Edinburgh Afternoon Tea Experience
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Enjoy the very best afternoon tea that Edinburgh has to offer. Indulge in a selection of sandwiches, cakes, savouries and warm home baked scones with Traditional preserves and fresh whipped cream. The Tour explores all the main attractions in Edinburgh, including the historic Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Old Town to name a few. Duration of tour is between 70 – 90 minutes. We are licensed so additional drinks can be purchased from our onboard bar.
This tour is not suitable for children 5 and under and they can not be permitted on board the bus.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
We do not offer live or recorded guide commentary on our buses. We are a dining Experience whilst touring Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Red Bus Bistro Bookings are only valid for the date and time stated.
Patrons should expect to share a table especially on our busier weekend tours. If patrons would rather not share a table we can try and accommodate them on a quieter tour.
Patrons are requested to arrive 10–15 minutes before departure at waterloo Place opposite Apex Hotel. Unfortunately we cannot wait for late comers as we only have a limited time on stand. Refunds will not be offered to latecomers.
We offer gluten free or vegetarian options. Our Products may contain nuts. Please specify requirements upon reservation.
No tickets are issued for the tour.
Your Surname is passed to the Bus Manager prior to your tour, this will be requested upon arrival at the bus, you can print this email out purely for your own information.
Please be prepared to redeem any Gift Voucher you may have used for payment to the bus on the day of the tour.
If you have booked using an Itison voucher, we may ask to see your voucher on your phone.
Children have to be 5 years and older to be allowed onboard Red Bus Bistro children aged 5 to 9 years old are charged at £20 pounds and children aged 10 and over are charged as full paying adult.
Anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult
There may be occasions where the tour has to be cancelled without advance notice, in the event of a cancellation patrons will be refunded in full or transferred onto another tour date.
If the tour is cancelled after the first half an hours commencement, we will then offer availability on another tour.
Smoking is not permitted on the Bus at any time.
Red Bus Bistro does not take any responsibility for the loss, damage or theft of personal belongings while on the Bus.
Conditions of carriage are subject to legislation set out by the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981; all details can be given by the Red Bus Bistro head office.
We would like to point out that we operate Vintage Routemaster Buses, and although we keep our vehicles in the best possible maintenance condition there will be times that unforeseen maintenance issues may arise and result in a disruption to the tours, or cancellation; however we will endeavour to do everything in our power to avoid any disruption.
Red Bus Bistro Company reserves the right to refuse carriage of patrons who are intoxicated, or displaying threatening or abusive behaviour, no refunds will be given under these circumstances. We also ask that a reasonable standard of behaviour is adhered to while on the tour, as there are other passengers to consider.
Red Bus Bistro is not responsible for any damage caused by breaking the rules.
RED BUS BISTRO COMPANY LIMITED ACCESS POLICIES
It is not the policy of Red Bus Bistro Company Ltd to discriminate in any way against employees or passengers regarding disability, gender, race, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
Red Bus Bistro’s Bus was registered in 1966; it consists of Drivers Cab, upper deck, lower deck, and will always have at least 4 staff on board. The bus seats 12 downstairs and 28 upstairs; unfortunately due to the age and design of the Bus we cannot accommodate wheelchair passengers. Red Bus Bistro can reserve seating in advance for the lower deck for those with mobility concerns. As per above, patrons should otherwise be prepared to share a table, where the patrons would rather be seated alone we can try and accommodate them on a quieter tour however not guaranteed,
There is no toilet on board.
The tour will last between 70-90 minutes dependant on conditions, in which time our patrons will be served with an Afternoon Tea or Gin Tour. For private hire all requests are considered.
Red Bus Bistro Company Limited will go out of its way to cater for as diverse and audience as possible within the physical confines of the bus, and will follow the DDA Legislation guidelines at all times.
All information gained from Patrons will never be given to any third parties; Red Bus Bistro Company Limited is responsible for all online transactions.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Home baked warm scone with cream, jam and strawberry garnish
Handmade Sandwich selections
Selection of Petit Fours
Coffee and/or Tea
Sumptuous cupcakes
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Souvenir drinks cup
What To Expect
Scott Monument
The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland.
Options
Afternoon Tea Experience
Reviews
1,255 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Edinburgh Afternoon Tea Tour
joycecP5631LE,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a great afternoon tea and prosecco experience on the Edinburgh Tour. Food was delicious and the staff were very attentive.
