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3 Best Liverpool Boat Trips to Take in 2024 (Tried & Tested!)

• September 21, 2023

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Liverpool boat trips are the best way to see Liverpool from a totally different angle and, I can’t hype them enough!

I’ve been to Liverpool more times than I can count, and I’ve actually taken the world-famous “ferry across the Mersey” twice now – once in winter, and once in summer.

Thanks to these experiences, I have a few recommendations and top tips up my sleeve when it comes to picking a Liverpool boat tour. Today, I’m going to share the very best ones with you!

In a hurry, and just want to know what the best one is? No worries – it’s this one.

Top Pick: Best Liverpool Boat Trip > World-Famous Ferry Across The Mersey Includes: 50 minute sightseeing cruise on the world-famous ferry 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

There aren’t a whole host of Liverpool boat trips to choose from. In fact, there are only three! Not all three are created equally, though, so in this blog post I’ll show you what the main differences are so that you can pick one that’s right for you.

Let’s get started!

🎵So ferry ‘cross the Mersey ‘Cause this land’s the place I love And here I’ll stay🎵 Gerry And The Pacemakers (1965)

Table of Contents

Best Boat Trips in Liverpool

1. ferry across the mersey.

⭐️ RATING: 4.4 out of 5 | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 50 minutes | 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

This is the original and best boat trip in Liverpool – the famous and iconic ferry across the Mersey, made famous by Gerry Marsden on the Gerry & The Pacemakers song “ Ferry Cross The Mersey ”.

I’ve been on the Liverpool Mersey Ferry twice now, once in winter, and once in summer, and you can read an in-depth account of my experiences later on in this post.

For now, I’ll just let you know that it’s absolutely worth it, and one of the best ways to explore Liverpool.

During the 50 minute journey, you’ll sail along the banks of Liverpool, checking out some impressive Liverpool landmarks you may not otherwise have seen before crossing over the river to Seacombe Terminal.

This side of the river isn’t actually Liverpool anymore – it’s called the Wirral.  

After dropping off and picking up passengers (it’s still used as a form of public transportation by people who live in Liverpool ), you’ll sail down the Wirral’s coastline, checking out its shipyards and the massive cargo boats docked at its port before heading back to Liverpool.

Along the way, you’ll be accompanied by pre-recorded commentary about what you’re looking at, as well as unparalleled views of Liverpool and the Wirral.

There’s an indoor section on the ground floor and an open-roof section on the top floor, so the ferries across the Mersey are not weather-dependent. 

“It was great, loved hearing the history behind the docks.” – Maria ( Read More Reviews )

Click here to book your place!

2. Ferry Across The Mersey with Hop On Hop Off Bus

⭐️ RATING: 4.6 out of 5 | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 40 | 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

Want to take your Liverpool sightseeing up a notch? Then this combo ticket , which combines the legendary Mersey ferry in Liverpool with a hop on hop off bus tour of Liverpool’s top city attractions, is your best bet.

It’s the best of both worlds! As well as exploring Liverpool from the water, you’ll also get to check out the main landmarks of the city from land, including the Chinese Arch, the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (the biggest in the UK!), and fun attractions like The Beatles Story.

The ferry journey takes 50 minutes, and the hop on hop off bus route also takes 50 minutes to complete if you were to stay on the bus the entire time. Taking advantage of the hop on hop off option, you could easily spend the entire day exploring Liverpool with this one ticket!

“Could not fault the experience. We were showing a first time visitor to Liverpool the sites. Having very limited time the bus tour was an excellent introduction to the city” – Anne ( Read More Reviews )

3. Albert Dock Sightseeing Cruise with Commentary

⭐️ RATING: 4.6 out of 5 | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 30 minutes | 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

Stepping away (but not too far away!) from the River Mersey for a second, let’s take a look at the other option for a Liverpool boat trip – the Albert Dock sightseeing cruise .

Here’s the deal – you can walk around the entirety of the Royal Albert Dock, so there’s not a huge reason to take this sightseeing cruise. With that said, if you have limited mobility or just really enjoy sightseeing from the water, why not – right?

This Liverpool boat cruise involves a 15 minute journey along the dock, followed by 15 minutes returning along the same route to get to your starting point. 

You don’t see a whole lot you wouldn’t have seen by walking, but you do get to learn more about the history of the dock, which is a win in my eyes! I spent a while looking for boat trips of Liverpool docks, but this was the only one I could find.

The audio guide is pre-recorded, so that’s worth bearing in mind, and departures are hourly, on the hour, from 12pm-4pm every  day, year-round.

“Overall was an enjoyable trip. I recommend 👌” – Keula ( Read More Reviews )

Click here to bo o k your place!

