London Duck Tours

River Thames is the longest river in England(210 miles), the longest in Britain is the Severn(220 miles)

London Duck Tours offer more than just a sightseeing tour; it's an exciting road and river adventure appealing to visitors of all ages! The amphibious craft, originally known as 'DUKWS', were first used for the D-Day landings when more than 21,000 were built to take the troops ashore.

The concept of using original DUKW as a sightseeing vehicle originated from Boston Duck Tours and was transferred to London for the new millennium. The successful business which you see today was rebranded as London Duck Tours in acknowledgement of the vehicles themselves and the concept flowing from America. London Duck Tours became fully established in July 2003.

Departing from Chicheley St. Waterloo (behind the London Eye), our amphibious vehicles drive past famous London landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square before a dramatic launch into the River Thames from our slipway at Vauxhall for the waterborne part of the tour.

Today's vehicles bear little resemblance to their military predecessors in their eye catching yellow livery. They have been modified to meet the stringent safety regulations set by the road and river authorities. Each vehicle, setting off every 15 minutes from just underneath the London Eye, seats 30 passengers. Each Duck also has public address system and safety equipment. The standard tour lasts about 75 minutes and is enhanced by an entertaining, action packed commentary by the Duck Tour guides who provide an alternative and insightful view of London's history, plus fascinating facts and figures about the original D-Day vehicles themselves.

St Paul’s Cathedral is 365 feet tall, 1 foot for each day of the year

There are few vehicles in history that have been as successful or enduring as the DUKW, or as we affectionately call them, Ducks. The DUKW was the product of two very impressive parents, the General Motors Corporation (GMC - who provided the automotive components) and the celebrated New York City yacht designers Sparkman & Stephens who gave the new vehicle its sea-going capabilities.

During the early days of World War II, the allies were faced with a tough tactical problem: how could they unload cargo and men from their ships in places where the dock facilities had been destroyed, simply did not exist, or to coastlines that were heavily guarded? The answer was to unload cargo directly onto the beach. The question was; how to achieve this objective? An amphibious vehicle that was half boat and half truck that could run on land and water was invented; a DUKW.

The code-name DUKW can be broken down into its four constituent letters;

D = First year of production code "D" is for 1942
U = Body style "U" utility truck (amphibious)
K = Front wheel drive
W = Two rear driving wheels (tandem axle).

It wasn't long before the Ducks were playing a crucial role in the allied invasions in Sicily, the Pacific, and the biggest invasion of all, D-Day. In fact, more than 40% of all over-beach supplies in Normandy were transported by the Ducks during the first four months. The Ducks played a vital role in World War II and were originally used to carry supplies from ships to points on land, negating the need for loading and unloading of smaller boats which saved time and countless lives.

If you'd like to watch a clip from Battle of Remembrance, click here. World War II ‘living historians’ recreate the Ducks’ vital contribution to the Normandy landings in a documentary filmed for the 50th anniversary of D-day. Presented courtesy of Media Impact Ltd www.media-impact.co.uk. (Duration 4 mins, 21 seconds).