The 15 Afternoon Teas in London That Earn Their Price

1.Afternoon Tea Bus with a Glass of Prosecco

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

Ride a traditional double-decker through central London while enjoying sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea, and Prosecco. Hosts such as Ashkay, Abisola, Ayaan, and Dee are known for warm service, but this is not a fully guided sightseeing tour. Choose upper or lower deck seating.

“It was a nice take on afternoon tea. The only thing that would improve the tour is if there was someone to actually be a guide and inform you about what we are passing. They played a recording but sometimes it didn’t match up with what we were actually passing. Still a great experience though.”

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2.Afternoon Tea at the British Museum

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

Spend 90 minutes at afternoon tea in the British Museum’s Great Court Restaurant beneath its glass roof. Choose organic loose-leaf or flowering tea, enjoy sandwiches, pastries, cakes, and scones with clotted cream and jam, and add Prosecco if you wish. The museum setting makes this a smart pairing with a museum visit.

“The hospitality was great! The food was delicious! The table top was a little stained from the tea but overall this was great!”

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3.Kensington Palace Gardens Tour with Royal High Tea

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

Meet near Queensway Station for a guided walk through Kensington Gardens, with royal stories, formal flower beds, water features, and the Sunken Garden. Finish with afternoon tea in the Orangery, including sandwiches, Welsh-butter scones, cakes, and your choice of tea or coffee. Guides may include Doug, Simon, Astrid, or Dee.

“very relaxed pace with an excellent high tea to conclude. Doug our guide was engaging and accommodating to our needs.”

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4.Taylor Swift-Inspired Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

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

Ride a pink-striped double-decker through London while Taylor Swift songs play and afternoon tea is served. You’ll get sandwiches, scones, pastries, a prosecco or soft drink, and a souvenir mug. Guides such as Odun and Claudia have added warm personal touches on some departures.

“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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5.Cream Tea at Blenheim Palace & the Cotswolds Tour

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

Trade London for the Cotswolds on a 10 to 11-hour English-language tour with Blenheim Palace entry, traditional cream tea, Bampton’s Downton Abbey exhibition, Bourton-on-the-Water, and a comfortable coach ride with Wi-Fi.

“Had a fabulous day we absolutely loved Dr Dolly our guide. Small group enamelled lots of conversation and connection. Really enjoyed the overall experience. Dolly was a wealth of information.”

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6.Afternoon Tea at The Rubens at the Palace

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

Spend 1.5 hours in The Rubens at the Palace Lounge with traditional sandwiches, fresh scones, pastries, tea, and optional Champagne. You will need smart clothing, and dietary requests must be made 48 hours ahead. The experience is hosted in English and costs $111 per person.

“Min dotter och hennes sambo var mycket nöjda. Very impressed! De kände sig mycket väl omhändertagna och njöt av delikatesserna.”

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7.Royal Hampton Court Guided Tour with Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 2.5 - 3 hours · from $206Top rated

Meet your English-speaking guide at Hampton Court Station for a two-hour walk through Tudor courtyards, Henry VIII’s kitchens, Wren’s Fountain Court, and the gardens. Afternoon tea follows, with full-day palace entry for your own exploring. Guides may include Tom, Julie, Thomas, or Geraint.

“Thomas was a superb guide. We were the only two people on the tour so we got a lot of personal attention. There is a lot to see at Hampton Court and Thomas systematically got us from one place to the next with great commentary on what we were seeing. The tea was outstanding. Five different sandwiches, two scones each, and five different desserts as well as a good selection of teas. We recommend this tour as a very nice day trip from London.”

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8.London Vintage Bus Tour and Cream Tea at Harrods

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 66 reviews · 4 hours · from $134

Spend four hours seeing London by restored vintage bus and Thames boat, with stops at the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Guides such as John and Lisa add lively stories and photo help. Finish with scones, tea, live music, and Prosecco at Harrods.

