This was a gifted experience with City Cruises. All opinions are my own (and R’s, expressed mainly through crumbs!)
I’ll be honest: when I first thought about afternoon tea on the Thames with a 14-month-old and a friend and their toddler in tow, I had relatively low expectations. Afternoon tea feels inherently un-baby-friendly — white tablecloths, delicate crockery, a general vibe of quiet sophistication. Not exactly the environment you associate with two small humans who treat sandwiches as something to throw rather than eat.
How wrong was I – the staff were incredibly welcoming, the high chairs and tables spaced out enough to not totally annoy our neighbours, and the cruise length just right to keep the toddlers entertained without them getting bored. I also saw a few young babies on board and it looked like a lovely day out for the parents.
Here’s everything you need to know about City Cruises afternoon tea before you book.
PS. City Cruises also run cruises in York along the River Ouse, so if you’re heading north it’s worth knowing the experience is available there too.
Exclusive discount for Little Brits Abroad readers
Use code LITTLEBRITS for 10% off your City Cruises booking. Valid on all sightseeing cruises and selected dining cruises — book and travel before 30 June 2026.
The basics: what is the City Cruises afternoon tea cruise?
City Cruises runs afternoon tea cruises along the Thames, departing from Tower Millennium Pier (right next to the Tower of London) at 3:30pm. The cruise lasts 90 minutes, heading west past the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye before turning east towards Canary Wharf, then back to Tower Bridge and home.
The route takes in some of the most iconic views in London and seeing them from the water, with a glass of fizz in hand, is lovely.
The key details:
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Departure: Tower Millennium Pier, next to the Tower of London
- Board at 3:15pm, departs 3:30pm, back by 5pm
- Under 2s travel free (but don’t receive food — more on this below)
- Children 3–12 pay child prices
- Dietary requirements can be added at booking
Is City Cruises boat trip family-friendly?
More than I expected, yes. City Cruises has clearly thought about this. High chairs were good quality and there was plenty of space at the tables for everyone, including our prams – though I’d note that on a full boat it could get tighter. We were there on a grey March Saturday and it felt relaxed, but in peak summer I’d be more cautious about pram storage.
The boat itself is smart with almost floor-to-ceiling windows, which means even a small child sitting in a high chair gets a brilliant view. There’s also a little seating area lower to the ground near the windows, which is where our two ended up spending a fair chunk of time, noses pressed to the glass watching Tower Bridge go by.
Baby change is available on board and it’s a large-sized room with a metal fold-down changing table, which is perfectly functional. One thing I’d flag: there’s no strap on the table, so if you have a very wriggly baby you might want two adults in there.
Babies and toddlers under 2 travel free, but they don’t receive their own afternoon tea. We brought our own snacks for R which worked fine (including some sandwiches to match ours), and that worked fine. Nobody offered extra sandwiches for the little ones, and I didn’t ask, but I doubt they’d have been included given they were there for free. If you have a toddler who eats a full portion, you might want to factor in whether to buy them a child ticket for the food alone, or just pack extras as I didn’t feel the portions on the adult stand were so generous that you’d have bits to share.
City Cruises also tell me they are working on a new kids menu which is exciting, so watch this space for more info when I have it!
The afternoon tea: what to expect
The menu is a proper, decent afternoon tea – not the kind of slightly sad, pre-packaged offering you sometimes get at tourist experiences. The sandwiches are served on the bottom tier, cakes and pastries in the middle, and a scone on top.
Our sandwiches included:
- Fish sandwich: smoked salmon and cream cheese on light rye and caraway bread
- Egg sandwich: egg mayonnaise and watercress on basil and spinach bread
- Coronation sandwich: coronation chicken on brown bread
- Baba ganoush sandwich on beetroot and dill bread (this was the most unusual and, honestly, a highlight)
Sweet treats of offer:
- Lemon meringue
- Mango pebble
- Pink macaron
- Chocolate fudge cake
And the scone was plain, supposedly served with Cornish clotted cream (although we ended up with a whipped cream so they must have been out of clotted cream) and strawberry jam.
