Evan Evans Crown Jewels Tour: St Paul's, the Tower of London and a 30-Minute Thames Cruise

Evan Evans Tours

Crown Jewels Tour with River Cruise

★ 4.1 (59) · from $158

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains affiliate links: I earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to you.

The Evan Evans Crown Jewels tour is a guided half-day that links St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels and a Thames cruise, priced at $158 per person. It is mainly a coach and walking tour: by the listing's own itinerary the cruise is a 30-minute leg between the Tower and Westminster, not the main event.

The detail that changes the decision is how the time splits. The segments in the itinerary add up to about 4.5 hours against the "4 hours" on the listing, and only 30 minutes of that is on the water. Book it for the two sights and the guide, and treat the boat as a bonus.

What is the Evan Evans Crown Jewels tour and what does it include?

It is a bundle of two ticketed sights, a guide and a short boat ride, moved by coach. You do not queue for tickets yourself, and the guide works both sights with a headset so the group stays together.

• St Paul's Cathedral: a one-hour guided visit, Monday to Saturday only.
• Tower of London: a two-hour visit with a guided part, including the Crown Jewels.
• Coach: two 30-minute transfers between start, cathedral and Tower.
• Thames cruise: 30 minutes, ending at Westminster, where the tour finishes.
• Guide: a Blue Badge guide, plus a personal headset for each guest.

If you only want the water part, the river cruises in London page has the plain ticket options.

Where does the tour start and how do you get there?

It starts at the Evan Evans office on Vauxhall Bridge Road, a five-minute walk from Victoria station, and the listing asks you to be there at 12:45 for boarding. The time before the tour is the only fixed time the listing gives.

Journey fares are on Transport for London. Allow time for the 12:45 boarding rather than the later departure, because the listing does not say when the coach leaves.

What happens hour by hour, and how long is the cruise?

The cruise is the shortest block of the day at 30 minutes. The listing gives these segments, and the totals show where the time goes.

The listing says you can take the cruise at the end and finish at Westminster, or skip it and ride back with the guide to the Tower. One reviewer says they could not take the cruise, so confirm with the guide that the boat is running that day.

The listing describes the boat ticket as a one-way ride between the Tower and Westminster piers, in either direction.

Is it cheaper than buying the parts separately?

St Paul's alone costs part of the price, and the rest pays for the Tower, the guide, the coach and the cruise. The only separate price I could verify from an official page is for St Paul's.

GBP 27 is the adult price for Monday to Saturday sightseeing at St Paul's Cathedral, with GBP 10.50 for a child.

Add up the Tower ticket from the Historic Royal Palaces site and you can judge the premium for the guide, coach and the timed flow. I have not put a total here, because I did not confirm the Tower price.

How does each part of the day work?

Each sight has its own closures, and three are on the listing: St Paul's does not admit visitors on Sundays or special event days, and two galleries have restrictions. On those days the tour swaps the visit for an exterior photo stop and more time at the Tower.

• Sundays: no St Paul's entry, only an outside photo stop, so a Sunday departure is a weaker deal.
• Whispering Gallery: temporarily closed until further notice, per the listing.
• Golden Gallery: sometimes closed for refurbishment.
• Dome galleries: St Paul's own site gives a 9:30 opening and last entry of 16:15, separate from this tour.

Check opening hours for both sights on St Paul's and Historic Royal Palaces, since the listing gives none.

How does it compare with a plain river cruise or a city pass?

This costs about nine times a flexible one-way cruise ticket, because it bundles two sights and a guide. The table compares by what you actually get.

Is the Evan Evans Crown Jewels tour worth it?

It is worth it for a first-time visitor who wants the Crown Jewels and the cathedral explained without handling logistics. It is poor value if you mainly want a boat ride.

• First visit: one guide, two sights and a transfer between them.
• Pace: two reviewers say it felt slow or short on free time at the sights.
• Boat-first: $158 for 30 minutes of cruise is the wrong deal.
• Families: the listing does not give child prices, so ask before booking.

When is the best time to go?

Pick a Monday to Saturday for the full St Paul's visit, and go outside the coldest months if you can, because queues and a cruise deck are part of the day. The weather tables use 2025 data for central London.

The afternoon start leaves little daylight in winter, so the cruise may be after sunset. Nager.Date lists Christmas Day (25 December 2026) as the next holiday, and the listing does not state holiday operation.

What do guests say about the tour?

The eight snippets I can read split into praise for guides and complaints about pace, access and language, so the picture is mixed. The listing's 4.1/5 sits below the 4.4 to 5.0 of the Thames and canal listings I wrote up for London.

• Guides: knowledgeable, funny and entertaining, the most common praise.
• Pace: some guests wanted more free time, and older travellers found transfers slow.
• Language: one party booked German and got a Spanish-speaking guide.
• Access: one guest found St Paul's not accessible, so ask about mobility needs.
• Boat: one guest could not take the cruise, another found it hard going.

Who should skip this tour?

Skip it for a boat-led day, a Sunday departure or tight mobility needs. The London boat tours page has the water-first options.

• Boat lovers: 30 minutes of water is too little.
• Sunday travellers: no interior visit at St Paul's.
• Mobility-limited guests: ask about access first.
• Non-English speakers: confirm the guide language when you book.

Other cities are on the Harbour Advisor home page.

How do you book the Evan Evans Crown Jewels tour?

Frequently asked questions about this tour

Sources: GetYourGuide listing and reviews; St Paul's Cathedral, opening times and prices; Historic Royal Palaces, Tower of London; Thames River Sightseeing FAQs; Transport for London; Open-Meteo archive, Frankfurter (ECB rates), sunrise-sunset.org and OSRM foot routing, all fetched 2026-10-17.