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The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea
4.5

The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea

By Top Tasting Tours
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Ages 2-99, max of 15 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • 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 & cakes. Vegan/Veg no Gluten on request
What's not included
  • Private Transport
  • Entry to Kensington Palace (tickets available from hrp.org.uk Wed-Sun most weeks)
  • Gratuities
  • Private transportation


Start:
  • Queensway station, London W2 4RW, 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:
  • Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX, UK
    Normal End Point

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Pushchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infant seats available
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 197465P9

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Most travellers can participate
  • Not recommended for those that find walking difficult
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 197465P9

From
£119.00
per adult
Select date and travellers
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Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • London W2 4RW, 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
  • Pass by
    Queensway Station (Stop B)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
    Pass by
    Physical Energy Statue
  • 4
    Pass by
    Kensington Palace
  • 5
  • Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX, UK
    Normal End Point
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • Top Tasting Tours
    499
    London, England
    Joined in September 2019
  • Explorer33801865307
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience
    Lewis did a great job! He was very kind and he spoke very clearly so that we understand almost everything even our English is not so good. Also he answered all our questions and had some interesting facts to Notting Hill.
    Written 5 December 2024
  • Elizabeth B
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful!
    We would give David a 10, if possible…wonderful commentary and historical context was superb! Great experience…highly recommend this!
    Written 4 December 2024
  • Adventure102111
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing tour!
    My name is Sally Beharry and my tour guide was the most amazing. We learnt so much. I give this your 5 stars and recommend it to everyone ! So much history, culture and good food !
    Written 30 November 2024
  • staceymA2875TW
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing experience!
    Simon was amazing and so gracious. We all learned a lot about the history of the area and the food and had a really great time. He was patient with all of our kids and was very informative. 10/10!
    Written 27 November 2024
  • ktcieciuch
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth every penny
    Our tour guide Tom was the best. We were lost and late and he was so kind and found us. He was so knowledgeable easy to understand gave us lots of really interesting information, gave us time to ask all our questions,our tour of Hampton court was so good. Absolutely recommend Tom as a tour guide. Tea was absolutely amazing, the view was incredible just sitting watching the swans swim by having delicious tea was the best . Worth every penny!
    Written 27 November 2024
  • geoffsE4402UM
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Simon Shakespeare- the tour whisperer
    We had the privilege of meeting Simon and he was fun and patient with our 4 kids. Remembered everyone’s name. Long live king Lear!!
    Written 27 November 2024
  • ElizabethK1548
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Your of the castle
    He was very personable and knowledgeable. He even got us from the station! The pacing was very good and he had answer to all of our questions.
    Written 27 November 2024
  • trishah801
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great time with Julie at Hampton Court!
    We had a fantastic time! Julie was a great guide, and gave us a very knowledgeable and fun tour. We definitely learned a lot! We also enjoyed the high tea with a nice view at the end. Thank you!
    Written 21 November 2024
  • simontD8320DC
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    From Victoria to Diana, with Cream Tea!
    From the Portobello Rd market, where I bought a winter hat, to the beautiful Gore hotel, this was a great experience we can certainly recommend. The highlight for us was Princess Diana's sunken garden and the memorial statue, closely followed by the stunning Albert Memorial. We learned so much about Queen Victoria, there and in the beautiful Gore, with a delicious cream tea to finish with. All in the company of a super guide. Thank you!
    Written 19 November 2024
  • simontD8320DC
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    History and Curry
    Huge variety of contrasting places, from Borough Market to Brick Lane. A wonderful combination of history and food, culminating in a delicious curry tasting experience. Brilliant, knowledgeable and personable guide. Highly recommended.
    Written 19 November 2024
  • julie43695
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Another fabulous day out with Top Tasting Tours!
    Another fabulous day out with Top Tasting Tours. Went with friends and spent the day visiting three very different London markets specialising in wonderful food all in locations rich with culture and history - amazing! Our tour guide was super friendly and knowledgeable, I learnt so much about the areas, Brick Lane was the highlight for me. So colourful, diverse and inspiring, and the curries - wow!! I would definitely recommend it, I think I’m going to book it again for a family Christmas treat.
    Written 18 November 2024
  • chuckscot
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    London Markets Uncovered
    We had a family outing on the South Bank with Laurent and learnt so much about the markets and history. We had heard a little about Brick Lane and it certainly did not disappoint. The food was tasty and welcomed after a walk in the November mists. Definitely would come again. Thank you
    Written 18 November 2024
  • julie43695
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous day out
    I was soooo looking forward to this tour. Having been a long time fan of the film Notting Hill I was intrigued to discover more about the area. This tour didn’t disappoint, what fun we had! Our guide was really great, friendly, accommodating and able to point out some hidden gems that I would have missed. Notting Hill is a really vibrant area, lovely market and independent shops set against a background of amazing architecture. A perfect day with a wonderful guide and finished off with a lovely cream tea. Definitely recommend!
    Written 15 November 2024
  • MPR56
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved this tour!
    We had a great time on this tour. Our guide, Cornelius, gave us cool insider info on Portobello Market and the streets around Notting Hill, the walk around Kensington Gardens was spectacular, and the cream tea at the end, in a really smart venue, was delicious! I’d do it again.
    Written 15 November 2024
  • LNK90_London
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun and delicious
    We had such a great time and a walk to kiss to summer awesome neighbourhood and we learn so much with the Guide who was super fun Our favourite was Kensington Gardens and the Diana statue Again we had a delicious cream tea and a whole family. We really enjoyed that. Thank you for organising such a fun tour. Our guide was super nice: Prue
    Written 15 November 2024
See all 499 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles262 reviews
Excellent
214
Very good
18
Average
9
Poor
7
Terrible
14

