They canceled with just an hour before departure. (45 minutes before loading) I had driven over eight hours for this event. The event was to happen on Sunday, April 12th. As of Wednesday, April 15th I have not had my email responded to nor have I received a refund. I am not sure this place is even operating. read more

This was a Christmas gift to my wife and kids. They got all dressed up, excited for the tea and treats. They canceled on us 10 minutes after the bus was scheduled to depart. No prior communication. The website said to be at the location 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. It was not until another bus from an earlier tour dropped off their smiling guests that the staff of that bus informed them they did not know where the 1:30pm bus was at. At 1:42pm (12 minutes past the start of the tour), I received the message "Tea Around Town: The 1:30pm trip is cancelled due to operational issues. An email will be sent. Please reply to that email. This inbox is not monitored." An email arrived at 1:45pm stating my options were "A free reschedule for any date of your choosing OR A full refund of your purchase or rescheduling fee". I understand that issues arise, but what happened? Why the delay in communication? It seems that they should have known that the bus would be late or in danger of a cancelation, and should have been proactive in giving updates. It looks nice, but based on the other reviews about cancelations or late departures, I'd be cautious about planning. I'm glad we live in the city, so it was a 10 minute drive home. read more

The information provided is very misleading. They had changed the time to later than the original, but I still went at the original time and the bus was there. If I had listened to the message I would have missed it. It felt almost like a scam. They one provided 3 tea options instead of 6... read more

They sent us a message saying that it was been pushed to 8:30 PM. Our designated time was 7:30 PM. We got there at 7:30 PM regardless to walk around dt and our bus was there at 7:30 PM and left at 7:40 PM. I don't understand why they sent a message saying that they pushed it to 8:30 PM. When our tea tour ended we saw a group that was waiting. They said that they received a message that it was pushed at 8:30 and that is the time that they arrived. The staff acted clueless and blamed them for being late, which is not the case at all. If we weren't there at the original time and followed what the message had said about the time change I would've been as unfortunate as the group that did. The food and service were okay, but it does seem like a scam based on the misleading information given and clueless staff. read more

Our TopView Tea Around Town Chicago tour was disappointing. We arrived early as instructed. At the exact time we were to be leaving, we received a text stating the tour was delayed 35 minutes. It was more like 45 minutes late. The food presentation and quality was lacking. We had to wait for tea and were only given one inch in the cup at a time, then had to wait again. The tour was shortened and not the length of time in the description, as part of the route and number of attractions seen were cut. It was disappointing in multiple ways and not remotely worth the cost. There was no direct way to contact TopView and no response to chat or messages. read more

The bus was late on Saturday, March 28th for the 3 o'clock tour. The tour did not commence due to the no kings protest. We were offered to sit at the curb and eat on the bus while we did not actually take a tour around the town. This was unacceptable and was informed that we could contact for a refund. This is a pretty expensive tour to sit at a curb and not take a tour regardless of the reason the driver was rude and unprofessional. I would like to be contacted and refunded my expenses for five individuals. I recommend someone monitor the employees on their tours. read more

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY. This was our second attempt to enjoy this experience. Bought tickets a couple of months ago we showed up early and they CANCELLED 10 min before the bus was due to arrive. We were offered replacement tickets and a 50% refund which the refund of 50% we never got. Now here to use the replacement tickets and say the bus is running an hour LATE. So we are all standing here looking disappointed . Bus did finally arrive inside dirty food terrible. Customer service is laughable read more

They cancelled our 10:30am reservation with a text message at 10:24am....... Would give zero stars if that was an option.

Terrible experience. They were 37 minutes late, had no way to contact them unless emails.

Dear Tea Around Town, I'm extremely disappointed with your approach to business and customer service. This trip was booked well in advance and my daughter, her friend, her friend's mom, and I were very much looking forward to this mother daughter night out in Chicago. Outfits were purchased especially for this night. You required a nonrefundable payment in advance, and then you then failed to deliver ANY service. Additionally, you instructed us to arrive 15 minutes prior to our trip or risk being left behind. We arrived at least 20 minutes prior to departure time via Uber, an additional expense. We witnessed the bus pull up and unload prior guests and leave. No communication was offered to us at that time. Subsequently, we received a text message FOLLOWING the scheduled departure time at 6:02 pm advising our trip was cancelled due to operational issues. We incurred another uber expense, did not have notice to make a dinner reservation or alternative plans for our night out. Following a little shopping, we found dinner at Yard Bird. Upon waiting for our next uber to return to the hotel, our girls were shocked and extra disappointed to see the Tea Around Town bus drive right in front of where we were waiting, clearly loaded with and hosting guests. Your lack of communication (you could have called and explained the issue vs send a text), delay in communication (you should have given respectful notice of cancellation), inadequate compensation and delay in refund (have yet to receive refund for services canceled and no compensation offered for time travel expense) is unprofessional and unethical. Also, I have yet to receive a refund. Would give zero stars if I could. read more

