A Thames River Boat Cruise: What to Expect

By Go City Expert

Get a different look at the city and explore London by water on a Thames River Boat cruise.

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The River Thames is the heart of the British capital. Many stunning landmarks line its 346 km waterway. The easiest way to get your sightseeing done in one go is to take a Thames River Boat Cruise and hop on and off at key districts, here's a guide to this whistle-stop vessel tour below. This post includes:

  • Price
  • Duration
  • What you'll see
  • And more...

Price

The Thames River Boat Cruise is priced at £18 for adults and £9 for children. London Pass holders are eligible for a free 24-hour ticket. But as you can hop on and off during the tour, why not take advantage of entry to many of the attractions on the Thames also included with the pass? There are a number of places to hop-on and hop off the river boat to explore popular tourist areas. These four hop-on and hop-off stations are Westminster Pier, Southbank's London Eye, Tower Bridge and Greenwich.

Duration

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The Thames River Boat Cruises has different durations. Depending on which tour you choose, you can be on the boat for anything from 30 minutes to three hours.

What You'll See

Westminster As one of London’s most politically significant and picturesque neighbourhoods, Westminster is one of the river boat cruise’s biggest highlights. With the opportunity to take stunning photos of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from the River Thames. It's also well worth hopping off to explore Westminster Abbey. 

Southbank Historically, Southbank has always been a creative hub with cultural icons such as Shakespeare staging many of his plays in its riverside theatres. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, a reconstruction of the Jacobean theatre of the same name, used to be his favourite haunt (as well as the pub alongside it). It continues to stage plays to this day. The Tate Modern, easily identifiable by its gigantic somber structure, is worth a visit if you have the time to peruse its massive permanent collection. Have your cameras ready for the Millennium Footbridge, a relatively new modern London structure that has featured in the Harry Potter films. The London Eye also sits on Southbank, boasting a 360 degree view of the city. 

Tower Hill As the most popular hop-on and hop-off point for the river boat cruise, this area is always teeming with tourists trying to find the perfect shot. Home to both the iconic Tower Bridge and Tower of London, the sights here have defined the international perception of London as a modern metropolis with a long cultural history. Step off for an hour and explore the exhibition in Tower Bridge’s glass skyway and see the Royal Jewels at the Tower of London, watched over carefully by the tower guards and tour guides named the Beefeaters. 

Docklands The Docklands has cleaned up its act in recent years and while it's a little while away, it's well worth a visit to some of the city's most beautiful sights. Float past Cutty Sark, a gigantic tea clipper that once raced across the seven seas, and then leap into the future with the skyscrapers in Canary Wharf. Need some more inspiration on things to do around London? We've got you covered.

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NEW London Pass Attractions for 2015

The London Pass is bigger and better than before – this year we’ve signed on three more London attractions, not to mention making our product even more easy to use and cost-effective by changing our travel package form a paper ticket to the electronic all-inclusive Oyster. Now you get even more for your money with the London Pass as we’re including free entry to Science Museum and IMAX 3D Theatre, the iconic and historic Cutty Sark tea clipper - plus we’re adding on an extra tour with Best LDN Walks. So there’s something for everyone! Tell us a bit more, you ask? Science Museum IMAX 3D Theatre The Science Museum’s IMAX Theatre is one of London’s most popular visual experiences and promises to broaden your minds and challenge your perception of reality. Sit back and enjoy a film on a screen the size of four double decker buses and immerse yourself in the action, nail-biting thrills and seat-gripping tension. You can choose from a range of shows including Under the Sea, Hidden Universe and Robots for three different experiences. Swim under water with the deadliest creatures, or go around our solar system and to the moon, or look into the future and meet our robotic friends for a really unique encounter. With the London Pass you can enjoy a free ticket to the IMAX and watch a film of your choosing, as well as enjoy 10% off in the Science Museum Gift Shop and Restaurant. Cutty Sark One of Greenwich’s most iconic monuments, the Cutty Sark tea clipper is the last of its kind, as well as boasting a reputation of the fastest and greatest! Step on board and learn about life on this ship and learn of those who sailed her great sails and of those who journeyed with her around the world. The Cutty Sark is moored in a dry dock just beside the National Maritime Museum and gardens, so she has a picturesque surrounding in the quiet borough of Greenwich. This sea-worthy ship is an icon of British industry in the late 19th century and her history is her legend; she’s even listed in the National Historic Fleet which is the equivalent of a Grade 1 Listed Building! Go below deck and tuck into Afternoon Tea at the Even Keel Café right underneath the ship’s hull, so you can look up at the impressive feat of engineering that makes her so iconic. Best LDN Walks Sherlock Holmes Tour Best LDN Walks have added on an extra tour, especially for the fans, the Sherlock Holmes Tour! This is a really interactive tour and one for those who love a bit of dress up, with deerstalker hats and capes readily available! Take to the streets from Trafalgar Square and you’ll be led through the locations made famous from this popular series. Get involved and play detective; split into groups and be the Watson to their Sherlock. It’s a great way to see the sights of London from a different perspective, and there’s no question you’ll be stopping for some Sherlock-appropriate refreshments along the way, too. As well as these great new attractions included for free in the London Pass there have been other updates, including swapping the paper travelcard for the more cost-effective and easy-to-use Oyster Card, and finally all travel to Windsor Castle is now included free with both a London Pass and London Pass + Travel package. Note: make sure you don’t touch your Oyster Card to travel out to Windsor from Paddington – show your London Pass ONLY. For more information on what’s included in the London Pass, visit our attractions list. To learn more about the benefits and what you get, click here.
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Top 10 Hidden Gems in and around the River Thames

