London

The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea

Badge of ExcellenceLondon, England

From $151.26

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

2 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

High tea is classically British, and there are few places better to enjoy this cultural experience than Kensington Palace. On this regal outing, stroll through the gardens created by Prince Albert, and hear the history of Britain's favorite beverage with your guide. Then, enjoy high tea as it's meant to be: nibble on sandwiches, taste cakes and scones, and get personal insights into the royal family.

Enjoy high tea, snacks, and a tour at Kensington Palace
Uncover culture as you learn about traditional afternoon tea from your guide
Get the royal treatment—snacks, tea, and Kensington Gardens stroll included
Avoid getting lost with a guide to escort you from Queensway Station

What's Included

Tea at the Orangery of Kensington Palace - Next to the Palace
A walk in the gardens with a knowledgeable guide
In rare cases when the Orangery is closed we take tea in an alternative prestigious venue
The 1000 year history of Hyde Park and its Royal Owners
Traditional Afternoon Tea of freshly made sandwiches, scones and cakes

Private Transport
Entry to Kensington Palace (tickets available from hrp.org.uk Wed-Sun most weeks)
Gratuities
Private transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Queensway tube station
London W2, UK
IMPORTANT: WE ONLY MEET AT THE MEETING POINT Queensway Tube Station. - We meet outside of Queensway Underground Station - There is only 1 Entrance (Next to Chinese Restaurant) - Please wait outside the station (next to the red phone box) https://goo.gl/maps/cA82XF8W9V8qNrJ48

End point

Kensington Palace
Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX, UK
Normal End Point

What To Expect

Meet your guide in central London, and stroll together toward Kensington Gardens, which sits on the west side of Hyde Park. You’ll then explore the footpaths that wind around these manicured lawns, hearing the history of Hyde Park from around 1066 to the present day.

After taking in the Italian Gardens and the Round Pond, listening to tidbits about the British Royal Family, you’ll head to the pavilion. It’s here that the tour highlight awaits: a classic high tea of sandwiches, cakes, and hot tea. Your experience ends here, meaning you can linger as you like. Just note that entry to Kensington Palace itself is not included.

Queensway Station (Stop B) (Pass By)

Kensington Gardens

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Italian Gardens

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Peter Pan Statue

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Physical Energy Statue (Pass By)

Round Pond

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kensington Palace (Pass By)

Kensington Palace

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Not recommended for those that find walking difficult
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

512 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 512 reviews

Linens

Jeffrey_H, Apr 2024

Wonderful time but could have been more upscale, such as linen tablecloths They are making me say more so here is meaningless verbiage just so I can get to submit.

Astrid our guide was very...

skibaba, Apr 2024

Astrid our guide was very knowledgeable and informative. The tour of the gardens was lovely and our Tea was absolutely delicious.

Wonderful experience at Kensington Gardens!!

mgpullen15, Apr 2024

The area was beautiful and the tea was very nice. Our guide, Doug, was delightful! He was Very personable and full of knowledge. He made the tour most enjoyable.

Very nice casual tour of the park.

Murray_F, Apr 2024

This was a nice walking tour of the park. Doug was a great friendly guide. The high tea was a great way to top off the afternon

A lovely afternoon!

Melissa_S, Apr 2024

What a wonderful experience! It surpassed my expectations. Our tour guide Doug was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. The tea was delicious in a lovely setting. You truly feel like royalty!

Lovely experience!

MelodyDiSalvo, Apr 2024

Absolutely lovely, my guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable. The tea was delicious, a lovely way to spend a morning in London!

The park was breath...

Jeanette_m, Apr 2024

The park was breath taking so much so you did not feel the city. To was clean and well kept Doug was informative and easy to get along with. The experience has left me wanting to continue exploring more of the park.

A little history, a little refreshment, a whole lot of fun

Karen_J, Apr 2024

We recevied an email the day before our tour asking if we wanted to cancel as wind and rain were predicted for the day of our tour. Unfortunately, we didn't see the email until after the response deadline so we set out for our tour with raincoats and umbrellas. Everyone else on the tour had cancelled so we had a private walk around Kensington Gardens with our guide, Doug. We were treated to some interesting facts regarding the history of the area and had all our questions answered. Doug then joined us for part of the Afternoon Tea and gave us the history behind the beloved custom. We enjoyed our Tea at the Gore Hotel and, when we finished, were greeted with sunshine outdoors!

Great tour

Maureen_J, Apr 2024

Tour guide was very informative and helpful. Afternoon tea was lovely. Especially enjoyed Diana’s garden. Beautiful park. Wear walking shoes.

Amazing afternoon!

