While purchasing my tickets for the London Eye, I opted to save ten percent by purchasing a combination ticket that included the Thames River Cruise. The tickets to both attractions are relatively expensive, but worth the money. The ten percent savings takes some of the sting out of the price. I was able to schedule my boat tour to begin forty-five minutes after my London Eye time to allow a fifteen minute difference. This was plenty of time, since the docks for the Thames River Cruise are directly below The London Eye.
The Thames River Cruise departs every thirty minutes on the quarter hour. The start and finish times depend on the time of year you visit. The published schedule is subject to change, but can be viewed on the London Eye/River Cruise Website.
The Thames River Cruise generally lasts for approximately forty minutes. The queue forms on the loading dock beneath the London Eye. We arrived early in the morning, so there were only about a dozen people in line. We were able to sit near the front of the boat. It was a cold day, so we remained in the climate controlled interior (lower level) of the boat. On a nicer day, our photographs would have been much better, taken from the sundeck on the upper level. After walking most of the morning, it was nice to put my feet up for forty minutes and absorb the sights and information of the narrated tour.
The tour began by heading upstream very briefly. We crossed from the London Eye side of the Thames to Parliament and Big Ben. The narrator explained the division of the houses of Parliament along with the color coding, which is visible from the water. The boat then turned downstream toward the Tower of London. The trip included information on the numerous bridges that cross the Thames, the Globe Theater, The Tower of London, the “armadillo” and more. Along the Tower of London, we were able to get decent pictures of the “Traitor’s Gate” from the water. I later took pictures of the same gate from inside the Tower. The narrator was knowledgeable and interesting to listen to.
From the River
From Inside the Tower of London
There are some other Thames River Tours available other than the one run in conjunction with the London Eye. They leave from a variety of places and are often cheaper than EDF. One option is through the London Pass, which offers admission to a number of London attractions for a flat rate. I was not interested in a number of the options available and realized I would not actually save money with that option. However, through other online websites, I found tickets as inexpensive as L5 (less than eight dollars), which is significantly cheaper than the tour we took. The prices (before the “package discount”) for the London Eye Thames River Cruise are:
Adults – L13.5
Children 3 through 15 – L6.50
Children under 3 – Free
With the London Eye, the prices are:
Adults - L32
Children 3 through 15 - L22.50
Children under 3 - Free
The tickets I purchased were double what I found online. However, the L5 tour was thirty minutes as opposed to forty minutes. Also, I cannot vouch for the quality of the tour operator. Sometimes you get what you pay for. I am not sure if the L5 tour would have been equivalent, but for a once in a lifetime trip to London, the tour we took was worth the twenty dollar price tag. The tour was relaxing and informative. The boat was clean and appeared to be in good condition. The line was short and the seating ample. The visibility from inside was decent, with minimal reflection or obstruction in the photographs I took. They would have been much better from the sundeck had the weather cooperated. Overall, I was pleased with this attraction, although still consider it to be a bit on the expensive side. These are my less than spectacular, cold rainy day photos on the Thames:
Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.