Thames Boats and River Trips in London for a Date: Fares, Routes and Times, Checked

Why a river trip suits a date

A boat ride has a built-in start and end, which takes some of the guesswork out of a first or second meeting. You sit side by side, the city moves past, and there is always something to point at. If it goes well, both ends of most routes have places to walk or eat; if it does not, the trip is over in under an hour.

The options split into three kinds. The Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river bus is public transport you can tap onto with a bank card. The Woolwich Ferry and the London Cable Car are short crossings. City Cruises and Thames River Boats run longer leisure trips that need a ticket, follow a timetable and change with the seasons and, upriver, the tides.

This guide gives the fares, routes and times each operator publishes, checked on 14 October 2026. Where an operator's page does not say something, such as season dates or opening hours, we say so rather than guess. Prices change, so check the operator's own page on the day.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers: routes

TfL describes its River Bus services as operated by Uber Boat, with routes running between Putney and Woolwich. Thames Clippers says it serves all major London piers, with boats roughly every 10 to 20 minutes, and points to its route map and journey planner for exact times.

According to Wikipedia, the RB1 runs from Westminster east to Barking Riverside on weekday peaks and extends west to Battersea Power Station off-peak, while the RB6 runs daily from Putney to Canary Wharf or North Greenwich. The RB4 is a short cross-river ferry between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe. Wikipedia also describes a Tate to Tate link between Bankside, by Tate Modern, and Millbank, by Tate Britain. Treat these route details as a starting point and check the operator's live timetable, because routes are adjusted.

On board, Thames Clippers says there are guaranteed seats in climate-controlled cabins, an outside back deck, a cafe bar and, on larger boats, licensed bars. It says most boats have toilets, though Star, Storm and Sky Clipper lack accessible toilets. Bikes travel free and pets are welcome, according to the operator.

Uber Boat fares, contactless and Oyster

Thames Clippers prices trips by zone: East, West, Central, combinations of these, and All Zones. Its ticket page lists adult Oyster and contactless pay-as-you-go fares of £6.20 off-peak and £7.40 peak for an East or West trip, £9.90 and £11.90 for Central, £11.40 and £13.70 for Central and East or Central and West, and £19.30 and £22.90 for All Zones. The page says Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays count as peak all day, which matters for a weekend date. These fares apply until 31 October 2026, so expect a change after that.

Buying in advance can be cheaper or dearer than tapping, depending on the ticket. The same page lists an East or West single at £9.40 at the pier and £7.20 online or in the app, and a Central single at £16.40 at the pier or £11.70 online. The operator says online and app purchases save up to 33% on standard fares. Tickets can also be bought through the Uber app.

If you pay as you go, touch in and out with the same card. Thames Clippers says the TfL daily cap does not apply to river services and there are no top-up facilities at piers, so make sure an Oyster card has enough credit before you go. A linked TfL Travelcard gives a third off standard fares, applied automatically on Oyster. The Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf cross-river single is £4.10 on Oyster, contactless or the app.

For a longer day, the Hop-on Hop-off ticket is £29.30 for an adult for one day online, or £32.60 at the pier, according to the operator. Children aged 5 to 15 get 50% off adult fares, with exclusions, and children 4 and under travel free, up to two per ticketholder.

The Woolwich Ferry: a free crossing

The Woolwich Ferry links Woolwich and North Woolwich, and TfL states plainly that the ferry is free. It carries pedestrians alongside cyclists, cars, vans and lorries. TfL warns the service can be suspended during extremely high tides or dense fog, and publishes planned closures on its river status page.

TfL's ferry page does not list hours. Wikipedia gives operating hours of 6am to 10pm, with later hours restored in 2024, and a two-boat service at a nominal 15-minute interval. It names the two hybrid ferries as the Ben Woollacott and the Dame Vera Lynn, in service since February 2019, and records that the free service opened in 1889. Check TfL's timetable before relying on those hours.

The London Cable Car

The cable car crosses the Thames between Greenwich Peninsula, near The O2 and North Greenwich station, and the Royal Docks, near ExCeL London, according to Wikipedia, which says it opened on 28 June 2012 and reaches 90 metres. TfL's hub page describes the ride as 90 metres above the Thames.

The name has changed. Time Out reports that IFS Cloud did not renew its sponsorship, which expired on 18 March 2026, in an article published on 30 April 2026 about the rename to London Cable Car. TfL's fares page now uses the name London Cable Car, though its web address still carries the IFS Cloud name, and the operator's own site still mentions both.

