The River Thames, a ribbon of history snaking through the heart of London, has long been a source of inspiration for poets and artists. While Alfred Noyes, in his poem On the Embankment, captured the stark contrast between the merriment within warm interiors and the harsh realities on the cold streets, his words also held a truth about the Thames itself:
“Within, it was color and laughter, warmth and wine. Without, it was darkness, hunger, and bitter cold…”
Noyes might have highlighted societal disparity, but the magic he hinted at within – the warmth, the laughter, the vibrant life – perfectly embodies the experience of a Thames River evening cruise. As the city lights shimmer on the water and the gentle current carries you along, you’ll encounter the evening of a lifetime, coupled with canapes and live music.
Unlike daytime cruises, the evening bears the artistic marvel of the Illuminated River Project. Imagine cruising under 9 bridges adorned with stunning LED light installations. Illuminated River is a massive public art project that will illuminate nine bridges along the Thames River, from London Bridge to Lambeth Bridge. The Thames transforms into a canvas of ever-changing colors and patterns, when on a Thames River dinner cruise.
Get on a dinner cruise, ideal for pre-dinner fun, date nights, or hanging out with friends. It's like going to a new fancy restaurant, but better! Enjoy live music, tasty snacks, and amazing views.
Sip bubbly, nibble on delicious snacks, and take in the stunning sights of London's landmarks. There's no tour guide talking—just relaxing music from a live performer. Choose between the cozy main saloon or the open-air deck, both offering prime views of London's riverside marvels.
The city takes on a whole new character at night. The daytime hustle and bustle melt away, replaced by a romantic, almost ethereal glow. Spot the vibrant nightlife districts like South Bank come alive, their energy pulsing from the river's edge.
Use this map to understand the attractions you'll see and find the most convenient pier for your trip.
Most cruise boats have both indoor and outdoor seating with two-by-two seats.
For the best selfie spots, pick an outdoor seat for uninterrupted views and perfect photo sessions if you don't mind the somewhat harsh weather. However, it's a good idea to wear clothes that dry quickly if you fear you might get wet.
If you are picking an indoor seat, choose a window seat, especially if you're traveling solo, for a great view. Indoor seats are also great if you think it may rain but want to go on a cruise. These indoor spaces are also heated and most cruise boats are equipped with other amenities too.
Yes, booking your tickets online beforehand is essential for a Thames dinner cruise. This ensures you have a spot on the boat and avoids any disappointment on arrival.
Thames dinner cruises typically last for two hours. This allows you ample time to relax, enjoy the sights, and take in the beautiful scenery along the river.
Smart casual attire is ideal for a Thames dinner cruise. It's a chance to dress up a bit, whether you're celebrating a special occasion, enjoying a date night, or starting your evening before heading out for dinner elsewhere. Avoid wearing flip-flops, ripped jeans, or overly casual leisurewear.
Prices for Thames dinner cruises start from £35.10 per person. The exact cost can vary depending on the company you choose, the cruise duration, and any special inclusions like meals or entertainment.
Absolutely! Your comfort is important, so all Thames dinner cruise boats have fully equipped toilets onboard.
Great value for money and a wonderful experience. Drinks, entertainment and food were much better than expected and got some good photos too.
Cruise with very few people Unfriendly staff! The dinner was very scarce and reduced! The highlight was the singer! Excellent! Not recommended!
Super! very like. Our family was exalted!
Food, staff, entertainment and boat great
Great food, music and saw lots of London you don't see.
Loved the views, staff, the singer was fantastic. Very pleasant journey. The food could had been better though.
The ambience, the entertainment and service. It was a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary!
Incl. drinks and food. is exaggerated for 1 glass of champagne and 3 canapés.
Fantastic experience, really easy and great communication
Loved all of it - the canape's, drinks, staff and wonderful entertainment! The views were great too!!
