Hotel near Thames River
With its central London location, the London Kensington Forum hotel is close to the River Thames and its wide range of Thames river cruises.
A Thames boat trip is one of the best ways for visitors to see London, weaving though the heart of the city, passing many of its most famous landmarks, both historical and new. The all-weather boats are comfortable, mostly with open upper decks and spacious lower saloons with panoramic windows.
Leaving from Westminster, Waterloo, Tower and Greenwich Piers, the trips vary in length from 30 minutes to three hours and many offer a running commentary in different languages. Some boats also offer a ‘hop on, hop off’ choice enabling you to disembark for a spot of sightseeing.
One of the most popular Thames boat trips is to historic Greenwich, birthplace of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I. It is also the site of the international dateline, the Greenwich Meridian. Known for its elegant 17th and 18th architecture, such as the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich is also home to the Cutty Sark.
The trip takes you past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Southwark Cathedral, St. Paul’s and the Tower of London as well as more recent iconic buildings such as Canary Wharf, Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge and the Swiss Re, fondly referred to by Londoners as ‘The Gherkin’.
Other boat trips will take you out to the famous Thames Barrier, the world’s second largest flood barrier, built between 1974 and 1983.
Alternatively, you can travel up river to beautiful Kew Gardens, historic Richmond or Hampton Court, the palace of Henry VIII.
A Thames boat trip is an ideal London day out for the family or a larger tour party. All London departure docks are a short distance from the Kensington Forum hotel and staff will be willing to help and advise on boat trip routes and tickets.
Thames boat trips dont come any better than from the Thames Leisure company. You can arrange day and evening cruises or even charter a boat for private hire and have a party cruise for a special occasion.