English Afternoon Tea At Fortnum & Mason, Harrods...
The British Ritual of Afternoon Tea Practiced In The Traditional Way In London
Quintessentially British, afternoon tea is not only one of London's most famous pastimes, but also offers a welcome break during a long day shopping or London sightseeing.
Afternoon tea at one of London's top hotels or department stores is certainly a luxurious and extravagant affair. It is not just tea and cake, but a lavish setting with exquisite service and the finest china, often accompanied by live music.
Done properly it is indeed a unique experience you will remember.
Today, Tea (with milk) is still the UK's favourite hot beverage. Most English nowadays do not have the time to brew tea leaves in a teapot and go through the who;e traditional procedure.
The convenience of dunking a tea bag in a cup of boiling water for 3 minutes is much more convenient in today's world, but very much a second best compromise with the real thing.
At work or traveling, tea out of a vending machine in a plastic cup is better than nothing.
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Afternoon Tea At Anna's At The Grosvenor House Hotel
Afternoon tea was invented by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857), one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting. One afternoon she instructed her servants to serve tea and little cakes in her boudoir.
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The experience was so delightful that Anna repeated it every afternoon thereafter. Soon others followed the Duchess' lead, and in just a few decades the custom of taking tea in the afternoon had become well established
Anna's Afternoon Tea at the Grosvenor House Hotel gives you the full experience including a selection of fine teas, finger sandwiches, buttermilk scones with Devonshire clotted cream and Cornish strawberry jam, selection of cream puffs and French pastries.
The historic Grosvenor House Hotel has been frequented by royalty, celebrities and business leaders since opening in 1929 and continues its time-honoured tradition for exceptional style and service. Set in Mayfair this ‘Grande Dame of Park Lane offers a quintessentially British experience.
Afternoon Tea At Fortnum & Mason
There is no better place to enjoy this wonderful English tradition than at the world renowned department store Fortnum & Mason. The store was founded in 1707 by William Fortnum, one of Queen Anne's footmen.
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During the 1700's Fortnum and Mason made a name for itself by selling rare teas and spices, not available anywhere else, much like today. Today the Queen is a customer.
The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, where tea will be celebrated in surroundings that reflect the elegance of the Georgian era is a great location. The emphasis is on the very best of British baking and the exciting world of tea.
There is of course a fine selection of teas, luxury and traditional sandwiches, pastries and of course a selection of scones with clotted cream and preserves. Full afternoon tea is served in the Gallery restaurant on the Ground Floor Mezzanine.
Vintage London Bus Tour With Afternoon Tea At Harrods
Take the Vintage tour of London on one of our 50 year old classic buses, that depart from the world famous department store every hour.
Among the sights are Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Nelson's Column, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall and more.
An included cruise is a great way to see some of London's hidden treasures including Shakespeare's Globe, the Golden Hinde Boat and Cleopatra's Needle, as well as the wonderful bridges that span the river. Have your camera's at the ready for the perfect photo of the London Eye.
At the ned of the tour we head to the Georgian restaurant on the fourth floor where we are served tea, scones with jam and clotted cream and a glass of Champagne, while listening to the live pianist and soaking up the atmosphere.
The tour ends at Harrods leaving you free time to shop and explore.
The London Pass - The Sightseeing Pass For London With Skip The Line Tickets
The London Pass is a flat rate sightseeing pass to many (but not all) of London's main attractions. You can buy a London pass for 1,2,3 or 6 day durations.
It gives you entry into around 55 London tourist attractions. You have paid a set sum per person in advance and then you just show your card at the entrance or ticket office of any attraction included on the London Pass, they will swipe it through a card reader and you will be allowed entry, some attractions you will get fast track entry.
You can also opt to have a public transport pass included (very similar to a London Travelcard) as no transport is included.
You can have the London Pass shipped to your home address (for a shipping charge) or you can collect the tickets in London for which there is no charge. If you choose to collect your order in London you will need to print and bring with you the London Pass voucher which is emailed to you on completion of your online order. The collection point is off Trafalgar Square which is geographically the centre of London.
Classic Red London Bus Tour Plus Major Attraction Combo
Combine a tour of London on one of London's famous old routemaster buses then spend the afternoon at one of London's premier attractions, or indeed Stonehenge is an option.
