Thames River Cruise Tickets Compared
Eight Thames river cruise tickets sit on this page, priced from EUR 18 to EUR 94 per person, sorted into four groups: day cruises, an evening and night cruise, dining cruises, and the specialty speedboat tour. I have ordered them from the classic sightseeing trip outward, since most visitors start with a straightforward cruise before deciding whether an evening sailing, a sit-down meal, or a high-speed ride suits the rest of their trip better. Day cruises give you the most landmarks for the least money, the dining cruises trade some of that scenery for a table and a menu, and the speedboat tour swaps commentary for speed entirely.
Which Thames day cruise covers the most landmarks?
Three day cruises cover the core sightseeing route, and they differ by how far you go and whether you can stop along the way. Westminster to Greenwich Thames River Cruise costs EUR 20 for a one-way hour past Tower Bridge, with skip-the-line boarding and an 11-language audio guide. Thames Hop-On Hop-Off River Cruise costs EUR 30 and covers 4 piers on a 24-hour unlimited ticket, so you can get off and explore rather than stay seated. London Eye River Cruise Combo is the cheapest at EUR 18 for a 40-minute circular trip that turns back at Tower Bridge, built to pair with an Eye visit rather than stand alone. I would book the Westminster to Greenwich route first unless you already have the Eye on your list.
★ Top pick Day cruises
Westminster to Greenwich Thames River Cruise
Classic one-way Thames sightseeing
✓ Free cancellation available
Day cruises
London Eye River Cruise Combo
Pair the river with the London Eye
✓ Free cancellation available
Day cruises
Thames Hop-On Hop-Off River Cruise
Flexible all-day river sightseeing
✓ Free cancellation available
What makes the Thames illuminated night cruise different from a daytime trip?
The Thames Illuminated Night Cruise is the only evening option built specifically around London's lit-up bridges, not just a later sailing of a daytime boat. It costs EUR 24 for a 40-minute round trip from Tower Pier, guided by City of London and Westminster Guides who explain all 9 bridges under the Illuminated River lighting scheme. It only runs on Saturdays between September and May, with no hop-on hop-off stops along the way, so it suits a single planned evening rather than a flexible night out. I would book it specifically for the lighting, not as a general substitute for an evening sightseeing cruise.
Evening & night cruises
Thames Illuminated Night Cruise
Saturday nights, 9 illuminated bridges
✓ Free cancellation available
Which Thames dining cruise fits your budget and your occasion?
Three dining cruises turn a sightseeing trip into a sit-down meal, and they split mainly by time of day and price. Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise costs EUR 58 for a 1.5-hour sailing with sandwiches, scones, and unlimited tea and coffee. Thames Lunch Cruise costs EUR 63 for a 105-minute hot 2-course meal with tea and coffee included. Thames Dinner Cruise is the most expensive at EUR 94 for a 3-hour evening sailing with a 3-course dinner, a welcome glass of sparkling wine, and live music. I would pick the lunch cruise over dinner if a hot meal matters more to you than the occasion itself, since it covers similar ground for noticeably less.
Dining cruises
Thames Dinner Cruise
Evening dining with live music
✓ Free cancellation available
Dining cruises
Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise
Traditional afternoon tea with river views
✓ Free cancellation available
Dining cruises
Thames Lunch Cruise
Hot 2-course meal on the river
✓ Free cancellation available
Is the Thames speedboat tour worth it if you want something different?
The Thames Speedboat Tour is the one product here built for speed rather than scenery, reaching up to 30 knots once clear of the central piers. It costs EUR 77 for a 50-minute round trip from the London Eye Pier, with an award-winning comedian guide narrating over the engine noise and life jackets included. A minimum of 8 passengers is required per sailing, and the operator rules out pregnant passengers, anyone with a back or spine condition, and unaccompanied minors. I would book this for the thrill itself, not as a replacement for a standard sightseeing cruise if you want a close look at any single landmark.
Specialty & thrill tours
Thames Speedboat Tour
Thrill-seekers and adrenaline fans
✓ Free cancellation available
What's the basis for the comparison table above?
