The 15 Best Afternoon Tea Experiences in England

1.Afternoon Tea Bus Tour – 1960s Routemaster Bus

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

Ride a vintage 1960s Routemaster through central London while enjoying unlimited tea, sandwiches, scones, cakes, and pastries from a local bakery. Staff serve you at your table as recorded commentary points out Harrods, Hyde Park, Mayfair, and other landmarks. Choose traditional, vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, or gluten-free food.

“Absolutely amazing - to see the Christmas lights and get the full afternoon tea experience in the dark around the main attractions of London - it was brilliant - thank you. I would highly recommend this.”

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2.Afternoon Tea River Cruise on the Thames

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

Board City Cruises at Tower Pier for a 90-minute afternoon tea sailing past the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, and Westminster. You’ll have a guaranteed table, unlimited tea or coffee, finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and optional drinks from the bar.

“Such a shame to pay over £300 for a family cruise with a cream team which didn’t live up to expectations. The food was very poor quality for a cream team and we didn’t eat much of it. We asked to take what we hadn’t eaten away in a box as it felt wasteful to leave. We were not allowed but were told we could put it into disposable coffee cups. Sadly that didn’t really work and everything ended up squashed. The boat broke down, which I’m sure is just one of those things. Once it got started again, after 35 minutes we ended up whizzing through the tour. I…”

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3.London Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour

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

Spend 90 minutes on a decorated double-decker bus, pairing tea, scones, sandwiches, pastries, and a drink with a drive past London icons. Expect friendly service, shared seating, limited commentary, and upper-deck seats assigned first come, first served.

“I e mail this company to book a diabetic meal and they confirmed this by e mail how ever on the day no diabetic meal was available. So my friend couldn’t eat anything whole experience was ruined as I didn’t want to sit and eat mine as she couldn’t eat they didn’t do what they advertised.”

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4.Afternoon Tea Sightseeing River Cruise in Oxford

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

Cruise from central Oxford to Iffley Lock while enjoying afternoon tea from The Folly. You’ll pass Christ Church Meadows, rowing boathouses, punts, and quiet water meadows. Guides including Nick, Henry, Dexter, Louis, and Duncan provide commentary. The small boat carries up to 12 people.

“Lovely slow paced , narrated trip on the river . There was a rowing regatta under way and it was a beautiful sunny day. Tea and tea sweets and sandwiches were delicious.”

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5.Afternoon Tea Cruise in North Yorkshire

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

Settle into a comfortable canal boat at Coach Street in Skipton for a two-hour afternoon tea cruise. You get sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea or coffee, countryside views, a licensed bar, and your own table. The boat returns to the same meeting point.

“A good experience. Would highly recommend. Crew very welcoming and friendly. Excellent value for money.”

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6.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 a traditional afternoon tea in the Palace Lounge. Expect finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, and a broad tea list, with vegan, vegetarian, Halal, and gluten-free choices available by request. Champagne is an optional upgrade.

“Ruebens was amazing, the atmosphere was British Elegance, the food top class and the staff charming. We had drinks in the bar beforehand, the prices were typical of this kind if establishment. I recommend it gighly”

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

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

Spend about 90 minutes on a decorated double-decker bus, enjoying sandwiches, scones, pastries, tea, and a Prosecco or soft drink while passing London landmarks. This lower-deck experience begins near Victoria Station, uses shared seating, and has no live guide or onboard restroom.

“Well decorated bus, delicious sandwiches, cream tea. We’re able to enjoy and relax! Highly recommended tour!”

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

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

Board Golden Tours’ ABBA-themed double-decker at Bulleid Way for 90 minutes of afternoon tea, hot tea, sweets, sandwiches, and Prosecco for those over 21. An English audio guide points out Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge, but there is no live guide.

“Great fun singing along to Abba as we travelled through London. The food and drink was also very good.”

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9.Afternoon Tea at The Milestone Hotel London

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

Enjoy a 1-hour-45-minute afternoon tea at The Milestone Hotel beside Kensington Palace. Expect three tiers of sandwiches, warm scones, pastries, Devonshire clotted cream, preserves, and a broad tea menu. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free versions require at least 72 hours’ notice.

“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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10.Taylor Swift-Inspired London Afternoon Tea Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 32 reviews · from $67

Ride through London on a Taylor Swift-themed afternoon tea bus with songs, landmark views, sandwiches, scones, pastries, a souvenir mug, and prosecco or a soft drink. The 90-minute trip suits Swifties, families, and couples, but it has no live guide or onboard toilet.

“This was such a fun thing to do and our hostesses were really lovely. Would have been nice to hear about the sights at the same time but we didn’t have comments which was ok coz it was what we expected. Was a fun one off experience and really well organised.”

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11.Afternoon Tea and Visit to Cutty Sark Ship in London

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $66

Explore the Cutty Sark, the world’s sole-surviving tea clipper, and see where its crew lived, ate, and slept. Your timed afternoon tea is served beneath the ship, with sandwiches, cakes, and a selection of Cutty Sark teas. Visit the ship before or after, but allow at least 60 minutes.

“Greenwich was a nice town to visit, lots of old taverns and shops to visit. Afternoon tea was fantastic and the food was surprisingly good. The cutty stark was quite interesting. We enjoyed the afternoon very much.”

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12.Harry Potter Tour & Magical Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · from $151

Follow a local guide from King’s Cross to London Bridge, stopping at Potter film sites, Cecil Court, Goodwin’s Court, Borough Market, and two themed shops. Then enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour magical afternoon tea at The Wands & Wizard Exploratorium in Soho. Expect a small group, two tube rides, and plenty of walking.

“While the tour guide was good and energetic, the majority of the tour is spent riding the tube. It didn’t even include Millennium Bridge as one of the stops. Also, the tour ended almost a half hour away from the magical tea place. I also had to make my own separate booking (and pay again) for the tea experience because my information was not shared with them. Skip this and save your time and money.”

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13.Official National Gallery Highlights Tour and Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10 reviews · from $67

Meet at 2:00 pm for a guided tour of the National Gallery’s major works, with headsets to keep the commentary clear. Then sit down at Ochre for sandwiches, scones, pastries, tea, and coffee. The plan suits first-time visitors who want art and afternoon tea in one booking.

“Loved having a most interesting knowledgeable guide taking us through the highlights of the national gallery. This made navigating through the museum easy and pleasant . The high tea at ochre was spectacular and the setting was perfect Well worth the price! Highly recommend!”

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14.Royal London Tour with Afternoon Tea at The Rubens at the Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $175

Start at 9:00 am with a Blue Badge guide and coach tour of Westminster, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace. Watch the Changing of the Guard when scheduled, then finish with four hours of afternoon tea at The Rubens, including sandwiches, scones, and pastries.

“We had a magnificent experience at The Rubens tea room, the finger sandwiches as well as the scones and pastries were fantastic. The service was excellent; I am so glad I brought my girls to here! Making beautiful memories!”

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15.Royal Afternoon Tea & Walk at Kensington Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $206

Join a small group of up to 10 for a 1 p.m. walk through Kensington Gardens, royal stories, and afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones, cakes, and tea. Guides such as Paul, David, and Barbara have led the experience. Transport begins and ends in London.

“Barbara was great!! We dressed for tea and did not realize that there would be a 55 minute walk around the grounds first. When we expressed concern she arranged for us to go for tea right away and walk with her later if we wanted. It was a loRead more”

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