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Shakespeare's Globe Guided Tours with Optional Shakespearean Afternoon Tea

London, United Kingdom
  • 50 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
London Tours
All London Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Unique Experiences

Overview

Travel through time to Elizabethan London on a guided tour of the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Visit the reconstructed theater on the city’s Bankside and enjoy lively commentary about staging and performance in Shakespeare’s day. Make your experience even more memorable by upgrading to include a sumptuous 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'–themed afternoon tea
  • Tour the reconstructed Elizabethan theater and see how plays were staged in Shakespeare's day
  • Upgrade to include a whimsical A Midsummer Night's Dream– themed afternoon tea at the Swan at the Globe
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What's Included

  • Guided tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (maximum 30 people)
  • Guided tour and Shakespearean themed afternoon tea, if option selected
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
  • Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting And Pickup

Departure Point

  • Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT England

What To Expect

Trip back to the dramatic and mercurial world of Elizabethan London with a visit to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Bankside. Collect your ticket and then join up with your guide and group at the tour meeting point.

Head inside the Globe — a masterpiece of Elizabethan architecture and active performance house — and harken back to the days when ordinary (and terribly raucous) citizens crowded the open-air, circular theatre for a Shakespeare show. Immerse yourself in tales of the 1599 theater experience, which featured the unruly sport of Elizabethan spectating, and hear about the Globe’s history, renovation and current life as an experimental theater space.

Afternoon Tea Upgrade Option

Finish your tour in style by upgrading to include afternoon tea at the Swan at the Globe. This one-of-a-kind afternoon tea is inspired by Shakespeare’s much-loved A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and many of the sweet and savory delights on offer can be traced back to the play — even the crockery on which the tea is served has been designed to reflect the play's whimsical themes. Sip on your choice of tea, and sink your teeth into a delectable selection of finger sandwiches, scones and cakes while you gaze out over the Thames River and St Paul’s Cathedral. See the Itinerary for a sample menu.

Please note: If you’ve opted for the upgrade, please arrive by 11:45am (Monday to Saturday) or 10:45am (Sunday).

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Step inside this faithful recreation of William Shakespeare’s iconic Globe theatre. Imagine it as it would have been at the centre of London’s notorious Bankside entertainment district. Throughout the year their expert guides bring this extraordinary open-air theatre to life in a 50 minute guided tour, with colourful stories of the 1599 Globe, the reconstruction process in the 1990s and how the building works today as an imaginative and experimental theatre space. Take a seat ‘within this wooden ‘O’’ – listen, absorb and ask questions as the secrets of the Globe unfold.

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Visitors need to arrive at the entrance of the Groundling Gates on Bankside opposite the river, where a staff member will greet you at an outdoor information pod.
  • We advise visitors arrive 15 minutes prior to tour departure.
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Duration of guided tour is 50 minute.
  • The Globe is a working theatre, tour times vary due to performance schedules or sometimes take place during rehearsals (giving you an exclusive look at the rehearsal process!).
  • Guided tours take place in all weathers.
  • There is no dress code, but we recommend visitors wear appropriate clothing and footwear as tours take place outdoors.
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Tuesday to Saturday afternoon tea is served at 1.00pm if option is chosen
  • Sunday afternoon tea is served at 12.00pm if option is chosen
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