Every price in the table above is the lowest published adult fare on 2026-10-18, checked per person, and durations are each operator's own published figure rather than a measured time. Most of these are fixed time slots, from the London Eye combo's 40 minutes up to the dinner cruise's 3 hours, but the hop-on-hop-off ticket is sold differently: a 24-hour validity window instead of a single sailing, which is why its duration reads as a full day rather than an hour or two. That difference matters more than the headline price when you are deciding which ticket actually fits your day.
| Tour or ticket | Duration | Best for | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster to Greenwich Thames River Cruise Day cruises 1 - 2 hours | 1 - 2 hours | Classic one-way Thames sightseeing | 20.4EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| London Eye River Cruise Combo Day cruises 45 minutes - 1.5 hours | 45 minutes - 1.5 hours | Pair the river with the London Eye | 18.38EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Thames Dinner Cruise Dining cruises 3 hours | 3 hours | Evening dining with live music | 93.67EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise Dining cruises 1.5 hours | 1.5 hours | Traditional afternoon tea with river views | 58.1EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Thames Illuminated Night Cruise Evening & night cruises 40 minutes | 40 minutes | Saturday nights, 9 illuminated bridges | 23.6EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Thames Lunch Cruise Dining cruises 105 minutes | 105 minutes | Hot 2-course meal on the river | 62.85EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Thames Hop-On Hop-Off River Cruise Day cruises 1 day | 1 day | Flexible all-day river sightseeing | 29.59EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Thames Speedboat Tour Specialty & thrill tours 50 minutes | 50 minutes | Thrill-seekers and adrenaline fans | 77.02EUR per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
Prices checked: 2026-10-18 · prices may vary
What does the price on each Thames cruise ticket actually buy?
Every ticket buys the cruise itself and whatever the listing names, nothing from a neighboring attraction. The day cruises include commentary and, on two of the three, an audio guide, but none include entry to the London Eye, the Tower of London, or any other landmark you pass. The dining cruises add a fixed meal, and on the afternoon tea cruise, a VIP upgrade with champagne is an option you select and pay for separately, not part of the base fare. The speedboat tour includes life jackets and the guide but not food or drinks. None of these 8 tickets bundle hotel pickup.
- Free cancellation available
- Secure booking
- No hidden fees: pay at GetYourGuide checkout
How do you choose between a day cruise, a dining cruise, and the speedboat tour?
Start from what you actually want out of the hour: scenery, a meal, or speed. If you only have time for one Thames activity, I would book the Westminster to Greenwich day cruise, since it covers the most landmarks for the lowest price on this page. If the occasion matters, like an anniversary or a birthday, move up to one of the three dining cruises and let the budget decide between tea, lunch, and the full dinner sitting. The speedboat tour is a separate choice entirely: book it only if speed is the point, since it trades sightseeing depth for a 30-knot ride past the same stretch of river.
How does booking a Thames cruise ticket actually work?
Every ticket on this page completes on GetYourGuide, which resells these operators' places, and this site earns a commission when you book through it. You choose a date and a time slot, pay on GetYourGuide, and receive a mobile ticket that scans straight from your phone at the pier, no printing needed. Cancellation windows vary by product: the day cruises, the speedboat tour, and the illuminated night cruise allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, while the three dining cruises need 3 days' notice instead, so check the exact policy shown at checkout before you pay.
FAQs
Does the Thames speedboat tour have a minimum number of passengers?
Yes, a minimum of 8 passengers is required per sailing on the Thames speedboat tour. If fewer people book that time slot, the operator reschedules your whole group to a different departure rather than cancelling the booking outright, so build a little flexibility into your day if you book this one.
Can I request a vegetarian or gluten-free meal on the Thames dinner cruise?
Yes. Gluten-free meals need 24 hours' notice and vegetarian menus must be pre-ordered at least 1 day ahead of the 3-course dinner cruise. The operator cannot cater for kosher requirements on this particular sailing, so check that restriction before you book if it applies to your group.
Does the London Eye river cruise combo include a ride on the Eye itself?
No, not automatically. The Eye ride is optional and booked as a separate time slot within 90 days of your cruise date. The base ticket only covers the 40-minute circular river cruise itself, not a ride on the wheel, so add the Eye option at checkout if you want both.
Is the Thames illuminated night cruise wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Boarding at Tower Pier is step-free and wheelchair-friendly for the illuminated night cruise specifically, which is a detail worth checking product by product since it is not stated for every Thames cruise on this page in the same way.
What does the VIP upgrade on the Thames afternoon tea cruise actually add?
Priority boarding, front-row seating, a welcome glass of champagne or water, and one extra savoury item. It does not add more food to the standard afternoon tea menu, so skip it if the view and the drink are not worth the extra cost to you.
Can children join the Thames speedboat tour?
It's suitable from 6 months upward, but children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the ride, and 15 to 16 year olds need a signed minor disclaimer form from a parent before they can board at all.
Why do the dining cruises need more cancellation notice than the sightseeing cruises?
The three dining cruises on this page require 3 days' notice for a free cancellation, compared with 24 hours on the day cruises and the speedboat tour, likely because the operator pre-orders fixed meal counts for each sailing ahead of time.
What happens to the river cruise if the London Eye is closed for maintenance?
The London Eye has a short annual maintenance window, typically in January. The river cruise element of the combo ticket keeps running as normal during that period, so you would only lose access to the wheel itself, not the boat trip underneath it.