Tea on the Thames: Afternoon Tea, Coffee or Dinner Cruise from Butler's Wharf Pier
Quick answer
Tea on the Thames sells a 90-minute tea cruise, a coffee cruise and a 2.5-hour dinner sailing from Butler's Wharf Pier, from $29 per person (about £21.75).
The listing is rated 4.7/5 from 169+ reviews, does not suit children under 5 or wheelchair users, and states no price for each option.
Tea on the Thames
Thames Cruise with Afternoon Tea, Coffee or Dinner
4.7 (169) · from $29
Tea on the Thames is a small London operator that sells three ways onto the same stretch of river: afternoon tea, a top-deck coffee cruise, or a two-course dinner with live music. All leave from Butler's Wharf Pier beside Tower Bridge and return there.
I'd book the afternoon tea when you want a sit-down treat with a view and the dinner when you want an evening on the water. The detail that changes the decision is price: the listing quotes one from-price, and it does not say which option it belongs to.
| Operator | Tea on the Thames (listing provider) |
|---|---|
| Boat type | Dining river boat with tables seating up to eight; no lift on board |
| Price | From $29 per person on GetYourGuide (about £21.75); price per option is not stated |
| Options | Afternoon tea (90 min), top-deck coffee (90 min), or an evening dinner sailing of 2.5 hours with soft live music |
| Departure times | Not stated in the listing; shown at checkout |
| Pier | Butler's Wharf Pier on Google Maps - departure and return |
| Route | Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, HMS Belfast, the Shard, Tate Modern, St Paul's, Somerset House, the London Eye and Big Ben |
| Food and drink | Tea cruise: sandwiches, scones, cakes and unlimited tea or coffee; dinner cruise: two courses; drinks available to buy |
| Age and access | Not suitable under 5; dinner is adults only; wheelchair access difficult |
| Dietary | Nearly all needs catered for with 72 hours' notice, except Kosher |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before; reserve now and pay later is available |
| Rating | 4.7/5 from 169+ reviews on GetYourGuide |
What is the tea on the thames cruise and what do you see?
It is a river cruise with refreshments, run from Butler's Wharf Pier, that lists fourteen landmarks along the Thames between Tower Bridge and Westminster.
The afternoon tea cruise serves a tiered spread, the coffee cruise a hot drink and snack bar on the top deck, and the dinner cruise a two-course meal with soft live music. The landmarks are the same.
- Tower Bridge and the Tower of London - both are at the start, right beside the pier.
- HMS Belfast, the Shard and London Bridge - the warship museum, then the glass tower on the south bank.
- Shakespeare's Globe, Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge - the South Bank cultural stretch.
- St Paul's Cathedral and Somerset House - the north bank skyline.
- The London Eye, Westminster Bridge and Big Ben - the Westminster end, with the Palace of Westminster.
For scale, the Tower Bridge site says the bridge was completed in 1894 and that its high-level walkways stand 42 metres above the river, which is the view the boat looks up to.
1894 is the year Tower Bridge was completed, according to its official site, and the cruise starts a short walk away.
Where does the cruise leave from?
The listing names Butler's Wharf Pier as the start and the finish; it gives no street address, and the meeting point section is blank. Butler's Wharf Pier on Google Maps.
From Tower Hill station it is 14 minutes on foot (1037 m), and from London Bridge station 15 minutes (1107 m), by OSRM foot routing fetched 2026-10-17. Walking route from Tower Hill station. Walking route from London Bridge station.
These walks are longer than at the other City piers. Because the listing does not state a check-in time, I'd arrive 20 minutes before sailing and confirm on the voucher.
What is the route, stop by stop?
The itinerary in the listing is a single out-and-back Thames cruise with fourteen named sights, marked for reference only.
| Order | Landmark | Bank | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Butler's Wharf Pier (start) | South bank | Map |
| 2 | Tower Bridge | Crosses the river | Map |
| 3 | Tower of London | North bank | Map |
| 4 | HMS Belfast | South bank | Map |
| 5 | The Shard and London Bridge | South bank | Map |
| 6 | Tate Modern and Millennium Bridge | South bank | Map |
| 7 | St Paul's Cathedral | North bank | Map |
| 8 | London Eye and Big Ben | Westminster | Map |
The listing warns that itineraries can change, and the bank column is my reading of the map, not the listing's. The 90-minute tea cruise and the longer dinner cruise follow the same landmark list.
How long is it and when does it sail?
The tea and coffee cruises last 90 minutes and the dinner cruise 2.5 hours, according to the listing.
- Afternoon tea cruise: 90 minutes.
- Coffee cruise: 90 minutes, on the top deck.
- Dinner cruise: 2.5 hours, evening, with live music.
- December: festive options run on a decorated boat with seasonal music.
Departure times are not stated, and I could not open the operator's own site to check the timetable. Select a slot at checkout and look at the weekend options, since the listing mentions an adults-only weekend brunch cruise.
What is on board and what is included?
What you get depends on the option: the listing bundles three products under one page.
| Option | Length | What you get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon tea | 90 min | Sandwiches, scones, sweet treats and unlimited hot drinks | Listing |
| Coffee cruise | 90 min | Tea or coffee and snack bar on the top deck; no afternoon tea | Listing |
| Dinner cruise | 2.5 hours | Two courses, soft live music, bar drinks extra | Listing |
| Festive options | December | Decorated boat, festive music and a special menu | Listing |
The tea menu names ham and mustard sandwiches, warm scones, lemon tart and banoffee pie. The listing says drinks are bought on board in the evening, and the largest tables seat eight. It can cater for almost every dietary need except Kosher, with at least 72 hours' notice.