I would've loved to give this experience more stars, if I was able to experience it. They canceled via text an hour before. Communication was terrible, only had email and DIDN'T EVEN RESPOND. Not to mention, me and my friends were coming from an hour away! Don't waste your time. read more

I waited a few days before writing this because I wanted to be fair. The idea is cute and unique, but the experience didn't live up to expectations. My husband knew more Chicago facts than the tour guide, and the information shared was generic--nothing you couldn't find online. The setup was charming and feminine, and the food was pretty good. But as a tea lover, I was disappointed. The "tea tasting" came in a small plastic souvenir cup with barely an ounce of tea per pour, while others got much more. When I asked for a little extra to enjoy with dessert, I was told no. There was no tea or food menu, so I still don't know which tea I liked best. It's a nice one-time experience for photos, but not for true afternoon tea fans. I'm glad I paid the discounted price; at full price, I would have rated it lower than three stars. read more

The decor is seasonal but it was still decorated in a Halloween theme in December. Which is odd. The staff was friendly; HOWEVER, the rest of the experience was incredibly disappointing. It was 8 degrees outside. The location is a block away from what is described on the website. The food was hard and very underwhelming. And the WORST thing by far is the lack of tea. They give small samples, that did not even add up to a full cup. There were no napkins, sugar, or cream/milk to go with the tea. It is not a tour, it is a drive around the loop/grant park. I love high tea, this is not high tea. I would not recommend this experience to anyone. Sorry. read more

My mother and I were coming into town for a family baby shower and even though my mom is a native, I thought this would be something fun for us to do in our down time. We went on a Thursday to an almost full bus. The staff was wonderful! Attentive, kind, accommodating, just wonderful. We did the petite menu and were very happy with the selections. We honestly didn't feel we were missing out on anything so if you're on a budget, it really is a great menu. The teas were all yummy! The staff was aware of which were caffeinated and which were herbal. The take home tervis-style cups are adorable. The young lady singing had a lovely voice and that was a nice atmospheric touch. Our only complaint, we would've liked the landmarks talked about more. Point things out, give an interesting fact or a bit of lore. We passed some beautiful points of interest that we would've liked to have heard more about. We understand that this is still a very young tour and believe it can be not just good but great! I also highly suggest parking in the Aon Center. It's a secure lot, we came through the lobby and walked right out to the meeting spot. read more

Tea Around Town - Mom on the bus, covering her face for her privacy Petite menu and lots of pink decor. - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Paid for tickets in advance for Sunday March 1, 2026. Asked to show up at least 15 minutes early. Arrived 30 minutes early, paid for parking. Waited on street with no shelter and no facilities. At 3:15 finally got through to someone on the phone. I was told bus was cancelled and I could call back on Monday to REQUEST a refund. No notice, no representative, no email nothing. read more

Bus never showed up. Nor did we ever get a notification it was cancelled ahead of time (I paid for parking for nothing). Nor were we ever told on day of. Everyone had to hunt down a phone number to figure it what was going on. Support for refunds is also non-existent. Good luck finding a manager on the weekend, they're all off on day is if the tour. To make matters worse, you have to get an email from them first supposedly to get a refund. BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK. read more

Please don't use this service. They're unprofessional and rude. Our reservations were for 3pm they texted the group person that booked this at 2:50pm to inform us that the 3pm tea is cancelled. We had to pay $27 per car to park for 10 minutes due to cancellation. This is not a reliable business. The people who made reservations for 1:30pm pickup point location was Changed twice and the man was pissed. These people were getting on the bus at 3pm. I'm posting this on all social media platforms. read more

Concept, food and tour good. For the price the bus inside and out should be clean daily. Also decorations outdated and speaker kept cracking, could not hear the guide. This would be phenomenal if these things were done. People liked the concept and we went with a large group read more

