Where to Drink: the 12 Best Historic Pub Tours in Australia

1.The Rocks Pub Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 447 reviews · from $82Our pick

Walk The Rocks with a lively local guide, stopping at four old pubs for a craft beer, cider, wine, or soft drink at each. Hear stories of convicts, larrikin gangs, the 6 o’clock swill, plague, ghosts, and Sydney’s first European settlement. Groups are capped at 15.

“Excellent tour of the Rocks and four fabulous pubs that date back more than 100 years. The beers were all excellent and there were plenty to choose from. Our guide Tanya was very entertaining and her knowledge of the British discovery of what is today Australia was excellent. Highly recommend!”

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2.Sydney The Rocks Historical Pub Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 251 reviews · from $82

Start at Harts Pub in The Rocks and walk between four historic drinking spots with guides such as Dave, Nick, Simon, Doug, or Colin. Expect local stories, Australian beer, cider or wine, four included drinks, and a small group capped at 15 people. Food is self-guided before or after the tour.

“Doug was an outstanding guide. He blended in the local history with pub stories. The tour was both enriching and refreshing. A must do item when in Sydney!”

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3.Old Hobart Pub Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 91 reviews · from $27

Spend 90 minutes walking from the Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre to Salamanca Place with guides such as Maggie, Sebastian, or Matthew. Hear dark tales of convicts, smugglers, brothels, and old taverns, then buy a drink at selected pubs. Expect a small group of up to 12 and plenty of outdoor walking.

“Maggie had great knowledge and enthusiasm. Very interesting tour. Thought was taken into account on which pubs to visit. Lots of suggestions on good places to eat. Walk was suitable for all ages and pretty flat. Some stairs inside pub theRead more”

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4.The Rocks Pub Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 60 reviews

Spend 2.5 hours walking The Rocks with an English-speaking guide such as Doug, Greg, or Craig. Visit four heritage-listed pubs, enjoy a beer, wine, or soft drink at each, and hear colorful stories about convicts, gangs, and Sydney’s oldest pub.

“We really enjoyed the tour, what a fun way to spend an evening in Sydney. Greg did a great job as our tour guide and provided excellent commentary. I was impressed with the drink sizes and choices too!”

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5.Hobart’s Liquid History Pub Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $82

Join Dave, Josh, or Gregg, known as Short Fat Dave, for a 2.5-hour walk through Hobart’s historic center. Visit four pubs, including Australia’s oldest, and enjoy a beer, cider, or wine at each stop while hearing stories of convicts, settlers, sailors, and old Hobart characters.

“This tour was a great way to learn about Hobart history and have a few drinks together with a local.”

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6.Balmain Pub Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $82

Walk through Balmain with guide Gregg, also known as Dave, stopping at four historic pubs for a craft beer or wine at each. Hear stories of convicts, gangsters, duelling colonists, murder, sport, and the escape from Cockatoo Island. The small group is capped at 15 people.

“Its a quirky look at certain pubs in Balmain. Hidden gems with some interesting banter from Greg our guide about the history of the pubs, the area and people through different eras of Balmain that we were unaware of. It was a great preseRead more”

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7.Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 8 reviews · 1h 30m · from $27

Join Lantern Ghost Tours for a 90-minute, English-language walk through Melbourne’s haunted pubs, arcades, and laneways. Guide Julie has led highly praised outings, linking an unsolved murder, a tragic love affair, the Chloe painting, and three historic pubs. Drinks cost extra and the tour is for ages 18 and over.

“Was a great night we enjoyed learning some of the stories and history of Melbourne (pubs and areas around the CBD). Julie did a great job. =)”

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8.Old Hobart Pub Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4 reviews · 1h 30m · from $26Best value

Walk through Hobart’s old drinking districts with a guide such as Christine, hearing stories of pubs, brothels, smugglers, convicts, and local characters. The 90-minute tour visits some of the city’s oldest pubs, with time to buy a drink if you wish. Groups are limited to 10 people.

“Public Tour. Not enough pubs too much standing on corners in traffic talking. Good knowledge of history prefer to be sitting in a pub.”

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9.MELBOURNE Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $27

Join Lantern Ghost Tours at 8:30 pm for a 90-minute walk through Melbourne CBD. Hear stories at Church Lane, the Rialto, Olderfleet, Centre Place, and the Mitre Tavern, with time to buy a drink and guides such as Linda bringing the tales to life.

“While the guide was friendly, they were more focused on convincing us ghosts are real (mainly by talking about their own grief and loss) than on telling us the spooky history of Melbourne. It got uncomfortable when they asked if anyone hRead more”

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10.Private Helicopter Outback Pub Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $451

Fly with Barossa Helicopters from Lyndoch over Jacob’s Creek, Tanunda, and Nuriootpa to the Wheatsheaf Hotel at Allendale. Pilot Nick has guided birthday flights here, with lunch, one arrival drink, local horseman Tom Willoughby, and a return route over Kapunda’s big miner.

“With our friendly and knowledgeable pilot Nick we took off from #barossahelicopters and headed to the Wheatsheaf Hotel at Allendale for lunch. We passed over a few wineries and Kapunda where we saw the big miner dressed up as FatRead more”

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11.Tales-on-Tap: self-guided tour of Perth’s Historical Pubs

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2 reviews

Follow virtual guide Riley through seven Perth stops, from the State Buildings to The Globe Hotel. Your phone provides maps, audio, historic footage, photos, venue tips, and stories about pubs, hotels, markets, and city characters. Allow about two hours, or linger longer at places that catch your interest.

“It was great for the history of the buildings and the people involved. Some of the places were not exactly what you would call a pub. One pub in Perth, just off the path that this takes, had a lot of history having been built in Ireland, taken Read more”

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12.History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $83

Join guide Ed for a 2-hour-5-minute evening walk through The Rocks. Visit nine historic sites and four heritage pubs, enjoying a middy, house wine, or soft drink at each while hearing tales of convicts, rum deals, razor gangs, tunnels, and ghosts.

“Ed was very knowledgeable and a great story teller. Enjoyed the personable approach and the interesting sites. The pubs were cool, tool.”

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