The tour includes:
- Classic red London bus tour of London
- Cruise on the River Thames
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
- Free hotel collection from over 170 hotels
You will see many of London's major attractions including Westminster Abbey - Big Ben - London Eye - St Paul's Cathedral - Tower of London - Thames Cruise - Changing of the Guard.
The tour is all brought to life by our expert guide.The tour is also available with audio headsets in 10 languages (French, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi and Korean.)
| Full Day Open Top Sightseeing Bus Tour Of London Plus Major Attraction Visit Packages |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour | Adult | Senior | Child | Tour Detail Page |
| Bus Tour + Tower of London | £45.50 | £42.50 | £35.50 | |
| Bus Tour + London Eye | £49.00 | £44.00 | £39.00 | |
| Bus Tour + Stonehenge | £49.00 | £46.00 | £39.00 | |
| Bus Tour + Madame Tussauds | £52.00 | £49.00 | £42.00 | |
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| Original London Tour Bus |
Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Buses
An alternative to the classic guided coach tours are the HOHO (hop on, hop off) buses.
During your visit to London, one of the recurring sights are the hop on, hop off tour buses.
Especially in the summer months there seems to be one coming along every couple of minutes, each jam packed with visitors.
These buses offer comprehensive coverage covering nearly all the main sights in London.
In addition to the bus tour a river cruise and free walking tours are part of the deal.
Tickets last for 24 hour periods.
Original London Tour Hop On Hop Off Bus More Details
Alternative Tours Of London
Fully Guided One Day Tour Of London
A traditional tour with full size touring bus and professional guide with hotel pick-ups in the morning.
Tour Includes:
- Cream tea and scones at Harrods
- Be the first group to visit the Crown Jewels
- Private guided tour of the Tower of London with Yeoman Warder
- Panoramic drive seeing the icons of London
- See Changing of the Guard - subject to availability
- Panoramic drive seeing the icons of London
- Thames River Cruise -
- Pub lunch in Whitehall (food/drink not included)
- Visit St Paul's with professional guide and fast entry ticket
More Details - Fully Guided One Day Tour Of London
Harrods Vintage Bus Tour Of London
Take the Vintage tour of London on one of our 50 year old classic buses, that depart from the world famous department store every hour.
Among the sights are Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Nelson's Column, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall and more.
An included cruise is a great way to see some of London's hidden treasures including Shakespeare's Globe, the Golden Hinde Boat and Cleopatra's Needle, as well as the wonderful bridges that span the river. Have your camera's at the ready for the perfect photo of the London Eye.
You have the option of capping the tour Afternoon Tea or Lunch in Harrods after the tour.
More Details - Harrods Vintage Bus Tour Of London
Duck Tour Of London
On the London Duck tour, you'll tour London's sights on a road and river adventure aboard a yellow amphibious vehicle.
It's 75 minutes aboard a unique amphibious craft, first used in the D-Day landings in World War Two. You will pass famous London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Big Ben, the House of Parliament and Trafalgar Square.
You'll then make a dramatic launch into the Thames River (20 minutes) for the waterborne part of your tour.
Craft has a roof, you do not need any special clothing
More Details - Duck Tour Of London
Rock Legends Tour Of London
There's five decades of rock and pop history here waiting to be found! Teddy boys, Beatniks, Mods and Rockers, Hippies, Punks, Rastas, New Romantics, Heavy Metal freaks, Hip-Hoppers and Rappers, they've all grooved, rocked, tripped and been busted in Britain's capital and in their wake left a thousand stories!
You can see all the most important Beatles sites such as Paul and Ringo's houses, Apple HQ, EMI Studios, and many more. Have your photograph taken on the famed Abbey Road crossing.
Highlights include seeing where Jimi Hendrix lived and died, where Freddie Mercury and Queen hung out and Led Zeppelin's HQ. You will also see sites connected with The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Cream, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, The Clash, Coldplay, Oasis, Mama Cass, Georgie Fame, Elton John, Jimmy Page and the Yardbirds, Cliff Richards, The Sex Pistols, Bowie, The Faces, Bee Gees, The Who and many, many more! .
More Details - Rock Legends Tour Of London
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