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The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea

Badge of Excellence
London, England
High interest
Booked 3 times today.
  • 2 hours (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6
·
· Jennifer_W ·
Jul 2026
Wonderful tour of Kensington gardens. Our tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable. It was just us so he customized the tour. The tea at the orangery was delightful. Food and tea were delicious. We also added the Kensington palace and that was nice to do a self guided tour.
· Carol_R ·
Jun 2026
Nice relaxing stroll through the gardens before tea. Doug was a great ambassador to guide us through. The tea in the Orangery is spectacular. Beautiful setting, large choice of teas and the food was top notch

Overview

Enjoy a classic British afternoon tea without worrying about reservations on this guided Kensington Palace experience. View the palace from the exterior, and stroll through gardens created by Prince Albert while learning about the history of Britain’s tea time tradition. Then, sit down to a traditional spread of sandwiches, cakes, and scones while hearing stories about the royal family and palace life.
  • Upgrade to add on entry to the palace
  • Hear stories you might otherwise miss out on
  • Get the royal treatment—snacks, tea, and Kensington Gardens stroll included
  • Avoid getting lost with a guide to escort you from Queensway Station

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Unlike some tours where tables are shared, this high tea includes a private table.

Sample Menu

Starter

A Selection of Sandwiches

Finger Cut Sandwiches according to season

Main

Scones with Clotted Cream & Strawberry Jam

Dessert

A Selection of Cakes

Indulge in Queen Victoria's passion for delicious Palace Cakes, including her favourite , Victoria Sponge

What's Included

  • Tea at the Orangery - next to the Palace on private table
  • A walk in the gardens with a knowledgeable guide
  • 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
  • Entry to Kensington Palace (unless selected at check out)
  • Gratuities
    Guide Gratuities are at your discretion
  • Private transportation
  • Alcoholic Beverages
    Available at extra cost at the venue

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Queensway station
    London W2 4RW, UK

    IMPORTANT: DO NOT GO TO THE PALACE. WE DO NOT MEET THERE 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

    After the experience you can walk back to Queensway Station or Kensington High St in 10 minutes where buses, trains and taxis are available

Itinerary

Meet your guide in central London, and stroll together toward Kensington Gardens, which sits on the west side of Hyde Park.

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, listen to tidbits about the British Royal Family, and head to the pavilion for a classic high tea of sandwiches, cakes, and hot tea.

Your experience ends here, meaning you can linger as you like.

Queensway Station (Stop B) (Pass By)

Kensington Gardens (Pass By)

1

Italian Gardens

15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

2

Peter Pan Statue

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Physical Energy Statue (Pass By)

3

Round Pond

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

4

Kensington Palace

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

5

Kensington Palace

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Not recommended for those that find walking difficult
  • Some park surfaces are uneven and there are steps
  • 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.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.6
based on 1,034 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most insightful

Audio guide was good ...

Bruce_E, Aug 2026
Audio guide was good (once you get it to work) Several rooms in each experience. Lots of information.

Highly Recommend!!!

Kimberly_S, Aug 2026
Simon was our guide and he was outstanding! He’s knowledgeable, personable, and very engaging, Kensington was great, as was the tea!

Great Time

Raymond_G, Aug 2026
Our tour guide, Doug, was fantastic. He was very knowledgable, kept us on schedule and was overall delightful to talk with!

Kensington Palace

Katrina_E, Aug 2026
I gave my review on TripAdvisor and thought the tour guide did a very good job of it. Doug was very personable.

A must

Teria_B, Aug 2026
The tour guide was super knowledgeable not just about the history but where to stand for us to see all the changing of the guards . The high tea was so good the good 10/10

This was a great tour and...

Maryanne_S, Aug 2026
This was a great tour and so informational!! Learning about the many members of the Royal family that lived in Kensington palace was so fun and we loved hearing all the less known facts!! Such a great experience, would highly recommend!!

Enjoy the history and beauty of the Royal Gardens

Teresa_L, Aug 2026
Wonderful walking tour through Kensington Park terminating at Kensington Palace and a lovely High Tea at the Orangery

We had such a great...

Sydnee_L, Jul 2026
We had such a great experience. Our guide was fantastic, the tea was phenomenal, and we only got a little sunburnt 🤣.

The walking tour was fun,...

JENNIFER_M, Jul 2026
The walking tour was fun, informative, and intimate. Doug did a great job with history, humor, and friendliness. The high tea was lovely and wonderful experience and I loved the stroll through the gardens. We enjoyed the tour of the palace but a portion was closed for renovations so that was a bit of a bummer but understandable. However, in all fairness, this was the tale end of a 2.5 week trip where we had toured many palaces in Scandinavia so recent comparisons. ;) Overall, I do highly recommend this experience especially for mother-daughter travelers or girl's trips. My husband was a trooper for me!

Lovely

Lisa_K, Jul 2026
The tour was a lovely experience and Doug was wonderful. The afternoon tea experience was just perfect.

Interesting tour but...