Dave M
28 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
We looked around the Palace before taking afternoon tea. The weather was fabulous for March and we were seated after waiting at the entrance for around 10 minutes.
We had previously had afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason so we had a benchmark to compare the experience to.
We waited a further 20 minutes and had to search for a member of staff to take our order. The waiter was unhelpful and abrupt and finished the conversation with "is that all?"
Around 15 minutes later, the food arrived exactly as advertised on their website; the food tasted very nice and was very well presented, almost as nice as the Fortnum offering, except that there were no refills available. The scones were very small but made up fir their lack of size with an amazing texture and flavour.
I wanted another pot of tea and again waited more than 15 minutes to find someone willing to take my order. I was charged a further £4 for the tea.
There appeared to be many serving staff who were unable to take orders and very few who could actually.
When we had finished, we again waited an inordinate amount of time to get our bill. I had to go searching for a member of staff to take my payment.
To add insult to injury, the waitress added an additional 12.5% service charge to our bill.
The location was perfect, the food was nice but the staff were poorly coordinated. What a shame!
Written 26 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We imagine that this experience must have been disappointed but you clearly must have reviewed in the wrong place. None of our guests have to pay anything at any point as all is included in our guided tour. We offer a refill of tea to all our guests and booking us is part of a walking tour, not a direct booking to the venue We pride ourselves to provide a high quality experience and hope you can experience it someday but this review is not meant for us We would be grateful if you could remove this Thank you
Written 28 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Megan C
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Our guide provided almost no information — I would estimate less than 10 minutes total of speaking time during the hour-long tour. We walked in silence through the park for nearly the entire time.

I emailed the company about this and they replied:

“We checked with a guide who confirmed that is, you were not too interested in any form of interaction and therefore, for respect of your own space left you to be in as some as some of our guests refer it that way.”

I thought this was an odd response— why would I book a tour if I wanted to be left alone? We actually did ask questions and the guide’s answers were very short and not informative. Apart from paying for a tour and asking the guide questions, I’m not sure what else we could have done to show interest.

I would recommend walking through the park and going to afternoon tea at Kensington palace on your own— the price for tea is less than half of the total cost of this ticket.
Written 17 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for posting our private response to you - we don't need to add to it, except to wish you a pleasant stay in London
Written 18 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mr_MrsRmr
Enfield, Middlesex2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
There was a slight mix up by me which meant my friend and I missed the walk, which might explain the 'greeter's' confusion by our arrival, despite me confirming my booking details.

We have been to quite a few afternoon/high teas in various places including The Corinthia, The Shard and County Hall and as we were both celebrating our 60th birthdays, we were hoping this would top them all, unfortunately we were wrong.

We were led to a table which was dressed in a white table cloth, no cutlery, crockery or dressings. Aside from the bare table, the waiter who served the tea, looked horrified when we asked him what was in the sandwiches. He looked at us blankly then replied "chicken, salmon cucumber and egg" then disappeared before we had a chance to ask what the cakes were.

The sandwiches were mediocre, the bread looked and tasted like a supermarket cut loaf with the egg sandwich being slightly hard. The cakes did nothing to improve the experience, the scones were dry and tasteless and the rest of the cakes were nothing special.

The staff appeared to be very busy and except for one they were not very attentive or friendly.

I had prepaid for this 'experience' for my friend's birthday and when I ordered a bottle of prosecco I was told 3 times that I had to pay for that as it was not included, despite me pointing out that I was aware of that.

I would not recommend this experience to anyone, my local farm shop does a far superior afternoon tea for a fraction of the price and The Corinthia charges £75.00 for an afternoon tea that it not only excellent but the service is second to none.

