London by Boat: Uber Boat, River Cruises, Canal Boats and How to Ride the Thames

London is usually experienced from the pavement.

You take the Tube, catch a bus, walk across a bridge and occasionally complain about how busy Oxford Street is.

But there is another way to see the city.

From the water.

The River Thames runs through the heart of London, passing some of the city's most recognisable landmarks, while the canals and waterways offer a completely different side of the capital.

And you don't need to own a boat to experience it.

You can use a river bus to get across London, take a sightseeing cruise past Tower Bridge and the London Eye, ride a traditional canal boat from Little Venice to Camden, or even hire your own self-drive boat and take your friends out on the water.

So if you've ever wondered:

“Can I actually ride a boat in London?”

The answer is yes.

And there are more ways to do it than you might think.

1. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers - London's river bus

If you're looking for the most practical way to get around London by boat, start here.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is not really a sightseeing cruise in the traditional sense.

It is a river bus service.

The boats connect piers along the Thames, allowing you to use the river as part of your journey around London. Thames Clippers currently serves more than 20 piers, while Uber says there are 24 piers to choose from when booking through its app.

The network stretches from Putney in west London to Barking Riverside in east London, making it useful for both sightseeing and getting around.

And this is where it gets interesting for tourists.

You don't necessarily have to think of it as transport.

You can simply use it as a different way of sightseeing.

Instead of taking the Tube from Westminster towards Tower Bridge, for example, you can sit on the Thames and watch London pass by.

Where can you catch an Uber Boat?

The exact route and stopping pattern can change, so check the timetable before travelling, but the network includes major piers such as:

• Westminster

• London Eye

• Bankside

• London Bridge City

• Tower

• Greenwich

• Canary Wharf

• Battersea Power Station

• Putney

• Woolwich

• Barking Riverside

The current Thames Clippers journey-planning system provides live timetables and route information.

That means you can build an entire day around the river.

For example:

Westminster → Tower → Greenwich

Instead of seeing those places from the Tube, you're travelling between them with the Thames underneath you.

How do you pay for an Uber Boat?

You have several options.

You can buy tickets through Thames Clippers, use the Thames Clippers app, or book through Uber. Oyster cards are also accepted on Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, with Visit London currently noting that Oyster can provide a saving compared with paying at the pier.

Thames Clippers also offers single journeys, return options, River Roamer/day tickets and longer passes, depending on what type of trip you're planning.

Prices can change, so rather than putting a fixed fare in a blog that might become outdated, check the official fare page before travelling.

Check current Uber Boat fares and tickets

2. Thames sightseeing cruises - when the journey is the attraction

If you don't actually need to get somewhere and simply want to see London from the Thames, a sightseeing cruise makes more sense.

There are several operators, but the basic idea is similar.

You board at one of the central piers, sit back and let London come to you.

Thames River Sightseeing, for example, operates cruises between Westminster, Tower Bridge and Greenwich. Its current 2026 timetable shows regular services between these piers during the summer season.

The route gives you views of landmarks including:

• Westminster

• The London Eye

• Shakespeare's Globe

• Tate Modern

• The Shard

• HMS Belfast

• Tower Bridge

• Tower of London

• Greenwich

This is probably the boat trip I'd recommend to someone visiting London for the first time.

You don't have to figure out where you're going.

You simply get on, sit down and watch the city unfold.

3. City Cruises - another classic way to see London from the river

City Cruises is another major sightseeing operator on the Thames.

Its scheduled sightseeing services operate between Westminster, London Eye, Tower and Greenwich piers, with regular sailings throughout the day.

A full journey from Westminster towards Greenwich takes roughly an hour and can be used as a sightseeing trip or part of a hop-on, hop-off experience, depending on the ticket you buy.

This is particularly useful if you want to combine sightseeing with getting around.

For example:

Westminster in the morning → boat to Greenwich → explore Greenwich → boat back

The river becomes part of your itinerary rather than just something you look at from a bridge.

See current City Cruises London routes and tickets

4. Little Venice to Camden - London's canal boat experience

The Thames isn't the only place where you can ride a boat in London.

Head to Little Venice and you'll find a completely different experience.

Jason's Original Canal Boat Trip operates along Regent's Canal between Little Venice and Camden Lock, using the historic narrowboat Jason. The trip takes around 45 minutes one way.

This isn't like sitting on a river bus.

The atmosphere is much quieter.

You're moving through the canal, passing houseboats, bridges, gardens and parts of London's canal-side neighbourhoods.

Jason's currently operates seasonally, with the 2026 season running from April into early November.

It's a lovely option if you've already done the obvious Thames sightseeing and want to see a completely different side of London.

Check Jason's current canal boat trips

5. GoBoat - drive your own boat

Now we're getting to the fun part.

You don't necessarily have to sit on a boat while somebody else drives it.

GoBoat London lets you hire a small self-drive boat.

And you don't need to be an experienced sailor.

GoBoat currently has four London locations:

• Canary Wharf

• Paddington

• Kingston

• Thames Ditton

Each boat can accommodate up to eight people, and the boats can be hired for up to three hours. GoBoat currently advertises prices starting from under £10 per person depending on the location, date, duration and group size.

This is much closer to what most people imagine when they hear:

“I want to rent a boat in London.”

You and your friends get into the boat, receive the relevant instructions and head out onto the water.

No professional skipper sitting at the front.

You're the captain.

Well... technically one person is.

Book or check GoBoat London locations

Where can you drive a GoBoat?

This depends on which location you choose.

Paddington

You can explore the Paddington canal area and waterways around Merchant Square.

