She’s electric: is the Tower of London River Tour worth it?

Think you know London? The capital’s electric river tour combines spectacular views, genuinely entertaining history and a fresh perspective on the city, even if you’ve lived here for years.

There are some London experiences you can easily dismiss as being mainly for tourists. A sightseeing boat down the Thames on the official Tower of London River Tour may be one of them.

Having done the Official Tower of London River Tour myself earlier this summer, I already knew it was way better than that. But I wanted to know how it would land with someone seeing London through fresher eyes, so I sent my niece Tara along with her American friend Kevin.

The answer? Extremely well.

An amazingly different view of London

“The Tower Bridge river tour was amazing,” was Kevin’s verdict. “It was culturally enriching, really hospitable, and showed me London in a way I wasn’t expecting. The guide’s knowledge of the city and its history was incredible. I’d definitely recommend it, especially for first-time visitors.”

And that, really, is the appeal. London looks completely different from the Thames. Landmarks you normally encounter individually suddenly slot into one enormous cityscape as you pass the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, St Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, among more than 20 sights on the route. 

A history lesson worth listening to

But arguably the real star of the experience is the commentary.

Kevin was so impressed by their guide that he initially thought he was listening to a recording. In fact, the commentary is delivered live by trained guides and has rather more pedigree than the average sightseeing spiel: the tour is curated by Historic Royal Palaces and was written by Martha Howe-Douglas, co-creator of BBC comedy Ghosts. 

That makes a difference. Instead of simply being told which building is which, you get the stories behind the skyline, delivered with enough wit and personality to make London’s history feel entertaining rather than educational in the school-trip sense.

What’s the electric river boat like?

There’s also the boat itself. The tour operates aboard the UK’s first electric sightseeing tour boat, so the experience feels noticeably more modern than the traditional chug down the Thames. There’s open-air seating for sunny days, covered outdoor space and an indoor lounge with panoramic windows and a glazed roof if the British weather decides not to cooperate. Crucially, it doesn’t smell: no stinky boat fumes here.

Gadget geeks can request a peek inside the control room, where the captain and crew explain what it actually takes to run an electric sightseeing boat. Charging alone is quite an operation. Think of it as one enormous mobile phone battery, with the same golden rule: you really don’t want to keep pushing it to 100%.

The control room itself is impressively high-tech too, all gleaming screens and controls, and gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how Silver Raven operates on the Thames.

Tower of London River Tours depart hourly, but the experience lands for longer

The circular trip leaves from Tower Bridge Quay, beside the Tower of London, and takes around 40 minutes, which feels about right: long enough to see a substantial stretch of the capital without taking over your entire day. Tours currently run daily and generally depart hourly. 

For first-time visitors (or returners such as Kevin), it’s an easy recommendation. But perhaps more interestingly, it works for Londoners too. When you spend enough time in the capital, it’s depressingly easy to stop marvelling at this great city.

Sometimes all it takes is getting out onto the river to appreciate how spectacular it is.

FQ verdict: 4.5/5

Tower of London River Tour: Need to know

Good for: first-time London visitors, families, visiting friends and relatives, and Londoners who think they’ve seen it all
Duration: around 40 minutes
Where: Tower Bridge Quay, St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1LD
Price: river-tour-only tickets currently start from £18.50 for adults and £14 for children aged 3–15; under-twos go free. 

Book the Tower of London River Tour here