Do not book with this company! Our group of six ladies planned our Tea Around Town outing months in advance. We each carefully curated our tea party attire (including fascinators, gloves, purses and all) and anxiously awaited this unique tea party experience. Finally the day arrived! As instructed, we arrived 15 minutes early for our 3pm tour. We saw the tea party bus parked on the curb and watched as ladies from the earlier tour exited, some sharing their expressions of what a wonderful time they'd had and how much we were going to enjoy it. As we stood on the curb waiting to board, the emptied bus suddenly pulled away without any explanation. Then 20 minutes later we received a text message stating that the bus would return fully refreshed and ready for us to board in 10 minutes. That never happened. We were left to wait outside on in the cold and rain without any further updates, until finally at 3:45pm we received a text message stating that the 3pm tour had been cancelled due to "operational issues". That's right- CANCELLED!! With zero accountability. We were shocked and in total disbelief. Is this a scam? Maybe. We will see if we ever receive a refund. I would never recommend this company to anyone. What should have been a memorable and joyous occasion turned into a frustrating and unacceptable experience. I'll stick with having tea at the Drake. Shame on you Tea Around Town. read more

Had a great time on the tour bus. The singing entertainment was a nice addition to the tour and made it feel much more special. If you've been on any other tour in Chicago you'll for the most part hear the usual factoids; but, with the interspersed songs and snacks/tea/decor, it felt much nicer. They mentioned they would be updating the decor/menu/tour/songs for the holidays which sounds nice. Too bad we won't be in Chicago for that season to see it. read more

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This was hands down one of the worst tour experiences I've ever had. I booked this for my friend's birthday, and it was a total failure from start to finish. We left 20 minutes late in the middle of a snowstorm. About 30 minutes into the tour, the bus broke down. We were forced to sit on the bus for another 30 minutes, then told to get off and take public transportation or an Uber. In a snowstorm. After paying for a guided tour. Completely unacceptable. After several complaints, the bus magically started working again and we were taken back, only for the tour to be cut short with zero explanation. No apology. No communication. Nothing. The worst part? Customer service. When I contacted them about compensation, the representative was rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. They kept saying "someone will reach out," clearly hoping I'd just drop it. Nothing has been done. This company shows no respect for customers' time, safety, or money. Poor planning, poor communication, and even worse customer service. Save your money and book elsewhere. read more

Tea Around Town Chicago Review My girlfriends and I purchased tickets to Tea Around Town Chicago to celebrate our birthdays and try something different. It sounded like such a fun experience, especially since our friends in other cities raved about it, so we were really looking forward to it. The service was good, the bus was decorated nicely, and the table setup looked just like the pictures. I love tea and thoroughly enjoyed every flavor that was provided--no sweetener needed! We had the Luxe package and really enjoyed the savory bites, sweets, and scones. The live entertainment was also a really nice added touch and helped set the mood. Now for what went wrong: the bus wasn't as clean as I would have expected--our seats and windows were dirty (I was seated at Table #4). However, the most disappointing part was that our tour took place on Sunday, October 12th, which happened to be the same day as the Chicago Marathon. Because of this, the meeting location and tour route were changed at the last minute, and unfortunately, we weren't offered the option to change our date or receive a refund. In my opinion, that should have absolutely been an option. Instead of seeing Chicago's iconic landmarks--the Magnificent Mile, skyline, the Bean, Millennium Park, riverwalk, etc.--as promised, our route showed run-down buildings, graffiti, heavy traffic, and not a single view of the water or the city's highlights. It was honestly terrible and so disappointing, especially as someone from Chicago who loves this city. I can only imagine how a tourist must have felt. Overall, this business should focus more on customer service and delivering the experience that's advertised rather than taking people's money and not fulfilling what was promised. read more

We had a group of 12 people celebrating a birthday. Everyone got dressed up, and we waited outside in freezing temperatures for over 40 minutes. After the scheduled tour time had already passed, we were informed (after we called ourselves) that the tour was cancelled. There was no prior notice or heads up of any kind. To make matters worse, instead of offering a full refund for a cancellation that was entirely their fault, they only offered rescheduling or a half refund. Some members of our group had flown into town specifically for this event. Overall, it was a very unprofessional and disappointing experience. read more

The reviews are pretty true, unfortunately. First, we got about 3 hour notice that the bus was going to be an hour late than planned, lucky for us we had no other plans so that worked out okay. We got there 15 minutes early as requested, but there was no one there to meet us as they said there would be someone to meet up with and wait for the bus. All of the people with our reservation time just found each other and waited in the frigid cold until 4:15 when the bus came (and called customer service a few times to see where the bus was). The experience itself was mediocre. The food was clearly hours old (cracked cream cheese, wrinkled capers, rock hard scones, dry deviled eggs). You get sips of tea in these cheap cups with no cream, sugar, or honey. Our hostess was nice and the crew was very sweet, so props to them, but not worth the $120 per person. read more