A little pricey but the overall experience is really worth it!
The Globe is an amazing replica and definitely worth the visit.
Reviews
4.5
408 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 408 reviews
we had a great time. our...
Ken_A, Nov 2022
we had a great time. our guide was amazing. I would recommend adding this to your london touring. amazing
Mick the excellent tour...
Robert_H, Feb 2022
Mick the excellent tour guide a true cockney gentleman who was very knowledgeable and also very humorous
Interesting Tour
Bernie_B, Sep 2021
Loved our tour of the Globe Theatre...Groupt not too large - Not too long but very interesting. Many thanks to all.
A magical experience
Rachel_C, Aug 2021
This visit was especially for my boyfriend’s birthday. He is a very big fan of Shakespeare and has watched many plays in Stratford. We weren’t disappointed the guide was was lovely! With a touch of humour she was very informative! So interesting. In side the globe, was wonderful with its open thatch roof, so authentic in great London metropolis. We also had the privilege to see actors at work rehearsing for twelfth night. My only complaint, I would have loved to stayed longer. Definitely come back in the near future to watch a play.
Great experience
Richard_s, Aug 2021
great tour with informative and entertaining knowledge went with our 12 year old and we all loved it
Globe Trotting for the recommend!
Olivia_K, Jan 2020
Awesome knowledge! We bloody loved our guide - I sadly missed his name but he looks a little bit like Graham Norton? Anyway loved him and loved the tour! I would highly recommend
Awesome tour guide
Colleen_B, Jan 2020
The Tour was great Jeremy was awesome He made Shakespeare come alive. we will be back to see a show. .
Shakespeare Done Right
Gina W, Nov 2019
What a treat it was to sit in an exact replica of the original Old Globe Theatre. The afternoon tea next door was a wonderful way to cap off a perfect afternoon!
So very interesting
Elvira T, Oct 2019
Loved this...very informative and highly entertaining. Our guide Frances was extremely delightful and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Open ticket time
Iamuth14me, Sep 2019
Very informative guide. I liked the whole experience. We watched the actors practice from the bench seating. Again open time ticket which made for relaxed day.
A trip back in time
MajorDan2019, Aug 2019
Our guide was informative and full of energy. She explained so many things about the recreation of the Globe theatre and how it is thought things were like in 1600 or so. Definitely worth the time if you appreciate history and still remember something of Shakespeare's plays from your school days. They do live plays here as well. we didn't know that but next time, we will have to attend one to see the theatre in action.
Excellent Tour
Roving566624, Aug 2019
Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. The Globe is an amazing replica and definitely worth the visit. My boyfriend and I are both Engliish teachers but we still learned a lot on this tour.
Absolutely wonderful
Jessie H, Jul 2019
Excellent tour of the Globe as well as great photo opportunities without other people being around. Gerrod was our tour guide and gave fantastic information; very humorous and entertaining, definitely learned quite a bit. We even got to watch a fight scene run-through since we were touring right before a 2pm show. The tour lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. Afternoon tea was all set up through Viator which gave us such peace of mind. I was super impressed by everything. Our reservation for tea was amazing- the white tea (pear and ginger) was so delicious as well as all the cakes and sandwiches were perfect! We opted for the champagne which felt so fancy. The restaurant (The Swan) was beautiful with stunning views of the Thames and skyline. I made sure to print and bring the tickets for both the tour and tea, Viator made everything so smooth and easy. My husband and I had a wonderfully perfect London afternoon at the Globe, not to mention we saw the 7:30pm performance of Midsummer and laughed till we cried. It was a dream!
Not enough information
Kim_V, Jul 2019
Didn’t realise it was first come first served ticket so my daughter and I missed out due to a lack of time. Next time will book directly with The Globe
Shakespeare Globe Tour & Tea wonderful! But NEVER book through Viator!!!!
Janet_S, Jul 2019
However, would suggest you NEVER book through Viator! They do not allow digital tickets, only printed ones and they totally screwed up the schedule leaving us to fix things with the theatre after finding no tour existed at the time we were to be there. Highly recommend the experience, just not this booking company!
Fun at the Globe
Go61835562091, Jul 2019
Getting there by Tate to Tate boat was a highlight. Guide (Ed) was very knowledgeable and brought the time of the Globe alive. Having a rehearsal ongoing made the experience much more interesting and going into the arena twice was good as it brought out different aspects for the observer. The Tour was nicely timed - just long enough.
The theater was great
Julio_G, Jun 2019
I enjoyed being the tour through the theater, but I didn't like the tour guide. She started by repeating several times that this was not the original theater (joy and imagination killer) and then she would make senseless jokes while showing the theater, I felt like telling her LADY THIS IS SHAKESPEARE'S THEATER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, STOP THE NONSENSE. Instead I took of my headset and lean towards another group of school boys who were there with the teacher, who by the way did an excellent job, much better than our foolish guide
Very nice
Gwyn_A, May 2019
Just what it says-everyone was efficient, polite, and knowledgeable. I got there early and they were happy to have me go with the 11 a.m. group. We got to watch several minutes of a rehearsal which was very interesting! After our tour, our guide directed us to the site of the original Globe, which is really just a block or so away.. I was also early for tea, which I understood was at 1:30, but they were all set up and took me at about 12:45. This was lovely. The room was charming, with an unbelievable view. The service fantastic, and the food tasty. A little pricey but the overall experience is really worth it!
Great
hickmelodyann, May 2019
Fabulous! I would highly recommend this tour! Our guide was fun and very informative. Teatime was very nice at The Swan!!
Very interesting! Jeremy was our...
Elliot_O, Aug 2018
Very interesting! Jeremy was our guide and he was very captivating and knowledgeable!!! Would highly recommend!
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Product code: 5009GLOBE

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