Afternoon Tea Afloat: The 15 Best Tea Cruises

1.London: Afternoon Tea Cruise on the River Thames

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,274 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $53Our pick

Board a City Cruises boat at Tower Pier for a 90-minute afternoon tea with sandwiches, warm scones, cakes, unlimited tea and coffee, and Thames views. You’ll pass Tower Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern, The Shard, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament, with live or recorded commentary along the way.

“Great trip. Upgraded to window seats VIP package seats were amazing great view. Food was better standard than we expected and commentary good. Service fast and professional. Would recommend this and we are now looking at doing the dinner one.”

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2.Afternoon Tea River Cruise on the Thames

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 884 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $55

Board City Cruises at Tower Millennium Pier for a 90-minute afternoon tea ride along the Thames. You’ll pass the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, and Westminster while enjoying sandwiches, cakes, scones, and unlimited tea or coffee. Tables are assigned, with panoramic windows throughout the boat.

“The cruise shows a different perspective of London that is beautiful and impactful. The food was excellent and my whole family loved it. We highly recommend.”

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3.Afternoon Tea Sightseeing River Cruise in Oxford

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 583 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $80Top rated

Cruise from central Oxford along the Thames with tea, sandwiches, scones, and cakes served aboard. You’ll pass Christ Church Meadows, the university boat houses, and Iffley Lock before reaching quiet water meadows. Guides including Nick, Henry, Dexter, Duncan, and Louis have led recent trips. The small boat carries up to 12 people.

“Had the best afternoon of high tea on the Thames! Every bite from the sandwiches to dessert was amazing. Skipper Nick was so friendly and full of great stories (and his dog totally stole the show). Perfect mix of yummy food, gorgeous views, and good vibes.”

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4.Dynamic Tokyo: Tokyo Tower, Tea Experience, Bay Cruise Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 521 reviews · from $99

Spend about nine hours seeing Tokyo by coach, foot, river, and observation deck. Visit the Imperial Palace, Senso-ji, Nakamise, a matcha workshop, Tokyo Tower, and a hotel buffet lunch. Guides such as Mina, Aki, Hiro, and Izumi are praised for clear English and strong local insight. The pace is active, but the coverage is excellent.

“VERY happy with our guide. The Tokyo tower was fun. Thoroughly enjoyed the tea ceremony and the explanation of what was going on. I wish we had been split up at the top of the garden so we could have enjoyed the garden more before our tea ceremony. Lunch was fun and delicious. The imperial palace stop wasn't worth it, a drive by would have been enough. I wish our group would have had a reserved section on the cruise so we could have had more explanations of what we were seeing. The last stop at Asakusa was fun and informative, wish we had more time there.”

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5.Skipton: 2-Hour Afternoon Tea Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 508 reviews · 2 hours · from $44

Board a luxury canal boat near Skipton’s high street for a two-hour afternoon tea cruise. You’ll travel along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, enjoy sandwiches, scones, cakes, unlimited tea and coffee, and watch the Yorkshire Dales from a warm, comfortable cabin. A licensed bar also serves soft drinks, local beers, and other drinks at extra cost.

“Very relaxing passing through beautiful countryside and the food was delicious withvery friendly service they couldn't do enough for us . We will definately be going again.”

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6.Afternoon Tea Cruise in North Yorkshire

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 388 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $45

Settle into a two-hour canal cruise from Coach Street in Skipton, North Yorkshire. You’ll have your own table, traditional afternoon tea, hot tea or coffee, countryside views, and the option to buy drinks from the licensed bar. The boat holds up to 46 people and returns to the starting point.

“A good experience. Would highly recommend. Crew very welcoming and friendly. Excellent value for money.”

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7.Oxford: Sightseeing River Cruise with Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 328 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $78

Board at The Folly by Folly Bridge for a 90-minute cruise toward Iffley Lock and Rose Island. Your English-speaking skipper, who may be Nick, Will, Rory, Henry, Joe, or Emily, combines Oxford stories with quiet sailing. Afternoon tea includes sandwiches, scones, jam, clotted cream, cakes, and tea or coffee.

“excellent tour and the guide was very lovely/informative, would recommend :)”

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8.Adelaide: River Torrens Popeye Devonshire Tea Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 207 reviews · 45 min · from $28

Board Adelaide’s heritage Popeye at Elder Park for a 45-minute English-language cruise along Karrawirra Parri. Your skipper shares local history and points out the Festival Centre, SAHMRI, Adelaide Gaol, bridges, and river wildlife while you enjoy two scones with jam, cream, tea, or coffee. You can also disembark near Adelaide Zoo and the Botanic Garden.