Canary Wharf

This gives you a completely different setting, with modern skyscrapers surrounding the water.

Kingston

You're out in southwest London, where the experience feels much more like a riverside escape.

Thames Ditton

Another southwest London option, with a more relaxed river environment.

GoBoat provides route maps for each location, so you can see where you're allowed to go before you set off.

That is important.

Don't assume you can simply take a rented boat anywhere on the Thames.

The permitted route depends on the operator and location.

6. Want something more exciting? Try a Thames speedboat

If sitting peacefully on a sightseeing boat sounds a little too slow for you, London also has speedboat experiences on the Thames.

These are completely different from Uber Boat.

You're not using them to commute.

You're not slowly sightseeing.

You're there for the experience.

Some operators run high-speed rides along the Thames with views of London's landmarks along the way.

Visit London's current guide includes a range of boat experiences, from traditional river cruises to more adventurous options.

This is one for people who want:

London sightseeing + adrenaline.

7. Private boat hire - when you want the Thames to yourself

You can also hire boats for private occasions.

Birthday?

Date night?

Wedding?

Work event?

Family celebration?

There are companies offering private cruises and chartered boats along the Thames.

For example, Thames River Sightseeing offers private hire options alongside its regular sightseeing services, while City Cruises also offers private and group experiences.

This obviously isn't the budget option.

But if you're celebrating something, being able to have your own boat travelling through central London is a very different experience from buying a normal sightseeing ticket.

8. Can you rent a boat and drive it yourself on the Thames?

Yes, but there is an important distinction.

You cannot simply turn up at the Thames, rent any random boat and decide where you're going.

Self-drive hire is offered by specific operators on specific waterways and routes.

GoBoat is one of the easiest London examples because it specifically offers self-drive boats at its four London locations.

If you're thinking about a longer boating holiday rather than a few hours, there are also operators outside central London offering self-drive boating on the wider Thames.

For example, Le Boat offers self-drive boating holidays on the Thames and states that no licence or previous experience is required for its holiday boats, with instruction provided before departure.

That's obviously a very different proposition from hiring a GoBoat for an afternoon.

9. What about renting a rowing boat?

This is another category entirely.

London has several places where you can get onto the water in a rowing or pedal boat, particularly on parks and lakes.

These aren't really “London boat transport” and they're not the same as hiring a motorboat.

They're more about spending an hour on the water.

Think:

park + boat + picnic.

It's particularly good for families and couples who don't necessarily want a full Thames cruise.

But always check the individual venue's current opening dates, operating hours and booking requirements because these smaller boating operations can be seasonal.

10. Thames boats aren't just for tourists

One mistake people make is thinking that boats on the Thames are basically a tourist attraction.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is public transport.

People genuinely use it to travel around London.

Thames Clippers describes itself as a river bus service, and its network connects many parts of London along the Thames.

That means you can use the boat just as you would use another form of public transport.

Going to Greenwich?

Take the boat.

Going towards Canary Wharf?

Take the boat.

Heading towards Westminster?

Take the boat.

And suddenly your commute feels a little less like a commute.

What can you actually see from the Thames?

This is where boat travel becomes so much more interesting.

Depending on your route, you can see:

The Houses of Parliament

The London Eye

St Paul's Cathedral

Tate Modern

Shakespeare's Globe

The Shard

HMS Belfast

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

Canary Wharf

Greenwich

And plenty of smaller riverside buildings that you might never notice from the street.

Thames River Sightseeing specifically highlights views of many of these landmarks from its Westminster–Tower Bridge route.

And honestly, some buildings look completely different from the river.

That's the whole reason to do it.

What's the best boat ride for a first-time visitor?

If it's your first time in London and you want something simple:

Take an Uber Boat

It's easy to understand and gives you the experience of travelling on the Thames without committing to a full sightseeing cruise.

If you want the full tourist experience, take a sightseeing cruise between Westminster and Greenwich.

If you've already seen the main London sights and want something different:

Try the Little Venice–Camden canal boat.

And if you're visiting with a group of friends:

Hire a GoBoat.

That's probably the one that will generate the most memorable photos.

Can you use an Oyster card on a boat?

Yes but not every boat operator works the same way.

Oyster can be used on Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, and Visit London says it can offer a saving compared with paying at the pier.

Don't assume that means your Oyster card works on every sightseeing cruise.

For example, City Cruises explicitly says that it does not accept Oyster cards as payment for its sightseeing cruises.

So if you're travelling on the Thames, always check the operator before assuming your normal London travel card covers the trip.

Is a boat ride worth it?

I'd say yes especially if you've already seen London from the street.

The Thames gives you a completely different perspective.

Tower Bridge looks different.

The Shard looks different.

The Houses of Parliament look different.

The City skyline looks different.

Even the ordinary buildings along the river start looking interesting.

And you don't have to spend hundreds of pounds on some luxury yacht experience.

You can take a normal river bus.

You can book a standard sightseeing cruise.

You can take a canal boat.

Or, if you're with friends, you can split the cost of a self-drive GoBoat between the group.

London looks different from the water

We spend so much time looking at the Thames from its bridges that it's easy to forget something.

The river is not just something to look at.

You can actually use it.

You can commute on it.

You can explore on it.

You can have dinner on it.

You can take a sightseeing cruise on it.

You can ride a historic canal boat.

You can rent your own little boat with friends.

And you can even spend a whole day moving around London without touching the Tube.

That's probably the best reason to try it.

Not because you've run out of things to do in London.

But because you've seen London from the streets now see it from the water.

Discover more London experiences, hidden gems and things to do on LondonYaar.com.

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