Thames River- Which Sightseeing Cruise for a Saturday or Sunday in May?

[nini]

After researching, there are quite a few cruises for the Thames. Our only choices are for a Saturday or Sunday. We are staying close to the Farringdon Station. We will most likely be purchasing Oyster tickets. Thanks!

[John Bull]

Hi Nini,

 

Since you're likely to see many of the sights up-river (Millenium footbridge, London Eye, Westminster Bridge, Big Ben & Houses of Parliament, etc) during your stay,  I'd suggest you take a cruise down-river to Greenwich.

Four stops on the Circle tube line from Farringdon tube station to Tower Hill station, walk down to the river with the Tower of London on your left, to Tower Pier. 

The cruise takes you under Tower Bridge, past the entrance to Katherine Dock on your left, blocks of waterfront apartments - some new, some warehouse conversions, and past the financial & business towers of Canary Wharf to the glorious old Royal Navy College at Greenwich. Here you'll find the Cutty Sark (a tea-clipper), the National Maritime Museum, and - in the park beyond the museum & a ten to fifteen minute walk from the pier - the old Greenwich Royal Observatory, where points east meet points west.

If you want to extend your cruise at the end of the day, from Greenwich take the Thames Clipper further down-river past the strange O2 Arena (James Bond "The World Is Not Enough" and a real-life attempted £200, 000,000 Millenium Star diamond heist ) and through the Thames flood barrier to its terminus at Woolwich, then stay on the boat to get back to the Tower.

 

I'll hazard a guess that saturdays are less-crowded than sundays.

 

https://www.cityexperiences.com/london/city-cruises/river-thames-sightseeing/

(City Cruises are very much geared to tourists, have more outside seating)

 

https://www.thamesclippers.com/

(Thames Clippers are a mix of tourists and commuters)

 

JB 🙂

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by John Bull