A very disappointing afternoon.
Written 12 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ceeeeeh
Fort Lauderdale, FL5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Horrible customer service. Our flight is canceled due to volume restrictions at Heathrow and we are unable to go. I tried reaching out to this company (1 month before) to reschedule our reservations for a later date, as they do not offer refunds. And no response at all. It is very unprofessional and sad that a company like this can even be on this platform. Learn from my mistake and choose a different company.
Written 30 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have searched but cannot find your request a month ago for a rescheduled tour. We always try to be flexible despite the fact that our terms and conditions are clear that bookings are final. Perhaps you could contact us directly so we might find your booking and offer you an alternative date?
Written 1 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

KERRIE S
Australia25 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
Was a humid relatively hot day, so felt the walking history part could have been shorter as some of it was not that interesting. Was hot inside the High Tea venue so was good to be given a glass of water, while waiting for the High Tea selections and chosen drinks. I did ask the Guide if a top up to chosen drink was given, she said no just the one drink, which was surprising as High Teas I have ever been to do that. My Husband who had chosen Cappuccino as his drink choice, then ordered an iced Tea to cool off with. When we went to pay for that Iced Tea the waitress said no payment as it was like a top up. So I suggest if you wish to ‘top up’ after having your first chosen drink, to ask if it is free as we found. Dee, clearly needed to be somewhere else afterwards as she rushed the group ( only 8 of us) through the tour part, then left while the group were eating our High Tea, even though paper work said the tour finished back at the meeting point. I didn’t think the tour was value for money, could easily go to the gardens yourself at your own pace, and just book the High Tea, which was quite nice.
Written 10 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Terri Cummings
San Rafael, CA14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I cannot stress enough how pleased we were with our Kensington Gardens Tour culminating in a delightful tea yesterday.

My wife and I and our adult daughter Ginger signed on to this tour without expectations and, as happens occasionally when one travels, were fortunate enough to have a marvelous guide. Simon was fantastic! He has a background in British history and acting and was completely charming and erudite. As we strolled though Hyde Park and on to Kensington Palace, he regaled us with his encyclopedic knowledge of London history, its kings and queens, love stories, conquerers and villains, all delivered with sharp wit and insight. You could tell he loved his subject and his enthusiasm drew us in.

Somehow in addition to all this, we managed to chat about his favorite birds (of which there is a plethora), the various species of trees we encountered, some films, some books and even shared one or two childhood memories.

Finally, we sat down to a delightful tea together in Kensington Gardens. So in summation, I would say this was one of the very best tours I’ve ever had the pleasure of being on!

Simon was our guide’s name. I hope you’re fortunate enough to have him.
Written 12 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for such a comprehensive and insightful review. Simon is over the moon with your comments and, yes, we are fortunate to have him!
Written 13 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kelly W
27 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Solo
I had booked at tea at 2. Day before the provider contacted me to let me know that I was the only person booked for that time and that if I wanted a more social experiance they could include me at 1 or 3 instead, which I do appreciate.
However, what they left out was the only people booked at 3, the time I moved to, were two 90 year olds with Extremely limited mobility.
Because of this we did not tour the gardens, just walked them a tiny bit on the way to tea. The poor guide did his best to compensate, still giving us as much of a tour as he could, but that does not change the fact that the whole reason I booked this tour was because it included a walk of the gardens.

The tea was good, a quintessential english high tea, but you can book it without the tour- unless you really care about hearing tea facts while you eat.

Might still be good value if you are luckier than I was, or feel like you need a guide to show you around, but as a more experienced traveler next time will just book my own tea solo and go on a walk in the park and avoid spending extra money on a tour.

Also, you really should not bring up American politics in a group where you know they don't know each other, have different age ranges and come from different parts of the country and at least one person is already deeply frustrated.
Written 29 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and comments. As you appreciate we can't anticipate who attends our tours as they are open to everyone regardless of age or ability.
Written 1 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

TaiDragon
Bournemouth, UK11 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
We booked the royal afternoon tea and came to London for this for our 7th wedding anniversary. Upon arrival they did acknowledge that one of us (me) had a food allergy. We were seated, but then talked out of staying. We were told that they won’t cater for food allergies and that they cross contaminate everything.
I have an allergy to tomato and tomato products (so annoying!) but we’re told by the waitress that most of their food has tomato in. We said as long as the food we are being served doesn’t have it in and our food isn’t prepared on boards that have just had tomatoes cut on them we should we ok.
The waitress went off and came back after confirming with the chef and we were told that the chef wears gloves and will be touching all the food to serve it up and that the sandwiches we would be given would contain tomato. We asked if we could just not be served those and were told no, the chef wouldn’t even change their gloves to prepare our so “if that’s not good enough you should go somewhere else”.
Why allow bookings and specify about allergies if not only you don’t cater for them but you wait for customers to arrive from across the country and then push them away!
Was not happy, ruined our anniversary day out and our afternoon. Quite disgusted to be honest. Just add to your website that you DO NOT cater for allergies so you don’t waste peoples time or money.
Written 15 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeremy J
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Great tour. Tom kept up a nice pace and had a ton of interesting facts, even when asked random details about the city you could tell he was quite knowledgable. The High Tea was nice, glad my wife and I did this experience versus simply having tea in a hotel
Written 16 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James W
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Solo
This was my last day in the uk and I wanted a unique experience. My Guide Tom was awesome, he had great knowledge of the area and provided the experience in an enjoyable and entertaining manner. The high tea was very enjoyable also. I love how Tom was able to give recommendations for the tea for someone that never drinks tea.
Written 27 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea provided by Top Tasting Tours

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