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. Then, head into the Globe Exhibition with an audio guide to listen to recordings of riveting performances and learn about drama in 16th-century London from interactive displays. Make your experience even more memorable by upgrading to include a sumptuous 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'–themed afternoon tea at the Globe's restaurant.
- Guided tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London
- Tour the reconstructed Elizabethan theater and see how plays were staged in Shakespeare's day
- Enjoy all-day access to the interactive Globe Exhibition
- See Shakespeare's world brought to life by actors, recordings and interactive displays
- Upgrade to include a whimsical A Midsummer Night's Dream– themed afternoon tea at the Swan at the Globe
From $22.56 USD
Lowest Price GuaranteeTrip back to the dramatic and mercurial world of Elizabethan London with a visit to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Bankside. Collect your ticket, which includes a tour of the theater and admission to the Globe Exhibition, 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.
After your 30-minute tour, continue to the Globe Exhibition. With your audio guide in hand, explore the exhibition at your own pace. Learn about the world and folly of performance in Shakespeare’s time, discover how sound effects were created 400 years ago, and hear about the processes that went into putting together a play, from writing and rehearsals to music and dance.
Plus, get interactive in the Playground and Discovery Space areas, enjoy recordings of Shakespearean performances, and learn about 16th-century clothing design as you browse costume collections. How long you spend inside the exhibition is up to you, but many visitors find between one and two hours to be sufficient.
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 a glass of prosecco and 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) to ensure you have enough time for the exhibition and tour before the afternoon tea.
Itinerary
Sandwiches:
- Herb fed lemon chicken, pea flower
- Smoked salmon, grape mustard and dill pancake
- Wild mushroom, whipped truffle cheese tart
- Duck egg mayonnaise, asparagus
- Chocolate and violet chouquettes
- Lemon and rose cake
- Strawberry delice and elderflower meringue
- Hibiscus and apricot shot
- Mulberry scones and plain scones served with clotted cream and midsummer jam
Reviews
Viator Traveler's Reviews
As a Shakespeare nerd I was so excited to attend the Globe Theatre and see the wonderful work they have done trying to replicate the globe theatre for modern audiences. We had a very small tour six of us so we were able to have a lot more question time with the lovely guide and able to sit up in the top rung of seats. The little museum about Shakespearian London is also very interesting and a good way to pass the time before the tour starts. We will be returning in the summer so we can attend a performance at the Globe.
A little bit of a mix up with booking afternoon tea and exchanging the voucher. I included my home phone number as I didn't have my travel sim phone number when I booked. The Swan rang home Australia to confirm, I didn't know and so I rang number on voucher to see what was going on as its site said no seats available for afternoon tea. All was sorted and I had a tour at 11:30, but I was supposed to be there at 11 but didn't know and afternoon tea at 2:30. The tour and exhibition were great and afternoon tea was delicious.