Private Tour
Private Walking Tour: Historic and Hidden Pubs of London
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
The UK is well known throughout the world for it's many cosy, unusual, quirky, historic and atmospheric Pubs. This tour visits the best London has to offer. Get away from the usual tourist trail and head into the hidden courts and alleys of old London.
Expect colourful and sometimes grisly tales, flag stones, wooden panelling, quiet snug corners, and traces of the many people both great and ordinary who have propped up the bar in times past.
• The Oldest and Most Historic Inn's Tavern's & Pubs
• Visit the Pub's Charles Dickens took inspiration from
• Hidden Alley's, nook corners, and log fires
• Try traditional Ales & Ciders
• Hear the stories and history behind each PubA relaxed tour at your leisure and pace - Will you manage all 5 Pubs?
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Minimum age is 18 years
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Local guide
Professional guide
Private tour
Transportation to/from attractions - Mostly on foot, but some Tube travel involved.
Alcoholic Beverages
What To Expect
You will be personally met at your central London accommodation by your own private guide to begin your trail through the best and most historic pubs London has to offer. A relaxed, informative, and enjoyable tour tailored to your interests and pace. First up is -The Mayflower This waterside Tavern dates back to the 1500's, and in 1620 Christopher Jones docked his ship outside the Tavern. That ship was called the Mayflower and would take the founding colonists out to the New World that would become the USA. Those who have ancestry back to the Mayflower can ask to sign the register kept behind the bar. You can even purchase postage stamps, this tradition goes back to the time when the area was alive with sailors from all over the globe. They often had no time to go to a post office when ashore, so the Mayflower was granted a special licence. Crammed full of nautical items, a cosy fire place and candle lit, you really could be in a different age.
The only surviving galleried Pub in London that dates back to Tudor times. Often referred to as William Shakespeare local, it also has connections to Charles Dickens and Sir Winston Churchill. The yard next to the George used to be the site of the Tabard Inn, featured in Canterbury Tales. The Bear Baiting, Cock Fighting and Bare knuckle Boxing may be long gone, but the George retains many of it's period features and eccentric clientele. Shakespeare if said to have performed plays in the courtyard here.
Options
Tour For THREE People
Bespoke Historic Pub Tour with a drink at each Pub & private guide for THREE People Non rushed and personal tour. (Total cost for 3 people)
Tour For 4-5 People
Bespoke Historic Pub Tour with a drink at each Pub & private guide for 4-5 people - Non rushed and personal tour. (Total cost for up to 5 People)
Tour For TWO People
Bespoke Historic Pub Tour with a drink at each Pub & private guide for TWO PEOPLE Non rushed and personal tour. (Total cost for 2 persons)
Tour For ONE Person
Bespoke Historic Pub Tour with a drink at each Pub & private guide for one personNon rushed and personal tour.
Reviews
10 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Custom pub tour turned out exactly as we wanted
ACotraveler,
Nov 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was the perfect tour for us. Richard was awesome! So knowledgeable and friendly. I loved customizing the tour to exactly what we wanted, and he accommodated our interests on the fly in a dynamic way. We never felt hurried. We aren’t too knowledgeable on English history, but that wasn’t a problem at all because he tailored the history stories to our level of prior knowledge. It was awesome to get to go into these super historic pubs that were sometimes very crowded and have a local (Richard) know right where to find a pint and a table without fighting the crowds. Thanks, Richard! We’ll be booking with you next time we come to London!
One of our London Highlights!
angeladP3215HY,
Apr 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The pub tour with Richard was one of our favorite things we did during our trip and we tell everyone who’ll hear it. While we expected a standard tour, Richard exceeded those by telling us the history of not just the locations we visited, but every landmark we passed along the way. We learned so much and not just specific to the pubs we visited, it was really fascinating. Not only was it extremely informative from beginning to end but Richard really cared about giving us a great experience, like making sure we rode on a double decker bus, offering to take pictures with certain landmarks, giving recommendations, etc. You can tell he’s extremely passionate about his job and loves what he does. Do not miss tour with Richard, you won’t regret!
Great afternoon in London
G4023VFpaulh,
Aug 18, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a really good afternoon and the host Claire was passionate and engaging and really friendly. Would highly recommend
Great experience all around!!
Kristen S,
Jun 28, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful.. Richard was so knowledgeable and showed us so much history in hidden old pubs thorough London. He was so knowldgeable, I would definitely use him again for future fun outings!
A tour not to be missed .
Culture16863406626,
Jun 25, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Thanks to Adam who was a great tour guide . I rarely write reviews. I enjoyed it but sadly the pubs finish early here hehe . Same in Australia as well around midnight in some pubs .The company with other travellers I enjoyed as everyone shared their experiences. Tips and so forth . Nice being a solo traveller as you get to meet new people .
Would definitely recommend friends
Abdullah A,
May 12, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Thank you so much Adam the tour was amazing and fun. I learned a lot about the historical pubs and Adam is a charismatic person the made the tour enjoyable.
Historical pub tour for two.
R5891PTjohns,
Feb 10, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Richard was absolutely great. Before the tour he communicated with us about any Pubs we had already visited or specific ones in which we were interested. He was very informative on the histories of the individual pubs and neighborhoods as well as the general history of the periods through which the pubs served historical figures. It was a fun and enlightening experience — and provided an opportunity to try many different brews!
Best tour in London
mollyferguson123456,
May 5, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the best tour with Diggity the dog… and Ricky of course ;) in all seriousness it was a very laid back, interesting tour. Great recommendations for drinks and we learned so much about London! 10/10 would recommend :)
The perfect historical pub tour!
Levi B,
Jun 13, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a truly phenomenal tour for anyone who loves history and pubs. I cannot recommend it more highly! My father and I had a great time, learned more than we could have imagined, drank some great beer, and were able to take our own pace on the tour. I will do this again!
Informative and great pace.
Fiona O,
Apr 19, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Chris’s knowledge was great, he kept us all entertained but the recommendation to try the scotch eggs topped off everything. Lovely way to spend your first day in London.
Related Experiences
Operated by Richards Tours