JEANNETTE_A, Jul 2026
Interesting tour but little did I know that Kensington “gardens” is more like a park. Grasses, trees, ponds but no flowers which is what I think of when using the term “garden”

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Many thanks for your review. As a matter of interest the name "Kensington Gardens" has been in use since the 18th Century. The Park comprises over 300 acres with grass, water features and statues of course. There are formal plants and flowers on our walk but most have suffered from the exceptional summer. We recommend our Hampton Court Tour if you have a special interest in formal gardens as there are more extensive plantations there. Thank you again for the review.

Need to go!

pati345, Jul 2026
Great tour guide! Loved listening to his history of the area. Would definitely recommend. Loved the High Tea Experience.

A Walk in the Park

Adriana_V, Jul 2026
Wow, what a lovely walk in the park…literally! Portia walked us through hide park, pointing out interesting statues and filling the time with amazing history and trivia. Portia was friendly and informative. It was like walking with an old friend, truly.

Absolutely Lovely

Suzanne_t, Jul 2026
Our tour guide went above and beyond. He was kind, thoughtful, patient, knowledgeable and flexible. We enjoyed the walk in the park area and the information he shared was interesting and entertaining for adults and children. He answered all our questions with enthusiasm. This experience was worth every penny and time. Easy to communicate. Meeting area clear and precise. Wonderful time before High Tea and that was all it’s dreamed up to be. Just lovely.

Lovely walk and...

Helena_G, Jul 2026
Lovely walk and informative guide. I liked how they kept the groups small. High tea was a lovely experience.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

We truly appreciate that you enjoyed it

Do no recommend for tea

Lori_H, Jul 2026
The gardens and the palace were nice, but the tea was terrible very commercial cafeteria style. Definitely not worth the price we paid.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

We are sorry you did not enjoy the tour. Thank you for your feedback. just to clarify, the tea service is in a 300 year old building with personal service on your private table. Your are served personally with hand crafted teas (15 choices), freshly made sandwiches, scone and cakes. There is no "Cafeteria" service in the Royal Tea Room

Nice afternoon

Suzanne_S, Jul 2026
Lovely tour but be prepared to walk far. More than just a small garden, it’s a wander through the park. And tea was delicious but the service was slow. We watched others get there after us but served before us and no one ever came back to check if we needed anything.

Wonderful tour!

Jennifer_W, Jul 2026
Wonderful tour of Kensington gardens. Our tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable. It was just us so he customized the tour. The tea at the orangery was delightful. Food and tea were delicious. We also added the Kensington palace and that was nice to do a self guided tour.

Great experience for a fun and informative day out

Krista_K, Jun 2026
This experience was so much fun! Paul, our guide, was super knowledgable and really catered to my family's interests during our tour. Even through blazing heat, he shared the beauty of Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace with us while making us laugh and stay as cool as possible. I would highly recommend this tour. And ask for Paul!

Loved it!

Leigh_J, Jun 2026
Doug was a great guide! Great personality and very informative. Our family enjoyed the garden tour and the tea party experience. We highly recommend this tour!

Our tour through the...

Wendy_S, Jun 2026
Our tour through the gardens was enjoyable even with the sweltering sun. Our tour guide, Paul, was very knowledgeable and had the best dry wit about him. The jokes were flowing as rapidly as the sweat rolling off of us! High tea in The Orangery was amazing. The palace tour was as good as it could be, again, because of the unbearable heat. Thank goodness they had portable air conditioners stationed throughout. Despite the heat we would definitely recommend this experience!

Great walking tour. Our...

Jennifer_A, Jun 2026
Great walking tour. Our guide, Paul, was amazing. Loved all the historical stories/facts. Started on time, easy meeting location.

Not a group experience for the tea if you’re solo

Cynthia_S, Jun 2026
Garden tour was lovely, highly recommend. Do not recommend the tea for singles unless you want to do it alone - I booked this to be with a group and was isolated at the other end of the dining room by myself, and ignored by wait staff initially until I said something.

This was a fun and...

Candace_G, Jun 2026
This was a fun and educational experience. Doug was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating! We enjoyed this tour very much and would recommend it to anyone!!!

Highly recommend

Katharine_N, Jun 2026
We loved this tour. Doug took us on a beautiful walk through Kensington Gardens and then on to High Tea. He was knowledgeable and very nice. Highly recommend!

Afternoon tea

LORI_H, Jun 2026
Loved everything about this tour. Had a wonderful experience. The tea was amazing walk in the gardens was great

Kensington palace gardens and high tea tour a must!

Kirby_T, Jun 2026
Fantastic tour, location and experience! The grounds were beautiful, the palace stunning and the tea unique and delicious. A perfect day all around.

The walk through the park...

Christina_L, Jun 2026
The walk through the park was so fun! Our tour guide Doug was wonderful! The tea we had was our favorite of the trip

Our tour guide, Doug, was...

Sarah_M, Jun 2026
Our tour guide, Doug, was phenomenal! We had such a great time learning about Kensington Gardens and really enjoyed our High Tea! Thank you for a wonderful visit!

Relaxing walk and a relaxed high tea

Carol_R, Jun 2026
Nice relaxing stroll through the gardens before tea. Doug was a great ambassador to guide us through. The tea in the Orangery is spectacular. Beautiful setting, large choice of teas and the food was top notch
Likely to Sell Out

From $171.57

per person

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

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 60 days in advance.

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