“Everything about this tour was exceptional and the cream on the top was the wonderful hotel for the afternoon tea, exceptional Michael”

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9.National Gallery Guided Tour and Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 64 reviews · from $66

Spend an hour with an English-speaking National Gallery guide, seeing highlights by Vermeer, Titian, and Monet before afternoon tea at Ochre. Expect headsets, seasonal pastries, finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, and coffee or tea. The tour is wheelchair accessible.

“So, a couple of things I just didn't know beforehand. Normally, entry to the museum is free so you are paying for the tea and for not having to wait on line to enter the museum. Fair enough. I truly, truly enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide, Martin was knowledgeable, excellent, spoke quickly and clearly and taught us an enormous amount about the art we saw. We then had the opportunity to explore the museum a bit on our own. I didn't entirely understand what "tea" was. While I enjoyed the experience and would certainly do it again, tea is very, very sugary. There are finger sandwiches but the majority…”

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10.Lake District Tour with Cream Tea & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 57 reviews · 1 day · from $438

Travel by reserved train from London to Oxenholme, then explore the Lake District with a local English-speaking guide. Visit Hawkshead, see Beatrix Potter sites, ride across Windermere, pass Tarn Hows and Langdale, and finish with cream tea at Lindeth Howe Country Hotel.

“The guide Peter was excellent. He really enjoyed his work and so it was very pleasant to be with him.”

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11.VIP Kensington Palace Gardens Tour & Royal High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39 reviews · from $154

Walk through Kensington Gardens with an English-speaking guide, view the Sunken Garden and Princess Diana statue, then enjoy sandwiches, cakes, and up to 10 teas at the Orangery. Upgrade for timed entry to Kensington Palace and its State Apartments.

“our guide Pauline was very knowledgeable and considerate, easy to hear and understand. Tea was great.”

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12.Cutty Sark Entrance Ticket & Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 37 reviews · 3 hours · from $64

Visit Cutty Sark in Greenwich with an English audio guide, explore sailors’ quarters, take the wheel, and walk beneath the ship’s copper hull. Then enjoy afternoon tea beneath the vessel, with sandwiches, cakes, and a choice of about 10 teas. Allow roughly two hours on site.

“The food was excellent. great value for money with entrance to The Cutty Sark boat included. I would have given it 5 stars if the afternoon tea tables were maybe away from the general public with children running about screaming past us. I feel they needed to be more away from the cafe. Would recommend though as sandwiches and cakes really tasty. The staff were amazing too”

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13.Afternoon Tea at The Milestone with Champagne Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 36 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $114

Spend 90 minutes at The Milestone Hotel, a London landmark dating to 1689, with silver service, delicate china, unlimited tea, savory sandwiches, warm scones, and elegant pastries. Choose the standard tea or add Champagne. Smart-casual dress is required, and dietary needs should be given 48 hours ahead.

“Det var i særklasse, en helt fantastisk god oplevelse. Virkelig god service, fantastisk te og kager og smukke omgivelser. kan kun anbefales”

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14.Kensington Palace Tour, Guard Change & Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 22 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $147

Follow an English-speaking guide from the Guard Memorial to Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Palace, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens. Then enjoy tea, scones, sandwiches, and pastries at Kensington Palace’s Orangery before exploring the palace with an audio guide. Guides such as Sue, Sharan, and Susannah bring the royal stories to life.

“Our Guide Sue was fantastic. She gave interesting historical information, paid attention to the needs of the group and was warm and friendly. I would recommend her for any tour!”

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15.Traditional Afternoon Tea Tour in a Luxury Coach

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 15 reviews · from $101

Settle into Bustronome London for a roughly two-hour sightseeing ride with finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, unlimited hot drinks, and city views. You’ll pass St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, and more, with English or French audio commentary. Ally and Yovui may help serve your tea.

“Ally and Yovui were polite. They served us well and made the trip enjoyable.”

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