If I could give the business a minus star, would! We were supposed to depart at 1:30pm, but the bus never showed! While waiting in the cold, we received a text at 1:32pm that they were running late but gave no ETA. A bus arrived after 30 minutes but it was another bus dropping off people from an earlier tour and the bus driver could not tell us when our scheduled bus was to arrive. She called her supervisor who was not answering the phone. A security guard from one of the neighboring buildings said that this tour bus service does this all the time, either really late or they don't show up at all! After an hour of waiting, my friend and I went to have real afternoon tea at Russian Tea Time. Later I checked my text and Tea Around Town cancelled the tour, an hour after they were supposed to arrive, offering 50% refund or reschedule for another time! No way would I give them an opportunity to pull this again! My friend pulled the parent company (Go New York Tours) number from Reddit 212-664-0300, in case anyone else was scammed by this place! I will be reporting then to the BBB! read more

Not the experience you see on social media. They say to arrive 15 mins early yet our bus was late and when it arrived it had us waiting outside for another good 10 minutes. The bus was so dirty from the outside and the inside was decorated with fall garlands!? Really. The point of Tea Party is to actually drink tea not samples. The pastries were ok. Not worth your time or money. The staff were friendly but that's about it. read more

Can't NOT recommend it enough. We had booked for my mom's birthday and were notified via text less than hour before our departure time that our tour would be delayed 45min. Thankfully I'd allowed enough time between that and our next scheduled event to make it to both, but others on our tour weren't able to come because of the delay and weren't offered a refund. Then once our "tour" started there was ... no tour ... we just had mediocre food and tea on a not-especially-clean bus that drove in circles around downtown Chicago. There are no accommodations whatsoever - not for dietary restrictions, not for mobility limitations. The only way onto the bus is via steep, narrow stairs, so the poor girl with a broken leg had to scoot on her but on the filthy stairs to get to her seat. And there wasn't even an acknowledgement, let alone an apology, that we didn't get anything close to what we paid for. read more

First, I had surgery and had to change the day. they charged me 35% and the day I changed it to was way less than I paid for the previous day. You would think they would not have charged me the 35% to change the day since I was from a medical procedure I had (hip replacement). It was originally 50% to change the date. Ridiculous. The food was not good at all. They served 4 different teas in a plastic sippy cup and poured it into each person's plastic cup. They gave you about 4 sips worth of each tea. My husband and I go to high tea every year for the holidays. I will never go back to this one. It costs us $210 for to people plus $73 to change due to my surgery. Almost $300.00 for crap food and tea. read more

if you are even five minutes behind due to Chicago traffic, they will reschedule but for 50% of what you paid. I had already paid $300, so I was not going to pay $150 more. so I got hustled $300. Do not do it unless you live at the bus stop I guess. Big scam/hustle energy. read more

We were scheduled for a noon pick up at 200 E Randolph. Of our party of 5, 1 made the pick up. Downtown was a monstrosity of traffic, unexpected events and construction detours. So much so, that when the 4 of our 5 party arrived to meet the bus at 12:03 at the corner of Michigan and Randolph, the host refused to let us board citing "safety and security" reasons, wagging his finger at us through the filthy bus windows and shaking his head. His name was Brad. He knew we were a part of the party that had already boarded the bus, because just before noon, I heard my cousin over the phone telling him so. This company offers NO grace. When "policy" overrides common sense, the customer always suffers. $480 worth of ticketed patrons in heels, tea hats and dresses, shuffling around a filthy bus for access as they stalled at Michigan Avenue for not one, but TWO red lights. And Brad says we were a "safety and security" issue. What a disgrace. I contacted the company, who refused a refund. I will be contacting my bank! Horrible service. read more

HORRIBLE! Me and my friends arrived 20 minutes early in the cold winter air we found a number on the website they said the bus was running late and was going to be there at 10:45. Our bus was scheduled for 1030... we drove 3 hours to come here and this is what happens. Severely disappointed especially because it's my friend's birthday!!! DONT PAY TO RIDE THIS BUS read more

Very disappointing tour. We went during the Christmas holidays, bus decorated for Halloween. Did not care for the food. It had been sitting out and the bread on the sandwiches were dried out and hard. The microphone was not working on our bus so no entertainment or information. I thought you would get cups of tea, but all you received was little samples. They had nothing to add to the tea such as sugar or cream. The only positive thing the staff was very friendly. read more

We had a tour scheduled during a winter storm. The company refused to cancel the tour so we arrived and boarded. The first issue is that we were missing some food items that were supposed to be served, 2nd issue was that we were served tea in big paper cups, not the take home souvenir cup. A HUGE issue was the tour halted about 1/4 way through, we were just sitting on a random block for 30 mins. The it was announced the tour was over due to bus issues and that we could catch a CTA bus or Uber back to our destination point....IN A SNOW STORM!...after ppl got upset it was announced they would drop us back off at pick up point. So, they didnt finish tour, didnt give refunds. Tried to complain on the social media pages and they hid all the negative comments made by ppl on our bus. Very sketchy company, please be aware. I will be reporting them tomorrow to BBB. read more

