Small Group Tour: Historical Pub Walking Tour of London
London, United Kingdom
Discover ancient ale houses and literary drinking dens on a 3-hour afternoon pub tour of London. Centered on the area in and around the City of London, the tour visits at least four of London’s finest historical pubs, your guide will recommend different ales in each (not included). Hear the history of the pubs, learn the differences between Elizabethan coaching inns and Victorian gin palaces, and visit the watering holes frequented by legendary British novelist Charles Dickens. Numbers are limited to 14 on this small-group pub tour, ensuring you’ll enjoy personalized attention from your guide.
Meet your guide at St. Paul's Cathedral and then set off on a stroll to acquaint yourself with London’s finest old pubs. After passing iconic sights such as a former Shakespeare playhouse, head to Blackfriars in the City of London. As Britain’s banking hub for some 2,000 years, it’s no wonder that the City of London is home to some of London’s oldest pubs. Head inside one of the locals’ favorites to experience a proper London boozer at its finest — resplendent with wooden tables clustered around a horseshoe-shaped bar. Sip on quality local ales (not included) and soak up the bustling atmosphere while your guide points out features like the medieval wall frieze above the bar.
Head outside and walk along Fleet Street, another London neighborhood that brims with history. Wander through the cobblestone alleyways that typify this part of the city, and stumble upon a late 17th-century pub tucked away down a side street. Choose from the large selection of beers, ales and ciders on tap (not included) and sit down with your guide, hearing tales of British literary greats who once drank here – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens and Alfred Tennyson, to name a few.
Leave your pub and work off your afternoon’s beers on a leisurely stroll to Covent Garden, a short walk away. Pass more historic pubs along the way, and hear tips from your guide about other drinking dens to visit in the capital for more beer or perhaps an evening meal at your own expense.
was EXCELLENT!! The young lady that did our tour was so knowledgeable about London history, all the building and statues we walked by,and the pubs. She was so friendly and personable. Really made the tour. It was lomger than I expected 3.5-4hrs but very worth it.
Review by: morriscandice1, April 2018
Tour was good. One small downside was that there was no real communal bonding experience. It was mainly going to each pub and dispersing, then meeting back up when you are done. I have been on pub tours where everyone sticks together at each pub there is a designated place to sit for the group and then you get to know more people and just socialize a bit this is just my preference. If you do not mind not socializing with others then this may be the tour for you. You do get a nice bit of history and the pubs are interesting though. The guide is also very sweet, funny, and knowledgable. Just a minor downside which I wish I would have known about.
Review by: Eduardo L, March 2018
David and Griff were awesome and entertaining. I would highly recommend this tour. Although, you do have to question David on some of his stories. Some are true, but some maybe aren't? But that just added fun to the overall experience.
Review by: Ddgerdog1, March 2018
Had lower expectations as it was a pub tour but our guide, Chris, was fantastic. My wife and I got some great information and insights not only of the various pubs but the local flavor too. I would recommend this tour and go again next time we are in town.
Review by: Matthew C, March 2018
Considering the fact that it was bitterly cold with snow in London the day i did the tour, I have to commend from the outset how great our guide was as he battled the elements and really took the time to explain interesting parts of the city as we moved from pub to pub. He was lively, engaging and everyone on the tour had a great time. It was great to taste some local ales and meet a diverse group of people spread over all parts of Europe - Overall, a fantastic event, very social, interesting and different in a good way!. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this tour and also want to give a shout out to the owner who was very helpful and patient with a number of questions I had emailed him prior to departure! Thanks for a great tour!
Review by: Cynthia S, March 2018
Loved this tour, will highly recommend to anyone visiting London. We visited 5 pubs and learned many fun historical about London.
Review by: NAG, February 2018
Dave was an amazing guide with lots of knowledgable tidbits about the area. You visit 5 pubs in a little over 3.5 hours and get history with all of them. Group was only about 10-12 people, so easy to keep up. There is some walking and some narrow ways that may not be entirely wheelchair-accessible. Great tour, highly recommended.
