Buckingham Palace & Afternoon Tea Sightseeing Tour with PG Tips

Royal rooms and tea make a smart London pairing. This four-and-a-half-hour experience combines a panoramic London coach tour, freshly prepared afternoon tea, and entry to Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms. I especially like the efficient mix of major sights and the chance to see rooms such as the Throne Room and White Drawing Room.

The main catch is the split schedule. The tea and sightseeing portion finishes near Victoria Station around 3:30 PM, while your palace entry is fixed for 4:15 PM. You must walk to Buckingham Palace on your own, and the palace visit is self-guided rather than led by a tour guide. Some visitors also found the palace crowded and the tea service less polished than expected for the price.

Key points to know before booking

• Buckingham Palace entry is timed for 4:15 PM: The State Rooms visit takes place independently after the tea bus tour.
• Afternoon tea runs with London views: The experience includes freshly prepared tea, a selection of teas and coffees, and a branded travel cup.
• The sightseeing route covers major landmarks: You pass the London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral.
• The palace visit uses an audio guide: You can move at your own pace, though audio stops may need to be restarted between rooms.
• You walk between the finish point and the palace: The transfer from Victoria Station takes about 10 to 15 minutes on foot.
• It suits a busy first London visit: You cover several famous sights and enter Buckingham Palace in one afternoon, but the schedule leaves little room for delays.

Three London experiences packed into one afternoon

At $151.24 per person, this is not a cheap way to see Buckingham Palace. You are paying for more than palace admission, though. The price combines transport, a guided sightseeing route, afternoon tea, drinks, a souvenir cup, and a timed State Rooms ticket.

That combination can be useful if you have only a few days in London. Instead of arranging a palace visit, a city tour, and afternoon tea separately, you handle all three in one booking. I see the value most clearly for a first-time visitor who wants a tidy introduction rather than a full day devoted to one attraction.

The trade-off is control. You do not choose the coach route, linger at each landmark, or receive a guide inside the palace. If your main goal is simply to visit the State Rooms, buying a direct palace ticket may cost less and give you a simpler day. One especially critical experience described the package as adding little beyond the ticket purchase.

The tour generally sells out in advance, with bookings made an average of 24 days before departure. That does not guarantee every date will be full, but it is a good reason to reserve early if your London dates are fixed.

Starting at Vauxhall Bridge Road

The afternoon begins at Evan Evans Tours, 258 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1BS. Departure is at 2:00 PM, and you are asked to arrive 30 minutes early. That early arrival matters because this is a timed departure, not a hop-on, hop-off arrangement.

The meeting point is close to public transportation, which helps if you are coming from another part of London. Plan your route before lunch and allow extra time for finding the office. Missing the coach would create a serious problem, since the later palace admission cannot simply be shifted around your schedule.

The tour operates in English and can include up to 52 people. That is a fairly large group, so think of the first part as an organized panoramic outing rather than an intimate walking tour. The advantage is a clear route through central London. The disadvantage is that you will not stop for long at every landmark.

Seeing London from the coach

The sightseeing section takes you past four major London sights:

• The London Eye
• Big Ben
• Tower Bridge
• St Paul’s Cathedral

These landmarks give you a useful first orientation. The London Eye and Big Ben place you around Westminster and the South Bank, while Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral point you toward the City and the Thames corridor.

You should treat this as a viewing and commentary experience, not a series of extended visits. The itinerary does not promise entry to any of these attractions. You will not have time to ride the London Eye, tour St Paul’s Cathedral, or walk across Tower Bridge as part of this package.

That limitation is worth understanding before you book. If you want photographs, the coach may provide a quick look, but you may not always have the ideal angle or enough time to get off and explore. Still, for a compressed introduction, the route makes sense. You can spot places you may want to revisit later in your trip.

The live-guided panoramic tour is one of the stronger parts of the package for a visitor with limited time. You get context while moving through London, then save your main sightseeing stop for Buckingham Palace.

