If the idea of sitting in yet another café while London's Christmas lights twinkle without you doesn't appeal, there's a more mobile option. Afternoon tea bus tours pair the classic British spread — finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, pastries — with a sightseeing loop past the city's most festive streets, all from the comfort of a retrofitted double-decker.
The best-known operator is Brigit's Bakery, whose vintage Routemaster-style buses run themed tours year-round and switch to a Christmas edition through the festive season. Think garlands, tinsel and a Christmas menu on board, with a live guide narrating as you roll past big-name sights. Typical routes take in Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster, Big Ben and the South Bank, so you're ticking off the postcard landmarks while working through the cake tier.
Tours generally last around 90 minutes, depart from a central spot near Trafalgar Square or Covent Garden, and offer seating both upstairs (great views) and downstairs (easier for less steady legs). Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free versions of the menu are usually available if you request them in advance. Prices typically sit in the £45–£60 per person range depending on the seating and menu, which isn't cheap for tea and sandwiches — but you're effectively combining a sightseeing tour and a meal in one, and the novelty factor is genuinely high.
The festive angle is what makes it worth booking in December. London's Christmas lights on Regent Street, Carnaby Street and Oxford Street draw serious crowds on foot; seeing them from a warm window seat, mug in hand, is a far calmer way to do it. Weekend and evening slots sell out fastest, so if a specific date matters, book a few weeks ahead.
For travellers, this is an easy win for a few situations: families with kids who won't last a sit-down tea, first-time visitors short on time, or anyone who wants a rest between museum-hopping and Christmas shopping. It's also a solid rainy-day plan — no walking required. If buses aren't your thing, the same bakery concept runs afternoon tea in fixed locations too, though you'd miss the moving light show outside.
One practical note: check departure points and times carefully when booking, as they can vary by tour type and season, and arrive a little early to board. And yes, you'll be eating a scone while driving past Big Ben. That's the whole point.
Story via Secret London.