Review by: Erika Y, February 2018
Eileen was really fantastic and had both the knowledge and personality to really give a great tour of both the pubs and neighborhood. As a first timer to London, I'd definitely go on another tour with her.
Review by: Burgo, February 2018
A really great way to see some sights of London whilst meeting some great people over a larger. Our guide was only 6 weeks into her new role but she was fabulous and had some great insights. As we did the tour on a Sunday the charles Dickinson pub was closed but even so we very much enjoyed the tour. Highly recommended small group tour.
Review by: crissyo, January 2018
wonderful experience and great fun meeting like-minded people as you walk the steps of the literary writers. The guide David, was everything a great guide should be...served up with Irish humor! You will love it.
Review by: Luisana D, January 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Lou, December 2017
What a fun way to spend an afternoon in London. Our guide was very informative, humorous and a pleasant chap to be with. The pubs themselves were warm, friendly and inviting. We had a good mix of locals and out of towners who enjoyed a pint and a bit of conversation.
Review by: Camille G, December 2017
History, fabulous pubs and great beer. Terrific guide and this was a very cold and nasty day. Great fun!
Review by: Richard H, December 2017
Great guide. I would highly recommend this tour!
Review by: Carrie K, November 2017
Highly recommended! Dave is super knowledgeable and fun. Expected most of the content to be about pubs - but actually got a great pub tour with much info about beer, ale, cask ale, history of brewing, etc. along with an excellent historic tour of multiple London neighborhoods. One of the highlights of our trip.
Review by: Edward M, November 2017
The trip was educational as well as fun. Chris did a great job of pointing out interesting sights throughout tour and providing historical references.
Review by: Joann P, November 2017
John was an excellent tour guide. He is very knowledgeable and entertaining. He gave a great tour of the city and pubs as well. I loved all the ones he took us too. They were beautiful inside and rich with history and culture. John stayed professional and courteous the entire time yet fun and deligh
Review by: David M, October 2017
This tour was one of the highlights of our time in London! It was a great combination of history and fun. Each pub stop had something unique to share. Chris was fantastic as a tour guide and had tons of knowledge about the places we visited.
Review by: Jessica R, October 2017
This tour was amazing! We did it yesterday and our guid Chris was great. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to hit up some great pubs in London. Great price too!
Review by: Roxanne D, October 2017
This was the best time on our whole trip!! Chris the tour guide was great! He gave us the nitty gritty on London that we did not get on the full day tour!! He was great at combining the pubs with the history and insider knowledge of London! I did this tour with my daughter Georgi for her 24th birthday, and even tho she was probably 30 years younger than anyone else, she loved it as well! The selection of pubs was perfect!! We both thought this was the highlight of our trip! Thank you , Chris!! You made the day!!!
Review by: kdouglass9, October 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Michele, October 2017
Pubs, pints and humor! This historical and satisfying beer tour takes you down the very narrow and curious streets one wonders about as you ramble around London. Dave, with a clear and distinct voice, guided us to many different pubs, each with centuries of character, as well as tales of local lore and myths along the way. Relaxed, yet businesslike pace, the more pubs to see and taste with time to have a half pint at each stop, was 3.5 hours of quality time!
Review by: Yvonne Q, October 2017
Pouring with rain so the walking wasn't much fun but our guide was great and the pubs were all old and interesting architecturally.
Review by: Peder, September 2017
the tour was fun and informative and our guide was a wealth of information and loved what he was doing. we loved the history and beauty of these pubs and would definitely do another one of these tours again.
Review by: William B, August 2017
This tour was great! We had Chris on August 9th and he was amazing! We did a total of 6 pubs and had a beer at each one. My husband and I had such a great time and went back to one of the pubs for dinner and the food was spectacular too. A pub tour is truly the best way to see London if you ask me. Highly recommend!
