Walking Tour: Historic Chicago Pubs in River North and the Loop
Overview
Available languages
3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Eat, drink and discover Chicago's Loop and River North neighborhoods on our Chicago historic pub tour via the Brown Line! Join us on this "over age 21" adventure for a combination of great Chicago stories and adult beverages as we tour historic sites and legendary pubs in the city’s Near North Side.
We'll kick off our Chicago tour at the beautiful Marquette Building then head to the Adams Street Brewery, part of The Berghoff, Chicago's oldest, continuously-operating restaurant for a drink and a snack. Next stop, we board the Brown Line for a brief train ride to River North.
In River North, we'll visit Brehon Pub with a fascinating story involving bribery and the Chicago media. The Green Door Tavern is next on our list. It's the oldest pub in Chicago and sits above a well-hidden, authentic Prohibition-era speakeasy.
We'll then board the train again and make our way back to the Loop where we'll have "last call" at historic, antique-filled Monk's Pub.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Should be able to climb stairs as not all train stations are equipped with elevators
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Marquette Building
Meet your guide at 140 S Dearborn in the lobby to begin our historic pub tour.
Grab a drink at the Adams St Brewery (inside The Berghoff) and learn the story of the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the city.
What‘s Included
Transit tickets
Local expert guide
Gratuities
Alcohol
Food and beverages
Options
Walking Tour: Historic Chicago Pubs in River North and the Loop
Reviews
9 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fun afternoon tour
jls522,Aug 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was our second tour with Tom and L Stop Tours and we enjoyed it just as much as the first (Prairie Avenue - also highly recommend!). Of the 4 places we visited, we had only visited The Berghoff before, but learned more about its history during our time there. We enjoyed learning about all of our stops and will definitely be back to spend more time at each of them. The afternoon went very quickly and the whole experience felt like hanging out with friends. Tom has a lot of knowledge and clearly loves this city and we look forward to touring with him again in the future
Great tour
petegglt,Nov 8, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great tour, if you are in chicago you can't miss this tour, Tom is a great guide with a lot of knowledge. The pubs and places are amazing !! It was a great experience.
Hisorical look at pubs
deanc860,Oct 24, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tom is a great guide and has a great passion for the city of Chicago. He offers great history on the sites you visit while at the same time enjoying the offerings of the establishment being visited. Even the Malort! I will definitely let people know of this great tour of the Historic Pub tour.
A little of everything - tons of fun!
Brandon G,Jul 8, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a great tour! It has a little of everything - architecture, skyscraper history, pubs, the L, stories, pubs, nice views, oh, and pubs! The tour guide had tons of great information and fun stories.
Fun tour of pubs in Chicago
B2051MXkevins,Jul 7, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tom is a great guide who loves Chicago. We loved hanging out with him and learning about Chicago’s history and architecture.
Drinking our way through Chicago’s iconic pubs
Ausausbaby,May 28, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was our second tour with l stop and Tom, as we visited 4 well renowned pubs. Money well spent, we enjoyed our brews, as Tom spins yarn about the historic pubs we visited! Also accommodated us by starting earlier as we had play tickets early that evening. Class act!
Tom is great!
Andrew Z,May 9, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00Had a great time! Took my relatives from out of town who are very picky about activities and they loved this tour a lot. Tom is a great local guide who knows his city very well and brought lots of neat materials and photos to bring the sometimes sordid histories of each pub to life. Chicago is a city steeped in the tradition of libations so it would be a mistake to miss exploring the city from within her pubs!
Drunk history
eaglezip17,May 6, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tom was a great guide; very informative on pubs I would have never come across. Allows plenty of time at each location while discussing historic attributes of each . Would like to do some of his other tours. A little rainy, even had ponchos for us.
Fantastic tour of historic pubs
katiel769,Nov 14, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a fun tour!! I have visited Chicago many, many times , yet still learned a lot and saw places I had never seen before with this great tour. Tom is a fabulous tour guide and a great guy to have a beer with. He loves his city and is full of fascinating info and stories. Highly highly recommend!
From US$65.00
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Operated by L Stop Tours