greenwich.

from

$18

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Boat Tour London Kids

The best boat tour in London for kids is the one where they feel in charge. GoBoat UK lists its boats as dog and child friendly, with life jackets and buoyancy aids supplied, and each boat seats up to eight. The GoBoat Rental for Regent’s Canal and Paddington Basin is listed from $126 for 1 to 3 hours, rated 4.5 from 91 reviews. Staff give a driving and safety tutorial, the electric motor runs at up to 4 mph, and the seats are heated. Boats seat up to eight, so check on the booking page how the listed price scales with your group.

GoBoat UK

GoBoat Rental for Regent's Canal & Paddington Basin

• ★ 4.5 (91 reviews)
• 1 - 3 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Family favourite: a self-drive electric boat for up to eight, with child life jackets, from $126.

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The second card is a leftover rather than a separate family pick. The GoBoat Rental in Canary Wharf with London Docklands is from $126 for 1 to 3 hours, rated 4.3 from 29 reviews, and it uses the same safety rules. Reviewers say the signs from the tube station help you find the dock, and one found two hours enough on the small area. Choose it only if you are already staying in the Docklands. More on both is on my boat rental page.

GoBoat UK

GoBoat Rental in Canary Wharf with London Docklands

• ★ 4.3 (29 reviews)
• 1 - 3 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Same GoBoat rules in the Docklands: from $126, 4.3 from 29 reviews, best if you stay near Canary Wharf.

from

$126

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Boat Tour London Canary Wharf

For a boat tour in London near Canary Wharf, the only listing that sails there is the GoBoat Docklands rental in the section above. The card in this section is something else: the Regent’s Canal (Punting) Boat Ride with Live Music by The Music Boat, $27 for 50 minutes, rated 4.4 from 63 reviews. It sails from outside Camden Lock market, nowhere near the Docklands, so I include it as the cheapest live-music option rather than a Canary Wharf trip.

The listing includes a live performance, passes the floating Chinese Pagoda, London Zoo and St Marks Church, and lets you bring your own drinks. A reviewer called the music selection good and the crew funny. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours.

The Music Boat

Regent's Canal (Punting) Boat Ride with Live Music

• ★ 4.4 (63 reviews)
• 50 minutes
• Free cancellation

My pick: Not a Canary Wharf trip: a 50-minute canal ride with live music for $27, rated 4.4 from 63 reviews.

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Boat Tour London Private

A private boat tour in London, meaning a hired vessel with a skipper, does not appear among these 13 listings, and I haven’t compared charter prices. What comes closest is the self-drive hire: only your group is on the GoBoat, with up to eight people, and no boating experience is needed. For the 1 to 4 hour options and the three locations, see my boat rental page. If you want a private cruise with a crew, ask a Thames operator for a quote and compare it with the per-person prices on this page.

Boat Ride in London

A boat ride in London does not have to be the main event. The Crown Jewels Tour with River Cruise by Evan Evans Tours is mainly a land tour: $158 for 4 hours, rated 4.1 from 59 reviews. The itinerary has about 1 hour at St Paul’s Cathedral, about 2 hours at the Tower of London, and only a 30-minute boat cruise to finish at Westminster Pier. Admission to both sites, a Blue Badge guide, coach transport and a headset are included.

So the river part is a bonus, not the point. Two reviewers praised the guide, and one noted they could not take the cruise. I’d book it for someone who wants the Tower and St Paul’s with a guide and a boat to finish. Meeting is at Evan Evans Tours on Vauxhall Bridge Road, with boarding at 12:45pm.

Evan Evans Tours

Crown Jewels Tour with River Cruise

• ★ 4.1 (59 reviews)
• 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A guided day at two landmarks with a 30-minute cruise at the end: $158, 4 hours, 4.1 from 59 reviews.

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$158

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London Boat Tour Thames

Most London boat tours sail the tidal river through the centre, but there is a quieter upstream option. The GoBoat Rental in Kingston upon Thames is from $126 for 1 to 4 hours, and the listing says its boats have access to a non-tidal stretch of the Thames. You captain a boat that fits up to eight, with a route map, life jackets for children and umbrellas for rain. It has the top score in my set at 5.0, but from just 26 reviews.

That is a nice calm choice for a family picnic, though it is far from the central landmarks. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours. Take the rating as a good sign rather than proof.

GoBoat UK

GoBoat Rental in Kingston upon Thames

• ★ 5.0 (26 reviews)
• 1 - 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The calm upstream choice: a self-drive boat from $126, rated 5.0 from 26 reviews.

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$126

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What You See on a London Boat Tour

What you see on London boat tours depends on the water. On the Thames the listings name the same chain of landmarks: the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Bridge, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard, HMS Belfast, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. On Regent’s Canal you see Camden Market, London Zoo, Regent’s Park and Little Venice instead. The infographic below maps the central sights these cruises pass or sit close to.

The Thames here is tidal, so the river level changes during the day; for the river’s navigation rules and safety guidance, the Port of London Authority is the official source. For the canal side, the Canal & River Trust looks after Regent’s Canal. Weather matters for open decks, so I’d check the forecast and take a layer even in summer.

Where the Boats Leave From

The piers cluster in three places, which makes the departure point worth checking before you plan the day. In a straight line, the London Eye is 0.3 km from Westminster Pier and 3.1 km from Tower Bridge, and Westminster Pier is 3.4 km from the Tower of London. Butler’s Wharf Pier, used by the afternoon tea cruise, is the Tower Bridge stop on the south bank, and Greenwich Pier is the end of the river line, 8.1 km from Westminster. The canal rides leave from Camden Lock, and GoBoat docks are at Paddington, Canary Wharf and Kingston.

Which London Boat Trip Type Fits You

My data splits the 13 boat tours in London into a few types, and five have their own page. Prices are the lowest listed for that type, and durations come from the listings. Some trips count in two types, so the numbers overlap.

Trip type	Price from	Typical duration	Best for
River cruise	$18	25 minutes to 1.5 hours, 4 hours with the coach tour	First-time sightseeing
Dinner cruise	$29	1.5 to 3 hours	Meals with a view
Party boat	$39	3 to 4 hours	Groups and celebrations
Boat rental	$126	1 to 4 hours	Families and friends
Canal cruise	$27	50 minutes to 3 hours	A quiet city ride

How I’d Choose a London Boat Tour

Here is how I would pick among London boat tours, and the best boat tour in London for you, in four questions.

1. How much time do you have? An hour buys the Eye loop, 90 minutes the canal or tea cruise, and an evening the dinner or party boat.
2. What do you want to see? Landmarks mean the Thames, a calmer side of the city means Regent’s Canal, and a picnic means GoBoat.
3. What is your budget? Under $30 buys the one-way ticket, the Eye loop, the music boat and the canal ride; $70 to $105 buys the lunch and dinner cruises.
4. Who is coming? Check the age rules: the dinner cruise excludes under 13s, and the bottomless brunch excludes under 18s.

Eleven of the 13 London boat tours offer a full refund if you cancel in time, so book early and move the date if the forecast turns. For general visitor information the city’s official site is Visit London. Whichever London boat tour you choose, confirm the pier on your voucher, because Westminster, Tower and Butler’s Wharf are different stops.