Review by: Christa P, August 2017
Fun time with a good group and a great guide! Lots of facts and historical stories. He took the time to socialize with everyone and answered all of our questions. The pubs were extremely interesting and vastly different from one another. They were not on the beaten path and would be difficult to find on our own. We did go back the next night to the last pub on the tour. Do make sure to eat before taking the tour as there is not enough time at each pub to order and eat food.
Review by: Tom M, August 2017
Good tour that provides you with an opportunity to experience some sights that are off-the-beaten-path. The pubs were fun, the pints were refreshing, and our guide, Freddy, was friendly!!
Review by: bnoreszko, August 2017
This tour was amazing! The small group size made it easy to get around, as well as get to know everyone on the tour. Kat was an awesome tour guide. Not only did she take us to some really great places with a good selection of beers, ciders, and cocktails on offer, but she also gave us a lot of historical and cultural information both about the pubs we visited and the areas we passed through. Each pub we visited was more beautiful then the last. By the end of the 3 hours, everyone was enjoying themselves so much, she took us to a 5th pub. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Review by: Keith H, August 2017
Dave was a great guide. This tour was one of the best activities our family of 6 ages 23-55 did on our trip to London. Dave had interesting stories to tell about the history of the city of London as we walked from pub to pub. We visited 4 pubs, with enough time at each pub to enjoy some local ales, gin, cider or other mixed drink.
Review by: Joseph G, July 2017
Absolutely loved this tour! It was a lot of fun with some great history mixed in. Our tour guide was funny and interesting. Despite the fact that rained most bof the tour, we still had an amazing time!
Review by: Donna O, July 2017
Dave was a fabulous guide - friendly, knowledgeable and very humorous. He kept us entertained with great stories and anecdotes throughout our tour. He also included some extra sites not specified on the tour but of interest to the group. Dave was patient in answering general questions about the city and clearly has a deep knowledge of London history and culture. Thanks for making our trip so much fun!
Review by: Jordana Estefania, July 2017
So much fun! We checked out some really cool places and Chris our guide shared interesting info. Had plenty of time at each place to enjoy a pint and relax a bit.
Review by: mary.ferraro, June 2017
This tour is great for history lovers and/or beer lovers. Our tour guide Kat was just the best! She took us to some of London's oldest and most beautiful pubs. As we walked from pub to pub, Kat introduced us to the history of the areas we were passing through as well as the history of the pub. It was a very interesting and fun afternoon. I highly recommend this tour!
Review by: Jonathan B, June 2017
Our fantastic guide Dave showed us 5 great English pubs and gave us fantastic history on each one. Its the perfect time as its afternoon so we had no problem finding a seat and getting a pint. If you like beer and history this is the tour for you.
Review by: Rebecca J, June 2017
Dave was wonderful! Super informative about the pubs and everything along the way. The afternoon tour is perfect as the pubs are quite empty so it and #39;s easy to grab a pint and a seat.
Review by: Steven T, June 2017
We did this tour on a Saturday afternoon and had a fantastic time. There were two guides with about 14 people in each group which made the size of the group ideal. Our guide, so sorry I forgot his name was interesting and fun. He made everyone feel comfortable and a part of the group. We visited five pubs and learned the history of each. We appreciated the suggestions offered by the guide as to what to drink. Each pub was different and the atmosphere in each was amazing. The pace was perfect and we never felt rushed. We learned so much about the area we walked in addition to the importance of each pub. This was one of the best tours we did while in London. We highly recommend this tour and will definitely do it again.
Review by: pamikef, June 2017
We had a great time on this tour. Chris, our guide, was a font of information and gave us quite a history lesson along with imparting some lesser known tidbits along the way. He was also very good about recommending what beers to have at each pub. The pubs were each so impressive and interesting and we never would have found a few of them on our own. Would highly recommend this tour as it made our last day in London one of the best days!
