Oxford River Cruises
Oxford River Cruises
4.5
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Oxford River Cruises offers sightseeing tours, picnic and dining river trips and private boat hire in the heart of historic oxford. Our cruises are designed to suit all tastes, from lazy lunchtime get togethers and elegant dinner cruises, to corporate events and birthday parties afloat.
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023

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Tours and Tickets by Oxford River Cruises
Travelers talk about
(21 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,481 reviews
Excellent
1,205
Very good
177
Average
55
Poor
23
Terrible
21

Cheryl M
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
A thoroughly enjoyable experience. The guide was relaxed and knowledgeable and the boat was the perfect size (there were 12 passengers on board). The sound of lapping water and the very quiet (almost imperceptible) hum of the engine brought us into harmony with the pace of nature around us.
Written July 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

laura t
Exmouth, UK76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Friends
Always wanted to do a cruise on the river and was not disappointed. Our tour guide openly admitted at the beginning that he wasn’t a proper tour guide but he kept us entertained for the 50 minutes of our tour. Took us on routes where it showed the amazing views from the river.
Would definitely recommend and will be back for the afternoon tea on the river.
Written June 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rhi5647
Bristol, UK8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Friends
What a great way to spend an evening! We booked the Spirit of Oxford cruise, 2.5 hours in the evening. The restaurant allows you to purchase drinks and bring them onboard with you. These boats are small but ours had a max capacity of 12 plus skipper and that felt perfect with loads of room to spread out and relax. Our skipper, Henry, was great!! So friendly and knowledgable about the area, he advised us to get some snacks at the Perch Inn when we stopped, unfortunately they weren’t available but we topped up on drinks and crisps instead! Would really recommend this cruise for an evening activity.
Written August 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alexa S
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Couples
Absolutely perfect experience. From the minute we arrived we were warmly welcomed and treated like royalty. A lovely, beautiful trundle along the river was elevated by Skipper Nick’s humour and knowledge.

The picnic was also delicious with a wide selection- we were both stuffed after! The stop at the pub was also a nice addition.

We couldn’t have enjoyed it more and will most definitely be recommending to friends and family
Written May 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sandra H
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021 • Couples
We hired privately for 12 family members aged 48 to 84. Ordered picnic hampers and cruised for 2 hours with a fantastic skipper - Henry Hall.
The experience was superb. We had lovely sunny weather (which I’m sure helped) and our skipper (Henry) was both informative and lovely!.
We ordered bottles of Prosecco for the ladies and shandy’s for the men. All came in iced buckets.
Our picnic food was delicious. Selection of delicious finger sandwiches, homemade quiche and freshly baked scones with clotted cream & jam and strawberries. Wonderful
My recommendation for a large group such as ours; Pull over and stop to enjoy the picnic. It means you can stack the baskets on the floor and spread your food and drinks over the entire table. Much easier when the boat is still.
We were staying in Oxfordshire for 4 days and this boat trip on the Thames was the highlight of our holiday.
Highly recommend.
Written September 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Crystal
London, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
An excellent afternoon spent on the river. During the 2.5 hour cruise we saw a great deal of the city and surrounding countryside. Our guide was full of fun and informative information. The midway stop was a beautiful pub. Would highly recommend.
Written August 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

john
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
I purchased a Dinner Cruise for my parents with Oxford River Cruises some time ago as a special surprise gift for them. The arrangement was that they would confirm the date of travel with Oxford River Cruises, as I didn't know which date they could do it. However, the booking was made with a specific date which I had not requested, and which they couldn't do. When I realised what had happened I informed them but was told that I could not confirm another date. After numerous calls and emails, all that Oxford River Cruises offered was a small discount; I had spent close to £150 on this gift and the service in trying to rectify the error was terrible. For this reason I would not recommend Oxford River Cruises.
Written December 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi John I was sorry read that you were disappointed with the booking process. From our records I can see that you are describing an issue with a reservation you made over 6 years ago in 2015 for a booking in June 2016. Our last correspondence from you was over 5 years ago in June 2016. At the time we explained that you had booked a cruise for your parents on a specific date, June 3rd 2016, rather than purchasing one of our open ended gift vouchers. The booking date had been confirmed by booking confirmation and reminder emails. If you had contacted us at any point before the date of the cruise we would have been able change the date without charge. Unorturnaltly we only received correspondence from you after the booked date had pasted. It was for this reason that we were not able to reschedule the booking or offer a refund. Instead we offered you a discount should you wish to rebook. I hope this helps to explain the situation. We will always try to be as helpful as possible in rectifying booking errors but ask that we receive requests before the date of the cruise so that we have an opportunity to release and resell the seats. Best wishes Giles
Written January 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

LondonDan
Pimlico, UK5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
We did the boat trip and taster menu. The boat trip was cute and the guide was good but the taster menu left a little to be desired. The host, when pointing out what each dish was came so close to pointing at each bit of food that he nearly touched what I was eating. The food itself was ok but not to taster menu standard - the bread course was the best but the lamb was cold with a pea risotto that looked like some one had thrown up on the pate and the tuna poke dish was just too sour and too much citrus. The chef obviously has some talent but missed the mark. I suspect a standard meal is ok there but i would not recommend.
Written August 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SueOS
Bexhill-on-Sea, UK90 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
A great trip down a stretch of the Thames led by skipper, Mark, in a small boat with Covid-secure measures in place. Although the weather was a little overcast, it was very relaxing to meander down the river with Mark's informal, but interesting commentary. The boat was a lot quieter than I had imagined, making this short trip a very calm, peaceful experience.
Written June 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FionaLondon
London505 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
We were bought a voucher 2.5 years ago for a river cruise and 3 course lunch at Brasserie Blanc. We finally got to use it after a very difficult admin process (Mail Experiences).

The cruise was lovely - a 3 hour meander up and down the river with a short stop for a drink/comfort break.

The other customers all had picnics which looked lovely, but we were using an old voucher which included the lunch. I would recommend anyone booking to do the picnic because it added to the ambience and the food certainly looked good.
Written August 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Oxford River Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)