On payment, TfL says you can pay online, with contactless or Oyster pay as you go, or with cash or card at the ticket offices. Pay-as-you-go journeys do not count towards caps, and Oyster top-ups are not available at the terminals. TfL lists a £20 multi-journey ticket covering 10 one-way trips over 12 months, sold only at the terminal ticket offices, and online discounts of up to 30% on selected off-peak round trips booked 7 days ahead. TfL's fares page did not show single fares when checked, so look at the London Cable Car online store for current prices.

Wikipedia says a crossing takes about 10 minutes, faster in rush hour, citing a 2020 source. Carers travel free with a full-paying guest who shows qualifying evidence, according to TfL.

Westminster to Greenwich by City Cruises

City Cruises runs sightseeing boats from Westminster Pier to Greenwich Pier, also calling at the London Eye and Tower piers. Its schedule page gives the journey as about an hour. The FAQ says cruises run every 30 minutes, while the printed timetables show Westminster to Greenwich sailings roughly every 40 minutes, so check the PDF for the day.

The operator publishes three seasons. Off-peak runs 23 March to 21 June and 7 September to 25 October 2026; summer ran 22 June to 6 September 2026; winter runs 26 October 2026 to 22 March 2027. In winter, the listed departures from Greenwich run from 10.30am to 4.30pm; the schedule page does not separate Greenwich sailings from other Westminster departures, so check the PDF timetable.

City Cruises sells one-day and 24-hour river passes, but its schedule page did not list prices when checked. Book through its own site and check terms on any promotion.

Upriver to Kew, Richmond and Hampton Court

Thames River Boats, run by the Westminster Passenger Services Association, sails from Westminster Pier to Kew, Richmond and Hampton Court, with stops at Chiswick Pier. Its fares page lists adult fares of £20 single and £27 return to Kew, £22 and £33 to Richmond, and £27 and £36 to Hampton Court. Kew to Richmond is £10 single. Senior, child and family fares are also listed, but the page does not mention Travelcard discounts.

These are long trips. The operator gives Westminster to Kew as 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, Richmond as 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, and Hampton Court as 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes. It says sailing times vary from day to day with the tides, and that journey times are for guidance only. There is also a Richmond Circular Cruise of about 45 minutes.

The operator's pages did not state 2026 season dates when checked. Its upcoming sailings page shows the current timetable, and it can be reached on +44 (0)20 7930 2062. For a date, a one-way trip to Kew or Richmond with the train back is a common way to keep the day from running long.

Which trip for which kind of date

For a short, cheap meeting, tap onto an Uber Boat for a Central or East trip, or take the free Woolwich Ferry. For a crossing with a view and a clear end point, the London Cable Car takes minutes. For an afternoon, Westminster to Greenwich is about an hour each way. For a full day, the upriver boats to Kew and Richmond take longer than many first dates should, so they may suit a later one.

On accessibility, Thames Clippers says most of its piers are step-free, except Cadogan, London Bridge City and Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, and that disabled ID holders get 50% off with a carer travelling free. Other operators publish their own access details; check before you book.

Before you go

• Check the operator's live status page on the day: TfL says the Woolwich Ferry can stop in high tides or fog.
• Top up an Oyster card before you go; neither Thames Clippers piers nor cable car terminals offer top-ups, according to the operators.
• Remember that river and cable car pay-as-you-go journeys do not count towards TfL daily caps.
• Weekends are peak all day on Uber Boat fares, so a Saturday trip costs more than a weekday off-peak one.
• Upriver boat times move with the tides, so check the sailing list rather than assuming a fixed timetable.

Questions people ask

Can I use contactless or Oyster on Thames boats?

Yes on Uber Boat by Thames Clippers and the London Cable Car, according to their pages. Touch in and out with the same card. The TfL daily cap does not apply, and there are no Oyster top-ups at piers or cable car terminals. The leisure boats to Greenwich, Kew and Richmond sell their own tickets.

Is the Woolwich Ferry really free?

Yes. TfL states the ferry is free, and it carries pedestrians and cyclists as well as vehicles between Woolwich and North Woolwich.

Is it still called the IFS Cloud Cable Car?

No. Time Out reports the IFS Cloud sponsorship expired on 18 March 2026 and reported the London Cable Car name on 30 April 2026. TfL's fares page uses London Cable Car.

How long does the boat from Westminster to Kew take?

Thames River Boats gives 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, varying with tides. An adult single is listed at £20 and a return at £27.

Do Greenwich boats run in winter?

Yes. City Cruises publishes a winter timetable from 26 October 2026 to 22 March 2027, with departures from Greenwich listed from 10.30am to 4.30pm.