A must do tour
Louise O,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Staff were really friendly & great fun... Service was excellent.. Warm scone served with jam/cream and coffe/tea during the trip was a brilliant idea Highly recommend
Misleading and Disappointing
Ralynn W,
Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
2.00I was shocked and disappointed by this experience. Shocked that I expected an elegant high tea experience near the Edinburgh Castle and what I got was a broken down old dirty bus with a very sloppy presentation at best. I felt embarrassed being there in comparison to the much cleaner and nicer buses and settings elsewhere. The cost of the experience was way higher than what it was worth. The food was at best okay but definitely not a high tea quality. I was a bit taken back by the sloppiness of everything including the very worn seats with the padding falling through the covers and the dusty fake flowers that lay overhead, along with the very very dirty windows. During the drive the lady used a muffled microphone system and I learned nothing about Edinburgh other than never ever take this tour again. As we drove by the “Hop On Hop Off” buses around us, I longed to be on one of them and considered sneaking away when we had a “potty stop” at a local public toilet which was filthy. For the cost, couldn’t they have arranged stopping at a restaurant or other business to use their facilities? They also wanted us to get a photo with the bus driver in his seat. Because I am kind, I will not comment on the bus driver’s hygiene or attire but it was not professional to say the least. Much improvement is needed for this to be even a tour that Viator advertises on its website/app. I expected more from Viator! Don’t you scrutinize and filter tours on behalf of your customers before advertising them??? I trusted you Viator and you let me down severely. This raunchy, sloppy, dirty tour stole my time on my vacation when I could have used it elsewhere during my short stay in Edinburgh. My husband was with me and he had the pleasure of a hornet dropping on him during the ride! We got a picture of it. At last, we were done with the trip around the city and we were definitely ready to get off the bus. They had the audacity to ask for a tip. Really? Viator YOU need to do better. I hold you responsible for my bad time. I would really like my money back but I did eat the stale bread and the crusty quarter sandwiches and I did drink the tea from the plastic cup they provided. So, I suspect I’m stuck with a bad, yet expensive, experience. Do not recommend! Take it off Viator and save your reputation!
Lovely experience
Tour604890,
Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Lovely experience! We wished we could hear the speaker on the top deck. Also, actual food given was sparse compared to advertised photos.
Something different and fun!
Fanney E,
Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a nice time. The service was exelent and everything was tasty and the Gin pot was good and we had fun. We recomend this for couples and friends.
Nice experiences
mayccm2018,
Oct 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We cancelled previous booking due to far meeting point and then rebooked through another agent. Then, we found the service provider was the same. Maybe there was a mistake of previous agent about meeting point. The office confused two bookings and then made us very frustration. After communication, we could get on the bus at / about 15:04. Maybe we were the last group and only got tea set at / about 15:18 so we could only speed up to finish tea set. Nice tea set with gin that were in teapots were fun. We sat on the top deck to admire the scenic spots. The staffs were friendly and helpful. Lots of fun to sit in the driver seat and take some photos.
Don’t recommend, very disappointing
stacyaP5957SI,
Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Very dissatisfied with the experience. I brought my mother along for our first trip to Scotland, we were looking forward to a nice tea and getting some information along the way. The speaker doesn’t work on the upper level of the bus so we heard nothing that was said at all. You go around a small area with two long stops along the way. The afternoon tea was very disappointing as well. We were missing items on our tray, sandwiches, clotted cream, etc. I inquired and was brought the cream but told they ran out of sandwiches. We pre-paid and pre-booked more than two months in advance so I am not sure how they didn’t have enough food for us. The tea came in a plastic go cup, it was not good. The food as petrol stations is exceptionally better than anything we were provided. I am feeling like this was such a sad experience and wish we would have not paid to do this.
A Disappointing and Costly Experience – Poor Communication, Rude Customer Service, and No Accountability
N2143CWsamanthas,
Oct 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00We had booked this afternoon tea experience as part of a hen party celebration and were really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, due to traffic delays, our group arrived about 10 minutes late. We received a call at 15:06 but missed it as we were on a party bus with loud music. We phoned back promptly at 15:10 to apologise and let them know we had arrived. What followed was incredibly disappointing. The woman on the phone was rude and unhelpful, even hanging up on us during the conversation. When we called back to ask for clarification and if we could meet the bus at the next stop (as stated in the event details), we were bluntly told this was not possible and that we were not entitled to a refund. This left our bride-to-be devastated. We had planned our day around this experience and were now left scrambling to make last-minute alternative arrangements. We spent £425 and received no service, no support, and not even a basic level of courtesy on the phone. When we contacted both the provider and GetYourGuide, we were told there was no refund or goodwill gesture available—even though there is no mention of a late arrival policy anywhere in the booking information. We understand there are schedules to keep, but better communication, some flexibility, or even a clearer policy could have helped avoid this. At the very least, customers deserve to be treated with respect—especially when the service hasn't even been delivered. I strongly suggest the company updates its policy to clearly state that late arrivals will not be accommodated or refunded. That transparency would save others from the disappointment and financial loss we experienced.
Great time, really enjoyable
c0linge0rges,
Oct 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time on the bus, the staff were excellent they couldn’t do enough for you, the food was lovely all fresh and really tasty. Thank you we enjoyed ourselves
Excellent quirky afternoon tea
Spally83,
Oct 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked for my auntie’s 70th birthday. 4 adults, a 17 and a 9 year old. It was so much fun and quirky rather than just sitting in a restaurant having afternoon tea. The food was good and plentiful. The hostess was so accommodating and funny! We had a really good laugh and she got everyone singing happy birthday to my auntie. Some people didn’t turn up, which was a shame, I hope they paid!! But they brought up the Prosecco and extra sandwiches and cakes to share amongst everyone else. To finish off you got the chance to sit in the drivers seat and get your photo taken which my daughter loved. Would recommend and will be trying out the Glasgow tour. Thank you!
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Operated by Red Bus Bistro Company Limited