Evening and Dinner Cruise
Dinner Cruise
Evening Cruise
Inclusions Best for: A romantic evening with your partner or a fun celebration with friends
Dinner Cruise
3-hour Thames River dinner cruise
Alcoholic welcome drink
4-course meal (view the [menu])
Live performer entertainment & dancing till late
Evening Cruise
2-hour Thames River evening cruise
Beverages or non-alcoholic beverages on arrival
Cold canapés
Live music performances on board
Exclusions Evening and Dinner Cruise
Additional drinks
Transport to and from the pier
Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Air conditioned. Super surprised when we were seated at the front. No tea or coffee was offered but food was lovely. Really a wonderful way of seeing London from the river.
Honestly I can't choose what was the best because everything, including your staff, was AMAZING!
From boarding the vessel, to the service provided by the dedicated and friendly Staff, to the views of London's famous Landmarks from the River, absolutely brilliant experience from start to finish
Celebrating my mums 75th birthday she had a great surprise. The staff were lovely the food was delicious the views were so good I think we will definitely be doing this again we just couldn't of had a better day out
Everything was smooth. The food and drink was great. The person that gave us the commentary was good and fun.Ticketing was easy.Apart from the weather it was 10 out of 10
The food was excellent as were the staff. The commentary was very interesting and entertaining. The whole experience was wonderful.
The whole experience from start to finish.
Thanks for a lovely afternoon, The food was amazing very tasty, will try dinner next many thanks ☺️
We just loved the whole experience from purchase to the end
We had a lovely relaxing time. Food was good and the service. The commentary was excellent, thoroughly enjoyed it all!!
Really lovely meal and wine while enjoying fabulous views.
The commentary was fabulous as was the food but no tea or coffee was offered. Apart from that, would highly recommend
Ticketing is good and the food was good.
Inclusions
1 hour 45 mins River Thames cruise
2-course meal with tea and coffee (see the menu [here])
Live or recorded commentary
See London’s icon – Big Ben, London Eye, St. Paul’s, Tower of London & more
Exclusions
It was very well organized. Our table was great, the food too! The staff was amazing! We had a lot of fun!
Awesome! Next time I'd like to meet Jude Law.
Booking was very simple and I was given a discount which was great. The whole afternoon tea experience was fabulous, the cruise, the tea itself and especially the lovely staff! Thank you, would go again some time for sure?
Very informative and lovely setting with good service of drinks and food. Saw parts of London we would not have seen and lots of information that we would not have known.
everything went smoothly. Good food Good crew
Totally amazing..this was the best part for me on our trip. My family enjoyed it.. totally worth it, highly recommend.
Absolutely everything, it was perfect
Lovely boat and crew. Mix up on seating was embarrassing. The food was plentiful and of a high standard.
The afternoon tea cruise was a wonderful way to see gorgeous views of Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Eye, Tower Bridge, and the Shard. The tea and scones and other treats were all tasty and beautifully presented, making the cruise a lovely experience. We enjoyed going up top and seeing everything from that vantage point. Dillon,on the intercom, was hilarious while very informative ,and all of the wait staff were friendly and helpful. This was the best tour of all we took in the London area.
The food was absolutely amazing, I'm a very fussy eater but me and my husband ate the lot! We liked that the tour guide wasn't too serious and had a laugh. I feel that there should be the option to book to sit window side rather than just luck.
The service was excellent,the way the team worked was very helpful especially with my Dad who is in a wheelchair, and the overall experience was brilliant.
It was amazing!!! A chance to get to know in a quickly mode a little bit of London!!! Great tea, coffee and tea snacks!!!
Inclusions
2-hour Thames River cruise with British afternoon tea
Afternoon tea and British snacks (menu [here])
Live or pre-recorded commentary
See London’s icons – Big Ben, London Eye, St. Paul’s, Tower of London & more
Best for: Those looking to experience a quintessentially British tradition
Exclusions
The views were great. Stayed on to Greenwich which was definitely worth it. The guy that did the guiding was great. Unfortunately it was difficult to hear. Would recommend to others.
Really easy to book and download the tickets. Boat was very busy but we had a good seat on the top deck. Very friendly and helpful staff on board and fun and interesting commentary. Would definitely book again and will be recommending to others.
