London: Royal Tour with Afternoon Tea at the Rubens

London’s royal ceremony and afternoon tea make a natural pair, and this five-hour outing gives you both in one day. You’ll ride past Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and other central sights, then watch the Changing of the Guard before sitting down at The Rubens at the Palace.

I like the professional Blue Badge guide and the comfort of a coach with Wi-Fi, USB charging, and personal audio headsets. I also like the generous tea service, where the scones, sandwiches, cakes, and tea can be replenished. The main caution is timing: the tea is an independent visit, and one booking had tea scheduled as early as noon, so check the exact time carefully.

Key points to know before booking

• Royal ceremony first: The Changing of the Guard takes place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, subject to availability.
• Central London by coach: The one-hour city tour covers Westminster, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and other major sights without requiring a long walk between them.
• Tea beside the Royal Mews: The Rubens at the Palace offers a polished setting with views toward the Queen’s stables, now generally called the Royal Mews.
• A proper British spread: Expect freshly made sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and home-made preserves, pastries, and a choice of teas.
• Important meeting point: Start at the Evan Evans kiosk opposite Gate 1 inside Victoria Coach Station, not Victoria train or Underground station.
• Best for first-time visitors: This suits you if you want a broad introduction to London with a formal royal touch, but not a full inside visit to the palace or Westminster Abbey.

A royal introduction to London in five hours

At $174 per person, this is not a cheap sightseeing ride. You are paying for a half-day combination of guided touring, a comfortable coach, the chance to see a famous ceremony, and a full afternoon tea at a high-end hotel.

The value depends on what you want from London. If you would otherwise book a city tour and afternoon tea separately, the package is convenient. If your main goal is to enter Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, or another attraction, this is not the right product. Admission to attractions is not included, and the sightseeing is mainly from the coach, with time focused on the guard ceremony and tea.

I see this as a good first-day orientation. You get the broad picture of central London, hear stories from a trained guide, and finish with one of Britain’s best-known food traditions. You will not get a slow, detailed exploration of each monument, but you will come away knowing where the major royal and political sights fit together.

Start at Victoria Coach Station, not Victoria Station

The tour begins at the Evan Evans kiosk opposite Gate 1 inside Victoria Coach Station. This detail matters. Victoria Coach Station and Victoria train and Underground station are close to each other, but they are not the same place.

Give yourself time to find the coach station and the correct gate. One booking went badly after the meeting point was understood as Victoria Station, and the tour could not be joined once it had left. The practical lesson is simple: follow the directions to the coach station, check the starting time, and do not rely on a map pin that merely says Victoria.

The coach is described as superior, with Wi-Fi and USB charging. Each person also receives a headset for live commentary. That setup is useful in a moving vehicle, where it can be hard to hear a guide over traffic and city noise.

The tour is conducted in English, while audio support is available in German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish. The live guide remains English-speaking, but the additional audio languages can make the sightseeing easier to follow.

Westminster, Big Ben, and London’s big picture

The first touring section lasts about an hour and takes you through Westminster and central London. You can expect to see famous sights including Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, along with other major landmarks viewed from the coach.

This is sightseeing in the classic London sense: you watch the city pass by while your guide explains what you are seeing. That works well if you are new to London, short on time, or traveling with someone who would rather avoid a long walking route.

The tradeoff is that a coach tour does not give you much freedom to stop. You should think of this part as an introduction, not a series of detailed visits. You will see important buildings and hear stories about London’s past, but you should plan a separate visit if you want to go inside Westminster Abbey or spend time at another attraction.

I like the way this opening section gives the royal ceremony some context. Westminster is not just a collection of postcard views. It is the part of London where monarchy, government, religion, and national ceremony meet. A good guide can turn the drive between sights into a useful orientation rather than dead time.

The guide matters here. One guide named Sheila received special praise for helping people find a good position for the guard ceremony. Guides can make a difference on a tightly timed city tour, especially when the group needs to move through busy streets and gather at the right viewing area.

Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard

The Buckingham Palace portion lasts about an hour and a half, but do not read that as a long palace interior visit. The supplied details describe time at the palace for the Changing of the Guard and guided touring around the royal setting, not entry into the palace rooms.

The ceremony is the main event. Soldiers in scarlet tunics and bearskin caps arrive with a marching band to take over responsibility for guarding Buckingham Palace. It is formal, theatrical, and unmistakably British. You are watching a working military tradition, but also a carefully staged public ceremony.

The ceremony is scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, subject to availability. That means the experience depends on the date and on the official schedule. If seeing the guards is the reason you are booking, check that your chosen day lines up with the stated schedule before paying.

You should also expect some movement. A good viewing position may require walking after the coach drops you nearby, and the group may move quickly to reach the right place. Wear comfortable shoes and stay close to the guide. The experience is not a quiet, leisurely palace visit.

The crowd and timing are part of the reality. You may be standing with other spectators, and the best view is not guaranteed. Still, the ceremony gives you something a standard drive-by tour cannot: a live connection to one of London’s most recognizable public rituals.

The Rubens at the Palace: tea beside the Royal Mews

The afternoon tea takes place at The Rubens at the Palace, a luxury hotel close to Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews. You sit in the Palace Lounge, where the room overlooks the royal stables.

