Top 15 Cruises & Boat Tours in Britain

London: Tootbus Hop-on Hop-off (Optional River Cruise) - Where you board, and how the 46 meeting points help

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 7,045 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $47Our pick

Hop on and off London’s open-top Tootbus with real-time app tracking, self-guided audio, and an optional Thames cruise from Westminster to Tower.

“Good if you aren’t super comfortable finding your own way around the city and would like a detailed tour. We ended up catching the tube a lot since it was very easy to navigate and often had better locations than the bus stops. But overall a good idea for a tourist who wants more of the tour aspect. If you’re only looking to do this for the transportation, use the tube and public busses instead.”

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Boat Tours in London, Cruises & Boat Tours, London Tours, Thames River Cruises, Tour Reviews

London: Westminster to Tower Bridge River Thames Cruise

2.Westminster to Tower Bridge River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6,127 reviews · 30 minutes - 1 hour · from $18

Thames river cruise from Westminster to Tower Bridge (30-60 min) with open-deck views, live audio, and flexible 1-way or round-trip.

“Absolutely awesome. Very entertaining guide. Good beer on tap. Just watch out, the guide isn’t paid from your ticket. Have some cash to tip him. Its worth it. Also, the ending point is not Tower Bridge Pier but Butler’s Wharf so keep that in mind if yOu plan to visit The Tower Of London right after. It will take you about 20-30 minutes to get there.”

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London: London Eye, River Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

3.London Eye, River Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5,332 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $74

Hop-on, hop-off double-decker bus plus London Eye and Thames cruise. Great value for first-timers, with flexible timing and easy stops.

“Everything was very well organised and especielly the LondonEye was worth the money! So nice and beautiful to see London from above. We had standard tickets and even if it was a lot of people there everything flow on and the waiting was short. In the cabin it was not crowded and we could really enjoy the ride. Bus and River Cruise was also very nice! Ake Andersson, Taby, Sweden”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews

Manchester: Canal & River Cruise

4.Canal & River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4,638 reviews · 1 hour · from $16Best value

One-hour Manchester canal cruise from Salford Quays. See Old Trafford, Stephenson’s 1830 bridge, Media City, plus ship canal history in English.

“The cruise around Salford Quays and into the centre of Manchester (Deansgate) was brilliant. It was a lovely sunny day so we were able to sit outside and take in all the interesting sights including a Kingfisher, Cormorants and lots of wildlife along the river bank. The information presented was so interesting along an area of Manchester you normally can’t see from the roadside. Would definitely recommend.”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Liverpool Tours, Tour Reviews

Liverpool: Sightseeing River Cruise on the Mersey River

5.Sightseeing River Cruise on the Mersey River

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 4,153 reviews · 1 day · from $17

Ride Liverpool Mersey Ferries for a 50-minute cruise with free QR audio, Beatles stories, and iconic views like the 3 Graces and Albert Dock.

“I liked the history of it and it was nice to be on the Mersey listening to Gerry & the pacemakers. Really fun to be therex”

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Boat Tours in London, Cruises & Boat Tours, London Tours, Thames River Cruises, Tickets, Tour Reviews

London: Thames River Cruise with Optional London Eye Ticket

6.Thames River Cruise with Optional London Eye Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,900 reviews · 45 minutes - 1.5 hours · from $20

See Big Ben, St Paul’s, the Tower and Tower Bridge on a Thames cruise from beneath the London Eye, with live guided commentary.

“Awesome way to see the sites from the water. Dress warm it’s a bit chilly 😉”

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London: Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off with Optional River Cruise

7.Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off with Optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3,875 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $35

Hop on Big Bus routes across London, then enjoy a live commentary Thames cruise with great views, plus optional walking tours and an evening tour.

“Hop on hop off driving around seeing all the attractions”

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London: Tootbus Must-See Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Cruise

8.Tootbus Must-See Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3,653 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $52

Tootbus London hop-on hop-off bus plus Thames cruise, GPS tracking app, and audio in 10 languages for 24 to 72 hours.

“Bus was not overly busy, always managed to get a seat. Cruise along Thames was maggificant”

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Afternoon Tea Experiences, Boat Tours in London, Cruises & Boat Tours, London Tours, Thames River Cruises, Tour Reviews

London: Afternoon Tea Cruise on the River Thames

9.Afternoon Tea Cruise on the River Thames

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,274 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $53

Thames afternoon tea cruise from Tower Pier with sandwiches, scones, cakes, unlimited tea and coffee, plus views of London’s landmarks.

“The afternoon tea cruise was fantastic- it will always be remembered”

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London: River Thames Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise

10.River Thames Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,112 reviews · 1 day · from $33

Thames hop-on hop-off cruise from Westminster to Greenwich. All-weather boats, live crew commentary, and a 24-hour ticket for photos and breaks.

“Really lovely activity. Good value for money. We stayed on the boat to Greenwich and then got it back after a walk around there. Signage when we arrived to Westminster Pier was a bit poor but there were enough staff there to ask which queue we needed to be in. Would recommend!”

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Loch Ness: Urquhart Castle Round-Trip Cruise

11.Loch Ness: Urquhart Castle Round-Trip Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,070 reviews · 50 min · from $30

A 50-minute round-trip Loch Ness cruise from Clansman Harbour to Urquhart Castle, with onboard sonar, commentary, snacks, and Wi-Fi.

“We do this every year and it’s always amazing. Beautiful view, lovely staff, and a perfect activity to do if your looking to relax and enjoy the view - on the speakers it plays history of the area so it’s also a way to learn about the history.”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, York & Yorkshire Tours

York: Daytime Sightseeing Boat Cruise with Live Commentary

12.Daytime Sightseeing Boat Cruise with Live Commentary

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 2,618 reviews · 45 min · from $20

A relaxing 45 to 60 minute River Ouse cruise with live captain commentary, great views, and an onboard bar, from central York.

“Great way to see this beautiful city. Highly recommend.”

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Boat Tours in London, Cruises & Boat Tours, Evening Experiences, London Tours, Thames River Cruises, Tour Reviews

London: River Thames Evening Cruise with Bubbly and Canapés

13.River Thames Evening Cruise with Bubbly and Canapés

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,493 reviews · 2 hours · from $37

A 2-hour Thames evening cruise with a glass of sparkling wine, canapés, and live music, passing Tower Bridge, London Eye, and Canary Wharf.

“Magical sunset on the Thames with a guitar player. Definitely check this out.”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Edinburgh Tours, Tour Reviews

Edinburgh: ‘Firth of Forth’ Three Bridges Sightseeing Cruise

14.‘Firth of Forth’ Three Bridges Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,383 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $27

1.5-hour Three Bridges cruise from South Queensferry: UNESCO Forth Bridge, Inchcolm Abbey, seals and puffins. Heated lounge, $27.

“The trip was excellent and it was very informative regarding the 3 bridges.”

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From Inverness: Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle

15.Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,241 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $76

Inverness to Loch Ness: boat cruise, Urquhart Castle ruins, and Nessie stories, plus Loch Ness Centre in winter season.

“Spent the day exploring the Loch Ness and Urqhhart castle after being transported by a bus and boat combo. Perfect amount of time to spend at the castle and afterwards we were driven to the Loch Ness centre to experience a video walk through of the Loch Ness monster history and myths. Very fun and I recommend doing this. The guide was awesome!!”

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