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    Tea Around Town

    1.6 (80 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Kat T.

    1. The outside of the Bus was very dirty - almost black. 2. We had 6 tickets and they were going back and forth saying we had 4 tickets . This wasn't the server but the actual host and she was rude. 3. The tea was not good. 4. The food was plentiful . All in all it was cute but wasn't worth 113.00.

    Denyce M.

    I saw this advertised on Instagram and thought it was an concept, so we decided to give it a try. Tea Around Town offered different packages and got the upgraded package which came with extra sandwiches. There was no alcohol served on the bus, but the package I got had sparkling non-alcoholic rose drink. The bus was definitely pretty in pink and a sight to see, double deck and all glitzy. We were seated upstairs at our table and were greeted with our tea sandwiches and desserts already on the table as well as these cute water cups. At the time I did not realize that those would be holding our tea. The food itself was good as well as the pastries. There were scones and other little desserts, including a cake pop. The sandwiches were tasty as well, with there being a beef club sandwich and a lobster roll, which I believe was a part of the deluxe package. In addition, we got some Ahi Tuna on a spoon as another bite for us. The tea itself was a letdown as I thought we were getting five teas, but in reality we only got three and the serving was literally a sip of tea for each one. Not really enough to wash down food. There was also no sugar, lemon or cream for those who like their tea that way. Because it was a lovely day, it was fun driving around downtown Chicago seeing sites I normally don't see if I am driving and trying to make lights and left turn signals. But beware when the bus makes turns as drinks and plates can go sliding off the table. The Queen, unfortunately, had just put down her glass of rose and the glass slide right off the table into her lap. Not good. The hostess was nice, pointing out sights along the way about different sights, all that I was familiar with, but it was nice to hear someone speak on them. She also performed some songs, with myself and the lovely ladies sitting across from us singing along with her. Did we have fun? Yes we did. Would I do it again at the price I paid? Not likely. My expectations for a tea experience was based on having tea at places like the Drake, Russian Tea Time or Allis and this did not live up to that. That said, I think if you have folks in from out of town and you want to do a 1.5 hour downtown tour with some snacks, doing the basic package would be a nice treat to see and hear about some of the great sights in Chicago.

    Enas B.

    My husband booked Tea Around Town as birthday gift to celebrate my birthday on December1st, and honestly... it felt spectacular experience. At first, we weren't sure where the bus was parked, but it ended up being right in front of the hotel, super convenient! Parking was also reasonably priced, which was a great start. From the moment we stepped inside, the experience felt special. The welcome alone had a warm, almost Disney-like charm. Our host and hostess were absolutely wonderful. professional, kind, and incredibly attentive. The host even sang throughout the ride, which added such a fun and whimsical touch, while the hostess made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The food? Amazing. Beautifully arranged three-tier trays with a perfect mix of sweet treats, savory sandwiches, and two types of scones served with jam and butter. Everything tasted fresh and thoughtful. The tea selection included four seasonal flavors, each one more delicious than the last. The whole ride lasted a little over an hour. just enough time to enjoy every bite and sip without rushing. We toured through downtown Chicago, passing by iconic spots with light commentary that made the views even more interesting. It felt charming, cozy, and a little bit romantic . such a unique way to see the city. The only letdown was the souvenir. Their website advertised a tea-themed cup, and I was excited to take one home, but it wasn't provided. Not sure why, but it would have made the experience even more perfect. One small thing: at some point, the host started chatting about a sports match, which didn't really match the dreamy, elegant vibe of the tour for me. But it didn't ruin the overall experience. In short, if you're looking for a beautiful, whimsical, and memorable outing especially for a celebration. this is such a lovely choice. I left with a full heart, great memories, and a birthday I won't forget. :)

    Jacqueline L.

    BEWARE: they charge significantly higher prices if you click on their ads vs. looking up their website. (See pics). Check ALL sources before booking if you really want to go. Fun thing to do. Bites were meh. Teas were pretty basic and something you can probably get at a grocery store. Cool vibe and very instagramable.

    Padma A.

    Great concept to view the city's delightful architecture and iSights on top of a bus with high tea. Easy checkin with my 80 year old British boss . The tables were already set up with treats ... tad bit skeptical to see smoked salmon on toast sitting out for a while . We were welcomed with flutes of rose and water botules . The top floor was pretty packed with the exception of few unoccupied tables . As the bus turned on Randolph our neighbors trays fell to the floor and so did their drinks making a major mess . The staff came by and cleaned up . Our guide was entertaining with his Chicago history knowledge and crooning to some famous musics numbers the scones were the only thing really that were edible the sandwiches and sweet treats were subpar . Overall a fun experience for people touring Chicago

    Tanya M.

