Thames River Cruise: Afternoon Tea and London Sights

Indulge in a delightful afternoon tea while cruising along the Thames River in London. See iconic landmarks such as the London Eye and Big Ben on this 1.5-hour sightseeing cruise.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 3 days learn more
Highlights
  • City Cruises London Tower Pier - Board at Tower Pier, please arrive 20 minutes before you departure time
  • Tower of London - board at Tower Pier which is within touching distance of the Tower of London
  • London Eye - Head to the upper deck and get the perfect picture opportunity of the Coca- Cola London Eye
  • Tower Bridge - Pass under Tower Bridge and head to the upper deck to see the bridge in all of its glory
  • Canary Wharf - Canary Wharf will appear on your left as you head down to towards Greenwich
  • The Shard - As you cruise along the River Thames you will be in the perfect position to see London’s highest viewing platform
  • HMS Belfast - Sail past the permanently moored former battleship, which is now a floating Royal Naval Museum
  • St. Paul’s Cathedral - Catch the peak of the St Paul’s Cathedral dome where it will stand out from the rest of London’s Skyline
What's Included
  • Gourmet afternoon tea including sandwiches, cakes, and scones
  • Unlimited tea and coffee throughout
  • Engaging live or recorded commentary
  • Unmatched riverside views of London landmarks
  • Relaxing 1.5-hour river cruise
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Champagne
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience the quintessential British pastime of afternoon tea while on a 1.5-hour scenic river cruise on the Thames in London. As you savour tea, cakes, and sandwiches, set sail on a round journey from Tower Pier to Westminster, passing through the core of London. Marvel at iconic landmarks like the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and more!

  • Your seat on board is guaranteed and will be allocated to you before the cruise takes place. When you board you will be shown to your table. Please note tables are fixed and within close proximity. Our panoramic windows provide great views from all angles of the passing sky-line, regardless of your table location.
  • We do not guarantee that products are free from nuts or traces of nuts. For gluten-free tea give at least 24 hours’ notice. For any special dietary requirements please call us after booking.
  • Please note that as part of the relaxed atmosphere of this cruise experience, your table may be situated in close proximity to other guests.
  • Please ensure you arrive 20-minutes prior to departure time
Location
Tower Millennium Pier
situated within walking distance to Tower Hill underground Station Please go directly to the boarding gate.
Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.1
(648 Ratings)
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Hollisterrob
Sep 25, 2024
Great way to enjoy London icons tea & Thames together - Classy & pleasant way (without being pretentious) to enjoy a beautiful sunny afternoon on the Thames. Food was good (especially the scone with sweet butter & marmalade) and the tea was excellent. Cocktails (for an extra charge) were okay but nothing special. Service was very good. The swivel chairs were a nice touch. We could only go one way on the river because of the high tide which was a little disappointing but out of everyone’s control.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Darren_h
Sep 24, 2024
Excellent! - I had booked this as a surprise for my partner as a part of her Birthday trip to London. We were both very pleased with the service, the food and the staff on board. All the staff were very helpful, polite and courteous. The food which included finger sandwiches, was very tasty and included smoked salmon, coronation chicken, egg mayonnaise and a spicy filling on beetroot bread. The cakes were very dainty and included a macaron, lemon tart, mango mousse, dark chocolate fudge cake and of course a large scone with fresh cream and jam. All were delicious. There is a large selection of drinks available including tea and coffee. We opted for the two glasses of house champagne at an additional, reasonable, cost. All of the food was presented beautifully whilst gently cruising along the Thames. On the return leg of the cruise, we were treated to a humorous commentary whilst on the upper deck enjoying the views and the sunshine. All in all, a very enjoyable experience and one that we will definitely do again.
Review provided by Viator
Michael_s
Sep 19, 2024
Fantastic experience. - Fantastic experience. Enjoyed the cruise and the tea and food was great. A very enjoyable tour, did not disappoint.
Review provided by Viator
Cherise_g
Sep 16, 2024
The tea was fabulous, and... - The tea was fabulous, and the guide Dillan was fantastic!!! All the staff were very friendly and efficient. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Shawn_r
Sep 27, 2024
Tea on the Thames - The views were lovely. The scones were very good. The sandwiches needed some work. The desserts were okay. However, I would still recommend how better to have high tea than on the River Thames? They even gave same site information.