You don’t get unlimited tea and coffee, but you do get a small tea pot and with the VIP package you also get a glass bottle of sparking or still water. You don’t get offered refills on the food in the way you might at a top London hotel afternoon tea, but this is a 90-minute boat tour and that feels reasonable at the price.
Other drinks are extra but I thought very fairly priced: two glasses of champagne for £19, wine at 2 for £11.
The views
This is what you’re really paying for, alongside the food, and it most definitely delivers. The route takes you past: Tower Bridge, the Shard, Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Globe Theatre, HMS Belfast, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, and out towards Canary Wharf. Even on a grey March day it was atmospheric from the water, especially with a glass of fizz in hand.
There’s commentary from one of the crew, which is delivered with warmth and a bit of humour rather.
VIP package: is it worth it?
We did the VIP package and got priority boarding and a guaranteed window seat which I’d recommend. You board first and are seated at the front, which means almost floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides and it made a big difference. Arriving to find yourself at a central table away from the windows would be a real shame when the view is half the point.
You can pay £25 per two guests to guarantee a window view, or for £20 per person get priority boarding, a table at the front of the boat, and still or sparking water.
How does City Cruises afternoon tea compare to other London afternoon teas?
Honestly, it depends what you’re after. If you want the absolute pinnacle of afternoon tea — finest finger sandwiches, perfect clotted cream, impeccable service, the full ceremony of it — then The Ritz or similar is what you’re looking for. I’ve written about my experience at The Ritz here.
But here’s the thing: those places are not toddler-friendly. The City Cruises afternoon tea is probably the most relaxed, genuinely child-welcoming afternoon tea experience I can imagine. Nobody batted an eyelid at two small people redistributing sandwich crusts across the floor (which I apologised profusely for at the end). The high chairs were good and there was space, plus the windows kept them entertained which any parent knows is a massive tick.
You’re getting a good afternoon tea – not the best in London, but decent – plus 90 minutes on the Thames seeing London’s most iconic landmarks. For families, that combination is hard to beat.
Tips before you book City Cruises afternoon tea
- Book the VIP package — it gets you seated at the front of the boat with the best window views
- Add dietary requirements at booking, not on the day
- Under 2s travel free but get no food — pack snacks if your little one eats properly
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early — the boat leaves on time
- The baby change has no strap on the changing table, so go in pairs if you have a wriggly baby
- Prams are welcome but space could be tighter on a full boat
- Bring a bib — to limit the clean up job, as there’s carpet underneath the table
The City Cruises afternoon tea cruise is a genuinely great option for families with babies and toddlers in London. It’s relaxed, well run, and the boat is set up better for small children than I expected. The food is a proper afternoon tea at a fair price, the views are wonderful, and the 90 minutes feels like the right length – long enough to settle in and enjoy it, short enough that even the most impatient toddler doesn’t hit meltdown territory.
Evidence of a successful afternoon: two happy toddlers, three full adults, and approximately one million crumbs on the floor. I’ll call that a win!
Exclusive discount for Little Brits Abroad readers
Use code LITTLEBRITS for 10% off your City Cruises booking. Valid on all sightseeing cruises and selected dining cruises — book and travel before 30 June 2026.
Let us know if you went on board and enjoyed it?
Allie, Jack & R x
Discount code T&Cs: This offer applies to the base fare of all sightseeing cruises and selected dining cruises and does not apply to optional enhancements. This offer is not valid on packages or upgrades. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with any other offers. Valid on all sightseeing cruises and selected dining cruises including Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Evening with Canapes and Music, Dinner, Jazz, Murder Mystery and Elvis Cruises. Gift card purchases are excluded from this offer. Prices & offers are subject to availability, are capacity controlled, and may change or be withdrawn at any time without notice. Offer excludes Festive Cruises and Special Events, and seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. Void where prohibited. Additional terms & conditions may apply.
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