Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In
River Thames, London
Search:

Home » Travel Guides » Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London » London » Things To Do » River Thames Reviews

London Hotels

Real reviews from real travelers.

River Thames, London

A new way to cross the Thames - London
A new way to cross the Thames
by KennetRose
River Thames tips and photos posted by real travelers and London locals.
• 301 Photos
• 187 Reviews

See all London Things To Do
Sort By:  Most Recent | Best Rated
River Thames: Thames Circular Cruise
  • Tip Rating:
  • CoAir13
  • Updated By CoAir13 on September 23, 2004
  • London Page by CoAir13
  • River view of Parliament - London
    River view of Parliament
    by CoAir13, 3 more photos
    Cruises on the River Thames offer a different perspective of the city. We took a 50 minute circular cruise from Westminster Pier to Tower Bridge and back. You can sit inside or outside on the boat accompanied by descritions of key London sights. Multi-lingual audio tours are also available.
    There are also point to point cruises offering "hop on, hop off" access to various sights around the city.

    Adult 7 GBP
    Child 5 GBP
    Family (up to 2 adults and 3 children) 19.50 GBP

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: Westminster Pier
  • Phone: 020 7987 1185
  • Directions: Westminster tube
  • Website: www.catamarancruisers.co.uk
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful

    Visiting London?

    Read reviews about London Hotels

    Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.

    River Thames: THAMES RIVER CRUISE
  • Tip Rating:
  • LoriPori
  • By LoriPori on March 6, 2006
  • London Page by LoriPori
  • River Thames - London
    by LoriPori, 4 more photos
    A trip to London would not be complete without a THAMES RIVER CRUISE. There is commentary along the way, informing you of the places of interest that you are passing by. On Hans' trip to London for the VT Meeting, he went with Carmen and Stace on the Thames Circular Cruise.
    Many of London's tourist sights can be seen from the River. These include the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge.
    According to the Brochure, "Circular Cruise Fares" are as follows:
    Adult 6.80
    Child 3.40
    Student & Seniors 5.80
    Group rate for 10 or more people is available

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: Westminster Pier
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    River Thames: Along the River Thames
  • Tip Rating:
  • mallyak
  • Updated By mallyak on September 18, 2008
  • London Page by mallyak
  • River Thames - London
    by mallyak, 4 more photos
    The River Thames runs through London and is the reason why London is located where it is. So many of the buildings that one associates with London are built along its banks: the river has certainly seen most of the great historical events of the past 2000 years of London's history.
    In Central London you will find a wide choice of passenger boats plying the piers between Westminster and the Thames Barrier. Palaces, docks, cathedrals and churches, great bridges, theatres and museums all jostle for attention. Here one can spend many happy days exploring the city’s rich past

    Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    River Thames: Thames Barrier
  • Tip Rating:
  • easyoar
  • By easyoar on May 21, 2006
  • London Page by easyoar
  • Thames Barrier with boat passing through - London
    Thames Barrier with boat
    passing through
    by easyoar, 1 more photos
    The Thames is a very long river. It flows through Henley, Reading and various other towns on the way to the sea. At these points it is very much just a normal river. However by the time it reaches East London, the river has become tidal, and when the sea rises, the water rushes back up the Thames. In periods of heavy flow, this can cause major flooding. It has not been unknown for The Houses of Parliament to flood! The Thames Barrier was built to stop the back flow when the tide rises from happening. Most of the time the Barrier appears to just be a series of pillars in the river, but if needed, hidden metal gates rise up from the river bed stopping the surge of water from the sea.

    Even though the Barrier is now over 20 years old, I still find it quite futuristic looking and a sight often missed by tourists that visit London (partly because it is a fair way from the centre). Some people reckon it is best seen by boat, but I like the side on view as seen here, where you can see the boat "City of London" sailing through one of the central gates in the barier. The birds in the foreground are Cormorants. My second picture just shows the Barrier with no boat.

    The Barrier measures over 0.5 km from bank to bank. The four central openings in the barrier are 61m and these are the main navigable openings. The four main gates that fill these four navigable openings are huge and over 20m high and weigh (together with their counterweights around 3700 tonnes each!) Adjacent to the four main gates are two similar but smaller gates (just 31m across). The remaining four gates are not navigable and these are the omes next to the riverbanks.

