London

Afternoon Tea River Cruise on the Thames

Name: Afternoon Tea River Cruise on the Thames
Brand: City Cruises
SKU: 3542AFTEA
Price: 66.47 USD
Rating: 4.0 (544 reviews)

London, England

Thames River Sightseeing Cruise with Afternoon Tea

1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

London, England

High-Speed Thames River Speedboat in London

3,242

from $76.64

London, England

Westminster to Greenwich Sightseeing Thames Cruise in London

1,877

from $19.05

Likely to Sell Out

London, England

Iconic Sights of London: High-Speed Boat Trip

674

from $62.64

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

While in London, combine an iconic British tradition with a unique sightseeing excursion on an afternoon tea cruise. Spend a luxurious time enjoying a unique dining experience with family and friends on the Thames River. As you cruise from Tower Pier to Westminster, indulge in tea, freshly prepared cakes, and sandwiches, and view London’s great landmarks including the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the London Eye.

Cruise through the heart of London, from Tower Pier to Westminster
See legendary London landmarks including the London Eye and the Shard
Sip on a cup of tea, and enjoy a selection of British cakes, scones, and sandwiches
Visit the onboard bar to purchase more drinks, if you wish

What's Included

1.5-Hour Cruise
Afternoon tea - selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones
Unrivalled views of riverside London
Unlimited tea or coffee
Live or recorded commentary

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks, unless specified
Champagne
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Tower Millennium Pier
London EC3N 4DT, UK
situated within walking distance to Tower Hill underground Station Please go directly to the boarding gate.

Start time

03:30 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

In the afternoon, head to Tower Pier in central London to board the teatime cruise along the Thames River. Find your seat in the cozy indoor saloon and enjoy panoramic views of the city shoreline as your cruise begins.

Heading west from Tower Pier, first pass the mystery-laden Tower of London and the monolithic Shard building, a 95-story pyramid of glass. Continue on to Shakespeare’s famous Globe Theatre, a stunning Elizabethan playhouse with running performances, and the towering London Eye. Along the South Bank, see a medley of buskers, locals, and tourists meandering on the bustling pedestrian path. Your cruise loops at Westminster, for great views of the Houses of Parliament before heading back east.

As you cruise, indulge in British culinary delights like scones spread with jam and spoonfuls of cream, finger sandwiches, cakes, and unlimited tea and coffee. For an added treat, order a glass of bubbly (own expense) from the onboard bar. After tea, feel free to wander the open-air deck as you arrive back at Tower Pier.

City Cruises London Tower Pier

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Tower of London (Pass By)

London Eye (Pass By)

Tower Bridge (Pass By)

Canary Wharf (Pass By)

The Shard (Pass By)

HMS Belfast (Pass By)

St. Paul's Cathedral (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
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.
Not wheelchair 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 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
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 60 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 3 full days before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 3 full days before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 3 full days before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Kathleen_V

The boat was lovely! The tea and sandwiches were yummy and we enjoyed this very much. The views of London skyline was fantastic. I’m so glad I booked this. Highly recommend for anyone that wants a relaxing way to take a tour.

Reviews

4.0

544 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 544 reviews

Lasting memories

Naomi_I, May 2024

The ambiance, my friends pleasant atmosphere, the greetings and welcoming from the team and good service. My friends had an amazing time as well. The history on the Thames . Lovely way to celebrate the evening.

Fantastic experience

Jennifer_H, May 2024

So enjoyable. Fun, informative experience with great food, service and views. Boat ride was fun with interesting information provided about the area and its history (commentary was provided after tea time so wasn’t disruptive).

Wonderful tour with great views, tea and food.!

Jeff_H, May 2024

This was a great tour! The boat hit several hot tourist spots on the Thames. The tea and food provided was excellent and accommodating to the vegetarian travelling with us. This was a special, memorable tour for our family.

Lovely afternoon tea experience with great views

Hayley_J, Apr 2024

My friend and I had a great time on this afternoon tea river cruise! It was lovely being able to see views from the river boat while enjoying the tea and bites. You are able to select which type of tea you'd like, but the food menu was set. One of my favorite parts of my time in London.

Just OK

Michelle_L, Apr 2024

The cruise itself was lovely, the boat was nice BUT the service was not good (especially if you didn't order alcohol/extras). It took quite a while to get our tea and food (30-45 minutes in). Sandwiches and pastries were OK. 10/10 for sights.

