Great Family Cruises along the Thames River

Seeing London while cruising along the River Thames is a wonderful way to view some of the best London landmarks including St Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and the clock tower (Big Ben is the bell), the London Eye, HMS Belfast heavy WW-II cruiser and Tower Bridge.

Visitors often take tour buses around London, but the calm of a river cruise deal is always a welcome break in a busy schedule. Lying back on a deck chair, or having a light snack while sailing down the Thames can give you a chance to unwind that you might not otherwise have.

Tours often start at Westminster Bridge near Parliament, then sail for an hour or two downstream to Greenwich and the site of the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum. Stand on the famous GMT merdian; the Greenwich Mean Time from which all other times in the world are offset.

Many visitors do not realize the Thames starts in Gloucestershire, and flows through Oxford, Reading, Slough and through London to Southend and the North Sea. The Thames is the second longest river in the United Kingdom, and the longest entirely within England.

Cruises along the Thames can span a few hours, or specialist cruises can take days, often including coach or walking tours to the university towns of Oxford and Reading, and of course, the capitol city of London.