Dinner Cruises in London Compared: Jazz, Murder Mystery, Elvis and More

If you are planning a dinner cruise on the Thames, City Cruises runs five evening cruises. This guide compares each cruise, including what’s included, the price, the departure pier, the departure time, and who it suits.

We cover the lunch and afternoon tea cruises briefly at the end. For the daytime sightseeing boats and the hop-on hop-off passes, see our guide to Thames river cruises.

Good to know: the jazz cruise sails on Fridays, the murder mystery runs roughly once a month on set dates, and the Elvis night is one Saturday a month. On every dining cruise, the window tables seat two and go first.

The five dinner cruises in London at a glance

Cruise	From	What you get	Pier and sailing
London Dinner Cruise	£79	3 hours, prosecco, three courses, live performer, dancing	Westminster, board 7.30 pm, cruise 7.45 pm to 10.45 pm, check dates
Evening Cruise with Canapés & Music	£45	2 hours, prosecco, cold canapés, live music, bar on board	Tower, board 6.15, cruise 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm, check dates
Jazz Dinner Cruise	£109	3 hours, sparkling wine, three courses, live jazz quintet	Westminster, board 7.45 pm, cruise 8 pm to 11 pm, Fridays only
Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise	£139	3 hours, sparkling wine, three courses, interactive show	Tower, board 7.45 pm, cruise 8 pm to 11 pm, roughly once a month
Elvis Tribute Cruise	£125	3 hours, sparkling wine, three courses, two sets and dancing	Westminster, board 7.45 pm, cruise 8 pm to 11 pm, usually third Saturday of the  month

London Dinner Cruise

City Cruises call this London’s original dinner cruise. You board at Westminster Pier on Victoria Embankment at 7.30 pm, sail at 7.45 pm, and return at 10.45 pm, giving you three hours on the river after dark. Westminster station, on the District, Circle and Jubilee lines, has a direct connection to the pier. If you’re making a day of it, our Westminster area guide covers what’s nearby.

The ticket includes a glass of prosecco on arrival, a three-course meal with a vegetarian option, and a live performer, with dancing afterwards. There are three ticket grades: standard, window and VIP.

Window seats are tables for two, and City Cruises say they sell out, so for an anniversary or birthday, book the window early.

Dress is smart casual, with no flip-flops, leisurewear or ripped jeans. It is an adult evening: City Cruises recommends it for ages 13 and over; children under 5 cannot board, and 6- to 12-year-olds pay the adult fare.

Who it suits: couples, a celebration, and anyone who wants dinner on the river without a theme attached.

Check dates and prices for the London Dinner Cruise.

Evening Cruise with Canapés and Music

Two hours on the river with a glass of prosecco on arrival, cold canapés, and live music; from £45. It boards at Tower Millennium Pier at 6.15 pm and sails from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm, timed for the Illuminated River, the lit bridges between London Bridge and Lambeth Bridge. They only show after dark.

The boat has a bar, an open-top deck, and a heated saloon. The canapés come in vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions, but they can’t cater to other dietary needs, and City Cruises says this cruise can’t accommodate wheelchair users. Dress code is smart casual, and you book online before you board, not at the pier.

Who it suits: anyone on a budget, and people who want the views more than the meal.

Check dates for the Evening Cruise.

Jazz Dinner Cruise

The jazz cruise sails every Friday from Westminster Pier. You board at 7.45 pm and sail from 8 pm to 11 pm. You’ll be met with a glass of sparkling wine, sit down to a three-course meal with a choice of dishes, and enjoy a five-piece jazz band throughout the evening. Beers, wines and spirits from the bar are extra. You can go up to the top deck.

Children under 13 are not allowed on this cruise.

Who it suits: couples and small groups who want live music with dinner.

Check Friday dates for the Jazz Dinner Cruise.

Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise

This one leaves from Tower Millennium Pier, by the Tower of London. You board at 7.45 pm and sail from 8 pm to 11 pm, with a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, a three-course meal and an interactive murder mystery played out between the courses.

The pier is a short walk from Tower Hill station; see our Tower Bridge and Tower Hill guide for the area.

There are three storylines, and which one you get depends on the date. “Death and the Maiden Voyage” is set in the 1920s, and 1920s dress is encouraged, though not required. “James Bond 007: No Time To Dine” calls for formal dining attire, with sequins welcome. “Murder at the Manor” is the Halloween sailing, where you can go glamorous or add Halloween accessories.

It sails roughly once a month on set dates. Expect to take part rather than watch.

Who it suits: groups of friends and anyone celebrating who likes joining in.

See the next Murder Mystery dates.

Elvis Tribute Cruise

Westminster Pier: board at 7.45 pm and sail from 8 pm to 11 pm, with a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, a three-course dinner followed by tea or coffee, and an award-winning Elvis tribute artist performing two sets, with stories behind the songs and audience participation. Elvis music for dancing rounds off the cruise, and a full bar is available. It runs on one selected Saturday a month. Smart casual.

Who it suits: Elvis fans and groups who want a singalong with their dinner.

See the next Elvis Tribute Cruise date.

Daytime alternatives: lunch and afternoon tea on the river

If an evening doesn’t suit, there are two daytime meals, both from Tower Millennium Pier, with commentary on board and a family ticket for two adults and two children, with the second child free.

We have reviewed the afternoon tea cruise in full in our City Cruises afternoon tea cruise review.

The Lunch Cruise (from £53) boards at 11.30 am and sails from Tower Pier at 11.45 am to 1.30 pm. It includes a two-course meal (drinks are extra). You’ll travel from Tower Bridge up to Westminster and back down to Canary Wharf, passing the Tower of London and London Bridge up close in daylight. Casual dress.

The Afternoon Tea Cruise (from £49) boards at 3.15 pm and sails from Tower Pier until 5 pm. The tea includes sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, mini pastries and unlimited tea or coffee.

You’ll pass the Tower, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. They can cater for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free (though not vegan and gluten-free together), but you must tell them your requirements when you book.

We compare it with the hotel and department store teas in our guide to afternoon tea in London.

How to choose

• First time on the Thames at night: the London Dinner Cruise, window ticket.
• Under £45 a head: the Evening Cruise with Canapés, then dinner on land.
• Live music with dinner: the Jazz Dinner Cruise on a Friday.
• A group who want to join in: Murder Mystery, if the dates line up.
• A themed night out: Elvis, one Saturday a month.
• Not an evening person: the Lunch Cruise or the Afternoon Tea Cruise.

Before you book

Book online in advance. Dining cruises require you to buy tickets online before boarding.

Every City Cruises ticket includes Ticket Assurance, which lets you reschedule or refund up to two hours before boarding, though City Cruises excludes special events and holiday sailings, so check whether a themed night counts before you rely on it.

Tables are allocated before you board and fixed to the floor, and some sit close to other diners. Window tables seat two only.

Add dietary requirements after you book, through the confirmation page or Manage Booking. The evening canapés cruise is the exception: vegetarian or not, and nothing else.

Mobility. City Cruises do not publish step-free details for individual boats or sailings, and they say the evening canapés cruise cannot take wheelchair users, so if anyone in your party uses a wheelchair or finds ramps difficult, contact them before booking and name the cruise you want.

Christmas and New Year. The dining cruises have festive versions, with Christmas party lunches and dinners through December, a Christmas Day lunch cruise, and six different New Year’s Eve sailings, all of which sell out well before the dates. We cover them in our guides to Christmas cruises in London and New Year’s Eve cruises in London.

For more ideas after dark, see our guide to things to do in London at night.