London is one of those cities where you never run out of fun things to do and see. And if you don’t care about the weather, anytime is a good time to visit London. Whether you’re a first-time visitor, an expat, a returning tourist, or a local, a ride on the famous London Eye and a sightseeing cruise down the Thames River is always a lot of fun.
London Eye
Day or night, a ride on the London Eye is a “must-do” when visiting London. You won’t believe the panoramic views. It’s well worth the price of a ticket. Dubbed “Britain’s Eiffel Tower,” the London Eye is the largest ferris wheel in Europe. It’s located on the River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. Each of the 32 glass capsules carry up to 25 people, totaling 800 passengers daily. And each one offers a stunning 25-mile view of London’s famous landmarks. The ride takes a full 30 minutes to go around – 15 minutes to reach the top and 15 minutes to descend. And it’s so slow, you hardly feel as if you’re moving. The views are magnificent. Feel free to move about the capsule to get a different vantage point of London. You can see Buckingham Palace, MI5 (UK’s Secret Service), River Thames, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and many more fabulous London sights.
Thames River Sightseeing Cruise
What fun to be out on the river, especially on a nice sunny day. This IS London, so you may want to bring an umbrella along… just in case. The boat’s open air upper decks are great for sightseeing, or you can relax in the comfortable lower saloons. Enjoy onboard commentary, refreshments and light bar service as you cruise by London’s famous sights. Cruises depart every 40 minutes from Westminster Pier, Waterloo Pier (near the London Eye), Tower Pier and Greenwich Pier (near the Cutty Sark). You can “hop-on-and-off” at any of the piers as often as you like throughout the day. The shortest trip between piers lasts about 20-30 minutes. The full round-trip Thames River Sightseeing Cruise takes about 2 1/2 hours.