Afternoon tea on the PG Tips tea bus

The tea portion is designed as a classic British pause, served on board the tea bus. Freshly prepared afternoon tea is included, along with a choice of teas and coffees. The package also lists a glass of prosecco and a branded souvenir travel cup among its inclusions.

The description also presents prosecco as an upgrade option, so check the exact terms at booking. Prosecco is available only to adults aged 18 and over.

The branded PG Tips cup is a small but practical souvenir. It is more useful than another paper map or generic postcard, especially if you like travel items you can use at home. There is also a toilet on board, a welcome detail during a several-hour outing.

Dietary requirements must be sent by email at least 72 hours ahead of time. Menus are seasonal and can change, so do not book expecting an exact set of sandwiches or pastries shown in a photograph. The company says the food is freshly prepared, but the supplied information does not give a detailed menu.

The tea service divides opinion. I would approach it as a fun sightseeing meal rather than a formal hotel afternoon tea. One particularly unhappy account objected to flimsy paper plates and paper cups, saying the presentation did not match the palace theme or the price. That is the clearest warning for anyone expecting fine china and a polished luxury service.

If the food and table setting are central to your idea of afternoon tea, compare this with a dedicated tea room before paying. If you mainly want tea, snacks, a London route, and a convenient way to fill the afternoon, the bus format may suit you better.

The walk from Victoria Station to the palace

The sightseeing tea tour ends near Victoria Station, on Victoria Street, at about 3:30 PM. Buckingham Palace entry is at 4:15 PM. No transfer is provided, so you walk for roughly 10 to 15 minutes.

On paper, that gives you about 45 minutes. In practice, you should leave the bus promptly, check the walking route in advance, and avoid adding a café stop or shopping detour. Victoria is a busy area, and a large group leaving a coach can take time to disperse.

This gap is both useful and awkward. It gives you a buffer before the palace entrance, but it also means the experience is not one continuous escorted tour. Several people expected someone to hand over tickets or guide them to the palace. Clear instructions are important here: you finish with the tea tour, then make your own way to Buckingham Palace.

The palace is not directly next to Victoria Station, but the walk is manageable for anyone with a moderate level of fitness. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet during the coach transfer, the walk, and the palace visit.

Entering Buckingham Palace at 4:15 PM

Buckingham Palace is the reason most people will consider this package. The State Rooms offer a rare public look inside the monarch’s official London residence. You see ceremonial rooms including the Throne Room and White Drawing Room, along with grand staircases, paintings, furniture, and decorative interiors.

The setting has real appeal because this is a working royal palace, not a historic shell arranged only for display. The scale and decoration are the point: marble, artwork, formal rooms, and the sense that these spaces still belong to an active institution.

The State Rooms portion is self-guided. An audio guide is provided, and many people appreciate being able to pause and move at their own pace. The commentary is generally described as clear and well judged, giving enough information without turning every room into a lecture.

There is one practical nuisance. The audio may stop when you move between rooms, and you may need to restart it. Finding the small room numbers can also take effort. If you want a smooth listening experience, keep the audio device ready and look for the room number before pressing play.

Do not expect a personal guide leading your group through the palace. One positive experience praised the attendants for being polite and helpful, but the palace visit itself remains an independent, audio-led visit.

How long you can spend inside

The palace portion is allocated about two hours, though the exact time you spend moving through the State Rooms depends on the crowd and your pace. The audio guide lets you linger longer in rooms that interest you, rather than being tied to a guide’s walking speed.

That freedom is a real advantage. You can focus on the grand staircase, the Throne Room, paintings, royal furnishings, or architectural details that catch your eye. A number of descriptions of the visit praised the chance to take time with the exhibitions.

Crowding is the main drawback. At busy times, people can bunch up in front of popular rooms. You may feel pressure to keep moving, especially when several audio tours are playing at once. Seating is limited, so you should not expect many places to sit and study the rooms quietly.

Photography is not allowed in the State Rooms. That can disappoint you when the interiors are difficult to describe in words, but you should plan to experience the palace without relying on your camera.

