RIVER & CANAL CRUISES
Reviewed, compared and ranked by the people aboard.
The 15 most popular tours, compared side by side. What you see from the water, how long you are aboard, what it costs and which operator to book, so you can pick your boat in a couple of minutes.
A guided Douro Valley day trip from Porto with two winery visits, lunch, tastings, and a 50-minute Rabelo river cruise.
Most Popular“Great day trip! Well organized :) the hosts were great and knowledgable. The wines were delicious and the vegetarian meal slappppped!”
London’s best quick overview from a hop-on hop-off double-decker, plus an optional Thames cruise, free Wi‑Fi, and multilingual audio.
“The people working for the bus tour were very nice and helpful, but there weren’t nearly enough buses running.We spent a lot of time waiting around in the cold. We didn’t make it to our main goal, which was Notting Hill because we were waiting so long in between bus arrivals. We also ended up…”
Big Bus Paris hop-on hop-off Red Route with audio and optional Seine cruise, covering Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and top sights in 24–48 hours.
“The hop on hop off tour was excellent! Very informative. Having the Big Bus app helped us easily find the bus stops and to know when the buses would arrive. The river tour left a lot to be desired. We did not get to go on our river cruise because when we arrived there was…”
Full-day Douro Valley tour from Porto with 2 wine estates, Amarante stop, lunch with pairings, and a Pinhão river cruise.
“Ricardo was a fantastic guide, helped start the day off perfectly and gave us loads of facts about Porto whilst getting our energy up. The stop for coffee and pastries was good, lovely little town even if only there briefly. The two wineries we visited were lovely and very different, the first had great views…”
Electric Porto tuk-tuk plus optional Douro rabelo cruise. See São Bento, Clerigos, Lello and six bridges for about $20.
“The tour was absolutely amazing, with stunning views and friendly guide Diogo.”
Hop-on hop-off bus plus London Eye and Thames cruise. See Big Ben, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, then get skyline views from above.
“London eye was a great experience 5* for the River Cruise. Informative and fun The big bus hop on/off has got to be the best way to travel around London to see all of the sights. Highly recommend this package great value for money”
Small-group Douro day trip from Porto: two tastings, classic lunch in Pinhão, and a Rabelo river cruise with stunning N222 views.
“Luis our guide was fantastic. Proficient in English, friendly, very knowledgeable, and kept us engaged at the appropriate times. The 2 quintas we visited were superb. Great experience. Highly recommended.”
London hop-on hop-off double-decker bus plus Thames River cruise. Use app tracking, hop anytime across three routes, then cruise the Thames.
“We found the audio guide to be informative, used the printed map all the time. The app opened very slowly so we were constantly being delayed in getting on at stops to show our tickets. Overall, we enjoyed the experience. HOWEVER...We did oversee one concerning situation. At one stop, another hop on hop off bus…”
Hop-on Budapest bus plus Danube cruise and Pest walking tour. 27 stops, 16-language audio, and iconic views of Parliament and bridges.
“This was a great way to see the whole centre and main sites, having the cruise included was perfect”
Hop on Prague’s Big Bus, cruise the Vltava, and get Prague Castle exteriors with an English guide, all at your own pace.
“The buses took us to the main key areas of the city. however, I was puzzled on the changes between the green and red lines as there were times when we were needing to be at certain points and there seem to be a delay where you were needing to be at certain times. for…”
Porto to Douro Valley: two winery tastings, a Rabelo river cruise in Pinhão, and a winery lunch with reds, whites, and ports.
“Had an amazing day with eFun Tours: Tiago and Lucas. It was quite rainy, but that didn't stop us from visiting 3 wineries and having a lovely lunch. I booked the 50 person large group tour and it ended up being 8 of us- so it was quite lovely and very enjoyable. The car ride…”
Porto in 4 hours: guided walk to São Bento and Ribeira, visit Livraria Lello, cable car views, and a Douro boat cruise.
“This tour takes you to key attractions in Porto. The tour guide was enthusiastic, patient, and knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. The one drawback: there is a lot of downtime on the tour, mostly because of (a) waiting to get into the Lello bookstore, (b) allotting a half an hour for the…”
A 90-minute Rhine river cruise from Cologne showing Cathedral views, crane houses, five bridges, and Rodenkirchen with English/German audio.
“Very pleasant. I have no suggestions as to how to improve”
Porto’s Magic Train links city sights, Real Companhia Velha port tasting, and a 1-hour Douro River cruise with classic views.
“O atendimento, o passeio e a pontualidade foram os pontos altos da experiência. Tudo muito tranquilo e fácil de acompanhar”
A 50-minute Neckar cruise with a free drink. See Old Bridge angles, Heidelberg Castle views, and Philosophenweg from the water.
“It was a pleasant sightseeing side-trip with a cold drink. The weather turned cold and rainy that day, but the boat was warm, dry, and had very clean bathrooms. The host was very friendly and accommodating.”
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