Afternoon Tea in London: 7 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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