How does the tea on the thames cruise compare with other London boats?
It has the lowest from-price of any meal-led cruise on my list, and it is the only one that offers an afternoon tea.
| Cruise | From (USD) | Length | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| This cruise | $29 | 1.5 - 2.5 hours | Tea, coffee or dinner; Butler's Wharf |
| City Cruises lunch cruise | $70 | 105 min | Two-course lunch, Tower Pier |
| City Cruises dinner cruise | $105 | 3 hours | Three courses and dancing |
| London Eye river cruise | $21 | 40 min | Live guide, no meal |
| Bottomless brunch party cruise | $64 | 3 hours | Brunch and music |
My dinner cruise London guide sets the meal boats side by side, and the London boat tours hub covers the rest.
Is the tea on the thames cruise worth it versus a dinner or lunch boat?
Yes if the option you want is the tea cruise, since the from-price is the lowest of any meal boat I track. The $29 from-price equals about $19 an hour if it is the 90-minute option, against a London median of $32.
- Book it for: an afternoon treat, a birthday, and a quieter boat with tables of up to eight.
- Pick the City Cruises dinner for: a longer evening with dancing.
- My pick for visiting parents: the afternoon tea cruise, since it is shorter than the dinner and the tea option welcomes children from age five.
Value for money scores 4.6/5, the lowest of its three sub-scores. The caveat is the single from-price, so compare the dinner option's price at checkout before assuming it is cheap.
When is the best time to go?
The tea cruise suits any month, though the coffee option uses the top deck and spring to autumn gives the best light. The table shows 2025 rain days and 2026 sunsets.
| Month | Avg daily high | Days with rain (1 mm+) | Sunset (15th, local) | On-deck advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.6 °C | 13 | 16:22 | Bring a coat; the covered deck is the sensible seat |
| Feb | 7.8 °C | 10 | 17:16 | Bring a coat; the covered deck is the sensible seat |
| Mar | 12.7 °C | 3 | 18:06 | Layers; showers are short but common |
| Apr | 17.5 °C | 3 | 19:58 | Layers and a rain shell |
| May | 20.0 °C | 8 | 20:47 | Light layer; open deck works at midday |
| Jun | 24.5 °C | 8 | 21:21 | Open deck is comfortable |
| Jul | 24.4 °C | 9 | 21:13 | Open deck is comfortable; bring water |
| Aug | 23.5 °C | 7 | 20:25 | Open deck is comfortable |
| Sep | 18.8 °C | 11 | 19:17 | Light layer; evenings turn cool |
| Oct | 14.9 °C | 9 | 18:09 | Coat for the open deck; dusk falls by 18:09 |
| Nov | 11.7 °C | 16 | 16:13 | Coat and gloves; sail early |
| Dec | 9.7 °C | 10 | 15:53 | Coat and gloves; dark by 15:53 |
The dinner cruise lasts 2.5 hours, so a June sailing starts in daylight while a December one is dark by 15:53. The festive December options are the main seasonal draw.
What do passengers say?
Reviews praise the guides and service: the listing summary, drawn from 89 recent verified bookings, says travellers like the afternoon tea and relaxing views. Sub-scores are guide 4.8, transportation 4.8 and value for money 4.6 out of 5.
- Praise: named guides, plentiful tea food, friendly servers, a relaxed atmosphere.
- Complaint pattern: menu options and portion sizes could be clearer.
- Sample caution: the ten reviews I could see were all five-star, and with only 169 ratings the average moves more easily than the big operators'.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if you travel with a wheelchair or a child under five: the listing excludes both.
- Wheelchair users, because the boat has no lift.
- Families wanting a dinner with children; dinner is adults only.
- Anyone needing Kosher food.
- Travellers who want a single clear price per option.
How do you book the tea cruise?
- Choose a date and pick the afternoon tea, coffee or dinner option.
- Add dietary needs at least 72 hours ahead.
- Arrive at Butler's Wharf Pier early.
- Use reserve now, pay later if your plans may change.
Thames cruise with a tea, coffee or dinner option from $29 per person (about £21.75), with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check availabilityI earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Tea on the Thames cruise?
The afternoon tea and coffee cruises last 90 minutes, and the dinner cruise 2.5 hours.
How much does the cruise cost?
The listing starts at $29 per person, about £21.75 at the 2026-10-16 rate. It does not state a price for each option.
Where does the cruise depart?
From Butler's Wharf Pier. Tower Hill station is a 14-minute walk and London Bridge station 15 minutes.
What comes with the afternoon tea?
Sandwiches, warm scones and sweet treats such as lemon tart, with unlimited hot drinks.
Are children allowed?
Children under 5 are not suitable for the afternoon tea, and the dinner and weekend brunch cruises are adults only.
Can wheelchair users board?
The listing says the boat has no lift and wheelchair users are not suitable. Contact the operator for any alternative.
Are drinks included?
Tea and coffee come with the tea cruise. Other drinks are bought on board.
Can they cater for allergies?
Almost every dietary need except Kosher can be catered for with at least 72 hours' notice.
Are there Christmas cruises?
Yes. The listing mentions festive options in December on a decorated boat.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund.
Sources: GetYourGuide listing 1397467; Tower Bridge official site; Transport for London river services; Open-Meteo archive API; sunrise-sunset.org API; Frankfurter API; OSRM foot routing on OpenStreetMap. The operator's own site could not be opened on 2026-10-17.
