Our verdict
Best overall
London: Great British Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
Afternoon tea on a vintage Routemaster doing a full Round London sightseeing loop. 4.7★ from 1,100+ reviews is the best record of any tea bus on the platforms.
4.7★ · 1,117from £59 GetYourGuide →
Best value
London: Afternoon Tea Bus with a Glass of Prosecco
Brigit’s Bakery’s original tea bus — the company says it invented the format in 2013 — with a glass of Prosecco included, from about £49. 4.4★ from 2,100+ reviews.
4.4★ · 2,133from £49 GetYourGuide →
Best with kids
London: Peppa Pig Bus Tour with Entertainment
Peppa Pig themed tea and on-board activities for children as young as two. Adults get the sightseeing; children get the snacks and songs.
4.3★ · 241from £48 GetYourGuide →
Skip it if
The tea matters more than the view
A bus tea is good, not grand — it comes in boxes and cups that travel. For a proper tiered tea with linen, sit down in a hotel or on a Thames tea cruise.
Which afternoon tea bus in London is best?
For most people the best afternoon tea bus in London is a 90-minute loop on a vintage Routemaster — Brigit’s Bakery’s original or the Great British Afternoon Tea Bus — from about £45–£59 a head. Bustronome is the upgrade: a glass-roofed modern bus, a longer route, a toilet on board and a £75 price. Families with small children should go straight to the themed buses. If you only want the sightseeing, a live-guided Routemaster loop from our London bus tours page costs a fraction of the price.
| Tour | Bus | Length | Price from | Departs | Toilet | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigit’s Classic Afternoon Tea | 1960s Routemaster | 90 min | £45 adult / £37 child direct; ~£49 with Prosecco on GYG | Victoria Coach Station | No | 5+ |
| Great British Afternoon Tea Bus | Vintage Routemaster | 1.5 h | ~£59 | See listing | Check listing | Check listing |
| Routemaster afternoon tea (Headout) | Vintage Routemaster | — | ~£48 | See listing | Check listing | Check listing |
| Bustronome afternoon tea | Glass-roofed double-decker | ~1 h 45 | £75 (£95 bottomless Prosecco) | Victoria Embankment | Yes | All, kids’ menu to 12 |
| Peppa Pig tea bus | Routemaster | 1.5 h | ~£48 | Temple (Brigit’s) | No | 2+ |
| PAW Patrol tea bus | Routemaster | 1.5 h | ~£48 | Northumberland Ave (Brigit’s) | Yes, for children | 2+ |
| Paddington tea bus (Headout) | Routemaster | — | ~£66 | Trafalgar Square (Brigit’s) | No | 5+ |
Platform prices are “from” prices in our partner feed today; “direct” prices are from the operators’ own sites. Ratings on the cards below.
Afternoon tea buses you can book now
London: Afternoon Tea Bus with a Glass of Prosecco
from £49
See on GetYourGuide
London: Great British Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
from £59
See on GetYourGuide
London: Peppa Pig Bus Tour with Entertainment
from £48
See on GetYourGuide
London: PAW Patrol Bus Tour with Afternoon Tea
from £48
See on GetYourGuide
London Afternoon Tea Vintage Routemaster Bus Tour
from £48per person
See on Headout
Brigit’s Bakery: Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
from £66per person
See on Headout
Bustronome London: Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
from £75per person
See on HeadoutPrices and ratings checked 21 Oct 2026; they change daily.
Brigit’s Bakery: the original Routemaster tea
Brigit’s Bakery, a Covent Garden bakery, says it invented the afternoon tea bus in 2013. The Classic tour runs daily at 12:00, 14:30 and 17:00 from Gate 0 inside Victoria Coach Station and loops past Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Knightsbridge and the South Kensington museums, Hyde Park, Mayfair, Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square, returning to Victoria.
You get savouries, cakes and a freshly baked scone with clotted cream and jam, plus tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Prosecco and Champagne are extras and must be pre-booked — none is sold on board. Menus come in traditional, halal, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free versions; the last two carry a £3 supplement. There’s no toilet on the Classic bus, children under five aren’t allowed, and the upper-deck front row is sold as VIP seating.
Its themed buses are where it really scores with families: Peppa Pig and PAW Patrol for ages two and up, Paddington, Monopoly and a run of Christmas lights versions in season.
Bustronome: afternoon tea under glass
Bustronome is better known for lunch and dinner, but it also serves afternoon tea on the same bus — a modern double-decker with a fully glazed roof and 38 seats, all on the upper deck. Tea takes about 1 hour 45 minutes from Coach Bay 40B on Victoria Embankment, with commentary through an app. It costs £75 with water and hot drinks, £95 with bottomless Prosecco, or £45 for children up to 12. Your party never shares a table with strangers, and there’s a toilet on board.
It’s the better pick in rain, for anyone who’d find a 1960s bus too bumpy, or for an occasion where you want it to feel like a restaurant. It’s the worse pick on price: two people pay £150 before drinks, against about £90 on a Routemaster.
The other Routemaster teas
The Great British Afternoon Tea Bus Tour on GetYourGuide is the best-reviewed tea bus on the platforms (4.7★ from 1,100+ reviews) and runs a full Round London sightseeing loop on a vintage Routemaster. Headout also lists a separate Routemaster afternoon tea and a Snowman-themed Christmas tea bus. Neither has many reviews yet, so check the listing details before booking.
Which tea bus for which occasion
- A birthday or hen party on a budget: Brigit’s Classic bus with a bottle of Prosecco pre-ordered. It’s lively, photogenic and about half the price of Bustronome.
- Grandparents, or anyone who needs a toilet: Bustronome — a modern, smoother bus with a toilet on board and a longer, calmer sitting.
- Toddlers and pre-schoolers: the Peppa Pig or PAW Patrol buses; the PAW Patrol bus has a children’s toilet.
- Paddington fans of any age: Brigit’s Paddington bus from Trafalgar Square, ages 5 and up.
- December: the Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea from 11 November 2026 to 5 January 2027 — compare it with other options on our Christmas lights page.
Tips before you book
- Pick your deck. Brigit’s sells the upper-deck front row as VIP seating; on Bustronome every seat is upstairs under the glass roof.
- Eat light at lunch. Ninety minutes of cake goes further than you’d think, and Brigit’s hands out takeaway boxes for what’s left.
- Arrive early. Brigit’s asks for 15–20 minutes before departure and its buses don’t wait; Bustronome asks for 15 minutes.
- Book the last departure in winter. Brigit’s 17:00 bus sees London lit up from November to February.
Questions people ask
How much is the afternoon tea bus in London?
Which afternoon tea bus is best — Brigit's or Bustronome?
Where does the afternoon tea bus leave from?
Is there a toilet on the afternoon tea bus?
Can children go on the afternoon tea bus?
Are vegan and gluten-free teas available?
Can I cancel an afternoon tea bus booking?
Sources
- Brigit's Bakery — Classic Afternoon Tea Bus (times, prices, rules) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Brigit's Bakery — bus routes and departure points (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Brigit's Bakery — bus tour terms and conditions (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Bustronome London — packages, prices and FAQ (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide — afternoon tea in London (partner feed)
Written and checked by the Private Tours London desk