REVIEW: My Personal Experience on Liverpool Boat Trips

As I mentioned earlier, I have taken the Mersey river ferry twice now – once in winter, and once in summer. And let me tell you, they are two totally different experiences!

In this section of the blog post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about taking the Ferry Across the Mersey, including anecdotes and top tips from my own experiences.

Let’s get started.

Mersey Ferry tours depart on the hour, every hour, from 10am-4pm, every day. Even in winter!

To board, you’ll need to arrive at Pier Head at least 15 minutes before departure. The ticket office is easy to find – it’s right by the Museum of Liverpool and the Beatles statue .

Here, you’ll need to enter the Mersey Ferries ticket office to show them your pre-purchased ticket (get yours here), which the staff will exchange for a paper ticket.

Then, you join the queue to board the ferry.

If you’re desperate to sit outside in summer you’ll want to arrive slightly earlier than 15 minutes before to make sure you’re one of the first to board the boat. As you can imagine, pretty much everybody wants to get a good seat out on deck in summer!

The boat is noticeably quieter in winter, because Liverpool is freezing cold, and being out on the river is even colder! For this reason, you probably won’t struggle to get a decent seat indoors on the ferry.

Sometimes, you’ll get the cool and colourful boat you’ll have seen on the photos in this blog post, and other times, you’ll get a black and red one that looks like this:

It’s total luck of the draw, unfortunately!

The Experience on Board

Once everybody has boarded, it’s time to set sail! 

On the deck, there are plenty of chairs and tables, some with shade and some without. When I went on the boat on a Saturday in the height of summer there were still plenty of seats for everybody.

It’s very unlikely that you’ll have to stand the entire journey.

There’s a bar on the ground floor where you can buy drinks and snacks (including alcohol!). There’s also a bar on the open deck but that wasn’t open when I rode the ferry.

Top tip: I saw plenty of people bringing their own beers onto the ferry and didn’t see anybody policing this or any rules against it displayed prominently, so I say go for it to save on the ferry’s heavy markups.

The ferry is a sightseeing guided cruise , but the commentary is pre-recorded and, to be honest, not loud enough.

You can definitely follow along if you concentrate, but I’d take this as more of a scenic cruise to check out cool landmarks rather than learning lots of Liverpool facts .

That said, I did learn a few cool things – like the fact that the Beatles played on the Mersey Ferry a few times when it was occasionally used as a party boat! You could therefore technically count the ferry as one of Liverpool’s Beatles sites ! 😉

If you get seasick, there’s a chance you’ll feel queasy on the ferry. When the boat is turning around at Seacombe Terminal it can get seriously rocky! 

Thanks to a very unfortunate 4-day boat trip in Indonesia (and that’s a whole other story) I now get extremely seasick, so even sailing on the Mersey Ferry on a calm summer’s day felt like I was pushing things a bit too far.

If you don’t get seasick, or only get mild seasickness, you’ll be totally fine.

Liverpool Boat Trips in Winter

I took my first Liverpool sightseeing cruise in winter, in January or February (I can’t remember exactly) and it was FREEZING!

This is the main thing you need to bear in mind if you’re considering a Liverpool boat trip in winter. Wrap up warm, and try to sit indoors on the ground floor. 

For some dumb reason, I thought I’d have better views from the open deck. I mean… I was right, but the icy wind that blows across the Mersey is no joke, you guys! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so cold in my life, haha.

Here’s me trying to take a selfie, which was… pretty difficult, thanks to the crazy wind!

As long as you wrap up warm, I still think the Ferry Across The Mersey in Liverpool is worth it in winter. 

I took this journey before I developed my propensity for seasickness, though, so I can’t speak to the differences in how seasick I felt in winter vs in summer.

Liverpool Boat Trips in Summer

I also took the Liverpool ferry trip on a gloriously sunny day in June, and let me tell you, it made the experience so much better!

It was absolutely boiling out on the sun deck, the skies were blue, and the gentle breeze from the sailing was perfect. If you have the choice between going on Liverpool boat tours in winter or summer, I recommend winter.

That said, if you don’t have any choice on when you can take the trip, just do it! No matter what season of the year it’s worth your time. Yes – even if you’re only in Liverpool for a day or two.

Final Thoughts: Best Boat Trips in Liverpool

Liverpool is a stunning place to visit, but there’s no better way to see how mind-bendingly gorgeous it is than on a Liverpool Mersey boat trip!

In case you need a reminder, this is the boat tour I recommend . I’ve personally been on it twice so you can rest assured that the recommendation is solid.

Ella Moore is the founder of Many More Maps. Growing up just 45 minutes away from Liverpool, Ella has spent years exploring the city inside out. In her teenage years, she was introduced to the music of The Beatles, and the rest, they say, is history! Today, she stands as a leading authority on Beatles tourism in Liverpool, helping over 40,000 people a month to plan their dream trip to the city.

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