Review by: Mark E, May 2017
This was a highlight. Chris did an amazing job of giving us history of London and the pubs. Recommend to anyone!
Review by: Wendy J K, May 2017
Indepth, witty and funny commentary regarding London's fascinating pub history. Which is wrapped around and supports a merry drinking culture. Complete with stories about royal princesses, murdered priests, ghosts, journalists and black friars. Insights into places and museums worth visiting that are of the tourist track. As a group of three we thought, Dave our tour guide was great, couldn't have asked for a better guide.
Review by: Kelly F, May 2017
I got this tour for a birthday gift for my Dad since I knew we would be going to London. Honestly, when we got to the meeting site outside a coffee shop/underground station, my dad had very low expectations and I was a little worried we were going to be the only people on the tour. But, it ended up being about 15 or so other people on our tour group--very great experience meeting the other people on the tour as we went throughout the City of London exploring and drinking. We went to 5 different pubs and on our walk to each pub, the tour guide gave us insight into the history of London that I would have never known had my dad and I simply walked to the pubs ourselves! Loved this tour and it was an awesome gift for my dad--he ended up loving it too! Highly recommend!
Review by: Samira R, May 2017
The tour structure was good but was not impressed with the tour guide. He was loud and did not present the information in a coherent manner !!
Review by: Big Gaz, May 2017
What a great way to see London. Dave the tour guide was personable, knowledgeable and a warm personality. He took time to know where everyone was from and included all in his commentary. A great way to see a bit of London and meet new people.
Review by: Christene T, April 2017
Third time taking this tour. Always a fun time. Enjoy meeting new people! Highly recommended!
Review by: Thomas G, April 2017
LONDON IS MEANT TO BE EXPLORED BETWEEN PINTS OF ALE : This guided historic pub tour is literally the BEST THING we did on our trip! We had an absolute blast, learned so much, and saw so many parts of London that we would have NEVER seen. Our guide Jonathan was absolutely fantastic! He guided us on a fun and informative journey throughout the city, and provided a WEALTH of information above and beyond anything we expected.
Review by: Mary Jo H, March 2017
This tour was an unexpected surprise! Our guide, Chris, not only led us to 5 marvelous old pubs, but he provided fountains of information during our walking tour about London's lore and history. We visited some very historic out of the way places, as well as some we might have found on our own. This was an extremely pleasant and fun afternoon approximately 2 PM-7 PM by the time we returned to the area of our hotel in Covent Garden. The walk was at a pace where everyone could keep up, brisk but not rushed. The pub stops were long enough to enjoy a drink and conversation prior to moving on, and the commentary was informative and quite different and sometimes quirky from what other guides such as those on the Big Bus or Thames River boat offer. Chris was congenial and fun and interfaced well with everyone in the small group, which was comprised of people from all around the globe. We would go on this tour again and highly recommend it to others - it was a lot of fun.
Review by: Joelle P, March 2017
Perfect way to spend the day!
Review by: Lee, March 2017
Great Beer Sommelier for a guide to our pub visits.
Review by: Wendy S, February 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon with John, our guide. What a fun and social way to get to know more of London. John had many informative and funny stories on the history of London and the pubs. My friends had all been to London but never checked out the pub culture except going for the odd beer. They will definitely try this tour next time.
Review by: Jpbritt, February 2017
Great way to tour part of the city and some really cool pubs. Our guide Freddy was great offering a lot of history and humor along the way. All 5 pubs were unique and we enjoyed trying some different ales at each pub. Would definitely recommend this tour!
Review by: Paul M, February 2017
What a great time walking around central London with Ru and our small group, hitting the coolest of places we would surely have missed on our own. She told us the tour would start out quietly, as they usually do, and then get progressively louder as we got to know each other and had a few pints! By the time we got to the final stop we were old friends. Highly recommended as a way to see some historical pubs and get the lowdown on the various different beers available at each one.
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