“Here We Go Again” London Afternoon Tea Bus

The best part of this experience is the odd, cheerful mix: you sit on an iconic London double-decker, eat afternoon tea, sip Prosecco, and pass Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge while ABBA plays. I like the singalong atmosphere and the chance to see several major sights without spending the day walking between them.

I also like the menu flexibility, with standard, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices. The main caution is that the ABBA theme may not fill the entire 90 minutes, and a few departures have had ordinary pop music, warm buses, or dirty windows. You are buying a fun themed ride, not a detailed sightseeing tour.

Key points before you book

• ABBA is the mood, not always the whole soundtrack: Music can vary, and some of the ride may feature other songs.
• Three major landmarks pass by: You see Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge from the bus rather than entering them.
• Afternoon tea is included: Choose a standard, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free menu.
• Prosecco comes with an age rule: Alcoholic drinks are served only to those 21 and older; younger participants receive non-alcoholic drinks.
• The tour lasts about 90 minutes: It begins and ends at Golden Tours on Bulleid Way near Victoria.
• There is no live guide: An English audio guide supplies the sightseeing commentary.

A London afternoon tea with an ABBA soundtrack

This is not a concert, a museum visit, or a full historical tour. It is a moving afternoon tea with a playful musical theme. You board a double-decker bus, settle in with sandwiches and sweets, and let London roll past the windows.

That distinction matters. If you want a serious explanation of Westminster Abbey or Tower Bridge, you will need a separate visit. If you want an easy afternoon with food, music, and famous views, this format makes good sense.

The strongest part of the experience is its social side. You share a compact bus with up to 26 people, and the combination of ABBA, tea, and a city ride gives everyone an easy subject to talk about. You do not need to plan conversation or know London well. The route and the music do some of the work for you.

The theme is also best understood as entertainment rather than a strict promise that every song will be by ABBA. Some departures have featured ABBA for only part of the trip, with other pop music at the beginning. If you are booking because you want a full ABBA playlist, keep your expectations in check.

Starting near Victoria at Bulleid Way

The meeting point is Golden Tours, Bulleid Way Departure Point Stop 1, London SW1W 9SR. The bus returns to this same point at the end, which is useful if you have another plan in central London afterward.

The location is near public transportation, but hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. You need to make your own way to the departure point and allow enough time to find the correct Golden Tours stop.

Your mobile ticket is accepted, and confirmation is provided when you book. The tour is offered in English, with an English audio guide rather than a live guide sitting with the group.

That setup keeps the experience simple. You are not waiting for a guide to gather everyone at several street corners, and you are not getting off repeatedly for formal visits. On the other hand, you cannot ask a live guide to explain a detail, adjust the pace, or answer a question about a building as you pass.

What the 90-minute ride actually delivers

The ride lasts about one hour and 30 minutes. That is enough time for a relaxed tea service and a broad look at central London, but not enough time to explore the landmarks on foot.

You will see the sights from the bus, pause for photos when traffic and the route allow, and listen to recorded commentary about selected places. The audio narration points out some historic sites, but it should not be mistaken for a full guided tour.

The bus itself is part of the appeal. A double-decker gives the outing a clear London identity, and the moving setting makes afternoon tea feel less formal than a hotel dining room. The tradeoff is that a city bus is affected by traffic, weather, window condition, and temperature.

The windows are especially important. Clear glass can give you pleasant passing views, while dirty glass can make the sightseeing portion frustrating. Since you are not getting off to view the monuments, your window is your main connection to the city outside.

Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square

Westminster Abbey is one of the first major landmarks connected with the route. The Gothic church sits beside Parliament Square and the Houses of Parliament, close to Big Ben. It is also the traditional site of British coronations.

From the bus, you get the useful first impression: a grand church at the heart of London’s political and ceremonial quarter. You can appreciate its position and exterior scale, but you will not see the interior or the coronation spaces as part of this activity.

I see this as a preview rather than a substitute. If Westminster Abbey is high on your London list, plan a separate visit. This tea ride helps you place the building in the city and gives you a quick look while you are already seated with food.

The recorded commentary is helpful for orientation, especially if this is your first visit to London. Still, it will not offer the depth of a dedicated abbey visit or a live architectural tour.

The London Eye from the road

The London Eye is another major sight included in the route. Its glass capsules rise 135 metres above the city, giving visitors a wide view over London. This afternoon tea activity does not include a ride on the Eye, fast-track entry, or standard admission.

That limitation is easy to miss when reading a list of landmarks, so I would be clear about what you are paying for. You see the London Eye as part of the city scenery. You do not enter a capsule or rise above the Thames.

Even so, the Eye works well as part of a moving sightseeing route. Its enormous circular shape is easy to spot, and the audio guide gives the landmark context while you enjoy tea. If you already have tickets for the Eye, this bus ride can pair nicely with that visit, but it does not replace it.

Tower Bridge and the eastern end of the route

Tower Bridge brings a different look to the ride. Its towers and walkways were built with more than 11,000 tonnes of steel, and construction took eight years. The bridge has served London for more than 135 years.

Again, you pass the landmark rather than entering it. The separate Tower Bridge experience includes walkways, interactive displays, and exhibitions, but those admissions are not part of the afternoon tea bus.

I like having Tower Bridge included because it gives the route a strong visual finish. Westminster Abbey and the London Eye belong to central London’s ceremonial and riverfront areas, while Tower Bridge adds a striking engineering landmark. In a short ride, you get a useful spread of London symbols.

The practical point is to keep your camera ready and your expectations realistic. Traffic, seating position, and window clarity can affect your view. This is a quick look, not dedicated photography time.

