The best boat trips in London with kids

One of my favourite views of London is from the river – the Thames is at the heart of the city, and with so many choices of different boat trips in London with kids, it’s easy to fit at least one into your visit.

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And as well as the best-known sightseeing boat tours in London, there are historic London boat trips, self-drive options (as well as self-paddle) and more adrenaline-fuelled experiences to appeal to older kids.

You can make a virtue of necessity and travel to Greenwich with one of the London boat tours rather than sitting on the tube, or even hop onto a boat between two art galleries for a cruise with culture. Here’s my pick of the best London boat trips for families to try.

Tips for London boat tours with kids

Sailing along the Thames is a fantastic experience, but it’s worth being aware of a few things before you board, especially for the London sightseeing boat tours.

• There’s often a chilly breeze out on the river, so while open-top sightseeing boats give great views, it’s one to save for sunny days – or wrap up warm.
• It’s often not the fastest way to travel – especially in central London, if boats are hopping between Westminster, the London Eye and Embankment. It’s about the experience rather than the speed though.
• Younger kids might not be quite so enthralled – while I can happily watch the scenery for hours, when my daughter was young, she appreciated our London boat trips a lot less, so like any journey, pack something to entertain littler ones.
• Many of the larger boats have more limited numbers, so if you’re boarding one without a timed ticket, it’s worth boarding towards the start of the route or getting there a bit early on busy days, otherwise there might not be space on the first boat.
• For more ideas on how to save money on days out in London with kids, including some boat tours, check out my tips

For ideas of more things to do on the Thames with kids, check out my pick of the best of London’s riverside attractions

City Cruises hop-on hop-off boats

There’s a whole range of different sightseeing boat tours from City Cruises, including ones with afternoon tea but also a 24-hour hop-on hop-off ticket, so you can get on and off the sightseeing boats at four different piers, if you want multiple cruises.

Get 20% off all City Cruises sightseeing tours using code CC20 until the end of 2024 – click here to get the discount – as well as 50% off adult and child 24-hour river pass tickets if you book before May 24 using the code welcome50

There’s commentary on board as they sail along the Thames, past landmarks including the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, so it’s a fun, hassle-free way to spot a few highlights with kids – if the weather’s good, you can sit outside on the top deck.

You can also pick up combined tickets, including for riverside attractions such as the London Eye plus a boat tour, or the Tower of London plus cruise.

The boats run regularly between Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier and Greenwich, which each section taking around 30 minutes (except the first two stops which are just 10 minutes apart across the river).

For combined boat and bus tours, check out my pick of the best bus tours in London with kids

Terrible Thames boat tour

What do you get when you cross the creators of Horrible Histories with 2,000 years of drama along London’s riverbanks? The Terrible Thames cruise, new in 2021, has become a family favourite, with trips running on select dates between early April and the end of October (mostly during school holidays).

With tales of revolution, beheadings and pirates (and the stomach-turning reason why Queen Victoria’s pleasure cruise lasted only minutes), you sail from Tower Bridge to Westminster and back via Execution Dock, while prizewinning school-child Billy (or Billie) and their teacher perform and provide the commentary.

The cruise itself only takes 45 minutes but with songs, just the right amount of audience participation, plus a great balance of fun and facts, it feels like you get twice as much packed in – all including the usual Horrible Histories recipe of gruesomely ridiculous, gory sound effects, plus plenty of toilet humour.

You’ll discover some genuinely quirky facts, plus it doesn’t shy away from the difficult topics, including London’s role in the slave trade. Departs from Tower Bridge Quay near St Katherine’s Dock.

We were invited along to review the tour before it launched – my Horrible Histories-loving daughter (and I) gave it a very firm thumbs up – check out the full Terrible Thames review here

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers

If you’re not looking for a long cruise, aren’t fussed about commentary on board or want a more spontaneous option, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is unbeatable.

While you can choose the same route as most sightseeing boat tours in London, this operates almost the same way as a water bus, so it’s a fun way to get around London.