Ticket via internet day before, ok. 1 hour trip from Westminster pier to Greenwich was great experience with nice and funny commentary 🙂
great experience. The crew member narrating on the way out was amazing. Very fun and interesting. Great sense of himour The views were great and it was a lovely way to spend time on a hot day
Easy to buy tickets online and the ladies at the ticket counter were friendly. We booked fir 4.30pm but got to the Pier early. Our ticket was accepted to fit our needs. The commentary was informative and delivered in good humour. A great way to see London and how the riverscape is changing. Thank you
Booking ahead with Headout was worry-free and ensured we got in line for the cruise promptly. While we booked a return trip, it was the journey down the river that we enjoyed most. The watermen running the cruise claimed they were not official tour guides but their commentary based on knowing the Thames well was very informative.
Great trip and the added commentary made the trip. A shame we couldn't get outside upstairs on boat but still a very enjoyable experience.
The guide was very informative (even though he invented the origin of the word 'wharf' 🤔) And the river is a good vantage point to see the buildings and architecture.
We took the first boat trip at 10.10am with only a few other people. The guide spoke clearly and took us along in a humorous way. The view from the boat is very special.
We took the Thames River cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich. It was really lovely sitting on the top deck in the sun, even with the seagulls keeping us company. The tour commentary was really interesting, informative and at times humourous. Id definitely recommend this, and by booking online we also got a discounted price for tickets.
Such a worthwhile thing to do, and a great way to see the magnificent architecture of both old and new alike. The crew and staff were great and the whole process from ticket ordering to boarding and disembarking was well organised. Thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would definitely recommend as well as do again ourselves.
It was really good time on boat, you could sing inside or outside depending on weather conditions, inside were a lot windows so you could see the view very good. But the best was a man who guided us, tell us funny and also many interesting stories about the buildings we actually see. He was proffesional and funny. It was way batter than the recording. I highly recommend the Thames Sighseeing Criuse. My trip was from Westminster to Greenwich. It took around an hour. The speed of the bout was ideal not so fast so you could realy enjoy the view. Than I went back to city by regular bus.
We enjoyed the cruise. The guy driving and doing commentary was the perfect combination of knowledgeable and humorous. He made the sailing a lot of fun.
Weather was amazing , boat was packed and the boats crew very helpful and informative. The views along the river Thames were amazing and the little bits of information the unofficial tour guide ( crew member ) provided were funny, witty and really helped the journey fly by.
A Thames cruise is always high on our list of things to do when visiting London. Short notice this time, with a family member who hadn't had the pleasure of a river cruise. It was great all the way around. Narration was good, the weather cooperated nicely and there were drinks/food available to order. Price was right, too.
Being together with my friends of over 50 years to revisit memories, on a lovely sunny day. Most of all London Bridge opening to allow sailing barge Will through. Ticketing process very straightforward
It was a wonderful experience! The captain was great, ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip. The crew member who provided the commentaries kept everyone engaged and entertained throughout the journey. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy their journey from start to end on a high note!
Great time. Has a good laugh with the live commentator, he was so enthusiastic and joky. We had great wwather and it was not to busy. It was worth very peny.
Awesome cruise with good commentary!
Very pleasant timing
A cool, safe, informative and enjoyable ride. You can also eat and drink.
The humour sense of the captain.
Was a amazing experience definitely will be doing it again
The humorous and easy-to-understand explanations of the sights
All was good Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice
Inclusions
Longest River Thames sightseeing cruise - London’s icons, Canary Wharf, and scenic skyline views of the city
Departs from Westminster and ends at Greenwich
One-way or round-trip cruise (as per option selected)
Flexibility to choose your boarding pier: Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier, or Greenwich Pier (as per option selected)
Live English commentary
Recorded commentary in 14 languages (as per option selected)
Duration: 1 to 2 hours (as per option selected)
Best for: History and culture lovers, families with kids
Exclusions
The views were great. Stayed on to Greenwich which was definitely worth it. The guy that did the guiding was great. Unfortunately it was difficult to hear. Would recommend to others.
The tour took us past lots of sights and we were able to get very close to the attractions. There was a detailed and sometimes funny explanation for each attraction and the tour was understandable even for non-native speakers.
Really easy to book and download the tickets. Boat was very busy but we had a good seat on the top deck. Very friendly and helpful staff on board and fun and interesting commentary. Would definitely book again and will be recommending to others.
