Buckingham Palace & Afternoon Tea Sightseeing Tour with PG Tips

The best part of this experience is the rare chance to go inside Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms, then see a generous sweep of London from a tea bus in the same afternoon. You’ll pass Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral before entering rooms such as the Throne Room and White Drawing Room.

I like the efficient three-part design, especially if you have only a short stay in London. I also like the self-guided palace visit, which gives you time to stop at the Grand Staircase, Marble Room, paintings, and royal furnishings rather than follow a guide’s fixed pace. The main catch is timing: the bus ends near Victoria Station around 3:30 PM, and you must walk 10 to 15 minutes to the palace for a separate 4:15 PM entry.

Key points to know before booking

• Buckingham Palace entry is the centerpiece: Explore the State Rooms, including the Throne Room and White Drawing Room, with an included admission ticket.
• The palace visit is self-guided: You receive an audio tour, not a live guide inside the palace, so you can move at your own speed.
• Afternoon tea is served onboard: Expect freshly prepared tea, a selection of teas and coffees, and a branded souvenir travel cup.
• The sightseeing route covers major landmarks: The tea bus passes the London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral.
• You have a short transfer between activities: The bus finishes near Victoria Station at about 3:30 PM, and palace entry is fixed for 4:15 PM.
• The price reflects convenience: At $151.24 per person, you pay for palace admission, tea, drinks, transport, and a panoramic tour, but not a private guide or hotel transfers.

Why Buckingham Palace makes this more than a bus tour

Many London sightseeing trips give you an exterior view of Buckingham Palace and little else. This one takes you through the State Rooms, which is the reason I would consider paying the premium.

The palace is still a working royal residence, and that changes the feel of the visit. You are not walking through an empty historic shell. The rooms show formal interiors, royal portraits, artwork, furniture, and architectural details used for state occasions. The Throne Room and White Drawing Room are especially important stops, while the Grand Staircase and Marble Room add some visual drama along the route.

You do not wander through every part of the building. The public route is limited, and one of the practical frustrations is that the palace can feel crowded as groups move through the rooms. If you want quiet contemplation, this is not a private palace tour. You may need to keep moving, especially when several audio tours are playing around you.

Still, the palace visit is much more substantial than simply taking a photograph outside the gates. You can spend roughly two hours in the State Rooms and continue toward the garden exit, café, and gift shop. The gardens are not included as a general wandering area, so do not assume the standard palace visit gives you access to the full grounds. A separate garden tour must be booked as an extra.

The 2 PM tea-bus start near Victoria

Your afternoon begins at Evan Evans Tours, 258 Vauxhall Bridge Road. The listed start time is 2:00 PM, and you should arrive 30 minutes early. That extra time matters because this is a fixed departure, not a hop-on, hop-off bus that waits for late arrivals.

The tea bus combines sightseeing with a traditional afternoon tea. You receive freshly prepared food, a choice of teas and coffees, and a branded travel cup. A glass of prosecco is included in the package, but it is available only to adults aged 18 and over. There is also a toilet onboard, a useful detail during a four-and-a-half-hour outing.

The food menu changes with the season. If you have dietary requirements, you need to tell the operator at least 72 hours ahead by emailing [email protected]. Do not wait until the afternoon of the tour and expect the kitchen to adjust the menu.

This part of the experience is designed for looking out the windows while a live guide provides the London commentary. It is not the same as sitting down in a grand hotel for a long, formal tea. The bus format gives you moving views and a city overview, but your seat, the traffic, and the pace of the route affect how much you see.

Four London sights from the moving bus

The sightseeing section is short, but it checks off several major landmarks. I would treat it as an orientation tour rather than a detailed visit to each sight.

The London Eye

The London Eye is one of the clearest modern markers of central London. From the bus, you get a view of the wheel and its riverside setting, but there is no ride or stop included. If you want to go up, you need a separate ticket and a separate visit.

Big Ben

Big Ben refers to the famous clock bell, though most people use the name for the clock tower and the whole landmark. The tour gives you a chance to see it as part of the Westminster area, along with the surrounding government buildings. Again, this is a passing view, not an inside tour.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is one of London’s most recognizable structures, with its high-level walkways and distinctive towers. Seeing it on a panoramic route helps you understand the city’s spread from Westminster toward the eastern part of central London. The tour does not include admission to the bridge exhibition or upper walkways.

St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s is another major exterior sight on the route. Its dome is one of the city’s defining shapes, but this experience does not include entry, a guided interior visit, or time to climb the dome. I would choose this tour for breadth, not for detailed exploration of London’s churches and monuments.

The route is useful if you want an overview without spending a full day on separate admissions. The tradeoff is simple: you collect views and context, not deep visits. Traffic can also affect the exact pace and amount of time each landmark remains in sight.

The 3:30 finish and 4:15 palace entry

The afternoon tea sightseeing portion finishes at approximately 3:30 PM by Victoria Station, on Victoria Street near Victoria Station. Buckingham Palace entry is scheduled for 4:15 PM.

That leaves about 45 minutes between the two parts. The operator does not provide the transfer, but the walk is approximately 10 to 15 minutes. This is not a difficult connection, though you should leave enough time to find the correct palace entrance, use the toilet, or deal with a crowded pavement.

The palace visit is taken independently. In plain terms, the tea-bus guide does not lead you through the State Rooms. You walk to the palace, use your admission arrangement, and then follow the palace’s audio tour. This distinction is important because some people book a packaged tour expecting one guide to stay with them all afternoon.

You may also have time before entry to get your bearings around Victoria. Keep the schedule in mind if you are carrying heavy luggage or have a later restaurant booking. Hotel pickup, hotel drop-off, and transport to and from the attraction are not included.

