A Thames River Cruise is a great way to see London and many of its famous attractions.

Most Thames River cruise boats are all weather boats with open upper decks and spacious lower saloons with panoramic windows. Highlights along the river Thames include London's commercial hub, Canary Wharf, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe, the Tate Modern and of course The Houses of Parliament with the Clock Tower, Big Ben.

Leisure boats are aimed mainly at the tourist market; as they do not usually provide rush hour services, they are not normally suitable for commuting. Some boat companies run regular scheduled services, others may run twice daily, only on certain days of the week, or only during certain months of the year. Boats may also be chartered for private hire. Destinations are often tourist attractions such as the Tate Galleries or Hampton Court Palace.

Unlike the underground and bus networks, boat operators have their own separate ticketing arrangements and charge separate fares which are generally higher than corresponding journeys by tube or bus. Ticket sales at piers are managed independently by the operators, and tickets are sold at separate kiosks with no facility for cross-ticketing. Many piers have a line of several sales desks, each owned by a different boat firm. Single tickets can often be bought on board the boat, but this is down to individual operator arrangements.