Afternoon Tea
The 5 Best Afternoon Tea Bus Tours in London
London's afternoon tea bus tours, ranked and verified for 2026: the original Routemaster spread, a glass-roofed gourmet bus, and a Thames tea cruise when you fancy water over wheels.
In short: our top picks are Brigit's Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour, Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour (Golden Tours) and Bustronome. 5 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
An afternoon tea served on a moving bus sounds, on paper, like a recipe for spilled Darjeeling. In practice the good ones have it down to a science: scones that stay put, a window seat past Big Ben, and ninety minutes that pass quicker than the queue at most ground-floor tea rooms. The genuinely vintage Routemaster tours are the heart of it, and there are only a couple worth the fare. Beyond those, the field thins fast, so we’ve added the glass-roofed gourmet bus and a Thames cruise that earn their place rather than padding the list. We rang round, checked the 2026 timetables, and left out anything that’s quietly stopped running. What follows is the short, honest version.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Brigit's Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour | Victoria | £££ |
| Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour (Golden Tours) | Victoria | £££ |
| Bustronome | Charing Cross | ££££ |
| City Cruises Afternoon Tea Cruise | Tower Hill | £££ |
| Brigit's Bakery Gin Lovers Afternoon Tea Bus Tour | Victoria | £££ |
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Editor’s choice
Brigit's Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
Why we pick itThis is the one that started it all back in 2013, and it's still the benchmark. You board a restored 1960s Routemaster, settle in with finger sandwiches, mini cakes and warm scones with clotted cream, and roll past Westminster, Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square over about 90 minutes. From £45, with daily departures and dietary menus (vegan, halal, gluten-free) if you flag them when booking.
Vintage Routemaster afternoon tea
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Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour (Golden Tours)
Why we pick itThe credible alternative to Brigit's, run aboard a vintage double-decker with a glass of Prosecco folded into the price. Sandwiches, scones and cakes come with the usual London circuit past the Eye, St Paul's and the Tower. Note the boarding point is Bulleid Way, a short walk from Victoria Station, not the coach station, so don't turn up at the wrong gate. From around £45.
Vintage double-decker afternoon tea
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Bustronome
Why we pick itLess a tea trolley on wheels, more a proper kitchen on a glass-topped double-decker. Afternoon tea here means smoked salmon and cream cheese, lemon meringue tartlets and freshly baked scones, plated at your table while the city slides by overhead. It runs Tuesday to Thursday at 12.30pm, takes about an hour and 45, and starts at £75 (£95 with bottomless Prosecco). The grown-up choice.
Glass-roofed gourmet bus afternoon tea
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City Cruises Afternoon Tea Cruise
Why we pick itWhen you'd rather glide than rumble through traffic, swap wheels for water. This 90-minute cruise pushes off from Tower Millennium Pier at 3.30pm with unlimited tea and coffee, finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and cakes, all past the Tower, the Shard and Parliament. From £59, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options if pre-booked. Calmer than any bus, and the views do the work.
Thames afternoon tea boat
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Brigit's Bakery Gin Lovers Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
Why we pick itThe grown-ups-only spin on the Routemaster, run with Bombay Sapphire. Expect gin and tonics and gin-infused cakes in place of the children's-party energy, which makes it a sharp pick for a birthday or a low-key hen do. Same vintage bus, same 90-minute loop, strictly 18 and over. Book the gin add-on online in advance, since drinks can't be sold on board.
Adults-only gin bus afternoon tea
Before you book
Book ahead; upper-deck and window seats go first and aren’t always guaranteed. Most bus tours run roughly 90 minutes from Victoria, so allow buffer for London traffic. Champagne, gin and dietary options (vegan, halal, gluten-free) usually need pre-ordering, as alcohol can’t be bought on board. Expect from £45 a head for the buses, more for Bustronome and the cruise. Mid-week departures are calmer than weekends.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Brigit's Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour is our editor's choice: This is the one that started it all back in 2013, and it's still the benchmark. You board a restored 1960s Routemaster, settle in with finger sandwiches, mini cakes and warm scones with clotted cream, and roll past Westminster, Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square over about 90 minutes. From £45, with daily departures and dietary menus (vegan, halal, gluten-free) if you flag them when booking. Brigit's Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour, Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour (Golden Tours) and Bustronome lead the guide, with 5 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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