London is a thriving city, full of the hustle and bustle you’d expect from a nation’s capital. With so much to see and do, there are plenty of options to help you get the most out of your visit to London.
To beat the London traffic and enjoy a steadier pace, London tours by boat are a great way of experiencing some of the best landmarks the city has to offer away from the crowds that fill London’s streets.
Here’s our selection on the best London bus tours by boat.
City Cruises
Running from Westminster, Waterloo, Tower and Greenwich Piers, City Cruises offer a rover ticket meaning that you can hop on and off any of their boats all day with a one-day or weekend ticket.
Complete with commentary, these modern boats are extremely popular with tourists who want to travel up and down the river while taking in some of the sights from the River Thames.
The nearest pier from the Grand Park Kensington Hotel is Waterloo Pier near to the London Eye. To get there, Take the District tube line from Earl’s Court Station and you’ll be there in less than half an hour.
You can also pre-order your tickets online for convenience or just pay on the boat when you arrive.
Turks Launches
One of the smaller London boat tour companies, Turks Launches has been operating their tours of this historic south-west stretch of the River Thames for over 300 years.
With an emphasis on discovering the hidden history of this part of London, anyone coming aboard with Turks Launches can expect to see some of the areas hidden historical gems such as 17th century Ham House, Eel Pie Island where rock stars used to go to party and Teddington Lock’s Dunkirk Memorial.
Although you might have to travel a little further outside the city centre to join the tour, you’ll get to enjoy many of the places many people miss during their visit to London. Our hotels near Earls Court are a great base for your boat tour as you can take the tube directly to Turks Launches near Hampton Court Palace in just over an hour.
Tate to Tate Boat
Definitely a boat tour for art lovers, the Tate to Tate boat tour links both Tate Galleries and runs every forty minutes from the Tate Britain which can be reached from the Park Grand Kensington Hotel in just over 25 minutes.
The catamaran service really is a little bit special thanks to its specially commissioned interior and exterior design by famous artist Damien Hirst, so it’s a must for anyone that appreciates art.
As both of the Tate galleries are so vast, its recommended that you visit your favourite gallery first and head off for lunch before journeying on to the second gallery later in the day as all that artwork can be somewhat overwhelming after a few hours.