The boats leave from 23 different piers along the Thames with regular boats through central London, plus less frequent routes to take you west to Putney and east beyond Greenwich, as far as Woolwich (Royal Arsenal).

You can use contactless to pay (as well as your Oyster card), or book via their app, so there’s no need to plan your tickets way in advance. It’s worth knowing that it’s not included in the tfl daily fare cap though.

Or you can pick up a one-day unlimited River Roamer travel pass: if there are two adults in your group, the family pass means that kids go free.

Thames River Sightseeing Cruise

Another classic sightseeing London boat tour, Thames River Sightseeing also operates through central London – although stopping at a couple more piers than City Cruises – with live commentary.

There are also audio guides in multiple other languages, and an open deck to watch the sights on sunny days, as you cruise from Westminster Pier and Tower Bridge Quay, near St Katharine Docks, to Greenwich.

Check out some of the best things to do in Greenwich with kids here

You can also pick up a two-day family pass to cover all your boat trips in London with kids, currently £47.80, if you’re hoping to do a lot of cruising along the river.

Turks River Cruises

The London boat tours from Turks Launches have been cruising along the Thames for over 300 years, giving families a chance to discover a different stretch of river.

The eye-catching boats (most famously a Mississippi-style stern wheeler) run most days between Richmond, Kingston and Hampton Court, passing beautiful Hampton Court Palace, Teddington Lock and the quirkily fascinating Eel Pie Island.

Kids get discounted tickets while those aged two and under travel free, with trips lasting between 35 minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes, depending how far you choose to cruise.

Book tickets to Hampton Court Palace, here, to combine both for a great family day out.

Thames Rockets RIB Voyage

If you want something more thrilling than a gentle pootle along the river, check out an adrenaline-fuelled RIB speedboat experience instead.

You can find a series of high-speed RIB experiences from Thames Rockets – the Ultimate London Adventure is family friendly, with a 50-minute journey past HMS Belfast and the Oxo Tower, from the London Eye pier, while Captain Kidd’s Canary Wharf Voyage is aimed specifically at families.

Book here for tickets which can be cancelled up to 24 hours beforehand

For a longer journey, you can choose the 80-minute 30-knot thrill ride to the Thames Barrier, or a shorter 40-minute Break the Barrier option, starting from London Bridge City Pier and winding around the Greenwich peninsula, all accompanied by tunes from the last six decades.

You have to be 10 years old or above to join the Break the Barrier ride, because of the speeds involved, but otherwise the boat trips are suitable for kids of all ages (although none are suitable if you’re pregnant and may not suit nervous little ones), especially the Captain Kidd ride.

It’s fine to bring bags on board (although not larger cases) and while there’s always the chance of spray off the water, there are waterproofs provided so you should emerge nice and dry, although with your heart racing!

Previously you also had an alternative choice of ThamesJet speedboat rides, but these are no longer operating.

Take a Canal Waterbus

If you’re looking for more laid-back boat trips in London with kids, the Thames isn’t the city’s only waterway, with several different canal waterbus options cruising along Regent’s Canal.

The Jenny Wren canal boat tour lasts 90 minutes, cruising from Camden Lock to Little Venice and back again, with a guide pointing out some of the highlights along the way.

Or Jason’s Trip Canal Waterbus has been operating since 1951. The vintage narrowboat takes you on a 45-minute trip from Camden Lock to Primrose Hill, past Regent’s Park, London Zoo (look out for some of the animals!) then on to pretty Little Venice, with its cafe-lined canals, where you can hop off to find Paddington or stroll the streets.

If you’d prefer to sail in silence, opt for Jason’s Trip and putter to Little Venice without the guided chat (only standard on Jason’s Trip cruises starting at the Little Venice end).

Children are welcome and you can take buggies or strollers on board Jason’s Trip, as long as you can fold them, while under-fours go free on Jenny Wren.

