Shakespeare's Globe Guided Tours with Optional Afternoon Tea

Trip 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.