My friend and I booked this last Saturday night on a cold frigid night in Chicago. We were supposed to depart at 6pm. I got a text at 3:30 saying there was delay; departure is now for 6:50. We get there early at 6pm to make sure we don't miss the bus. And the text message sounded sketchy. We waited a good 30 mins until we see the bus. But it's not our bus. It was another bus dropping off another group. We spoke to the driver and he said our bus is probably running late so we should just wait for our bus. There was no number to call. At that point I wanted to cancel & get a refund. After another 20 mins of waiting in the cold, they texted me at 6:30 saying our bus was cancelled due to mechanical issues. 20 mins before departure! And that i should check my email for a refund. I have not gotten an email yet. Please beware if you plan to do this event in Chicago. The driver told us several buses had to cancel that day due to mechanical issues. It was time wasted especially if you are coming from a far distance. read more

This is such a great concept! We too paid for the Luxe ticket and didn't receive anything additional but a more roomy table. The tables and getting around are tight. The savory portion of the food offerings were just not it for us. A lot of pickled flavors. A menu would have been nice. It's 48 degrees out and the air was on in the bus. It wasn't a 90 minute tour. We stopped 15 minutes early. The pick up spot was a block away from where we were told to be 15 minutes early. They rolled up 10 minutes after that. Finally, very shortly after we booked our tickets we needed to change our reservation to a different date. They charged the cost of an entire ticket to change the date. I understand no cancellations but I do not understand such a hefty price to change it. There was a month notice! Overall there's much better tea experiences in Chicago. This wasn't much of a historical tour either. Glad I went but won't again and won't recommend. read more

had a 1:30 departure and still haven't left. cant speak to anyone it's a scam. they won't let us on a different bus and they are not refunding us. read more

Tea Around Town - Letting on the 3:00 bus while the 1:30 people are still waiting - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall I had fun, but there are some serious improvements that should be made. First of all for a "Tea Around Town" there wasn't a lot of tea. There was only 3 teas we got to sample and the amount they give you is so small. With all 3 samples you wouldn't even get half a cup of tea which is pretty ridiculous since this is literally supposed to be about drinking tea. So needless to say I'm pretty disappointed. The food was okay but nothing amazing. My boyfriend and I got the luxe package and the only bonus items we got were an ahi tuna and the lobster roll and those were both pretty underwhelming. I'm upset because looking at their website it says we were also supposed to get extra desserts but those were not given to us. I wouldn't do this again unless they delivered what they advertised. read more

They sent a text 30 min before we were supposed to leave that it's cancelled, this seems common after reading reviews, not even a call, we drove an hour there and just a text, customer service is terrible, and they won't refund for 10 days, THIS COMPANY IS TRASH! read more

I had wanted to go to the Tea Around every since I saw the one in NY. Sunday the 26th was a beautiful day in the Chi. 15 min before event I received a text saying the location had changed. It's hard to pivot when parking is a factor. The steps going into( or coming down) the bus are not safe at all. I see this being a liability especially when it gets cold outside. If you are 5'9 or over ( duck) especially at the top. My fascinator got stuck in the decor. Here are the other issues: 1. The bathroom was not working. 2. There is no telling how long the cute lil sandwiches and dessert had been sitting. The bread was hard and the sandwich was dry and not appetizing ( not fresh) 3. The tour guide only talked about 4 times. She did not really give a tour ( good we live here) For those riding the opposite way of the driver... you really don't get to see much until afterwards. 4. The sugar selection was poor and appeared to have been stuffed somewhere because it was balled up 5. We did not get our full 90 min. Our tour was 1 hour. Maybe because they had changed locations and had to give people an opportunity to arrive. This was not our fault. 6. The decor was cute..however the ceiling looked like a DIY project. ..especially the rhinestone strip coming down a bit. 7. It was a bit hot on the bus The Pros Cute bus on the outside, slightly cute in the inside but lacked in excitement on the inside. The tea tasting was hot and good. It's a rip off. Cute concept execution was off. They have to do better or it won't last here in the Chi. We have choices! read more

Total scam!!! Beware. We had a 10/24 reservation. Traveled to Chicago for it. Departure was supposed to be to at 12:00 at 11 we were notified it wouldn't leave until 5 pm. At 4 pm they cancelled it. read more