Where Thames River Cruises Leave From
Which pier each Thames cruise leaves from, with the nearest station: Westminster for Greenwich and Tower Bridge, the London Eye pier, Tower Pier for lunch and tea, Butler's Wharf and Greenwich.
Every Thames cruise leaves from one named pier, printed on the ticket, and most start at one of three: Westminster Pier for the boats to Tower Bridge and Greenwich, London Eye Pier for the circular cruise, and Tower Pier for the lunch, afternoon tea and evening cruises.
Check times from Westminster Pier
Where does the Thames River cruise leave from?
| Pier | Nearest station | Cruises from this pier |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster Pier, at the foot of Westminster Bridge | Westminster (Jubilee, District, Circle) | Westminster to Greenwich cruise, Westminster to Tower Bridge cruise, City Cruises’ hop-on hop-off cruise |
| London Eye Pier, below the London Eye | Waterloo or Westminster | London Eye river cruise, City Cruises’ passes |
| Tower Pier (Tower Millennium Pier), beside the Tower of London | Tower Hill (District, Circle), Tower Gateway (DLR) | Lunch cruise, afternoon tea cruise, evening cruise with bubbly |
| Tower Bridge Quay, on the north bank just east of the bridge | Tower Hill | Tower of London River Tour |
| Butler’s Wharf Pier, on the south bank by Tower Bridge | London Bridge or Tower Hill | Tea on the Thames; the Tower Bridge stop of the Westminster cruise |
| Greenwich Pier, beside the Cutty Sark | Cutty Sark (DLR) | the end of the Greenwich cruise; a stop on City Cruises’ passes |
The dinner cruise is the one whose pier the GetYourGuide listing does not name. Visit London gives Westminster Pier, boarding at 7.30pm for a 7.45pm sailing; the pier and time are on your ticket.
Westminster Pier
The busiest start, on the north bank at the foot of Westminster Bridge and across the river from the London Eye. Thames River Sightseeing’s boats to Tower Bridge and Greenwich leave from here, and City Cruises’ sightseeing boats call here too. On the Greenwich run the boat stops at Embankment, Festival and Bankside piers before passing under Tower Bridge. Uber Boat river buses also use Westminster, so check which queue you are in.
London Eye Pier
On the south bank directly below the wheel. The London Eye river cruise leaves here for a circular trip to Tower Bridge and back in about 40 minutes; if you add the London Eye ticket, the two are booked separately by time. City Cruises’ hop-on hop-off boats also stop here.
Tower Pier
On the north bank in front of the Tower of London, with Tower Bridge just downstream. City Cruises’ meal cruises board here: the 105-minute lunch, the 90-minute afternoon tea and the 2-hour evening cruise with bubbly, each returning to the same pier. It is a short walk from Tower Hill station, and the Tower of London River Tour leaves from Tower Bridge Quay a few minutes east. toweroflondon-tour.com covers the cruises from this end of the river in more depth.
Butler’s Wharf and Greenwich
Butler’s Wharf Pier is on the south bank by Tower Bridge, among the converted warehouses of Shad Thames. Tea on the Thames boards here, and the Westminster to Tower Bridge cruise ends here; on a return ticket you change boats here. Greenwich Pier sits beside the Cutty Sark, with Greenwich Market, the National Maritime Museum and the park within a short walk. The Westminster to Greenwich page has the ways to get there by boat.
Step-free access
GetYourGuide lists the main sightseeing, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner cruises as wheelchair accessible; the Tea on the Thames boat has no lift. For the Uber Boat, Thames Clippers says all its boats and piers are step-free except Cadogan, London Bridge City and Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, and in October 2026 it was advising Westminster or Vauxhall instead of Millbank Pier during maintenance.
The calendar below is for the Westminster to Greenwich cruise:
Start at Westminster Pier
The Westminster to Greenwich cruise leaves from the foot of Westminster Bridge and calls at Embankment, Festival and Bankside on the way, with live commentary. Rated 4.5 from 25,699 reviews, from US$23 a person as of October 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check Greenwich Boat Times