This setting is the strongest reason to choose the package instead of simply having tea anywhere in London. The view keeps the royal theme going after the ceremony, but the atmosphere changes from outdoor pageantry to a calm, formal meal.

The food is traditional and substantial. You can expect a selection of sandwiches, freshly baked scones, clotted cream, home-made preserves, cakes, and pastries. The tea selection is broad enough to let you try several varieties, and the food can be refilled.

That refill policy matters. Afternoon tea can sometimes look generous when it arrives on a tiered stand but leave you wanting more. Here, the reported experience includes repeat servings of sandwiches, scones, and cakes, which makes the meal feel more like lunch than a small snack.

The tea itself is an independent visit on the same day as the Royal London tour. This is an important distinction. The coach tour and the hotel tea are connected by the booking, but the tea is not necessarily a guide-led continuation with the whole group.

Check the exact tea time when you book. One booking had a noon reservation, despite the phrase afternoon tea. That is not unusual in London, but it can surprise you if you expect tea after the guard ceremony. Build your day around the confirmed time rather than assuming the meal will happen late in the afternoon.

Champagne is not included. You can enjoy the tea without it, but budget separately if you want to add a celebratory glass.

What the $174 price really buys you

The $174 price makes sense for a particular kind of day. You receive an expert Blue Badge guide, a coach with Wi-Fi and USB charging, personal audio equipment, and afternoon tea at The Rubens. You also get a planned route through central London and the chance to watch the Changing of the Guard when the ceremony is running.

What you do not receive is admission to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, or other attractions. You also do not get hotel pickup or drop-off. The price covers the organized experience from the Victoria Coach Station meeting point, not a private car service or a series of palace entries.

I would compare the cost with the price of afternoon tea at a central luxury hotel plus a guided London tour. The package can be fair value if both parts appeal to you. It is less attractive if you already have a full London sightseeing plan, dislike fixed schedules, or only want the tea.

The biggest value is convenience. Instead of arranging a city tour, checking the guard schedule, finding the palace viewing area, and reserving tea separately, you have one booking. The biggest limitation is flexibility. You cannot simply linger at Westminster, leave the group at Buckingham Palace, or shift the tea to a more convenient hour.

Who will enjoy this experience most

I would recommend this to a first-time London visitor who wants the city’s headline sights in a single half-day. It works especially well for couples, families, and older visitors who prefer coach transport to a long walking tour.

It also suits you if afternoon tea is as important as sightseeing. The Rubens setting, Royal Mews view, tea selection, and refillable food make the meal a serious part of the experience rather than a token add-on.

The tour is less suitable if you want a deep visit inside London’s monuments. You should also think twice if you need an unhurried schedule. The day has several fixed pieces: meeting at the coach station, traveling by coach, reaching the palace at the right time, and arriving for the tea reservation.

This is also not ideal if your travel dates do not match the guard schedule. The ceremony is subject to availability, so confirm the date before booking if it is the main reason you are interested.

Practical ways to make the day go better

Arrive at the correct Victoria meeting point early. The Evan Evans kiosk is opposite Gate 1 inside the coach station, not at the nearby railway or Underground station.

Wear shoes you can walk and stand in. The coach handles much of the touring, but the palace section involves moving with the group and finding a viewing position for the ceremony.

Keep your phone charged, even though USB charging is available on the coach. You may want to use the audio headset, follow the guide’s instructions, and take photos at the palace.

Confirm the afternoon tea time before the day begins. Do not assume that afternoon tea will happen after the palace ceremony. A noon reservation is possible, and the tea is an independent hotel visit.

If you need a specific language, check how the audio support works at booking. The live tour is in English, with audio available in German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish.

Finally, do not book this expecting a palace interior tour. The experience is about seeing the royal sights, watching the guards, and enjoying tea near Buckingham Palace.

Should you book the Royal Tour with Afternoon Tea?

Book it if you want a polished introduction to London, a chance to see the Changing of the Guard, and a proper tea in a royal setting. The Rubens is the strongest part of the package, with good tea, plentiful food, refillable servings, and a memorable view toward the Royal Mews.

Skip it if you mainly want palace admissions, long stops at each monument, or complete control over your schedule. In that case, visiting The Rubens independently and arranging your own sightseeing may give you more freedom.

For the right person, this is a pleasant royal-themed half-day: informative on the coach, ceremonial at Buckingham Palace, and comfortably indulgent at tea.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts at the Evan Evans kiosk opposite Gate 1, inside Victoria Coach Station. This is different from Victoria train and Underground station.

How long does the experience last?

The full experience lasts five hours. The coach tour through Westminster takes about one hour, the Buckingham Palace section lasts about one and a half hours, and the tea ceremony takes about one hour.

Is entry to Buckingham Palace or Westminster Abbey included?

No. Admission to attractions is not included. The tour provides sightseeing from the coach and time around Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard, subject to availability.

When does the Changing of the Guard take place?

The ceremony takes place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, subject to availability.

What is included with afternoon tea?

Afternoon tea at The Rubens includes tea, sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and home-made preserves, pastries, and cakes. Champagne is not included.

Is the afternoon tea part of the guided tour?

The tea is an independent visit at The Rubens on the same day as the Royal London Tour. Confirm the assigned tea time, since it may be scheduled around noon rather than later in the afternoon.