Lunch River Cruise on the Thames with 2-Course Meal
Recommended by 90% of travelers
London, England
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Make the most of limited time in London on a lunch cruise along the River Thames that combines sightseeing with a freshly prepared meal. Sail from Tower Pier to Westminster, passing landmarks including Tower Bridge and Big Ben, and enjoy views without battling busy streets. An onboard bar offers additional drinks for purchase to complement your meal.
- See London from a unique vantage point on the water
- Escape the busy streets for a peaceful river cruise
- Enjoy a 2-course lunch for insight into British food
- This compact tour is perfect for travelers short on time in London
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
No need to work time for a meal into your sightseeing day—lunch is included in this river cruise.
What's Included
- River Thames cruise
- Lunch2 Course Lunch
- Live or recorded commentary
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- City CruisesTower Millennium Pier, London EC3N 4DT, UK
Located a few minutes away from Tower Hill Underground Station. Please go directly to the boarding gate.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.11:45 am
Itinerary
Your lunch cruise sets off from Tower Pier in central London at midday. Make your own way to the pier with plenty of time to board the boat and find your seat in the cozy, indoor saloon. Sit back and enjoy panoramic views of the city shoreline as your cruise begins.
Heading west from Tower Pier, first pass the formidable Tower of London, situated in the modern Square Mile, followed by The Shard—the 95-story pyramid dominates the South Bank skyline. Continue on to Shakespeare’s famous Globe Theatre, a historic active theater, and the enormous London Eye. Along the South Bank, witness the bustle of performers, locals, and meandering tourists. Your cruise loops at Westminster, where you get great views of the Houses of Parliament and the iconic Big Ben before turning around.
As you cruise, indulge in a 2-course meal featuring an entree and dessert with coffee and tea. For an added treat, purchase wine, beer, or other non-alcoholic beverages from the onboard bar. After lunch, get some air on the outside deck as your river cruise returns to Tower Pier. Arrive with plenty of time to continue sightseeing.
Heading west from Tower Pier, first pass the formidable Tower of London, situated in the modern Square Mile, followed by The Shard—the 95-story pyramid dominates the South Bank skyline. Continue on to Shakespeare’s famous Globe Theatre, a historic active theater, and the enormous London Eye. Along the South Bank, witness the bustle of performers, locals, and meandering tourists. Your cruise loops at Westminster, where you get great views of the Houses of Parliament and the iconic Big Ben before turning around.
As you cruise, indulge in a 2-course meal featuring an entree and dessert with coffee and tea. For an added treat, purchase wine, beer, or other non-alcoholic beverages from the onboard bar. After lunch, get some air on the outside deck as your river cruise returns to Tower Pier. Arrive with plenty of time to continue sightseeing.
Tower of London (Pass By)
Houses of Parliament (Pass By)
Big Ben (Pass By)
London Eye (Pass By)
The View from The Shard (Pass By)
Canary Wharf (Pass By)
Tower Bridge (Pass By)
City Cruises (Pass By)
HMS Belfast (Pass By)
Thames River (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available; if you require this, or have any other dietary needs, make a note in the 'Special Requirements' field when booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- 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.
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- 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 contact 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
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 60 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Shanita_R
This was such a pleasant surprise. The boat was very nicely decorated and very comfortable. It literally felt like a restaurant The staff were friendly and the commentary was informative with a touch of humor. The food was so yummy and the views were breathtaking. I would definitely recommend the cruise to anyone considering!
Reviews
4.5
based on 1,012 reviews
Farideh_R, Apr 2026
It’s not complicated at all. You will be directed to your table and the staff will immediately start serving you
bernadette_c, Mar 2026
I love the tour and the crew. This was a worthwhile experience . The lunch they served was amazing and the commentary during the tour was enjoyable
RoseEllen_G, Mar 2026
Food quality was very good. Everyone gets the same food unless you choose the vegan option. Very nice lunch. Drinks cost extra but reasonable on pricing. Great cruise down the river. Captain gave us a bit of tour information as well on what we were seeing on the banks of the river as we cruised by. Very nice experience. I would probably go at night for dinner instead. Apparently it is really great to see the city from the river at night.
Terrance_D, Mar 2026
Trip was great. The location was easy to find. The food was okay. Wasn't the best but wasn't the worst. The crew were nice and even though they weren't trained as tour guides, they did great pointing out things
Jennifer_P, Mar 2026
A lovely experience especially if it is sunny. A scenic and relaxed way to see the sights of London. Not a first class experience but food is decent enough and staff very friendly.
Shanita_R, Mar 2026
This was such a pleasant surprise. The boat was very nicely decorated and very comfortable. It literally felt like a restaurant The staff were friendly and the commentary was informative with a touch of humor. The food was so yummy and the views were breathtaking. I would definitely recommend the cruise to anyone considering!
Sophia_P, Mar 2026
Our boat came right on time and was very clean. We were immediately seated with a great view in the front. Our server was great. Lunch and drinks was wonderful. The captain was very knowledgeable and pointed out all the tourist spots to us. Great experience for the money, well worth it.