Nice sightseeing tour

lmshirle, Apr 2024

Very nice river cruise with views of major London landmarks. Tea and snacks were delicious. Great for families or couples.

Don’t go if hungry or want good time

Robert_M, Apr 2024

Ships speakers were inadequate. Loud buzzing noise. Could not hear guide, who was the captain. Children running all around and on chairs playing loud videos. Food so so. Saw many leaving on trays after tasting.

Thames afternoon tea

Robin_S, Apr 2024

It was a wonderful experience. The tea and food were great and the sights were terrific. Very nice atmosphere and the staff was friendly and accommodating! Highly recommend.

Loved the river cruise and tea!

Bridget_H, Apr 2024

Excellent experience. Great service with beautiful views. Definitely recommend. Clotted cream w/jam on scones were amazing. Desserts we delicious. Tea had a good variety and were great.

Fun

anna_W, Apr 2024

Was a lot of fun. Several kinds of tea to choose from and a variety of treats. The crew was helpful and entertaining. Got some amazing pictures of tower bridge, Westminster Abby and Big Ben.

Delicious and pleasant river cruise

Heather_B, Apr 2024

A delicious and filling selection of sandwiches, scones and small cakes, good views of river side buildings from another perspective

The narration during the cruise was hard to understand and not particularly informative.

Michael_Y, Apr 2024

The service was slow and hard to determine what or when the tea and snacks would be served. The narration during the cruise was hard to understand and not particularly informative.

Tea on the Thames

Blanche_H, Apr 2024

We enjoyed our time on the Thames! Being able to be on the upper deck, had a great views and sunny weather! That was the good part, and the service we received. I've had better food at other tees I've been to, and the tea was not hot and not more than a couple cups.

Good experience wish it could be a little longer.

Deanna_S, Apr 2024

Good. Wish they could be more flexible and have some sandwiches without mayo. Also fccvvbbnmnvcbnbgjn tonic c hftt ft k C.

Happy times, eating afternoon tea on the Thames!

Karen_W, Apr 2024

The check in process was quite smooth, not too much queueing! The staff welcoming us were really friendly, and we were shown to our seats. We had a great view out of the windows, and were lucky with the sunshine! Our drink orders were taken swiftly (although anything other than tea or coffee was extra charge), and soon after departure, everyone was being served their tea stands. The sandwiches were tasty, and not the dull cheese, cucumber, ham etc. - some different breads, and unusual fillings. The scones were really nice, but my husband is not a lover or strawberry jam - would have been nice to have alternative (raspberry or blackcurrant maybe?). The little cakes looked and tasted lovely. I guess (as it was Good Friday) a nod to Easter would have been a nice touch...maybe a mini egg on the chocolate cake?? But not a deal breaker. We had to ask for extra tea and coffee, but the staff were very obliging when asked. During the trip, the commentator gave us some relevant facts and points of interest, so we learnt a few things on the way. All in all, a really enjoyable family afternoon.

Disappointed tea drinker

Joyce_B, Apr 2024

The views from the boat on the river were great. The food for the afternoon tea and the service were not great. We arrived early on the boat but our drink orders were not taken until the boat trip started and the loud announcement began, then we could barely hear the server and she almost brought the wrong tea flavor. We never saw her or any other server the rest of the 1.5 trip until the end when it was time to pay for non tea drinks. The tea was supposed to be unlimited. A neighbor table had to physically find more tea and bring back to their table. I would recommend skipping tea and taking a different boat.

Fun family experience

Jill_F, Apr 2024

Fun family experience! Family of 5 (kids ages 11, 14, 17) - we enjoyed the food and tea and seeing London from the Thames.

WOW this was such an...

Amy_H, Apr 2024

WOW this was such an amazing experience! The food and tea was all delicious. The staff was so kind and helpful and the upstairs guided tour of the sights was the perfect 1-1/2 hour tourist activity for my family from the States.

Viator details not accurate

Patricia_R, Apr 2024

Terrible by viator to not tell us to arrive early. And the boat left. Thus we had to reschedule! And due to reschedule tour provider charged us for a new tour!

Something different to do

Kristenstephan, Apr 2024

Well organized however we were one of the last people to get our tray of food. Some tables got 2 trays, we only got 1 which was probably a good thing since my son would have devoured twice the amount of the sweets. Highly recommend going upstairs to listen to the commentary because it was hard to hear down below. Very informative. Do not order the espresso martini, my husband said it was horrible. Not sure I’d do it again but it was something different to do.

...