    This was a unique opportunity to see Chicago from a very pretty perspective. I treated my cousin to this experience for an early birthday gift. We had a lovely time tasting new teas and finger sandwiches. It would be cool to do this in a different city. Being from Chicago, it was nice to experience this city from a tourist lens. It's a bit pricey but so are a lot of touristy attractions.

    Priscilla F.

    Canceled 30 min after atart time. Offered 50 percent refund which is crazy!!! We waited 45 min as your supposed to arrive early. Waited in the snow only to be canceled on and offered 50 percent is wild to me!!!

    The experience was disappointing. The bus was scheduled to arrive at 7:30 PM but didn't arrive until 8:10 PM. There was no apology or proper communication--only a message saying it would arrive in 5 minutes. The food was not good, and the bus was not clean; the floor was sticky. I expected much better for the price.

    I went for my birthday and my experience was terrible and this is the worst way to spend $80+ is a complete waste we literally went for a 15 minute drive and was dropped back off. They didn't announce any landmarks or anything , although I am from Chicago and didn't need that there were people on the that wasn't from there and probably wanted to know the experience just wasn't worth it. The food was cold. Nasty steel just terrible experiment.

    Tuna
    Sheila G.

    Omg , Disgusting filthy.. tea in a kiddy sippy cup ...not to mention , this was my second time trying to ride . The first one in January was canceled without a call or text . The bathroom was the worst ... Blood on the seat and the water doesn't work and the floors were filthy . The bus was late again , they were people who had been waiting for 2 and half hours late .. terrible , the experience was nice but nasty . The young lady , pouring up the tea was a delight .. but wow ., filthy

    Sabrina C.

    First and foremost, let me start by reminding people that at the time of this post this is a brand new experience here to Chicago. I want to say it's been here, maybe almost 2 months, but no more than that really. With that being said - there are definitely some kinks that need to be worked out however there is a bigger picture. I tried the Luxe experience and I think I've seen some mentions of people saying that the breads on some of the sandwiches taste hard like they've been sitting out all day. Newsflash folks - all bread isn't soft. Some breads are made with different textures; there are literally hundreds of types of breads - not just the white bread that you get for a buck out of your local store. With that being said, we had a variety of different sandwiches, and we actually liked them all. My favorite was the chicken on the rye bread, the salmon that was smoked, there was a mushroom mixture on top of a crust, a delicious cucumber sandwich and more. It was also scones that were delicious that came with butter and jam. And an array of desserts. Our food did not taste like it had been sitting out all day. Now what would be helpful is if they had a small menu at the table describing what each sandwich was because we had to go online and look at the menu to figure out what we were tasting. Also, this isn't meant to fill you up. Traditional tea times are enjoyed and served with small finger foods mint to just complement the tea and be enjoyed over conversation. The timing was a little off as well like I saw some others mention. It's supposed to be 90 minutes, but it seems like we had about 70 maybe 75. There were some last-minute logistical adjustments so I'm assuming that that had something to do with it. However, regardless of that, it was a great trip . Riding through downtown on a double-decker bus was such a cute and lovely experience. I can definitely tell that they are still sorting out the route and trying to identify what works best. And I think they just added a second tour bus so there some in and out of navigating through that that they are still working through. For the entertainment when we weren't being serenaded by our tour guide, he was giving some facts about the area that we were in and when that wasn't occurring, there was real life Bridgerton music playing lol very nice touch! I did see some people talking about the decorations, looking like a DIY experiment. I mean, they turned a double-decker bus into a tea party on wheels, totally custom made by them - what are you expecting? Lol it's still extremely cute and very nice and we loved it. Unless you're standing up on the seats and looking into the nooks and crannies of the corners of the ceilings and seats, I'm not sure how you're even bothered by this to begin with. All in all - it's a great experience! It is a bit pricey, but I would say it's something you would need to do at least once. Yes there are some kinks that need to be worked out, but it's like that with anything that is brand new, especially in such a large city . If you want to be safe, give it a little time for them to make needed adjustments and sort things out and then check them out. They should be doing winter wonderland theme coming up soon for the winter time in Chicago, which will look amazing if there's actually snow outside. Go and see for yourself, but I'm sure you'll have a good time.

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    Ask the Community - Tea Around Town

    Review Highlights - Tea Around Town

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    Tea Around Town - bustours - Updated May 2026

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