Thames River Cruise from Westminster to Greenwich

Westminster Pier, Big Ben and the London Eye

Your cruise begins at Westminster Pier, next to Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, with the Elizabeth Tower, which holds the Big Ben bell, rising above the river. As the boat pulls away, the London Eye turns slowly on the South Bank opposite; opened in 2000 and 135 metres tall, it was once the world's largest observation wheel.

How to get to Westminster Pier? Westminster Underground station is directly opposite, served by the Jubilee, District and Circle lines. Arrive a little early to use the fast-track boarding queue, and head for the open deck if the weather is fine; the first stretch past Parliament is one of the best photo moments of any Thames river cruise.

The South Bank, Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe

Heading downstream, the boat passes the Royal National Theatre and the cultural buildings of the South Bank, then glides under the Millennium Bridge, the steel footbridge linking St Paul's Cathedral to Tate Modern. The gallery occupies the former Bankside Power Station, recognisable by its tall brick chimney.

Just beyond is Shakespeare's Globe, a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse of 1599, rebuilt close to the original site and opened in 1997. The commentary explains how this bank of the river was once London's entertainment district, full of theatres and bear-baiting rings outside the city's rules.

The Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the Shard

The skyline then changes with the Shard, at about 310 metres the tallest building in the UK, and HMS Belfast, a Second World War cruiser moored as a museum. On the north bank the stone walls of the Tower of London appear, nearly a thousand years old and still guarding the Crown Jewels.

Sailing under Tower Bridge is the highlight of the trip. Opened in 1894, its bascules still lift for tall ships, and from the water you appreciate the scale of its Victorian towers. Further east, the cruise passes the old docklands and the towers of Canary Wharf before the river curves towards Greenwich.

Maritime Greenwich and the Cutty Sark

Maritime Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the view from the river is the finest way to arrive: the twin domes of the Old Royal Naval College, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, frame the Queen's House and the park behind. Right by Greenwich Pier stands the Cutty Sark, a 19th-century tea clipper and one of the fastest sailing ships of her time, now a museum.

Is Greenwich worth visiting? Yes, especially with a return ticket, which gives you time to walk through Greenwich Market, see the Painted Hall and visit the National Maritime Museum, which has free general entry.

The Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian

A steep walk up through Greenwich Park brings you to the Royal Observatory, founded by King Charles II in 1675 to solve the problem of finding longitude at sea. Here you can stand on the Prime Meridian, the line of zero longitude adopted in 1884, with one foot in the eastern hemisphere and one in the western.

The view from the hill over the Queen's House, the river and the City skyline is one of the best free panoramas in London. Allow two to three hours for Greenwich before catching a boat back; the best time to visit Greenwich is a dry day, as most of its charm is outdoors.