The route ends at the Garden Café and gift shop area. You can enjoy the café and browse the shop, but the standard State Rooms visit does not let you freely wander through the palace gardens. A garden tour is available at extra cost and may need to be booked along with the palace visit. Do not assume you can add it at the end.

Is the palace admission good value?

The palace visit is the strongest part of the package. The State Rooms are the sort of place that photographs cannot fully explain, and the audio guide helps connect the objects and rooms to royal life.

The value depends on how you view the extras. If you want only the palace, the package may feel expensive, especially because the visit is self-guided and the palace ticket can be arranged directly. If you also want afternoon tea and a quick overview of London, the combined price becomes easier to justify.

I would not choose this tour for a slow, luxurious afternoon tea. The tea bus is more casual, and the use of disposable serving materials may feel out of place to anyone expecting an elegant palace-style meal.

I would choose it for a visitor who values convenience. You get a fixed palace time, city sights, a meal, and transport in a single plan. That is useful when your itinerary is tight and you would rather not coordinate several separate reservations.

Who should book this experience?

This tour works best for:

• First-time London visitors with limited time
• People who want a quick city overview before visiting the palace
• Royal and architecture enthusiasts
• Couples or families with children aged five and older
• Anyone who likes self-guided sightseeing at their own pace
• Visitors who want afternoon tea without arranging a separate reservation

It is less suitable for children under five, who are not permitted. It is also a poor match if you need a fully escorted experience from start to finish, want extensive time at each London landmark, or expect a refined tea service with traditional tableware.

The maximum group size of 52 is another clue about the style. You will receive an organized group experience, not a private tour. The palace section lets you spread out somewhat, but the tea and coach portions remain shared.

Timing, cancellation, and practical planning

The tour starts at 2:00 PM, but you should arrive by 1:30 PM. The tea and sightseeing portion ends around 3:30 PM, and palace admission is set for 4:15 PM. The full experience lasts about four hours and 30 minutes, though the palace visit is independent after the coach portion.

You need a moderate level of fitness for the walking and standing involved. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, nor is transport between Victoria Station and Buckingham Palace.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Changes made less than 24 hours ahead are not accepted, and late cancellations are not refunded. The experience also requires a minimum number of bookings, so a cancellation by the operator may result in another date, another experience, or a full refund.

Should you book the Buckingham Palace and afternoon tea tour?

Book it if you want one organized afternoon covering London sights, tea, and the Buckingham Palace State Rooms. The palace interiors are the clear prize, and the audio guide gives you room to explore without being tied to a group commentary.

Think twice if your priority is value, fine dining, or a deeply personal palace visit. The $151.24 price is reasonable only when you make real use of the sightseeing route and tea service. For palace admission alone, a direct ticket may be simpler and less costly.

My practical advice is to book this as a time-saving package, not as a luxury tea experience. Arrive early, confirm the prosecco terms, send dietary needs 72 hours ahead, plan the walk from Victoria, and leave room in your expectations for crowds. Do that, and this can be a memorable way to meet the monarchy and see a broad slice of London in one compact afternoon.

FAQ

What time does the tour start?

The Afternoon Tea Sightseeing Tour departs at 2:00 PM from Evan Evans Tours, 258 Vauxhall Bridge Road. You should arrive 30 minutes before departure.

When do I enter Buckingham Palace?

Your Buckingham Palace State Rooms entry is scheduled for 4:15 PM. The palace visit takes place independently after the afternoon tea sightseeing portion.

Is transport provided from Victoria Station to Buckingham Palace?

No. The sightseeing tour ends near Victoria Station at about 3:30 PM, and you walk approximately 10 to 15 minutes to Buckingham Palace.

Are the London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral included admissions?

No. The tour provides a live-guided panoramic sightseeing route past these landmarks. The included admission is for Buckingham Palace State Rooms.

Is afternoon tea included?

Yes. Freshly prepared afternoon tea, a selection of teas and coffees, and a branded souvenir travel cup are included. The listing also includes a glass of prosecco, while other details describe prosecco as an upgrade option, so confirm the terms when booking.

Can children under five join the tour?

No. Children and babies under five are not permitted.