Royal London tour with Westminster Abbey & Afternoon Tea

Departure: Victoria Coach Station, Buckingham Palace Road, London, UK

Arriving at Victoria Coach Station you will meet our friendly team opposite Gate 1. Your Blue Badge Guide will welcome you aboard your comfortable climate-controlled coach on this fascinating fully guided sightseeing tour through the beautiful City of Westminster. Discover fascinating stories, insights and facts on the roots on the capital’s history and its regal history. Through the large panoramic windows of our coach, you will see Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament including ‘Big Ben’, Parliament Square, No. 10 Downing Street, the Albert memorial, the Royal Albert Hall, the London Eye and many more exciting locations.

The Changing of the Guard is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring displays of pageantry. On days where a Guard change is taking place, witness this historic ceremony from our special vantage point, ensuring you get the best photos to share with your loved ones back home. It’s a Royal welcome to London on board this expertly guided tour.

Your tour will conclude near Victoria Train station at approximately 12:00 noon.

Westminster Abbey is a 10–15-minute walk from Victoria, where you will alight from your morning tour. Make your way independently to Westminster Abbey, passing under the arch towards Dean's Yard.

Within it, you will see the entrance to the Cellarium Café and Terrace set within the Abbey itself. As part of this experience, you will enjoy a delicious full Afternoon Tea which can either be enjoyed at lunchtime prior to visiting Westminster Abbey or after your visit.

Savour a sumptuous selection of sandwiches, freshly baked scones and handmade cakes, along with your choice of tea or coffee. Your Afternoon Tea will be served on a 3-tier cake stand by the friendly team of Benugo – experts at delivering memorable food experiences to guests in stunning places around the country.

Explore over 1,000 years of history at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Westminster Abbey – England’s pre-eminent church and the site of every royal coronation since that of William the Conqueror in 1066. Plus, see the tombs of former monarchs and important figures from Britain’s history.

Westminster Abbey is the location for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III – set for 6th May 2023. This historic occasion will see the Coronation ceremony take place for the first time since Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. See the Coronation chair as part of your visit.

Today, over 3,000 people are buried or memorialised at Westminster Abbey, including 30 monarchs and notable historical figures such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking and Geoffrey Chaucer.

At the west end of the Nave is the grave of the Unknown Warrior, whose body was brought back from France to be buried here in 1920.

The Coronation Chair in St George’s Chapel is perhaps the world's most famous piece of furniture. Commissioned by Edward I, ‘The Hammer of the Scots’, this ancient wooden chair has been sat on by every English and later, British, monarch at their coronation since the 13th century.

Originally covered in gold leaf and glass, the chair was designed to house the ‘Stone of Destiny’, which was taken by Edward I as spoils of war.

Marvel at the fan-vaulted ceiling, carved pendants and ornate decorations that adorn every surface in the Lady Chapel; the burial place of 15 kings and queens including Elizabeth I, ‘Bloody’ Mary Queen of Scots and the Princes in the Tower.

In the Chapter House, you’ll find a late Saxon door thought to be the oldest door in Britain, believed to date back to the 1050s. Before the Palace of Westminster was built, the Chapter House was used as a meeting place for the King’s Great Council and the Commons, an early form of government and predecessor to Parliament.

The tour finishes at Westminster Abbey.