Ticket via internet day before, ok. 1 hour trip from Westminster pier to Greenwich was great experience with nice and funny commentary 🙂
Great trip and the added commentary made the trip. A shame we couldn't get outside upstairs on boat but still a very enjoyable experience.
The guide was very informative (even though he invented the origin of the word 'wharf' 🤔) And the river is a good vantage point to see the buildings and architecture.
We took the first boat trip at 10.10am with only a few other people. The guide spoke clearly and took us along in a humorous way. The view from the boat is very special.
We took the Thames River cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich. It was really lovely sitting on the top deck in the sun, even with the seagulls keeping us company. The tour commentary was really interesting, informative and at times humourous. Id definitely recommend this, and by booking online we also got a discounted price for tickets.
Such a worthwhile thing to do, and a great way to see the magnificent architecture of both old and new alike. The crew and staff were great and the whole process from ticket ordering to boarding and disembarking was well organised. Thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would definitely recommend as well as do again ourselves.
It was really good time on boat, you could sing inside or outside depending on weather conditions, inside were a lot windows so you could see the view very good. But the best was a man who guided us, tell us funny and also many interesting stories about the buildings we actually see. He was proffesional and funny. It was way batter than the recording. I highly recommend the Thames Sighseeing Criuse. My trip was from Westminster to Greenwich. It took around an hour. The speed of the bout was ideal not so fast so you could realy enjoy the view. Than I went back to city by regular bus.
Weather was amazing , boat was packed and the boats crew very helpful and informative. The views along the river Thames were amazing and the little bits of information the unofficial tour guide ( crew member ) provided were funny, witty and really helped the journey fly by.
A Thames cruise is always high on our list of things to do when visiting London. Short notice this time, with a family member who hadn't had the pleasure of a river cruise. It was great all the way around. Narration was good, the weather cooperated nicely and there were drinks/food available to order. Price was right, too.
My experience on the cruise is been wonderful, funny, great view and we left the cruise was really tidy and kind. Thank you 😊
Absolutely great experience! Staff was lovely, friendly and very informative..definitely worth it ! Would do it again when vizit Big city for sure. Thank you for this brilliant trip .
It was a wonderful experience! The captain was great, ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip. The crew member who provided the commentaries kept everyone engaged and entertained throughout the journey. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy their journey from start to end on a high note!
Great time. Has a good laugh with the live commentator, he was so enthusiastic and joky. We had great wwather and it was not to busy. It was worth very peny.
A cool, safe, informative and enjoyable ride. You can also eat and drink.
The humour sense of the captain.
All was good Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice
This experience is perfect for everyone. I really enjoyed it!!
The host was great, a lot of great local knowledge and humour!!! Thank you !
It was lively and very interesting! Easy to buy and enter.
I loved the crew members and the trip itself. It was excellent!
The crew, they were amazing & kept us well informed with local landmarks, with lots of humour
Great experience. interesting and charming guide.
Inclusions
See London’s icons in a single ride
Departs from Westminster and ends at Tower Bridge
One-way or round-trip cruise (as per option selected)
Flexibility to choose your boarding pier: Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier, or Greenwich Pier (as per option selected)
Live English commentary
Recorded commentary in 14 languages (as per option selected)
Duration: 30 mins to 1 hour (as per option selected)
Best for: First-time visitors and tourists with packed schedules
Exclusions
Great experience. It was first time for all of us and my visitors from the US where grateful for the experience. A day trip to remember. Thank you......
We had to queue but it didn't take long and once we were on the wheel it was brilliant a really hot day but air con and fabulous views then we headed for sealife and we really enjoyed it especially the penguins!! My favourite ❤️
Awesome ticket service. Not long to wait in the que. Family loved the view.
Great price- incredible views from both experiences. Fast pass was perfect for going right to the front and skipping the muggles.
Everything was very well and professionally organized. The Dungeons was wonderfully scary with great actors. The view from the London Eye was also great, it was also the right choice to choose the Fast Track
The boat trip and the London Eye were both great ways to get a feel for the city. The London Eye is very exciting and although I was frankly terrified to do it (only persuaded by my son), I got over my fear after a few minutes and enjoyed it very much
It was a good experience. No issues in booking and the whole experience was really smooth as we completed London Eye before taking the cruise.
