The 14 Best Afternoon Tea Experiences in Britain

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.Glasgow Afternoon Tea Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 735 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $61

Enjoy a 70 to 90 minute afternoon tea aboard a vintage Routemaster bus, starting at Shuttle Street. Expect sandwiches, warm scones, petit fours, cupcakes, and unlimited tea or coffee while passing Glasgow Cathedral, the Necropolis, the Clyde, Kelvingrove, and more. Helen and her crew are known for adding humor and singalongs, but this is not a fully guided sightseeing tour.

“The warm sconce was the only thing we really liked. The food was okay. The sandwich bread was a little stiff from being out too long. The coffee was warm and tasted watered down. Didn’t care for the loud American music and when the guide did talk about what we were passing, she was very difficult to understand. She sounded like she was reading off of something and like she had her mouth right on the microphone.”

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8.Afternoon Tea Sightseeing River Cruise in Oxford

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 583 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $80Top rated

Spend 90 minutes on the Thames from central Oxford, passing Christ Church Meadows, rowing boathouses, Iffley Lock, and quiet water meadows. Your small group enjoys sandwiches, scones, cakes, and tea from The Folly, with guides such as Nick, Henry, Dexter, or Louis providing commentary.

“Had the best afternoon of high tea on the Thames! Every bite from the sandwiches to dessert was amazing. Skipper Nick was so friendly and full of great stories (and his dog totally stole the show). Perfect mix of yummy food, gorgeous views, and good vibes.”

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9.Afternoon Tea at the British Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 511 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $58

Settle into the Great Court Restaurant at the British Museum for a 90-minute afternoon tea. You’ll choose organic loose-leaf or flowering tea, then enjoy finger sandwiches, handmade cakes, pastries, and scones with clotted cream and jam. Add Prosecco if you want a more celebratory occasion. Book ahead and tell security you have a tea reservation.

“The afternoon ta at the British Museum was lovely. I think it would have been nice to adopt what other venues do and that is include bottomless tea & coffee as part of the experience.”

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10.Afternoon Tea Cruise in North Yorkshire

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 388 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $45

Settle into a comfortable canal boat at Coach Street in Skipton for about two hours of sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea, and countryside views. You get your own table, indoor seating, and a fully licensed bar. The crew is not named in the booking details, but service is friendly and attentive. Book ahead, and allow time to park.

“Booked this trip for my mum’s birthday. Called Viator to request Gluten Free food as my mum is Coeliac. This was confirmed with the booking agent that he’d made a note on the booking. Unfortunately, on arrival Skipton River Cruises weren’t aware of the dietary requirements as it wasn’t on our booking. The staff there told us that they would do their best to rectify it. The staff were absolutely incredible and picked up Gluten Free food along the way. There was hardly any delay to us getting our food, despite having to make a whole new afternoon tea for my mum. Thank you to the staff at Skipton River…”

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11.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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12.Afternoon Tea at Blackpool Tower Ballroom

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 145 reviews

Spend 90 minutes in Blackpool Tower Ballroom with a traditional afternoon tea, freshly brewed tea or coffee, sandwiches, a fruit scone, clotted cream, jam, cakes, and cheesecake. Your table sits beside the dance floor, where organ music and live dancing provide the entertainment. Admission also lets you enjoy the ballroom beyond tea time.

“It was a lovely experience having afternoon tea in the iconic Tower Ballroom whilst listening to the live music and watching the wonderful dancers practicing their routines. The staff serving the afternoon were really friendly and the tea, sandwiches and cakes were excellent.”

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13.Afternoon Tea at The Regency Tea Room

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 136 reviews · 1 hour · from $39Best value

Spend one hour at The Regency Tea Room in Bath with afternoon tea served in a Regency-style setting filled with Jane Austen touches. You get tea or coffee, finger sandwiches, cakes, and a warm scone with Dorset clotted cream and seasonal jam. The small group is limited to six, and the host speaks English.

“A lovely afternoon tea in a wonderful old house with great service. A great experience”

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14.Cream Tea at Blenheim Palace & the Cotswolds Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 113 reviews · from $173

Trade London for a full day in the Cotswolds, with stops in Downton Abbey’s Bampton and Bourton-on-the-Water, then tour Blenheim Palace and enjoy scones, jam, cream, and tea. English-speaking guides such as Dolly, Ari, Simon, and Zozo have led this route, with time managed by coach schedule.

“It was a perfect day. Going to Bampton was a surprise, I guess I didn’t read the whole description of the tour. Wish we could have spent more time at Blenheim, but it was an adequate amount of time. The bus ride was great. Since we had a small group, a small bus probably would have worked. Our guide was very informative & really tried to get to know each of us.”

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