Afternoon Tea Bus Tour of London

A tea room on a double-decker bus

The red double-decker bus is one of the great symbols of London, and this tour turns it into a moving tea room. Inside, the seats face small tables fitted for afternoon tea, with large windows on both sides so you can watch the city while you eat. On the default option you sit on the upper deck, where the higher viewpoint lets you look over the traffic, into squares and up at the facades of grand buildings.

The ride lasts about 1.5 hours and follows a route through central London. There is no tour guide, but the staff on board highlight the landmarks and points of interest as you pass. Because the bus keeps moving, you see far more than you would from a fixed tea room, which makes this afternoon tea bus one of the most unusual things to do in London.

Westminster and the London Eye

Depending on traffic, the route usually passes through Westminster, the political and ceremonial heart of the capital. Here stand the Houses of Parliament, rebuilt in an ornate Gothic Revival style after a fire in 1834, with their famous clock tower, as well as Westminster Abbey, where coronations have taken place for nearly a thousand years. Both are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the south bank of the Thames rises the London Eye, the 135-metre observation wheel that opened in 2000 and gives the skyline its modern silhouette. From the upper deck you can see its capsules turning slowly above the river. If you would like to ride it yourself, London Eye tickets are easy to combine with this tea tour on the same day, as both are in the centre.

St Paul's Cathedral

As the bus heads east into the City of London, the great dome of St Paul's Cathedral appears above Ludgate Hill. The present cathedral was built after the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed its medieval predecessor, and was completed in 1710. Its dome, about 111 metres high, is one of the largest in the world and has stood over London through wars and centuries of change.

From the bus you appreciate the scale of the west front with its twin bell towers and columned portico, and the way the cathedral is framed by the narrow streets of the old City. Around it, glass towers of the financial district rise in sharp contrast. Inside, the cathedral is famous for its Whispering Gallery and crypt, which you can visit separately on another day.

The Tower of London and the riverside

Further east, the route brings you to the Tower of London, the fortress begun in the eleventh century to guard the approach to the city from the river. Its massive White Tower, surrounded by curtain walls and a dry moat, has served as a royal palace, prison, armoury and treasury, and today it protects the Crown Jewels. It is one of the most visited historic sites in Britain.

Close by, traffic permitting, you may catch sight of Tower Bridge, opened in 1894 with its two Gothic towers and lifting roadway, and the river crowded with boats. This eastern stretch shows how London grew from a Roman port into a world city. Tower of London tickets are a good addition for another day, since a full visit needs about three hours.

The afternoon tea menu

Afternoon tea became a fashionable custom in nineteenth-century England, and it is still the most loved way to pause in the middle of the day. On board you start with a selection of finger sandwiches and an assortment of mini pastries and desserts, then move on to scones and a choice of cakes. Tea and a soft drink accompany the meal, served by the staff at your table.

A general menu and a vegetarian menu are offered; please tell us your choice at least 24 hours before travel, otherwise the general menu is served. Foods may contain nuts and no other special requests can be accommodated. The late-morning departures make a pleasant brunch, while the early-evening rides show London as the lights start to come on.