★★★★★
Thank you for a great afternoon in London with historic pubs I didn’t realise were there. Lots of traditional pub grub & beer!!! 🍻
JuliaGoogle
London changed around these pubs. They didn’t.
Four Pubs, Two Hours, One City
This is more than a drink at the pub. It’s a two-hour walk through four of London’s oldest houses — the ones where the poets, the playwrights and the politicians all drank. You’ll hear it all over a pint: the plagues, the fires, the plots. The rooms are old. The welcome isn’t.
Check Availability
Every day
at 2PM & 6PM
at 2PM & 6PM
Tired of tours that just talk at you?
Old Pubs, Proper Stories
Four pubs, two hours, and about 0.6 miles (1km) of gentle walking — the sort of distance that suits a pint. The London Pub & Historic Tavern Tour walks you round some of the city’s oldest public houses, including a tavern that survived the Great Fire and the back rooms where poets, playwrights, and the occasional conspirator once argued over a pint.
It’s £29 per person, in small groups, with a local guide telling the stories as you go. Food and drink are at your own expense, which keeps things simple; most guests enjoy three or four drinks over the tour. Come along — we usually have somewhere to sit.
Your Ticket to Another Time Price: £29 per person
Latest reviews
Could have continued for hoursSuch an awesome tour! Jude was so knowledgeable and engaging. Went to three pubs with plenty of history and stories in each.Reyan Paredes, UKSignificant historical pubsGrace did an amazing job of touring us through significant historical pubs. We had so much fun hearing the stories.Cathy Mead, UKLovely pubs, friendly guideRob was great, lovely pubs, fun and friendly tour guide. Awesome.Hal Miller, USARecommend it!!Super experience! Our guide Jude was so nice and knowledgeable. We found some nice people to talk to and the whole evening flew by.Sophie H, UK
What Makes This A
#5 star experience
Good Company
Solo or with friends, you’ll be part of a small group — never more than sixteen. A drink at each pub, and the conversation looks after itself.
Historic Pubs,
Real Stories
Rooms that have held poets, plotters and regulars for centuries. Every pint comes with a tale — we tell the ones worth telling.
Drink Like a Local
Skip the tourist spots. These are the pubs the regulars favour — well-kept ale, decent landlords and no fuss.
More Than a Pub Crawl
A pub crawl with a point. Two hours, four pubs, and the history that happened in each one. You’ll remember the rooms, not the route.
Tour Includes
What you get: an expert local guide, four historic pubs, and the stories to go with them.
Expert Local Guide
Led by a passionate local who shares stories, hidden history, and insider recommendations, making every stop more memorable than simply visiting on your own.
Handpicked Historic Pubs
Visit a carefully selected collection of historic pubs full of character, each chosen for its atmosphere, history, and authentic local charm.
Drinks & Exclusive Perks
Enjoy included drinks or exclusive discounts at selected venues, giving you the chance to experience the best of the local pub scene while getting great value.
Small Group Experience
With smaller groups, you'll have more time to connect with fellow travelers, chat with your guide, and enjoy each venue at a comfortable, relaxed pace.
Expert Local Guide
Led by a passionate local who shares stories, hidden history, and insider recommendations, making every stop more memorable than simply visiting on your own.
Handpicked Historic Pubs
Visit a carefully selected collection of historic pubs full of character, each chosen for its atmosphere, history, and authentic local charm.
Drinks & Exclusive Perks
Enjoy included drinks or exclusive discounts at selected venues, giving you the chance to experience the best of the local pub scene while getting great value.
Small Group Experience
With smaller groups, you'll have more time to connect with fellow travelers, chat with your guide, and enjoy each venue at a comfortable, relaxed pace.
Looking for More?
Good Pubs, Proper Food, One Evening
The pub tour, with food. Pies, scotch eggs and a few drinks across our handpicked pubs — all covered in the £79 ticket. Same stories, same city, just more of what pubs are for.
Explore the Pub Food Tour
Cheers From Our Guests
Thousands of happy guests have raised a glass with us—read what they had to say.
★★★★★
Our guide Robert was amazing very knowledgeable.
Colleen WortleyGoogle
★★★★★
Robert did a great job explaining some of the local history It was also able to answer our questions about additional things to do in the area. I would definitely give it a try, especially if you were new to London or are new to the drinking culture in the UK.
Walker SkinsGoogle
★★★★★
Such an awesome tour! Jude was so knowledgeable and engaging. Could have continued for hours. Went to 3 pubs and got a lot of amazing history along the way. Would recommend to anyone!
★★★★★
Grace did an amazing job of touring us through significant historical pubs. We had so much fun hearing stories, drinking pints, and meeting other tour group members on our walk.
★★★★★
Rob was Great, lovely pubs fun and friendly tour guide. Awesome.
Hal MillerGoogle
★★★★★
Recommend it!!
Super experience!!Our guide Jude was so nice and knowledgeable. We found some nice people to talk to and the whole thing was just fun.Would recommend it to anyone
★★★★★
We went to some beautiful Pubs with loads of history and the food was delicious, the scotch eggs and sticky toffee pudding were to die for!!! 😋
★★★★★
Great tour
Tomi was a fab guide, taking us to 4 historic pubs, plenty of historic info on each pub, era & area we covered. Plus lots of laughs along the way !
★★★★★
Maya our tour guide was great!
“Time well spent on a very interesting historical event.”
Every Review Tells a Story
Hear firsthand why thousands of travelers recommend our pub tour.
Have Questions?
+44 3308 227 686
Questions, Answered
Anything else? Send us a message and we’ll be glad to help.
bookings@sideroutes.com+44 3308 227 686
About 0.6 miles (1km) in total, at a gentle pace with plenty of stops. It’s more standing and listening than walking — the pubs do the heavy lifting.
This is London, so rain happens. We run in all of it, and the pubs are all indoors anyway. Bring a brolly — British for umbrella.
Children are welcome, but please message us before booking. The legal drinking age in the UK is 18, so younger guests get the history and the soft drinks.
Yes. Every pub serves soft drinks, and you’re just as welcome. The stories are for everyone.
We’re flexible with plan changes, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the tour starts.
Drinks are not included in the £29 ticket, and most guests enjoy three or four over the evening. We’ll point you to the local and historic drinks worth trying, and the stories behind them. If you don’t drink, that’s fine — every pub has soft drinks, and you’re just as welcome.
Travel Tales & Tips
Pub stories, hidden history and the odd useful tip — straight from the people who walk these streets most nights.
Best Pubs to Visit in London
From the riverside Dove to the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms, here are the best pubs to visit in London, chosen by the local guides who know them best.
The Best Historic Pubs in London: A Local Guide to 500 Years of Taverns
London is home to some of the oldest pubs in the world. A local guide’s pick of the most historic pubs in London, and the stories that make them worth a visit.
Cost of a beer in the UK
If you go to the UK as a tourist, it’s a good idea to try out some of the local beers. As we know, the pint is not just a drink in the UK.
A Short history of Pubs
For many people, the word pub is synonymous with the UK. And that’s for a very good reason, because taverns and pubs have been active here for centuries on end.
