The 15 Best Afternoon Teas 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 1960s Routemaster through London with afternoon tea, landmark views, fresh pastries, and vintage charm in 85 minutes.

“The food was lovely. A great way to see the sights of London. However it was spoilt when the driver did an emergency stop and I was covered in broken plates, jam and cream. My dress was covered and all I was given was a small wet wipe. Sadly it spoilt my day in London as then I had to spend time to find a new dress to go to the theatre that evening instead of the sightseeing we had planned.”

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2.Afternoon Tea River Cruise on the Thames

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

Enjoy afternoon tea aboard a Thames cruise, with scones, sandwiches, unlimited tea, and views of Tower Bridge, the Eye, and Big Ben.

“Perfect for a break in a busy day. My kids enjoyed the tower of food. Great tea and bar selection. Great service. I would have preferred Christmas music in the background instead of the guide talking. He was hard to hear and most tables seem to all be in conversation anyway.”

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3.London Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour

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

Review the London Afternoon Tea Bus, with practical details on food, landmark views, seating, value, and who should book this 90-minute ride.

“All staff were amazing both hosts and driver, lovely environment, lovely food 10/10 Would most definitely recommend”

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4.Afternoon Tea Sightseeing River Cruise in Oxford

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

Review of Oxford’s 90-minute afternoon tea river cruise, with Iffley Lock, Oxford landmarks, live commentary, food, price, and practical tips.

“My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed the River cruise- the food was delicious and the views were beautiful.”

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5.Afternoon Tea Cruise in North Yorkshire

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

Review the Skipton afternoon tea cruise in North Yorkshire, with canal views, fresh food, practical tips, pricing, and honest advice.

“A lovely, relaxing way to spend a very wet Thursday ! Enjoyable afternoon tea with yummy sandwiches, cakes and scones and the staff were exceptional and friendly.”

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6.Notting Hill Walking Tour with Cream Tea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 319 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $81

Explore Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Kensington Gardens, and Royal Albert Hall with cream tea on this four-hour London walk.

“Lost the tour director in the market. Went to meeting point. But no one was there. So we never saw Kensington gardens, Diana’s memorial or had cream tea. Very disappointed. Wouldn’t recommend!”

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

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

Review of afternoon tea at The Rubens near Buckingham Palace, with royal views, smart dress, menu details, value, and practical booking tips.

“The booking is for 1.5 hour seating of unlimited tea, scones, tea sandwiches. We were not served until 25 minutes in. After that, we never saw our server again. We ran out of tea and food and needed to flag down a nearby server after a half an hour who said our server was on break. We didn’t even have water at the table. We saw the server come back from break and she never returned to the table. The food was decent and you will not leave hungry if the server is there to replenish. Rooibos tea was exceptional and dining room was nice.”

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

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

Review of London’s 90-minute afternoon tea bus, with Prosecco, sandwiches, scones, and views of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

“Didn’t happen due to heavy traffic and road closures couldn’t get there on time! Very upset and not even offered another booking let alone a refund!!”

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9.London Vintage Bus Tour with Cream Tea at Harrods

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

Review of London’s vintage bus, Thames cruise, and Harrods cream tea, with route details, value advice, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.

“Our guide/host was very knowledgable about all things London on the tour. Unfortunately when we were traveling through the city on our vintage bus he tried to relate information about every building we passed. It was not possible. He would be explaining a few quick facts about one building and we would already be at another building. He would hurriedly start talking about the next building. It was very disjointed and hard to follow. When we were on the ground and had time to observe it was great. There was also a handoff issue. We were transferring from the river portion of the cruise to the final bus portion, but…”

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10.Extended Cotswolds Visit and Blenheim Palace with Cream Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 118 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $149

Explore Downton Abbey villages, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Blenheim Palace with entry, Churchill exhibits, cream tea, and transport.

“The exceptional bus operator and tour guide provide a delightful experience exploring the breathtaking palace and charming villages. Their expertise ensures a smooth journey, while their insightful commentary enriches the tour. The majestic palace mesmerizes with its grandeur and historical significance. In contrast, the picturesque villages enchant with their quaint beauty and warm-hearted locals. Together, this unforgettable journey weaves cultural discovery, natural beauty, and cherished memories into an amazing adventure.”

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

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

Review the ABBA-themed London afternoon tea bus, with landmarks, food, music, price, practical tips, and honest advice before booking.

“This Golden Tours Abba themed tea bus tour was a bit sad and not worth the price. The double decker bus looked so cute. The windows of the bus were so dirty it was hard to see out of them which defeated the purpose. There was a driver and one tea server. She clearly worked very hard to serve the guests on board. The desserts were very tasty and the tea sandwiches were just okay (a bit soggy). The prosecco was a little warm but the tea was hot and served in a cute plastic souvenir mug. One or tour historic sites were pointed out by a recorded narrator and…”

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12.Afternoon Tea at The Milestone Hotel London

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

Review The Milestone Hotel afternoon tea in London, with historic rooms, fine sandwiches, warm scones, tea choices, pricing, and practical tips.

“It was beautiful, filling and overall delightful experience. We are from Boston and had never experienced afternoon tea and we would now highly recommend it. It was a beautiful place and wonderful staff and delicious tea, scones, finger sandwiches and treats! Must do for sure at the Milestone Hotel”

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13.Lake District – Rail Tour from London with Cream Tea and Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 75 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $460

Review of the Lake District rail tour from London, with Windermere cruise, Hawkshead, Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top, and cream tea.

“Highly recommend this tour! Peter was a great tour guide. I went in April and the weather and area was enjoyable. Not overly crowded or cold! If you're worried about taking a train to and from London... 3 hours really goes by fast on the Virgin trains.”

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14.Taylor Swift-Inspired London Afternoon Tea Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 32 reviews · from $67

Review of London’s Taylor Swift afternoon tea bus, with songs, landmarks, prosecco, menu details, costs, tips, and booking advice.

“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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15.Afternoon Tea and Visit to Cutty Sark Ship in London

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

Pair a self-guided Cutty Sark visit with traditional afternoon tea beneath the ship in Greenwich, with practical tips on timing, value, and dining.

“We enjoyed having delicious sandwiches and cakes under the hill of the cutty sark. Touring the levels of the ship was interesting”

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