The River Thames

Book your boat trips on London's River Thames with City Cruises! A great day out for all the family.

City Cruises plc is the leading operator of cruises on the River Thames, carrying some 750,000 people annually on our extensive London river sightseeing, ferry, entertainment and charter services. Our four directors have many years' experience on the Thames River; Gary and Rita Beckwith acquired their first sightseeing vessel, The King, in 1985, while Paul Wilson, Waterman to HM The Queen, is the fourth generation of his family to work on the River Thames. Marketing director David Steele is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in tourism.

Memorable River Thames sightseeing - for more information on our range of services please click here

Cruise Options

From our extensive Thames fleet, there is a wide range of options available to anyone wanting to plan a trip to remember. If the mood takes you, why not purchase one of our River Red Rover tickets, enabling you to catch one of our regular cruises up and down the river and hop on and off at Westminster Pier, Tower Pier and Greenwich as many times as you like. Or, if you want to stay on the River Thames and take in the sights from the comfort of one of our boats, then try taking the sightseeing cruise, with a route guaranteed to show you the best of London. Starting from Westminster, home of Parliament, and making your way down the River Thames under Tower Bridge towards Greenwich, you will witness the magnificent buildings and vistas which make London one of the most visited and spectacular cities in the world.

If you are particularly in the mood to relax and fully appreciate the ambience as you wander down the Thames, then you might be inclined to try one of our other options, for instance our lunch and tea cruises - a very civilised way to take in the splendours of London. If the idea of seeing the sights at night appeals, then you may consider taking one of our London Thames dinner cruises, with spectacular views of London across the river lit up. And if the pretty lights aren't enough to distract you, the London Showboat offers a unique dinner and cabaret cruise with a four course meal and live music and dancing, so you may wine and dine to the accompaniment of hits from shows such as 'Cats', 'Me and My Girl' and 'Les Misérables' as you slowly cruise down the Thames alongside London's illuminated monuments.

Route Down the Thames

Our journey along the River Thames begins at Westminster Pier, in the shadow of Big Ben's tower and just a few steps away from Westminster Abbey. Across the Thames is County Hall, and beneath it is the London Aquarium, while a few yards downriver we see the Millennium Wheel, otherwise known as the London Eye.

The route continues down the Thames past the London Dungeon, the Tate Modern Gallery and the re-creation of Shakespeare's Globe. Also in this area is Vinopolis, the World of Wine. On the opposite side of the River Thames is the South Bank, one of London’s major cultural attractions. Further down the Thames we come to London Bridge, where a thrilling vista unfolds: the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast. The route continues past Docklands and Canary Wharf to finish at historic Greenwich, the home of time itself.

Here, nestled on the river bank are the Naval College and Seamen's Hospital, which have taken on a new role as the main campus of Greenwich University and Trinity College of Music. The National Maritime Museum, with Neptune Court, offers a great spot to rest on the riverside. Here you will find the historic clipper ship Cutty Sark, the Old Royal Observatory, Queen's House, Fan Museum, and other attractions which form the World Heritage Site of Greenwich.