Afternoon Tea River Cruise on the Thames
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Take afternoon tea on the Thames during a 1.5-hour river sightseeing cruise in London. While enjoying the oh-so-British tradition of tea with cakes and sandwiches, cruise through the heart of central London on a round-trip route from Tower Pier to Westminster to see several of the city’s best-known sights. Gaze out at the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and more!
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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
What To Expect
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
What‘s Included
Afternoon tea - selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones
Unlimited tea or coffee
Live or recorded commentary
Unrivalled views of riverside London
1.5-Hour Cruise
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks, unless specified
Champagne
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
Options
Thames River Sightseeing Cruise with Afternoon Tea
Reviews
946 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great time!
Allison J,May 31, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a lovely way to wrap up a busy morning. The kids enjoyed it, too! The commentator (crew) was hysterical!
Good food but boat arrived late and no packaging for leftovers
BrookieFernandes,May 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00My partner decided to try this out for my birthday. And managed to book the both of us for £125.82 which isn’t too bad actually considering you get a river cruise with a window seat and an afternoon tea. However, the prices may have changed since then as we went in July 2025. But the price we got is quite good compared to other places that offer afternoon tea. Unfortunately on the day, the boat arrived late, and there was confusion on which line to be in if you’re doing the afternoon tea river cruise or if you’re going on one of the other river cruises. So a lot of people who were originally in the front of the line, somehow ended up at the back of the line. And because the boat arrived late, by the time our food and tea arrived, it was 4:10pm giving us only 50 minutes to enjoy eating as the end of the cruise was scheduled for 5pm. I did enjoy the sandwiches and scones, especially the scones, they were really nice. But needless to say we didn’t manage to eat everything in time, we didn’t even touch the dessert plate on top with all the cakes. We asked one of the staff if they could package the food but they didn’t have anything to package with. So I’d recommend if you do book this, bring your own takeaway boxes, otherwise you’re gonna risk wasting food/money. We attempted to take some of the cakes by wrapping them in a tissue but it’s not ideal, and we ended up not being able to eat it anyway. We had noted that it was my birthday in the booking but I didn’t get any wishes from staff or a plate that said ‘happy birthday’ like other places would normally do although I did see photos in other reviews of people receiving it, but maybe I am mistaken and those were probably from other river cruises that offer food. This is a very important thing I need to say. I discovered I have a level of sea sickness when we went on the boat. I do get motion sickness from travelling sometimes. This had nothing to do with the river cruise itself, it’s not their fault but I’m mentioning this in case other people who get motion sickness are interested in this. You’re not on the top of the boat in open air, you’re inside and you can feel it swaying side to side. So be careful about that before booking! Besides that I enjoyed the views as we were sat by the window (you need to book that specifically), the commentary was funny, staff were friendly, and what food we could eat was good too. Drinking tea and eating the scones sort of helped with the motion sickness a bit. I was actually full up by the end of it so that shows it worth the price for some extent. But next time the boat shouldn’t be late. Paying £60 to eat finger food within 50 minutes isn’t exactly worth it.
Wonderful Afternoon Tea Experience
Jeffrey R,May 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time as a family of 6 with two young g children. Boris was so much fun as our waiter who made our experience even better. Both inside at our table or outside on the top deck was fun for all of us.
Wonderful tea service...
Michele R,May 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful tea service while cruising on the Thames! A great way to see the sights of London from a different perspective. Be sure to bring your appetite - food is delicious and there is plenty of it!
Relaxing Cruise, Traditional Tea & scones
Chad B,May 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Excellent food & service. If you're looking for a relaxing cruise on the Thames with traditional, scones & cream/jam, & sandwiches, this is for you. If you're hoping to see all the key tourist destinations, well, you can see a few (e.g., Big Ben, Tower of London, Globe, Tate Modern) from a distance, and Tower Bridge and London Bridge up close. The guide was informative and funny.
Delicious informative relaxing
George S,May 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Perfect way to see and plan out where everything is before you actually start your tours of Westminster , the London eye , Buckinham palace etc.
It was a great way to...
Patricia G,May 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00It was a great way to spend the afternoon. We had a great time! I would highly recommend this experience if you do not have a lot of time in London.
My birthday
Sharae R,May 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00I treated myself to a London tea cruise. We were supposed to leave at 3:30 but left about 3:45-3:50 pm. I was on a solo trip and sat facing the window in the middle section. This is a beautiful cruise. I don’t believe they have enough people to service the people on the cruise. We were headed back to the pier before any one asked if I needed anything. Not the best service. Food is great!
They took too long to...
Amanda F,May 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00They took too long to serve us. We had to ask for our food. Then, when it was time to clean up, they rushed. Not a great experience.
Good experience, service could have been better
CAREN B,May 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00The seating was generally comfortable, enclosed and was by party, so you are not sitting with others groups. Tea portions were generous and food was really good. The service was a little slow, as we did not even get our tea until 30 minutes after we left the dock. The ride was 1 1/2 hours. While we had time to drink the tea and eat the food, we felt service could be reorganized so we did not wait as long for tea.
From £50.00
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Operated by City Cruises