Booking the London Eye and river cruise through Headout was very convenient online. The day itself was brilliant, thanks!
I'm not just writing a positive review here, but a general one. The boat was easy to find, but it certainly wasn't a 40 minute round trip and we had to get off at a station which we didn't want to do. Then we went on the way home (London Eye Pier) and one stop before that the boat was probably broken and everyone had to get off. At this stop, the guests who were already on board were only told that we should get a new ticket (there was a meter-long queue), although we had a ticket and we got it in advance to avoid these queues. We then went downstairs and nobody said anything. In the end we took the Undergroud back to the London eye because we were already 20 minutes over our timeslot. Luckily we got into the London eye and didn't have to queue, but we were really unlucky with the group inside the eye because they were children who couldn't behave at all and kicked the windows etc. However, this had nothing to do with the ticket from Handout. As a tip, if you book it, allow at least 3 hours between the boat and the eye in case something comes up. It was still nice and you got a perfect impression of London on the first day.
We had the best of both worlds... a visit to the Tower of London and then a great cruise to see all the other attractions in the area.
Booked for London two experiences and everything went great. Tickets immediately on the app and then on the spot with no problem. All very comfortable. Thank you
Very little waiting thanks to our Rapid Access ticket. Well-organized access to embarkation and disembarkation. Magnificent panorama. A great experience.
The commentary was funny - even in the face of a difficult audience. There was no asking of ID so all that bring ur photo ID seemed to be a waste of time
Good price and timing for the combo package. We liked the offer of free cancellation 24h before the event in case of bad weather. Lucky for was it was not the case. The 10:00 boat was very nice as we had live presentation of the main sites along the Thames river. However we didn't realize at the moment of the booking, that the boat cruise was actually a one way cruise. It started at London Eye and ended at the Tower bridge. So we had to run back to London Eye for our next appointment at 11:15. Obviously we missed the appointment and the line grew considerably till we entered the London Eye. But , at the end the weather was gorgeous so we were happy.
I thoroughly enjoyed the London Eye and the Thames River cruise! 🥳🎊 It was worth an experience!
I thought the river tour would have dropped me back at the starting point considering the combo tickets I purchased said it was a 10 minute walk from the end of the tour to the next stop. Other than that, it was absolutely fabulous.
The relative ease in accessing tickets and using them. The views from the London Eye were amazing.
Ticketing was easy and it was nice. The boat tour was great and the London Eye was perfect.
It was unclear that the cruise was only one way
Everything on the cruise and tower were perfect
Everything worked out as planned.
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Great boat tour; easy access to the London Eye
So easy to use the tickets. All the experiences were top notch!
I like the people who working over there ,they're really nice , kind and helpful big thank you for all the team.
Soar above London on the Eye and cruise through the city along the Thames.
Inclusions London Eye
Thames River Cruise
Exclusions Thames River Cruise
London Eye + Thames River Cruise
Please arrive at the venue at least 15 to 30 mins before the start of the experience.
Carry local currency or cards for extras not covered by the ticket.
Sharp metallic tools or objects, alcohol, drones, large suitcases, bags, fireworks, bicycles, and scooters are not permitted in this experience.
Your pets are not permitted on this experience.
This experience is accessible to wheelchair and pram/stroller users.
For your convenience, ramps are available for easy onboarding on the cruise and at the entrance of the London Eye.
Your guide dogs are welcome to join you.
London Eye
Children under the age of 15 years must be accompanied by adults.
Children under the age of 2 years can go for free, but require a ticket to enter.
Expect a wait time of up to 30 mins before your experience begins.
Guests with accessibility needs are entitled to a free carer ticket with valid documentation.
With Braille guides, this experience is accessible to all.
For guests with disabilities, please contact the venue to avail of specific accommodations.
Rucksacks, smoke bombs, glass bottles, illegal substances, rollerblades, e-scooters, skateboards, tripods, motorcycle helmets, and hot foods are not permitted on this experience.
Available facilities: restroom, cloakroom, and free Wi-Fi.
Thames River Cruise