Krystal_D, Apr 2024

Amazing! Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Royal High Tea were made so much more interesting because of our guide Simon! He was entertaining and very informative. We enjoyed our tour very much.

Expensive

Teresa_G, Apr 2024

Our guide, Doug, was 5 star. The information he shared as we walked through the parks was very helpful. The Orangery, where the tea is, is a lovely location; however, the food was beautiful, but not as tasty as the food we had at other teas.

Not what I expected. Suggest confirming Kensington Palace will be open for you.

Charlotte_R, Apr 2024

Tour guide was knowledgeable about the park and engaging, but Kensington Palace was closed to the public the day we went. Therefore, we did not get to see the Palace gardens as advertised and we walked a long way to a hotel to have afternoon tea. We were notified in advanced there was a change in the location if the tea, but no notification regarding the Palace being closed to the public. This was very disappointing for the price paid for the tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hi Charlotte - We are so pleased you liked our guide and sorry your did not get to see the Palace. We say on our tour description that there is no entry included to the Palace but thanks to your feedback we have added further comments that the Palace is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in low season. We are also happy to confirm that the Orangery is now open and we are taking people to the 300 year old tea room.

Venue change without notice.

Linda_W, Apr 2024

Our only disappointment was that we were unable to have our tea in the Orangery as advertised. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly and the gardens were absolutely beautiful. We would definitely have spent more time in the garden.

Buyer Beware

Kristin_P, Apr 2024

Our tour guide was good. There is no mention of the palace being closed on Monday. I booked this tour so my elderly mom and myself so I can have her do minimum walking.. I will be back to London, but this was a once in a lifetime trip for her. We saw the palace from a distance (yes I know this did not include going inside the palace). We walked and walked abd then had the tea at an offsite hotel. If booking for this company buyer beware.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Kristin we sent you this message a week before your tour "The Palace has been working on some major building renovation that was expected to be completed by now. Yesterday they informed us they’ve encountered a last minute delay and therefore they are unable to host us in the Tea Room until 3rd April". We offered you the option of cancellation or reschedule and you did not reply. We take every effort to ensure you are informed of status at every point and we are sorry you did not enjoy the tour

Stellar afternoon to remember forever

Martha_P, Mar 2024

Simón Taylor, our guide, brought the place to life with stories and anecdotes that made our visit memorable. He is outstanding as a guide. We would love to catch up to him again for more stories and for sharing the beauty of his country and it’s history. A stellar experience!

Great tour - needs more information at booking

Harry_N, Mar 2024

Overall this was a great tour. Doug was very friendly and knowledgeable. Sadly there was no mention at booking that Kensington Gardens is closed on Monday and Tuesdays so we couldn't see the Diana Statue or the gardens. We did walk the adjacent parks and had high tea at a local hotel. The tea and food items were delicious. For the price point it would have been nice to know prior to booking the preferred days so as to experience the full tour. I can understand why others feel like they didn't get the full experience they payed for.

Tea and a Great Walk

MaryKathleen_G, Mar 2024

Doug gave me a fantastic private tour of Kensington Gardens even though I wasn't expecting it to be a private tour. It was a beautiful day in London and I enjoyed our walk around and the highlights of the area. The tea was held at the Gore Hotel that we walked to after our tour of the Kensington grounds with their tulips and daffodils in bloom. Our last stop on the grounds was the Prince Albert Memorial, Queen Victoria’s tribute to her husband. Then on to The Gore Hotel which was a perfect spot for afternoon tea even though it was a replacement for the Orangery that hadn’t finished its remodel. It might have been a replacement location but it was great to share tea with Doug in their comfortable library. The food was yummy and the scones with even homemade jam and lovely clotted cream were great. I took two boxes of sandwiches and desserts back to my hotel but I was able to enjoy some more later. A great afternoon.

Doug was a great guide...

Sheelah_G, Mar 2024

Doug was a great guide and answered all our questions. He was so nice and we got a true British experience which was what we really wanted. I highly recommend this tour.

Terrible disappointment

Michael_K, Mar 2024

A hotel is not a Palace!! We should have been notified of the change & allowed to cancel. We were marching all over the park! Simon was well versed but wordy.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Dear Michael, Thank you for your review. We apologise for the change in venue which was entirely outside our control. We point out in our description that the Royal Palace can be closed and in those cases we make alternative arrangements. In your specific case we wrote to you with this information a week before your tour but did not receive a reply.

Enjoyable experience

John_R, Dec 2023

Great experience , enjoyed the food and drink after a nice walk around the park Our guide ‘Doug’ was very knowledgable and made the experience complete .

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