“Lovely relaxing river cruise. My husband and I were running late due to roadworks. I ran down to the jetty while husband parked the car and the Captain was kind enough to pick us up 10minutes later when he turned the boat round. Excellent customer service!”

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9.Tokyo: Full-Day Tour w/Tea Experience,Buffet Lunch & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 151 reviews · from $105

Spend 9 to 9.5 hours seeing Tokyo’s major sights by guided bus. You’ll visit the Imperial Palace Plaza, Senso-ji, Nakamise, Odaiba, and Tokyo Tower, with a casual tea ceremony, Hilton buffet lunch, and Tokyo Bay cruise included. Guides such as Mina, Aki, Atsushi, and Keiko are praised for clear, lively commentary.

“we had a great huide. Think he was called Mantuvo. lovely driver. Everything was perfect from startvto finish. Guide extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Everything started on time and finished on time. beautiful lunch in the Hilton. Boat trip woth professional singer. Tea making and tasting. I would highly recommend. good value for money plus a whole day sightseeing.”

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10.High Tea Cruise on Sydney Harbour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 91 reviews · from $75

Board at Circular Quay Wharf 6 for a 90-minute afternoon cruise with finger sandwiches, blinis, scones, petit fours, tea, coffee, and one glass of sparkling wine. Large windows and several outdoor decks frame Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Fort Denison, and the city skyline. Smart casual dress is expected.

“What a lovely experience. We had a couple of hours to fill before a wedding and this was perfect. The food was delish and the views amazing.”

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11.Sydney: Relaxing High Tea Cruise on Sydney Harbour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 83 reviews · 1h 30m · from $74

Board Captain Cook Cruises at Circular Quay Wharf 6 for a relaxed 90-minute high tea on Sydney Harbour. You’ll enjoy prawns, sandwiches, quiches, scones, macarons, fine tea, and a glass of sparkling wine while passing the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Fort Denison, and the city skyline. Window seats cost extra, so book carefully if views matter most.

“Took my girlfriend on this cruise for her birthday and we both really enjoyed it! The price and food is comparable to other high tea places in Sydney, but for the views, this one is defintitlry something special.”

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12.Lake District – Rail Tour from London with Cream Tea and Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 75 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $460

Take an early train from London Euston to Oxenholme, then explore the Lake District by minivan with guides such as Peter, Graham, or Mark. See Windermere, Hawkshead, Tarn Hows, and Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top in summer, with a cruise and cream tea included. Winter visits swap in Rydal Mount and Bowness.

“We got picked up 2 hours late from the station. No apologies from the local guide. Not worth of money at all!”

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13.From London: Lake District Tour with Cream Tea & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 57 reviews · 1 day · from $438

Ride from London Euston to Oxenholme, then explore the Lake District with a local English-speaking guide. Visit Hawkshead, see Beatrix Potter sites, drive through Langdale Valley, cruise Lake Windermere, and finish with cream tea at Lindeth Howe Country Hotel.

“Had a wonderful day. Little disappointed it's a ling way from Australia not to go to Beautrix Potter house. Was wonderful our driver drove up to show us Hilltop and where Beautrix Potter previously lived.”

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14.Sydney Harbour: 2-Hour Morning Yacht Cruise with Morning Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 42 reviews · 2 hours · from $102

Meet your English-speaking captain and host at Circular Quay for a two-hour morning cruise on a small motor yacht. You will pass the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Fort Denison, bays, coves, and Bondi Beach while enjoying tea, coffee, juice, water, and light refreshments. Guides such as Maggie, Becky, Paul, and Graham are praised for lively local stories.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the Sydney Harbour Cruise despite the bit of rain. Our tour guide was very informative and entertaining. We’d recommend better signage and clarity in the meeting point and pickup.”

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15.London: Tower, Cruise, & Harrods Tea Full-Day Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $218

Spend 9.5 hours with an English-speaking guide visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and the Crown Jewels. Cruise the Thames, then finish with cream tea, Prosecco, live music, and more than 35 teas at Harrods. Guides such as Peter, Karen, John, and Zozo have been praised for clear, lively commentary.

“Great day with plenty of free time to look at the sites. John was very knowledgeable and three in a few jokes! Great day”

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