Review provided by Viator
Todd_s
Sep 21, 2024
Fun but boat was very warm - Trip and tea were great. A little more temp control (cooler) would have been nice. It was VERY warm. They said I needed to say more in review - so here you go 😀
Review provided by Viator
Leslie_s
Sep 19, 2024
Beautiful day for a cruise on the Thames - Did not get a window view as we were 3, but it was sweltering hot inside. Good commentary and very nice views, just wish they would have told us WHAT was in the sandwiches. Oh and they gave me Earl Grey instead of English Breakfast (ick).
Review provided by Viator
Rosy_d
Sep 18, 2024
River Cruise - This was a very nice experience except the AC was broken and the boat was hot. But we went upstairs after the tea and the view and breeze were excellent.
Review provided by Viator
Cheerful2014
Sep 25, 2024
Expensive, chaotic boarding, tedious inaudible commentry - After booking using viator. No information was received about tickets. Approaching the date of our trip, I went to retrieve my tickets, the web page said use the app, the app directed me back to the web page. Finally using the help chat I had my tickets emailed to me. On arrival at Tower Pier early for our 3.30 sailing, we were told all party members had to be ready at 3.15 for boarding. (Ok , but it would have been helpful to have this info given with tickets). Chaos ensued as the queue was sent on the pier along with people looking for the Uber boats, which depart from the same gate at the same time, co-ordinated by the same three staff as doing the afternoon tea cruise. Note the same debacle was to been seen for the evening dinner cruise. Plenty tea or coffee was on offer for the first half of the cruise, but 45 mins into the 90 minutes, the crockery was starting to be cleared despite many people still having food still to be consumed, not the relaxed 90 minute afternoon tea we were promised. The commentary was partly inaudible as it only came from one speaker on the other side of the boat to our table, despite there being numerous speakers hanging from the ceiling at various locations. Beware if you get a window table, as some unlucky people found that the window had been open while the boat had been manoeuvring to the pier and their seats were wet, they duly told the waiting staff and requested the table and chairs be dried, but sadly this was forgotten and not done . The selection of four 1 inch by 3 inch sandwiches was different, yes there was a salmon and cream cheese one and a cucumber one, though it was mixed with dill, the other two were egg and cress and coronation chicken. You get a plain scone with clotted cream and jam, but no butter. And four cakes, consisting a spiced plum macaron a soft mandarin and cardamom seed choux pastry ,a lemon sponge with meringue and a 'santa hat' mini cup cake thing. The cruise heads from tower pier to Canary wharf, then back up to Westminster bridge before returning to tower pier. The boat sits 240 at tables for 2 in such a way, that unless you are in the row of single tables beside the windows or the row of twin tables next in from the windows, you will not be able to see the sights unless you abandon your afternoon tea and go upstairs to the open deck, in which case why pay for the food?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_w
Sep 26, 2024
Expensive, hurried and inaudible and inane commentary - Having booked the event, and getting emails reminding me it was approaching the day, I tried to get my tickets. The website told me to download the Viator app, so I did this, then when I accessed the app it old me to go to the website. Eventually I used the website help chat and managed to get the tickets emailed to me. Not a good start! The boarding of the boat was chaotic as the same gate was being used that is used for the Uber boat river Taxis, so people trying to get the Uber were fighting through the queue for afternoon tea. Once on board tea/coffee were offered, the relaxed atmosphere promised was not present. The boat seats around 240 people in a cavernous main deck the accoustics of which are appalling. The commentary came through only one of the numerous speakers hanging from the ceiling which was on the other side of the boat from our table, so half the commentary was inaudible. The cakes and sandwiches were served shortly after we departed, heading down stream to Canary wharf, top ups of tea and coffee were offered, but after about 40 minutes, the cups and plates started to be cleared away, not quite the leisurely experience promised in the 90 minute cruise. After most of the other passengers had vacated their tables to go to the upper deck to take photographs of the landmarks we passed, we could here bits of the commentary, which was misleading and inaccurate, the bridges crossing the Thames to Charing cross Railway station are Hungerford Bridge, carrying the railway and the two Golden Jubilee bridges for pedestrians either side of Hungerford Bridge. A disappointing experience for the price.
Review provided by Viator
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1 Adult
October 2024
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