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Covent Garden, 41 Earlham Street, +44 20 7632 9500 8) Stanfords Maps, geographical prose, and guidebooks galore - this bookshop in Covent Garden is the perfect place to satisfy your wanderlust. Get inspired and pour over the exotic destinations at your fingertips with all manner of information and accessories available. Who knows where your next adventure might be... Covent Garden, 12-14 Long Acre WC2E 9LP, +44 20 7836 1321 9) Oasis Sports Centre London’s summer time might be unreliable but when the sun’s out it gets hot. Very hot. Where better to cool off and detox than at the Oasis Sports Centre on Endell Street; an open-air swimming pool (with heated water!) to pretend you’re on the beach. Afterwards, treat yourself to a healthy green smoothie from the pool cafe and consider visiting the centre’s squash court if you’re feeling really keen. 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WOW London: Women of the World Festival

WOW London: Women of the World is back at the Southbank Centre for a tenth year. Here’s all you need to know about the festival, including... A guide to what it’s all about What’s on at WOW London in 2020 How you can get involved And much, much more What is WOW London: Women of the World? WOW London: Women of the World is an upcoming three day festival held at the Southbank Centre, celebrating women and girls, while exploring the issues that matter to them most, in Britain and across the globe. Held between 6th - 8th March 2020, it will feature a diverse and broad selection of talks, performances, debates and other events, put on by some of the planet’s most popular and powerful speakers, activists, writers and artists. WOW London 2020 takes place across the International Women’s Day weekend and includes both day pass and additional ticketed events. 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Day Pass Events at WOW LONDON 2020 Jess Phillips in Conversation (Saturday 7th March, 12pm) Politician and author Jess Phillips MP talks about the importance of standing up and speaking up. Guided by her pragmatic and powerful new book Truth to Power: 7 Ways to Call Time on B.S., the former Labour leadership candidate introduces simple ways to stand up for what you believe in and how to find the power to do so. Women’s Parliament (Friday 6th, 12pm) Panel discussion with MPs past and present. What would it be like if women ran Parliament? With more and more women leaving Parliament, citing abuse online and in the press, will we ever get 50/50 representation in the Commons and Lords? Dolls: Life in Plastic, Is it Fantastic? (Saturday 7th, 3.30pm) How do dolls ingrain gender roles? Can 21st century dolls help challenge gender inequality? Are manufacturers starting to care? Or are they just faking wokeness, taking the money and running? How to Be a Difficult Woman (Friday 6th, 1.45pm) Complex, challenging, imperfect women make history. Have well-behaved women achieved anything in the fight for equal rights? Journalist Helen Lewis explores what it means to be a difficult woman. Women of Colour and Mental Health (Saturday 7th, 12.00) Women of colour are disproportionately affected by mental health issues. Why is this so, what barriers prevent them from getting the help they need, and how can we challenge the status quo? Speakers include Sanah Ahsan, a trainee clinical psychologist, poet and spoken word performer. Desi: Out and Proud (Friday 6th, 1.45pm) Inspiring stories from the UK’s Desi LGBTQ+ scene. Hear from activists about all the highs and lows of being out and proud in the community. Panellists include Asifa Lahore, Britain’s first Muslim drag queen, DJ Ritu Khurana and activist and author Samra Habib. The discussion is chaired by Sharan Dhaliwal, editor of Burnt Roti Magazine. All day events include the WOW Marketplace, with stalls raising awareness, offering workshops and selling items from women-led businesses; WOW Bites, where you’ll find an amazing array of short talks, performances and readings; and WOW Speed Mentoring Sessions, where you can get info on how to achieve your goals, with a 15-minute session with an expert. Ticketed Events at WOW London 2020 The Beauty Myth: 30 Years On (Sunday 8th March, 7.30pm) Author and activist Naomi Wolf revisits her hugely influential and highly acclaimed book The Beauty Myth. Is the ‘cultural conspiracy’ against women still happening? How have the beauty and industries changed? Is Wolf’s bestseller—one of the primary feminist texts of