Thames River Bus Single Trip and Cable Car Ticket London

The River Thames by river bus

London's river bus network turns the Thames into a fast, relaxed way across the city. The catamarans run frequently along the central and eastern stretch of the river, and with this ticket you can board at any pier between Battersea Power Station and Barking Riverside and get off at any other. Large panoramic windows and a covered outdoor area at the back make it a real sightseeing ride, not just transport.

From the water you pass the Houses of Parliament and the clock tower, the London Eye, St Paul's dome above the City, the rebuilt Elizabethan theatre on the South Bank, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Many visitors use it as a Westminster to Greenwich boat ride; from Westminster Pier to North Greenwich the journey usually takes around 45 minutes to an hour.

Choosing your pier: Westminster, London Bridge or Tower

Because the ticket covers the whole Central and East zones, you can start where it suits you. Westminster Pier, beside the bridge at the foot of the clock tower, is the classic choice for a full ride through the centre. London Bridge City and Tower Millennium Pier are handy if you are already exploring the City or the Tower of London.

Further east, Canary Wharf and Greenwich piers let you mix the trip with a walk around Docklands or the historic Royal Naval College. Timetables vary by pier and between weekdays and weekends, so check the departure times for your pier before you set out. The ticket is valid only on the date you selected.

Greenwich Peninsula and North Greenwich Pier

North Greenwich Pier is the stop for the cable car. It sits on the Greenwich Peninsula, a former industrial site that has become a modern riverside district with walking paths, public art and the large white domed arena that dominates the view from the river. The cable car terminal is a short walk from the pier.

This is a good point to stretch your legs: the riverside path offers views back towards Canary Wharf and the Thames Barrier further east. Many travellers combine the ticket with a visit to Greenwich town itself, one pier upstream, with its market, park and observatory, before or after the ride over the water. Cafés and benches along the peninsula make it an easy place to pause with children.

The London Cable Car across the Thames

The London Cable Car links the Greenwich Peninsula with the Royal Docks on the north bank, crossing about one kilometre of river at a height of up to 90 metres. Each gondola is enclosed and glazed on all sides, and the crossing takes around ten minutes each way, longer in the evening when the cabins run more slowly to make the most of the view.

Your ticket includes a return ride, so you can cross, step out at the Royal Docks and come back, or simply stay on for the round trip. On a clear day you see the river curving towards central London, the towers of Canary Wharf and the Olympic Park in Stratford. Cable car opening hours vary by season and the service may pause in strong winds.

Royal Docks on the north bank

At the northern end of the cable car you arrive at the Royal Docks, a huge 19th-century dock system that was once the busiest in the world. Today the wide water basins are framed by new apartments, an exhibition centre, the city airport runway and open waterside walkways.

It is a calm spot for photos of the cable car gliding overhead and for a short walk along the dock edge before you return. The Royal Victoria Dock is also known for its open-water swimming and watersports in summer. Allow two to three hours for the whole ticket, river bus and cable car together, especially if you add a stop in Greenwich along the way.