    There's a good web page: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/regions/thames/323150/335688/341764/ that describes the Thames Barrier in great detail.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: Near Millennium Dome
  • Directions: North Greenwich on the Jubilee Line
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    River Thames: the river Thames
  • Tip Rating:
  • sylvie-uk
  • Updated By sylvie-uk on September 15, 2004
  • London Page by sylvie-uk
  • river Thames - London
    river Thames
    by sylvie-uk
    The river Thames runs from the sea to Teddington and is just under 100 miles.
    Despite it s murky appearance, it has over a hundred fish species including salmon.
    There are plenty of different cruises to do on the Thames, just use seach engine on your server and type "cruises river Thames" and choose the one for you.

    Leave a Comment

    Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful

    Visiting London?

    Read reviews about London Hotels

    Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.

    River Thames: Take a boat trip
  • Tip Rating:
  • toonsarah
  • By toonsarah on September 30, 2007
  • London Page by toonsarah
  • River Thames from Hungerford Bridge - London
    River Thames from Hungerford
    Bridge
    by toonsarah
    The best way to see London’s River Thames is possibly to take a boat trip along it. There are several companies offering these, all pretty similar. Trips depart from a number of central London locations along the river, including Charing Cross Pier (by Embankment tube station), Westminster Pier (by Westminster Bridge and the tube station of the same name), Tower Bridge and Waterloo on the south bank. Some trips are quite short and focus on the central stretch of the river, while others go as far west as Kew Gardens or as far east as the Thames Barrier.

    Depending on how long the trip you chose is, the sights you will see from the boat will probably include
    ~ London’s bridges, including the iconic Tower Bridge (not to be confused, as some tourists do, with the more mundane London Bridge)
    ~ great views of some of the most famous sights, such as Parliament, St Paul’s cathedral and the Tower of London
    ~ the restored warehouses in the eastern part of the city, now among the most sort-after London addresses for those that can afford to live here

    You’ll also get a good insight into all the activity on the river itself, with other sightseeing boats, river police, barges and privately-owned vessels etc. passing regularly. Commentary is usually provided in a number of languages, and refreshments available on board. In the evening some of the companies run dinner or disco cruises, and boats can also be hired out for groups to enjoy a private customised tour. The website below lists a large number of companies offering tours, but the best bet may be simply to turn up at one of the piers and see what’s on offer, though at busy times you may have to wait a while for a place on a tour.

    Fares vary depending on the route you choose but are typically between £6 and £10 for an adult, with discounts for children, senior citizens and family groups.

  • Directions: You'll see tours offered from several piers on both banks of the Thames
  • Website: http://www.riverthames.co.uk/boat/cruise.htm
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    River Thames: Splash your Cash!
  • Tip Rating:
  • scottishvisitor
  • Updated By scottishvisitor on February 25, 2006
  • London Page by scottishvisitor
  • Throw a party in style - London
    Throw a party in style
    by scottishvisitor, 1 more photos
    We didn't go on a river cruise on this trip (far too cold brrrrrr) & we couldn't find another 40 people to book with. The cruise costs 8.95 + vat & sails with a minimum of 40 people. A luncheon cruise is available for 27.95. If you prefer to take a bus tour you ticket price will incude a river cruise but on a much more modest vessel.
    If you have plenty of cash you can charter the boats for Weddings or Parties check out the website for prices.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: River Thames South Bank
  • Phone: 020 7623 1805
  • Directions: On the Jubilee Walkway between London Bridge & Tower Bridge
  • Website: thamesleisurelimited
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    River Thames: Photo opportunities at the Golden Jubilee Bridges
  • Tip Rating:
  • St_Vincent
  • Updated By St_Vincent on January 19, 2006
  • London Page by St_Vincent
  • River Thames - London
    by St_Vincent, 2 more photos
    Downstream View

    One of my favourite views of the City skyline is from the Hungerford Footbridge facing downstream, this is the left hand side looking from Embankment or the right hand side from the South Bank. I need to explain this because there are in fact two separate bridges running either side of the original 1846 railway bridge. Since 2002 these have been known as the Golden Jubilee Bridges. The downstream view shows Cleopatra's Needle, Somerset House, St Paul's Cathedral, the Oxo Tower and two of the highest buildings in London, the Swiss Re Building (the Gherkin) and Tower 42 (the old Nat West Tower). Great views on a clear day, unfortunately it was a bit overcast when I took these photos but they have come out fairly well. Also at the present time (Jan 06) many of the buildings on the South Bank are being refurbished so the view is not very inspiring.

