Small Boats for Hire in London

So you’ve decided to start looking around for a small boat for hire in London? There are a few things to keep in mind before you book to ensure that you get the best possible service for your money:

• Passenger limit – As you can imagine, most small private boats on the Thames have a strict passenger limit. This is usually between 20 and 35 guests per session, so plan accordingly.
• Cruise purpose – There are a variety of services offered by boat venues in London, so you should pick one based on the goal of your cruise. If you just want to enjoy the view, then ensure you book a boat that can accommodate passengers on deck in comfort. A dinner cruise? Ensure that it has dining facilities on board! A boat party? Make sure to check the boat's party rules before you book. And if you are planning a Christmas party cruise, check the available dates at least a few months in advance.  

Now that you’ve officially decided that yes, hiring a small private boat on the Thames is the way to go, let us have a look at the price. These vary based on services offered onboard as well as the purpose of the cruise, but there are some general baselines to keep in mind:

• If you’re looking to hire a small private boat on the Thames for a cruise, you’re going to be looking at a roughly £2000 minimum spend (where you pay nothing to hire the boat itself but agree to spend a set amount on food and drinks during the event) or an approximate £1200 hire fee with food and drinks added on separately would be the case at a typical restaurant or bar!
• If, instead, your interest leans more towards sharing a good meal and drinks on the water (rather than cruising up and down the Thames), you’ll often find more flexible pricing options. Flat hire fees typically range around £500, minimum spend remains at around £2000, and per-person pricing is typically around £35 per head.

Small Boats in London FAQ

How many people can fit inside small boats for hire in London?

Small boats in London offer spaces big enough for even up to 450 people (so maybe they’re not so small after all). But the average space for attendees starts at roughly 20 and ends at 200. 

How to know what boat is the best to book? 

Most of all, make sure you have enough space for everyone who will attend your event. 

How small is your small boat supposed to be? 

We reckon you’d like to invite somewhere under 100 people, but remember that venues list the amount of space they have whether sitting or standing. You can always have too much space, but if you don’t have enough, that will be a problem!

What types of events can I host inside small boats in London?

Small boats are a great space to host a variety of events, including:

-Corporate events

-Birthday parties

-Company outings

-Weddings

-Anniversaries

-A dinner party with friends

-Or even a unique book club meeting (or any other meeting) if that’s your jam!

How to book small boats in London affordably?

Many people are surprised to find that the best small boats in London can be booked affordably. Most of these venues are owned by individuals and not large companies, so they're often more flexible with their pricing and willing to work with you on making an event that will fit within your budget. If you're looking for a great place to host a small gathering on a boat in London, then check out our tips for booking one:

• Consider hiring someone who specialises in managing events at small boat venues in London; this person will know what has worked well in the past and can help guide you through planning yours. Although hiring someone might be an expense in itself, it might just save you paying huge fees if you were doing it by yourself instead.
• Serving alcohol and other beverages? You probably are, in that case you might want to consider a BYOB option which is sure to cut some costs. Bring your own alcohol and drinks and pay a fraction of the final price. 
• Negotiate! There’s no better option for cutting costs than negotiating with the host of the venue. Depending on the time of year, week or for how long you’d like to book the boat, the host might just go down on the price!