For more things to do in Camden with kids, check out my top picks

Canal Museum Tunnel boat

Discover more about London’s canals before taking a boat trip along the Regent’s Canal and through the Islington tunnel, with a special tour from the London Canal Museum, not far from King’s Cross station.

At the museum itself, you can learn more about the people who lived and worked on the waterways, the cargoes the boats carried (including ice from Norway!), and get a peek inside a narrowboat cabin – plus some bonus history of the ice trade and ice cream.

But you can also book the Canal Museum’s Tunnel Boat tour, a 50-minute journey along the water, including some more background on the three-quarter mile tunnel… including the fact that originally men had to lie on the boats and push against the walls with their legs to get through.

Thankfully it’s a lot easier these days! Not one for the youngest kids, who might be spooked by the long, dark tunnel though.

There are limited seats on board, and it only runs on Thursdays and Sundays, so do book in advance.

If all the ice cream history has whetted your appetite, check out Ruby Violet in the Kings Cross canal quarter, near Granary Square and its fountains, with flavours ranging from traditional favourites to peanut butter, passion fruit and liquorice.

Tate Boat

London has not one but two branches of the Tate gallery, with Tate Modern and Tate Britain both on the riverside – and if you fancy a day out which combines both, you can hop between the two using the Tate Boat.

Operated by Uber Boat by Thames Clippers (scroll up for more), it’s actually part of the RB1 or RB2 route so you can book as normal using their app, as well as buying tickets from the Tate – the galleries themselves are both free to enter.

It’s definitely a fun selling point for kids who love art, and this particular boat trip in London with kids makes much more of an event of a visit to the two.

Or if you’re looking for an even more memorable experience, you can book a Tate To Tate tour, which includes a guided tour of the Tate Britain in the morning, a trip on the Tate Boat, and a guided tour of Tate Modern in the afternoon, as well as other family-friendly private tours of the art galleries.

Bus and boat tour of London

If you can’t decide whether you fancy a boat tour of London or a bus tour, why not do both? There are several options available including the Big Bus open-top hop-on hop-off bus combined with a River Thames cruise, and a choice of tickets lasting up to three days, to discover the various routes.

Or check out this vintage bus and boat journey as another way to travel through the city on two iconic modes of transport. The classic doubledecker bus leaves from Victoria Coach Station past sights such as Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, before hopping on a boat along the Thames.

Some departures include the chance to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace too, depending which time you pick.

Discover more royal places in London with kids here

Go Boat self-drive cruise

If you prefer the idea of getting behind the wheel of a boat yourself, check out the different options from GoBoat London, with space for up to eight in each electric boat (and it’s dog-friendly as well).

You don’t need to have experience before you set off – there is training given on arrival, along with a route map, plus you’ll get life jackets for babies and buoyancy aids for children too. The captain must be over 18.

You can depart from Paddington and Canary Wharf, giving you the chance to explore around Paddington Basin and the Regent’s Canal or through the Docklands, as well as Kingston, cruising along the river in West London between Teddington Lock and Molesley Lock, passing Hampton Court Palace.

Bring a picnic – you can hire the boats for up to three hours and there’s a table to sit around – although you need to know that Paddington is an alcohol-free location.

Check out our review of GoBoat with kids from Paddington

Kayak London’s waterways

Want to be the captain but fancy being in control of a slightly smaller craft? You can also explore some of London’s 100 miles of waterways with a spot of canoeing or kayaking.

Moo Canoes has a base at Hackney Wick if you’re looking to take out a canoe (good for families who all want to be in the same boat) or Limehouse for kayaks (great if you’re a solo parent, or prefer to split kids and adults between the boats).

If you’re determined to get out onto the Thames, the London Kayak Company also does booking for families with kids aged nine and over (the group trips are for adults only).

*last updated 2024*

PIN FOR LATER: LONDON BOAT TRIPS WITH KIDS

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. One or more experiences were offered to me free of charge for review, but all opinions are my own

Main image, Little Venice, Tate Modern, kayak courtesy of Depositphotos, City Cruises courtesy City Experiences, all others copyright MummyTravels

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