Sandwiches, sweets, tea, and drink choices

The included meal is afternoon tea, described as a lunch afternoon tea. It comes with sandwiches, sweets, and tea, along with a choice of standard, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free menu.

The food appears to be one of the more dependable parts of the experience. The desserts have been particularly well received, while the sandwiches can be less consistent. You might find the sandwiches perfectly serviceable, but they are not the reason to choose this over a top London tea room.

Tea is served hot, and a souvenir plastic mug is part of the presentation. Prosecco is included for those aged 21 and older. Anyone under 21 receives a non-alcoholic drink instead.

I would treat the food as a pleasant meal during the ride, not a grand culinary event. The value comes from combining it with transport, music, and sightseeing. If you paid the same price for food alone, the deal would look less attractive. The moving bus and themed setting are what make the package different.

Food allergies require care. Golden Tours cannot guarantee that food has not come into contact with nuts or other allergens. If that is a serious concern for you, contact the provider before booking and do not assume that a menu choice removes all risk.

The ABBA question: fun theme or false promise?

ABBA fans are the natural audience for this activity. Hearing familiar songs while London passes outside can turn an ordinary sightseeing route into a lighthearted celebration. The music also gives the bus a shared mood, which is useful if you are traveling alone or want an easy way to meet people.

Still, I would not book this expecting a live performance or an ABBA-only soundtrack. There is no indication of live musicians, singers, or a host leading the group. The music comes through the bus sound system.

Some departures have included other pop music for part of the route. One ride included Adele during its first 15 minutes before ABBA songs began. That may be an isolated programming choice, but it shows why the theme should be treated as a feature rather than a guarantee of nonstop ABBA.

The best attitude is simple: book it if you would enjoy ABBA as part of a London afternoon, not if the playlist is the entire point of your day.

Comfort, service, and bus conditions

The bus carries a maximum of 26 people, so the group is small enough to feel social without being a large coach excursion. A driver handles the route, and a tea server takes care of the food and drinks.

The service team has a demanding job in a moving vehicle. Tea, sandwiches, sweets, and drinks must reach everyone while the bus is on the road. That makes the service more casual than a seated tea in a hotel, and timing can affect how smoothly everything arrives.

Temperature is another practical concern. A bus can feel hot, especially when windows are closed and hot tea is being served. One reported ride became uncomfortably warm, with a participant feeling unwell and unable to drink the tea.

I would consider the season and your comfort with warm indoor spaces before booking. The experience is less appealing if you are sensitive to heat, motion, or crowded seating. Clean windows also matter because sightseeing from a bus depends so heavily on visibility.

Is $68.06 a fair price?

At about $68.06 per person, this is not the cheapest way to have tea in London. You are paying for several things at once: the double-decker ride, afternoon tea, selected drinks, the ABBA theme, the audio commentary, and the convenience of seeing several famous landmarks in roughly 90 minutes.

That price can be reasonable for a first-time visitor with limited time, especially if you like the idea of a social activity that combines food and sightseeing. It can also work well for a birthday, graduation, or relaxed afternoon with friends, although announcements for celebrations are not guaranteed to include every type of occasion.

The value drops if you want detailed history, guaranteed nonstop ABBA, or a high-end tea menu. A separate London sightseeing tour can provide more commentary, and a traditional tea room can offer a more polished meal. This bus succeeds because it combines several modest pleasures into one themed package.

I would compare it with what you already plan to do. If you are paying separately for a landmark tour, a tea, and local transport, the bundled format may be convenient. If you already have a full sightseeing schedule, the bus may feel like a slow, expensive way to repeat the same views.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it most strongly to:

• ABBA fans who enjoy a playful setting rather than a formal concert
• First-time London visitors wanting a quick look at major landmarks
• Couples, families, and friends looking for a shared afternoon activity
• People who enjoy meeting others in a small group
• Visitors with vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free dietary needs, provided they confirm allergy concerns in advance
• Anyone who prefers sightseeing without walking between several central London sights

I would be more cautious if you need a detailed live commentary, have serious food allergies, dislike warm buses, or expect every song to be ABBA. I would also choose another activity if your main goal is to enter Westminster Abbey, ride the London Eye, or explore Tower Bridge.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made inside that window are not accepted for a refund, and the cut-off follows London local time.

Should you book the ABBA tea bus?

Book this if you want a light, social London outing with tea, sweets, Prosecco for eligible adults, familiar music, and quick views of three major landmarks. Its charm comes from the combination, not from any single feature.

Skip it if you want a serious history lesson, a full ABBA show, or a refined afternoon tea. Before booking, confirm that you are comfortable with a 90-minute bus ride, understand that the landmarks are viewed from outside, and accept that music, temperature, and window quality can vary.

For the right audience, this is a cheerful way to spend an afternoon. Just think of it as afternoon tea on a sightseeing bus with an ABBA flavor, not as a complete London tour.

FAQ

How long does the ABBA-themed afternoon tea bus last?

The activity lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Where does the bus depart and return?

It departs from Golden Tours, Bulleid Way Departure Point Stop 1, Bulleid Way, London SW1W 9SR. The activity ends back at the same meeting point.

Which London landmarks are included on the route?

The route includes views of Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge. The activity does not include entry to these attractions.

Is a live guide included?

No. The tour includes an English audio guide, but there is no live guide.

What food choices are available?

You can choose a standard, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free afternoon tea menu.

Is alcohol included for everyone?

A glass of Prosecco is included for participants aged 21 and older. Participants under 21 receive non-alcoholic drinks.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.