Tea Around Town: A Charming Tea Experience in Philadelphia

This is a complete SCAM. we booked for 7 people for my daughter's birthday. They canceled just minutes before we were to arrive. We drove an hour, others drove 2.5 hours to be there to celebrate. They DID NOT CALL. THEY DID NOT APOLOGIZE. THEY JUST CANCELLED. We had to quickly pivot to save the day. We have yet to receive our money back.

The Tea Around Town tour has a lovely concept, but there were a few inconsistencies during my recent April visit. The decor was still fall-themed, which didn't quite match the current season or the advertisements. Additionally, the cleanliness of the bus could be improved to better meet guest expectations. From a functional standpoint, the booking process would be much more inclusive if it allowed guests to select sandwich types in advance, especially for vegetarians or those with allergies. Communication was also a challenge; a direct contact number would be very helpful, as I was unable to get a response from the online support center regarding my inquiries. With a bit more attention to detail and better customer support, this could be a top-tier Philly experience.

There was no “entertainment “. The bus was 45minutes late. The tea they gave was no more than an 1 inch in the glass. I had asked for water, that never came. We had no explanation of where we were or what we were seeing. My friends and I were so disappointed.

Worst experience ever. Our group booked a 2:30 departure. Before we even arrived we received a text they would be late due to cleaning the bus. Next departure 3:15. Which came and went. As did the next text 3:45. 4:15 and 4:30. When we called the number you get a voice mail. When the bus finally arrived at 4:45pm. We were not offered a discount a refund or an apology. If we didn’t ride we were out our money. So we boarded. The date is April 18. There were Halloween decorations up. The finger sandwiches were not cold or chilled. I would say even warm. I’m not eating warm egg salad or cucumber sandwiches. I trip to the ER is not in my planes. For a bus they said they were late because of cleaning it was dirty. Sugar packs and food on the floor. Don’t waste your money. It’s not worth the time.

The tour bus was over 1 hour late. They crew explained there was only the driver and 1 server. The decor was fall themed during April. No history info shared.

It was the worst experience ever! My friend bought tix for us to tour Philly on Tea Around Town for my birthday celebration. We traveled from out of state and planned to arrive early, so we would NOT miss the bus. We were beyond excited to board the bus as other guests arrived.. My friend provided the scan bar code from Viator, & to our dismay, the hostess told us we were NOT on the guest list, so we needed to step aside to let the other guest board. We were extremely distraught as the the hostess took our information and told us there were not any seats left because Viator did not share our purchase with them. She said it happens often, & she’d share our issue with management , then promptly dismissed us & boarded the bus. Then the irate bus driver threatened to physically remove us from the bus if we did not move. We refused to leave until we we able to contact the company for a refund. After an hour or so, we were given a full refund. We were grateful that a refund was issued, however Viator needs to streamline their processing procedures as a third party vendor so customers are not publicly embarrassed or humiliated when they are refused entrance to an event they purchased well in advance.

The food & tea were good and the wait staff was friendly & gave good service BUT we had the following disappointments: Our noon departure was pushed to 1:15 The bus finally arrived around 3. (Yes, we waited that long because for our guest of honor this experience was a small dream come true). The bus could not hold all the people that had waited so some just left. Our reservation seemed to mean nothing to the poor sole staff member who was trying to do their best for many irate & frustrated guests. They were really very nice but overwhelmed. The “90 minute” ride was 60 min. You’re really better off going out to a restaurant for tea & walking around to see some Philly highlights.

The time was scheduled for 12 originally. Then received a text it would be 115pm. Received another text would be 145. No bus and no other communication Asked other bus company and they said didn’t know. Went around the building and found many other people waiting. Some were for later times for the tour with no information. Around 245pm received a text. Good news on their way to us. Pulled up around 3pm. Got on bus and then they expected 8 ladies to sit in a six seating. We only ended up with 7 ladies due to other lady was unable to wait. Tried to put 6 ladies at one table on one side of the bus and then put one women by herself on other side of the bus. We came together want to seat together. Would not accommodate us and said if we sat together we would ruin the seating for everyone else. What about ruining it for us. The food looks like it has been sitting out. Warm. It was salmon egg salad etc. anyone want to say food poisoning. That was it we all got off the tour bus and we are canceling out credit card. Would never in a million years recommend or go on this again. Save yourself and never book with them!!! Also they had one guy doing everything thing from serving to entertaining. How can he handle a bus by himself and give narrative and serve tea to all of these woman. There were about 40 ladies on this tour!!! Don’t do it!!!!

My daughter worked her last shift at Tea Around Town Philly today. As always, an amazing experience. She received so many compliments and so much love from the guests. It's a shame Management and HR couldn't see what they had before both my daughter Day and her friend/coworker Sara both were forced to quit within weeks of each other. It's an embarrassment when a company with such potential does not value their employees and all the work they do. Five stars because Day, Julia and Charles were amazing despite not getting the recognition they deserve from management and HR. Do better J and A.

We recently booked the Lux Package with a group of eight, including guests visiting from out of state for a birthday celebration on 2/21/26. The concept of Tea Around Town is absolutely genius — a moving afternoon tea experience through the city is such a fun and creative idea. Unfortunately, the execution did not match the price point or expectations. Two hours before boarding, we were notified that our noon departure was pushed to 12:30 PM. While 30 minutes may seem minor, we had pre-booked rideshares and coordinated arrivals, so the last-minute change created unnecessary stress. Upon boarding, our table was dirty and sticky and had to be cleaned after we asked. The décor featured fall leaves and mini jack-o’-lantern lights, which felt out of place for late February. Small details like this matter, especially for what is marketed as a luxury tea experience. We were surprised that standard tea accompaniments were not offered automatically — no lemon, no honey, and we had to request additional sugar and napkins. Only two napkins were placed under utensils for a table of 4( our group was separated, not by choice). Toothpicks or mini tongs for the bite-sized items would have been helpful and sanitary in the midst of flu season. Food presentation was another issue. Some members of our group have seafood allergies, and all mini bites were mixed together and touching, making it unsafe for them to eat. Serving seafood separately would have been appreciated. The hostess was kind and professional but clearly overwhelmed — narrating, serving, seating, cleaning, and entertaining all at once. The music was louder than the microphone at times, making it difficult to hear the tour commentary. Water was also not offered. For the price, we expected a more authentic tea service. The tea itself was weak, and only four of the teas listed were actually served. The final tea was offered off the bus, which made it feel rushed. The restroom also raised concerns — toilet paper was stored loosely on the side rather than in a holder while the bus was moving, and there was a stop button with no instructions. Overall, the experience has great potential, but it did not deliver the elevated tea experience we expected for the Lux Package price. With better attention to detail — higher-quality tea, proper accompaniments, improved service flow, allergy accommodations, and more cohesive ambiance — this could truly be something special.