Top 12 River Cruises in the UK

1.On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10,803 reviews · 3 hours 35 minutes (approx.) · from $39Our pick

Ride Big Bus London across three routes linking Buckingham Palace, the Tower, St. Paul’s, Notting Hill, and the British Museum. Hop off where you like, use onboard commentary and Wi-Fi, and choose a 24- or 48-hour ticket for a one-way Thames cruise. The 48-hour option adds walks and an evening tour.

“Worth every penny saw so much of London drivers so friendly and helpful. The busses were frequent with no waiting”

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2.Tootbus Hop-on Hop-off (Optional River Cruise)

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 7,045 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $47

Use Tootbus to see London at your own pace across Yellow, Blue, and Green routes. Listen in 10 languages, follow buses in real time, and use four self-guided walks. Add a City Cruises boat from Westminster to Tower Pier, with children’s commentary in English or French.

“We used the bus on the yellow route which took us through many iconic London sights. We chose to stay on the bus for the duration. The audio guide was very interesting and informative. Would recommend this bus tour.”

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3.London Eye, River Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5,332 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $74

See London from three angles: an open-top Big Bus, the London Eye, and a Thames cruise between Westminster and Tower Pier. You can hop off at Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, and more. The 48-hour option also adds Royal Walk, Jack the Ripper, and Harry Potter walking tours.

“it was awesome thank you we really enjoyed our day trip ❤️ 💜 ♥️ 😉 😀 😊 ☺️ 😄”

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4.Canal & River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4,638 reviews · 1 hour · from $16Best value

Board at Salford Quays for a one-hour cruise along the Manchester Ship Canal and River Irwell. Expect views of MediaCityUK, Old Trafford, Pomona Docks, Hulme Lock and Stephenson’s 1830 railway bridge, with English commentary, indoor and outdoor seating, toilets and a small bar.

“Beautiful day! Staff really helped us as my dad is partially disabled, they were very patient and helpful. Much appreciated all the kindness.”

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5.Sightseeing River Cruise on the Mersey River

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 4,153 reviews · 1 day · from $17

Board a traditional Mersey Ferry at Liverpool Pier Head for a 50-minute cruise past the Three Graces, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool Cathedral, and Wirral. Use free digital commentary in 11 languages, buy snacks at the onboard café, and bring headphones and a warm jacket.

“We loved it Great to see closer the sight’s also loved the commentary”

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6.Thames River Cruise with Optional London Eye Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,900 reviews · 45 minutes - 1.5 hours · from $20

Cruise from London Eye Pier beneath the London Eye, passing Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, Shakespeare's Globe, and Tower Bridge. Expect live English commentary, covered and open-air seating, and guides such as Mitch, George, Josh, and Ben. Add a London Eye visit if availability suits your plans.

“By nice Thames tour! Wish it were more potently std that the London eye closed for throne we were there. I’m not sure why buying it was even an option. Paul was a great guide!!! Very funny”

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7.Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off with Optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3,875 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $35

Use a one, 24, or 48-hour Big Bus ticket to explore London across three routes and more than 50 stops. Add the Thames cruise, guided Royal, Harry Potter, and Jack the Ripper walks, or a 19:30 evening tour. Live commentary, WiFi, headphones, and wheelchair access are included.

“The vantage point of seeing all of the London sights from the upper deck of the bus was a great way to become familiar with the city layout and form a map of it in my head for further exploration on foot. Live tracking of buses with increased accuracy through the app would be of benefit.”

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8.London Tootbus Hop on Hop off Bus Tour and Thames River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3,834 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $53

Use a 1, 2, or 3-day Tootbus pass to see London from an open-top double-decker, then add a Thames sightseeing cruise. Routes link Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the Tower, St Paul’s, museums, Notting Hill, and King’s Cross, with app tracking and children’s audio commentary.

“I want it understood that due to the demonstration we didn't enjoy our experience at all.. we was stuck in traffic jams for up to two hours.. In addition the noise levels outside made it difficult to follow the automatic recorded tour. This was nothing akin to my previous experiences with the company.”

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9.River Cruise and Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,864 reviews · 2 days · from $33

Start at Pier Head with a 50-minute Mersey Ferry cruise, then explore Liverpool by open-top bus. Live guides such as Viv, Pete, and Paddy bring local stories and humor, while 11 stops let you visit cathedrals, museums, the Beatles district, and Royal Albert Dock at your own pace.

“Fantastic value for money if you buy as the package. The boat trip was amazing, lovely coloured boat, nice inside. The views were fantastic. we didnt realise till later that we'd caught the sun on our faces 😂 The bus trip was great, really informative, the narrator Coddy was very patient and funny, there were a few noisy people on the bus but it didnt bother anyone, it was fun. you get to see where the beatles grew up, went to school etc. we definitely recommend this trip and this APP, omg its brilliant, no waiting fir tickets etc, my go to app when we go anywhere”

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10.Guided Sightseeing River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 935 reviews · 45 min · from $28

Take a 45-minute guided cruise from The Folly Restaurant along Oxford’s University Regatta Course. Your English-speaking skipper points out Folly Bridge, Christ Church Meadows, rowing houses and Iffley Lock aboard a quiet electric Edwardian boat. Drinks from the restaurant can come aboard.

“We were a group of 2 adults and 4 children visiting Oxford for the day. We ordered drinks to take on the cruise with us which was a treat. Howard our guide has only been doing this role for a short time but was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and gave us some wonderful insights about Oxford, the history and the waterways. We would definitely highly recommend Oxford River Cruises. As we returned we saw lots of boats with afternoon tea and thought if we came back we'd try that option as the cakes looks delicious.”

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11.Harry Potter Walking Tour with Thames River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 370 reviews · from $36

Join an English-speaking guide such as Perla, Luke, Louis, or Hagrid for a 2.5-hour Harry Potter walk through Southwark, central London, Soho, and filming locations, with trivia, house points, and a 25-minute Thames catamaran ride.

“Perla was our tour guide and it was funny and we enojoyed so much because we could learn a little about the locations of the Harry Potter movies. She came fully prepared so it was easier to spot the locations for the movie!”

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12.Sightseeing River Cruise with Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 328 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $78Top rated

Join Oxford River Cruises at Folly Bridge for a 1.5-hour English-language cruise with afternoon tea. Your guide may be Nick, Will, Rory, Henry, Joe, or Emily. Expect rowing crews, punts, Iffley Lock, Water Meadows, Rose Island, fresh scones, sandwiches, cakes, tea, and a relaxed small-boat setting.

“Lovely boat trip with a delicious afternoon tea. The freshly baked scones were amazing! Our guide Nick gave a commentary and he was friendly and knowledgeable. In between talking he played some relaxing music. We stopped halfway to stretch our legs and have a look around. A lovely way to spend an afternoon, you just have to hope for decent weather.”

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