Miriam_H, Mar 2026
Attending as a group of three, we had a fantastic experience. The white tablecloths gave everything a more upmarket feel. The food was delicious, and the drinks were very well priced. The live commentary was great to listen to, and we’ve never seen London look as beautiful as it does from the River Thames. We would definitely recommend this experience and would happily return.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi,
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're delighted to hear that you and your group had such a wonderful experience on board.
It’s great to know you enjoyed the little touches like the white tablecloths, as well as the delicious food and well-priced drinks. We’re also pleased that the live commentary added to your experience, seeing London from the River Thames really does offer a beautiful and unique perspective of the city.
Thank you for your kind recommendation. We truly appreciate it and would love to welcome you all back on board again in the future!
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
Elaine_W, Mar 2026
Great lunchtime cruise. Great way to see iconic parts of the city and the 2 course meal was really good quality as was the service.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi,
Thank you for your great review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the lunchtime cruise and found it to be a wonderful way to see the city's iconic sights.
It’s also fantastic to know that you enjoyed the two course meal and that the service met your expectations. Your kind feedback means a lot to our team.
We really appreciate you sharing your experience and hope to welcome you on board again soon!
Kind regards
City Cruises
Anil, Mar 2026
The food was very delicious. Definitely coming back. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi,
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the food and had such a positive experience with us. It means a lot to our team to know that our dishes made such a great impression.
We truly appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you back again soon!
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
Olivia_M, Feb 2026
I am extremely disappointed with my experience booking through Viator. I purchased a lunch boat experience as a special outing for my mum. The booking confirmation clearly stated that we should arrive at 11:45 AM, and there were no instructions indicating we needed to arrive earlier.
We arrived exactly at 11:45 AM, only to be told that the boat had already left. The staff then claimed we were supposed to arrive at 11:35 AM, which is completely untrue because that information was never provided in the booking details.
To make matters worse, a customer service agent told us that a refund request had been submitted and advised us to book the afternoon tea experience instead. Trusting this information, I paid for the afternoon tea. However, immediately after making the payment, we were told that they could not refund the original booking.
This felt extremely misleading and unfair. We followed the instructions provided in the booking confirmation and still lost our experience and money. Being told a refund was requested and then later denied after we made another purchase was very frustrating.
I expected much better customer service and transparency. This experience has left me feeling disappointed and misled, and I would strongly advise others to be cautious when booking experiences like this.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear about your experience and understand how disappointing and frustrating this must have been, especially as the outing was planned as a special treat for your mum.
We sincerely regret the confusion regarding the arrival time. We appreciate that you followed the time stated on your booking confirmation, and we understand how upsetting it must have been to arrive as instructed only to find that the boat had already departed. That is certainly not the experience we want any of our guests to have.
We are also very sorry to hear about the mixed information you received regarding the refund and the subsequent booking. We understand how this situation would feel misleading, particularly after you were advised that a refund request had been submitted and then later informed otherwise.
As the booking was made through Viator, their platform manages the reservations and refund requests, but your feedback is extremely important to us and we take it seriously. We will be reviewing this situation with our team to better understand what occurred and to ensure that our communication with third party bookings is as clear and accurate as possible.
If you would be willing to contact us directly at customercomments@citycruises.com with the name on the booking and the date of your visit, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to look into this further and see if there is anything we can do to assist.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention, and we are very sorry that your planned experience did not go as expected.
Kind regards.
City Cruises
ScottD_M, Feb 2026
We were surprisingly pleased with the whole tour. The ship was clean and bathroom’s also. There wasn’t a bad seat in the house. You were escorted to an assigned table with a server. The chairs swiveled so you could see from every angle.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Hi,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We’re delighted to hear that you were so pleasantly surprised by the experience and that everything met your expectations. It’s great to know you found the ship and facilities clean and comfortable, our team takes great pride in maintaining high standards throughout.
We’re also pleased that you enjoyed the assigned seating and table service, as well as the swivel chairs, they really do make it easy to take in the views from every angle without missing a thing!
Thank you again for sharing your feedback. We hope to welcome you back on board for another memorable trip soon.
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
Maxine_C, Jan 2026
Great cruise but no body speaking and guiding you through entire cruise which makes it difficult for foreigners to know what they are seeing for parts when nobody is speaking
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the cruise itself, but we’re sorry to hear that the lack of live commentary affected your experience. We understand how important it is, especially for international visitors, to have clear guidance and context while sightseeing. Your comments have been noted and will be shared with the team as we continue to improve our service. We truly appreciate your input and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for an even better experience in the future.