Taking the palace at your own pace

The audio guide is one of the strongest parts of the palace visit when it works well. It gives you background on the rooms and objects without forcing you to stay with a live group. You can stop at a painting, listen to a section again, or move ahead if a room becomes crowded.

The system does have a learning curve. The audio content is organized by room numbers, and you may need to find the small number for each stop and restart the commentary as you move. If you prefer a continuous narrative, that can feel fussy. If you like choosing your own pace, it is a fair trade.

The palace staff are described as polite and helpful, and entry is controlled rather than chaotic. Even so, the State Rooms can become busy. More people may join the flow behind you, and limited seating means you may not find many places to sit and study the interiors.

Photography is not permitted in the State Rooms. That can be disappointing because the interiors are difficult to describe from memory, particularly the formal decoration and artwork. Plan to look carefully rather than spend the visit thinking about which pictures you will take.

At the end, you can reach the Garden Café and gift shop. The café can be a practical place to pause, and the route gives you a sense of the palace grounds, but standard State Rooms admission does not let you freely explore the gardens. If the gardens matter to you, arrange the additional garden option when booking the palace visit.

Is $151.24 a fair price?

At $151.24 per person, this is not the cheapest way to visit Buckingham Palace. The Royal Collection Trust’s official ticketing route may offer different terms, including the possibility of a year pass attached to some direct palace tickets. This packaged experience is best judged on convenience rather than on admission price alone.

Your fee includes:

• The live guided panoramic bus tour
• Freshly prepared afternoon tea
• Tea and coffee selections
• A glass of prosecco for adults
• A branded travel cup
• Admission to the Buckingham Palace State Rooms

You are paying for the effort of fitting several London experiences into one afternoon. If you planned to buy palace admission, book a separate sightseeing tour, and arrange afternoon tea, the package may save planning time. If you only want the palace, buying an official palace ticket directly may be better value.

The package also does not provide a hotel pickup, a return transfer, or a private palace guide. You should not book it expecting door-to-door service. I see the strongest value for a first London visit, a short stopover, or anyone who wants a ready-made afternoon with minimal planning.

Who will enjoy this afternoon most?

I would recommend it to you if you want three classic London experiences in one booking and can manage a fixed schedule. It suits first-time visitors who want a city overview, couples who enjoy afternoon tea, and history-minded visitors who particularly want to see Buckingham Palace from the inside.

It can also work well for people who have lived in London for years but never visited the State Rooms. The palace offers something different from the usual museum circuit, and the bus provides a pleasant way to connect the palace with wider London sights.

I would be more cautious if you dislike group sightseeing, need a quiet meal, or want a highly detailed tour at every stop. The bus can carry up to 52 people, and the palace itself may feel crowded. Children and babies under five are not permitted, so this is not suitable for families with very young children.

You also need moderate physical fitness. The afternoon includes boarding and leaving the bus, walking between Victoria Station and the palace, and standing or moving through the State Rooms. The exact schedule leaves little room for a slow connection.

Practical tips for a smoother visit

Arrive at the Vauxhall Bridge Road meeting point by 1:30 PM. The departure is at 2:00 PM, and arriving early removes a needless source of stress.

Wear comfortable shoes. The walk from Victoria Station to the palace is short, but you will also spend time moving through the State Rooms and toward the exit facilities.

Tell the operator about dietary needs at least 72 hours ahead. Menus are seasonal and may change, so treat the published tea as a guide rather than a promise of fixed sandwiches or pastries.

Keep your palace entry time in mind. The tea bus ends around 3:30 PM, and the State Rooms entry is at 4:15 PM. Use the gap to walk directly to the palace rather than assuming a staff member will escort you.

Expect audio guidance inside the palace, not a live talk. If you find the device confusing, ask staff for help early. The room numbers are small, and the commentary may need to be restarted as you move.

Do not plan to photograph the State Rooms. Concentrate on the interiors, portraits, furniture, and architectural details, then save your camera for permitted areas outside the rooms.

Finally, check the cancellation terms before booking. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted, and the minimum number of participants rule can affect whether the experience runs.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if Buckingham Palace is your priority but you also want a taste of London sightseeing and a proper afternoon tea without arranging three separate outings. The State Rooms are the real prize, and the audio format gives you more freedom than a tightly led palace group.

Skip it if you only want palace admission, a private guide, or a long and elegant tea-room meal. At $151.24, the package makes sense as a time-saving combination, not as the lowest-cost ticket.

For the right visitor, it is a well-packed afternoon: major city sights from the bus, tea and prosecco onboard, then the rooms where royal ceremonies take place. Just arrive early, allow for the walk from Victoria, and book knowing that the palace portion is independent and self-guided.

FAQ

How long does the experience last?

The full experience lasts approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.

What time does the tour start?

The afternoon tea sightseeing portion starts at 2:00 PM. You should arrive 30 minutes before departure.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Evan Evans Tours, 258 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1BS.

When do I enter Buckingham Palace?

Your Buckingham Palace State Rooms entry is scheduled for 4:15 PM.

Is transport provided from Victoria Station to Buckingham Palace?

No. The transfer is not provided. The palace is approximately a 10 to 15 minute walk from the sightseeing tour’s finish near Victoria Station.

Is the Buckingham Palace visit guided?

The palace visit is independent and uses an audio tour. The live guide is part of the panoramic London sightseeing tour, not the palace State Rooms visit.

Is afternoon tea included?

Yes. Freshly prepared afternoon tea is included, along with a selection of teas and coffees onboard.

Is prosecco included for children?

No. Prosecco is available only to adults aged 18 and over.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted.