Afternoon Tea in London: 15 to Book Before You Go

1.Afternoon Tea Cruise on the River Thames

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,274 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $53Our pick

Board a City Cruises boat at Tower Pier for a 90-minute Thames round trip. Enjoy sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and jam, cakes, and unlimited tea and coffee while passing Tower Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern, The Shard, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament. Commentary adds history and humor.

“Lovely staff - good commentary about London as we sailed - good great scones were warmed - tea replenished and cocktails and champagne (extra cost) good quality 👍🏻 thumbs up from us ❤️”

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2.Afternoon Tea Bus Tour – 1960s Routemaster Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,032 reviews · 1 hour 25 minutes (approx.) · from $87

Ride through central London aboard a vintage 1960s Routemaster while enjoying tea, sandwiches, scones, cakes, and French-inspired pastries. The route passes Harrods, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park, and Mayfair, with recorded commentary and music. Seats are assigned, the bus does not stop, and top-deck seating is not guaranteed.

“Cute idea. The bus was warm and didn’t have air conditioning. I wish the tour would have been more interactive as far as the sites were concerned but the staff was nice and the treats were tasty.”

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3.Afternoon Tea Bus with a Glass of Prosecco

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,853 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $64

Ride a traditional double-decker through central London while enjoying finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea, and Prosecco or a soft drink. The route passes sights such as the London Eye, Tower of London, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Choose an upper or lower deck, arrive 15 minutes early, and expect hosted service without a live tour guide.

“it was very cozy and peaceful. First they serve plate and prosecco . Then , coffee came. They tell us every important corner in the London. Thank you very much🩷”

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4.The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 934 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $158

Meet your guide at Queensway Station for a gentle history walk through Kensington Gardens, past the Italian Gardens, Round Pond, Diana memorial, and royal landmarks. Guides such as Doug and Paul add humor and detail before you sit down for sandwiches, scones, cakes, and tea at the Orangery. Palace entry costs extra.

“We had a wonderful tour and tea with Doug at Kensington Gardens! Doug was so kind, friendly and knowledgeable sharing so much interesting information about the gardens and London.”

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5.Afternoon Tea River Cruise on the Thames

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 884 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $55

Board at Tower Pier for a 90-minute afternoon tea cruise past the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe, the London Eye, and Westminster. You’ll have a guaranteed table, unlimited tea or coffee, sandwiches, cakes, and scones, plus live or recorded commentary. The bar sells bubbly and other drinks.

“The timing isnt ideal at winter. It should be earlier to enjoy the sights. Other than that the staff was friendly The engine wasnt working so we were delayed and the sun set and we didnt move”

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6.London Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 763 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $67

Spend 90 minutes on a double-decker bus with tea, scones, finger sandwiches, pastries, and a drink while passing Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square. This is a relaxed sightseeing ride, not a fully narrated tour. Upper-deck seats are first come, first served.

“The whole experience was great. Would highly recommend. Idea for family and friends of all ages young or old.”

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7.Kensington Palace Gardens Tour with Royal High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 325 reviews · from $160

Meet your English-speaking guide at Queensway Station for a gentle but substantial walk through Kensington Palace Gardens. Hear stories about Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry, then settle into the Orangery for tea, sandwiches, scones, and cakes. Palace entry and sparkling wine depend on the option you choose.

“Lively tour and nice explanation about the garden. Also, very nice garden. High tea was decent, but not superb:very noisy restaurant, scones were wonderful, tea was good, cakes were mediocre and I guess I dont care much for brittish tea sandwiches in general. The guide was funny and very Brittish ( in a good way:)). Entrance to the Palave was not included, I went there afterwards (would recommend). I was a lone traveller, it was me and a very friendly American family of 3.. I have enjoyed my afternoon! I would have like to hear even more stories about the garden and the palace though!Read more”

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8.Hampton Court Guided Tour. Full day Access & High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 270 reviews · 4 hours 5 minutes (approx.) · from $212Top rated

Meet your guide at Hampton Court station at 11 a.m. for a two-hour tour of the Tudor palace, then enjoy afternoon tea with tea, scones, sandwiches, and cake. Your ticket also gives you full-day access to the palace and 60 acres of gardens, so you can keep exploring after the guided portion ends. Guides may include Tom, Julie, Suzanne, Oliver, or Prue.

“Interesting stories and new perspective. Yea was fabulous. Guides were knowledgeable and amusing. Do go.”

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9.Afternoon Tea at The Rubens at the Palace, Buckingham Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 236 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $114

Travel independently to The Rubens at the Palace for about 90 minutes to two hours of traditional afternoon tea. Expect finger sandwiches, fresh scones, pastries, and a broad tea selection in the Palace Lounge, with views toward the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace. Vegetarian, vegan, Halal, and gluten-free options are available with advance notice.

“The afternoon tea was an elevated experience. The food and tea was excellent. Too much to eat at one sitting. I would highly recommend! I can’t wait to return to London and book again.”

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10.Taylor Swift-Inspired Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 183 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $66

Join Golden Tours at Golden Tours Stop 1 for a 90-minute Taylor Swift-inspired afternoon tea aboard a pink-striped double-decker bus. Enjoy sandwiches, scones, pastries, prosecco or a soft drink, Taylor’s hits, London views, and a souvenir mug. Guides such as Odun and Claudia add a warm, playful touch, but there is no live sightseeing commentary.

“The hole tour felt like a big scam the food was not very good and me and my friend where very disappointed by the end of the tour it felt overpriced and the stuff working on the bus where not very nice we felt like if we went on a hop on hop off bus we would have gotten allot more out of the experience it felt more like a party bus not a tour because we didn’t learn anything we just drove around listening to Taylor Swift absolutely not worth the 60 euro.”

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11.London Afternoon Tea Bus and Panoramic Tour on Lower Deck

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 160 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $67

Ride a decorated double-decker bus through central London while enjoying sandwiches, scones, pastries, tea, and a glass of Prosecco or soft drink. The 90-minute route passes Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and the London Eye. This is a scenic tea outing, not a narrated sightseeing tour.

“I was very excited about this experience. I have to saynI was VERY disappointed. There was no narration. I am a frequent visitor so I had a pretty good idea of where we were but if I did not know, it would have made me very frustrated.”

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12.London Vintage Bus Tour with Cream Tea at Harrods

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 145 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $137

Start at Victoria Coach Station for a 1960s open-top bus tour past Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, and the Tower of London. Cruise the Thames, then finish at Harrods with scones, clotted cream, jam, tea, and Prosecco. Guides such as Alan, Magnus, and John bring plenty of local detail.

“Best way to first see London. Excellent narrator. Gave us ideas to planning our site seeing days for the start of our vacation”

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13.“Here We Go Again” London Afternoon Tea Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 110 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $68

Ride a classic double-decker through central London while enjoying afternoon tea, hot drinks, optional prosecco, and ABBA songs. The 90-minute route passes Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge, with an English audio guide rather than a live host. Choose standard, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free food.

“We were disappointed in our experience. We booked the ABBA themed tea bus and our tickets showed that it was the ABBA themed tea but it wasn’t. It was just a regular afternoon tea bus. It was fine for what it was but it wasn’t what we booked or expected. It was also miserably hot on the bus. My daughter was so hot, she started to feel unwell and couldn’t drink the hot tea. The hostess came around and asked if we were celebrating anything so I said we were celebrating my daughter’s high school graduation. When she announced celebrations, she only announced birthdays and anniversaries. It wasn’t a huge…”

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14.Afternoon Tea at The Milestone Hotel London

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $117

Spend about 1 hour 45 minutes at The Milestone Hotel near Kensington Palace, sampling British sandwiches, scones, pastries, and a wide choice of teas. Expect polished service in an elegant historic setting, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menus available when requested at least 72 hours ahead. Champagne is available as an upgrade.

“Quaint, quiet tea atmosphere. High tea was very good. Food was good. Server needed more training and language learning, but was nice.”

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15.Afternoon Tea at The Rubens at the Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 70 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $111

Spend 90 minutes in The Rubens at the Palace’s Palace Lounge with a traditional British afternoon tea. Expect finger sandwiches, fruit and plain scones, homemade preserves, clotted cream, pastries, and tea from P.M. David Silva & Sons. Champagne is available with the inclusive option. Dress smartly, and share dietary needs 48 hours ahead.

“All perfect! We had the most amazing time. Lovely afternoon tea with magnificent backdrop”

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