the 20th Century—still as relevant today? Shazia Mirza: Coconut (Saturday 7th, 6.30pm) Comedian Shazia Mirza performs her uplifting, thoughtful and hilarious show about survival in a world gone mad. Why’s everyone fighting? Can we really educate people? Who the hell is Alexa? The Guilty Feminist at WOW (Saturday 7th, 7.30pm) Have you ever felt like a bad feminist? Well, you’re not alone. Podcast/cultural phenomenon The Guilty Feminist will be recording a special live episode at WOW London. Deborah Frances-White and Susie Wokoma will be joined by special guests who’ll be encouraged to open up about what makes them a guilty feminist. How the Hell Did I Get Here? With Sandi Toksvig (Sunday 8th, 5pm) Join polymathic national treasure Sandi Toksvig as she interviews some of her personal and professional heroes. She wants them to contemplate one question in particular: ‘How the hell did I get here?’ Her special guests include publisher Lennie Goodings, media industry businessperson Pat Mitchell, and space scientist and science educator Dr Maggie Adern-Pocock MBE. Emma Dabiri: Don’t Touch My Hair (Saturday 7th, 8.30pm) Celebrated author Emma Dabiri comes to WOW London to discuss her revolutionary book, Don’t Touch My Hair. Join her as she talks about why black hair matters, tells the highs and lows of its powerful history, and heads into the cultural appropriation debates that have become a common feature of our time. Letters Live at WOW (Sunday 8th, 8pm) The International Women’s Day iteration of the popular letter love-in, Letters Live celebrates the lasting power of written correspondence. This special edition will feature letters written by some of my most vital, cherished and influential female thinkers, writers and artists...read out by some of the most vital, cherished and influential female thinkers, writers and artists. As with all other Letters Live events, you won’t know who’s going to be performing—or which letters they’ll be reading out—until the day itself. Previous performers have included Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Kylie Minogue, Gillian Anderson and Nick Cave. Where can I find the full list of events taking place at WOW London 2020? For the full WOW London 2020 lineup, head HERE. How do I book tickets for WOW London 2020? You can book day pass tickets for £40. These get you into the non-ticketed daytime events and the WOW Marketplace, WOW Speed Mentoring and WOW Bites. Get your Friday Day Pass HERE and your Saturday Day Pass HERE. For individual tickets to the evening events, head HERE and scroll through the listings. Be quick about it though, WOW London is a popular festival and many of the ticketed events sell out in advance. Tell me a little more about WOW... WOW: Women of the World festival started up in 2010 at the Southbank Centre in London. Jude Kelly CBE, then an employee at the Southbank Centre, set up the festival to celebrate women and girls, and take a look at the obstacles that still prevent them from achieving their goals and full potential. The festival has grown over the last 10 years, both at the Southbank and in terms of its national and international reach. WOW festivals have started up throughout Britain, in cities such as Cambridge, Bradford and Cardiff, and in countries across five continents, including the US, China, Brazil and Somaliland. To date, WOW has reached over 2 million people across the planet. The London event led to tangible change in 2015, with the founding of the Women’s Equality Party. The party’s founders, Sandi Toksvig and Catherine Meyer decided on the need for a feminist political party that sought women’s equality across society, while performing at WOW London. To find out more about the WOW Foundation and the work they do, check out the video below. So, that’s all you need to know about 2020’s WOW London: Women of the World festival. Let us know about your festival plans in the comments below. Have you been before? What did you make of it? Who are you particularly looking forward to seeing this time? Also, over HERE you’ll find our very comprehensive article regarding lates across London. Discover which of your favourite museums and art galleries stay open for after hours revelry, and when in the month these special events take place. And, to learn more about The London Pass—the handy visitor pass that gets you into lots of the most popular London attractions—give the little button below a click. You won’t regret it.
Matthew Pearson

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