  • Directions: The bridges run between Charing Cross/Embankment underground station on one side to the South Bank, close to the London Eye, on the other.
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    River Thames: Walk Along the Thames
  • Tip Rating:
  • Cham
  • By Cham on April 10, 2006
  • London Page by Cham
  • South Bank at Night - London
    South Bank at Night
    by Cham, 1 more photos
    The Thames River runs through the city and splits london into north and south. Along the south bank you can almost walk alongside the whole river and you'll see many sights. I suggest doing this at night time as you'll see all the lights of the city reflecting against the water. Some of the highlights of the river are Tower Bridge (the one the American's thought they were buying when they bought london bridge (which the original now resides in arizona), the tower of london, the millenium bridge leading to st pauls and the city; westminster bridge from which you can see the london eye, big ben and houses of parliament. plus many restaurants and bars along the riverside, the tate modern and a spectactular view from any of the bridges.

    Leave a Comment

  • Directions: most of the stations on the bottom of the circle line are near the river.
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    River Thames: A quick bit of Egyptology for you....oooh mummy !
  • Tip Rating:
  • sourbugger
  • Updated By sourbugger on March 27, 2006
  • London Page by sourbugger
  • Ouch my arm hurts - London
    Ouch my arm hurts
    by sourbugger
    Cleopatra's needle (you should see the size of her arm) was a gift to Britian, in recognition of Nelson's Victory over the French fleet, at the Battle of the Nile in 1798.

    The needle stands on the North bank (Embankment) of the Thames opposite the Royal festival Hall, on the river front.

    The needle is flanked by two impressive bronze lions. Their pedestals also enclose various objects including: standard foot and pound, a full set of British Empire coins, Bibles in various languages, a railway guide, an almanac, and copies of contemporary newspapers


    There were in fact two of these obelisks, formerly at Alexandria, but one of them is now in New York. They are made of granite, and were originally erected by the Egyptian king Thothmes III in front of the great temple of Heliopolis, where Moses was born.

    The New York obelisk was presented to America, and was set up in Central Park in 1881.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: North side of Thames
  • Directions: nearest tube : Embankment and head downstream
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    More London Tips
    Overview
     
    Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 1,785 - Photos: 1,485
    Things To Do
    Tips: 9,601 - Photos: 13,273
    Nightlife
    Tips: 1,386 - Photos: 1,178
    Transportation
    Tips: 1,999 - Photos: 1,570
    Restaurants
    Tips: 2,976 - Photos: 3,301
    Shopping
    Tips: 1,048 - Photos: 1,155
    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 1,608 - Photos: 2,059
    Tourist Traps
    Tips: 500 - Photos: 346
    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 709 - Photos: 412
    Local Customs
    Tips: 728 - Photos: 671
    Packing Lists
    Tips: 293 - Photos: 127
    Sports Travel
    Tips: 228 - Photos: 339
    General Tips
    Tips: 2,331 - Photos: 2,298
    Flights
    Tips: 167 - Photos: 0

    Best London Travel Deals

    500 Hotels in London
    Save up to 75% on your booking. Low rates and great availability!

    Great Sale London Hotels
    4 Star Accom, Free Full Breakfast, Free Broadband, Book Direct, No Fee

    London Hotels
    Find the Perfect Hotel! Book Online for the Lowest Prices Guaranteed.

    Radisson Edwardian Hotels
    Luxury Hotels throughout London. Experience London in Luxury.

    Cheap London Hotels
    Up to %70 Off Hotels in London Save Money and Time, Book now!

    Sponsored Links

    More London Travel Deals

    Luxury Hotels London
    Rates from only $449. Book now on the official Jumeirah website!

    London Accommodation
    Great deals! Double rooms from $79. Book now. Pay when you check out.

    Luxury London Hotels
    Six luxury boutique hotels located in London city centre. Book online!

    Sponsored Links


    London Hotels





    About VirtualTourist |  10 Great Things to Do On VirtualTourist |  Contact Us |  Press Center |  Help |  User Agreement |  Privacy Statement
    Virtual Tourist® ©1994-2009 VirtualTourist.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.