Getting Around · Our pick in London
London’s piers: where to catch a boat
Boarding the river buses
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Domob · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout London’s piers: where to catch a boat
Most visitors board the river at a handful of central piers. Westminster Pier and London Eye Pier face each other across the river by Westminster Bridge; Embankment Pier sits by Embankment station; Bankside Pier is next to Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe; Tower Pier is beside the Tower of London; and Greenwich Pier is by the Cutty Sark. Uber Boat river buses and sightseeing cruises use these piers, and contactless cards work on Uber Boat. Check TfL or operators for times.
Why it's on our list
- Westminster and London Eye
- Bankside and Tower
- Greenwich
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with London’s piers: where to catch a boat before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from London’s piers: where to catch a boat are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations
- WestminsterDistrictCircleJubilee0.1 mi2 min walk
- EmbankmentDistrictBakerlooNorthernCircle0.4 mi8 min walk
- WaterlooJubileeNorthernBakerlooWaterloo & CityNational Rail0.4 mi8 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Hungerford Lane0.5 mi9 min walk
- Taxi rank, Broadway0.5 mi9 min walk
Black cabs can also be hailed in the street: a lit yellow TAXI sign means the cab is available.
Key sights
- London Eye0.2 miWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Westminster Abbey0.2 miWalk 5 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Trafalgar Square0.5 miWalk 10 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Leicester Square0.7 miWalk 14 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Covent Garden0.7 miWalk 14 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Buckingham Palace0.8 miWalk 17 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- The British Museum1.2 miWalk 25 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 12 min
- The Shard1.6 miWalk 32 minCycle 10 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Harrods1.7 miWalk 35 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Tower of London2.1 miWalk 42 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
Main rail terminals
- Waterloo0.4 miWalk 8 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Charing Cross0.5 miWalk 9 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Victoria0.9 miWalk 19 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 10 min
- London Bridge1.6 miWalk 33 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Euston1.9 miWalk 38 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 17 min
- King’s Cross St Pancras2.0 miWalk 40 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Liverpool Street2.1 miWalk 42 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- St Pancras International (Eurostar)2.1 miWalk 42 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Paddington2.4 miCycle 16 minCar or taxi 21 min