Pub Crawls

A pub crawl can be as long or as short as you want it to be, depending on how many pubs! People used to do a Circle Line pub crawl. I remember a particular one we used to do as students, visiting all the pubs in the streets surrounding our dorm in London, in a specific order, sampling a pint at every one.

BUT I guess you mean an ORGANISED pub crawl? As in a guided tour of pubs? I guess you could opt out whenever you feel you’ve drunk enough? Last orders at most pubs is generally 11, so if people are going pubbing, that’ll usually be the cut-off point.

Curious where you saw a 5 hour pub crawl mentioned.

The London Walks pub tours are only about 2.5-3 hours long. Granted you learn about history but they usually visit 2 pubs and end up at a third where you can stay or leave. Getting into middle age I've found 3 pubs in one night is my limit but you have the option of not ordering a drink. I often use the opportunity to go to the loo.

Claudia, literally all of the advertised group pub walks/tours are 5 hours. Just looking for a shorter one. Found one, but it was more than double the price.

There is the Jack the Ripper Tour (um, no) or Hidden Pubs. The description is quite odd, but we might try it.
Thanks for having us look at London Walks. Wish they offered more night tours.

I don't know why one would need a guide or an organized pub crawl. Go to a pub, have a pint, go to the next pub have another pint. Repeat as fast and/or as often as you would like. Stop when you can't find the next pub or the next bus, or your keys.

OP you can easily do a pub tour on your own. Start at the Blackfriar, then stroll up to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and end at the Bank of England. Three different sized pubs. Each interesting.

Fancy a pint?

don't know why one would need a guide or an organized pub crawl.

I'd been thinking the same thing! It is very easy to plan your own. The Camra Good Beer Guide is the Beer Drinkers Bible. They also now have an app which you nmay find useful to identify pubs worth visiting.

One reason for an organized pub tour/crawl is so a solo traveler (such as myself) can have the opportunity to go on an outing with like-minded folks and meet new people. I agree with the OP that a shorter tour is preferable.

Five hours is a long time. I think these are going to be proper party events rather than a sedate stroll and few halfs.

To try to second guess what pubs the London Walks tour might go to, I think Claudia is on the money with Ye Old Cheshire Cheese. It starts at Temple Station, not sure what would be down there. Ye Old Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street, and there's another really interesting old pub called The Old Bell, just before you get to Ludgate Hill. Ye Old Mitre is a fair old stroll from Fleet Street but is similarly historic. Probably lots of really ancient pubs in that area that I can't think of right now.

Not far from Ludgate Hill is the Black Friar at Blackfriars. Great interior. Not as old as the others but great tiles.

Ah yes Claudia mentioned Black Friar. That would be a better first pub on the tour starting from Temple.

The London Walks tour is 6:00pm until 8:30pm by the way. Sounds a manageable length of time after all. Pace yourself!

Claudia mentioned Black Friar

oops old man grey cells

I've never been in Black Friar but I've passed it many times. I've been in the other two in Fleet Street and Ye Old Mitre. All worth a visit on the unofficial RS pub crawl.

Nice guide. People are copy pasting right now.

Yes, yes we are, GerryM. 😁 Also, which London Walks Tours were you looking at? Thx

Click on the link below:

https://www.walks.com/our-walks/the-hidden-pubs-of-old-london-town/