London Boat Party

The London Boat Party is back on the River Thames on Saturday 31 October, with tickets from £27.49. It's one of those London fixtures you've probably heard of without ever actually doing — a party cruise that's been running on the river for over 50 years, with more than 10,000 tickets sold over that time. The organisers call it the city's number one boat party experience, and it's built around the ABBA, 80s, 90s and UKG sounds that usually get a dance floor moving.

They pitch it as a party rather than a booze cruise, and the format is pretty straightforward: a Thames DJ plays party anthems and chart hits, the dance floor fills in the first few songs, and the boat takes you past the illuminated sights of the city. There's a group selfie in front of Tower Bridge before the night continues, so you get the landmarks without having to walk them. It's a popular choice for staff and office parties, birthdays, and hen or stag dos, which gives you a good sense of the crowd you'll be sharing the deck with.

The boats are modern charters from private piers, and the route runs between Big Ben and Tower Bridge, so you're seeing the central stretch of the river while you're at it. If you're planning a group outing, it's a fairly easy one to rally people around — the music is familiar, the scenery is the city itself, and you're on the water rather than in a club. Tickets start from £27.49.