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
Sally_S, Jan 2026
I have only given 3 stars as there was five of the family doing the trip and one is a vegetarian and allergic to mushroom, I phoned the number 02077400400 a week before the trip to request a vegetarian meal with NO mushrooms the lady I spoke to was very reassuring and told me it would be a vegetarian meal without mushrooms, this was not taken into account as on the day when the meal arrived it was five chicken dinners so the only substitute they could offer was two small jacket potatoes and a few vegetables, had we have known this would happen we would have purchased something for my daughter in law to take on board and asked for a partial refund, I paid £54 each for this trip although it said £43 on the website making in total of £270 all in for the trip. So if you want a vegetarian meal bring your own. Very disappointed
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
We’re very sorry to hear about the issues surrounding the vegetarian meal and dietary requirements, particularly after you had taken the time to call ahead and were reassured. We understand how disappointing and frustrating this must have been, especially for a family occasion, and we apologise that this was not handled as it should have been on the day.
We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further and make things right. If you are open to it, Please could you contact our customer service team by email customercomments@citycruises.com, and we will do our best to restore your confidence in us.
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
Mark_V, Jan 2026
Not much to really see during the 1 1/2 hour cruise. Food was mediocre at best no choice of what to eat , everyone was served the chicken. The side of some sort of potatoes was dried out. Meal not super hot. Not a good policy to not offer options. Chicken had a mushroom sauce. No coffee was proposed with desert. However, Service was excellent. For the price I recommend do a regular boat cruise and go eat lunch.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share your honest feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the cruise and dining experience didn’t meet your expectations, particularly in regard to the menu options and food quality. Your comments about the meal temperature, choice, and overall value are appreciated and will be shared with our catering team, as this kind of feedback helps us improve.
We are, however, very pleased to hear that you found the service to be excellent, and we’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to the crew. Thank you again for your review, and we appreciate you giving us the opportunity to learn from your experience.
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
Patrick_f, Dec 2025
It was lovely - food very good, service outstanding and seeing the sites from the water was quite enjoyable
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi,
Thank you for your kind review. We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the food, found the service outstanding, and appreciated seeing the sights from the water. It’s always a pleasure to know our guests had a lovely experience, and we hope to welcome you back on board again soon.
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
David_W, Nov 2025
Our cruise on the Thames was brilliant. Tha staff were helpful and friendly. The meal we had was of a very high quality.
I can’t praise the experience highly enough.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Hi,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that your Thames cruise was a brilliant experience and that our team made you feel welcome with their friendly, helpful service. It’s great to know you enjoyed the meal as well, we take pride in offering high quality dining onboard.
Your kind words truly mean a lot to us, and we’re delighted that the experience left such a positive impression. We hope to welcome you back on board again soon!
Kind regards.
City Cruises.
Edward_W, Nov 2025
Very pleasant! Nice and clean. We appreciated the speaker too. The food was good everyone enjoyed the lunch.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hello,
Thank you for your review! We are glad to hear you had a pleasant lunch cruise and you liked the food and commentary.
Kind regards
City Cruises
Simon_M, Oct 2025
Excellent cruise and 2 course meal was excellent. Staff were friendly and helpful. Drinks cost extra, but reasonably priced.
Sharon_L, Oct 2025
Really good cruise despite the weather. Fantastic views with good commentary. Food was lovely too. Drinks reasonable price.
Simon_F, Oct 2025
Would recommend this lunch cruise and is value for money excellent service lovely trip down the Thames
Beverley_G, Oct 2025
It was lovely and I enjoyed it with my two daughters.the food was good too
We had a great time and lasted the two hours
Gail_P, Oct 2025
It was not clear that 11:45 was the departure time. You should add a time when boarding opens. We missed the boat.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hello,
We are very sorry your experience didn't go as expected. We would like to hear more about this. Please can you kindly contact customercomments@citycruises.com and we will get back to you.
Kind regards
City Cruises
Anne_W, Oct 2025
Well worth the experience enjoyed the trip and the meal was delicious. Would be nice if fellow passengers respected the commentary
John_H, Sep 2025
A very nice experience on the Thames whereby you get a fairly good view of the historic town of London! The employees were very hospitable and friendly and the food was very tasty!! An enjoyable day-I recommend it!!!
Chuong_T, Sep 2025
This was probably one of the best lunch cruises in Europe and definitely highly recommend visiting and having a lunch in this cruise when you’re in London. They served us delicious chicken with vegetables entree and cheesecake. Alcoholic drinks and beverages were not included in our meals, but for the value of food and sightseeing, it’s a great experience. Two thumbs up!
Linda_H, Sep 2025
Great trip food good , staff very helpful would definitely recommend. Give it a go if in London .
Time on boat was just enough to see everything.
William_A, Sep 2025
The food, drink and staff were excellent. The ride along the Thames River was relaxing and we enjoyed seeing the sites from the river side.
Phil_M, Sep 2025
Amazing views of the city and the lunch was lovely. Very restful and a great break from the busyness of the crowds.
Jayne_W, Sep 2025
This is so worth the money. A cruise down the Thames and a two course meal what more could you want? So organised and well run. Big shout out to Yasmin(?) our server who looked after us xx
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Lunch River Cruise on the Thames with 2-Course Meal
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