Free Historical Pub Tour London

About the tour

Come with us on a journey which will take you to the essence of British culture in one of London’s most beautiful and historic areas, Covent garden. Visit five historical pubs and try their fine traditional English ales as you listen to great tales of times past that will help you understand just how much the pub culture has helped give shape to the country’s personality. On our Free Historical Pub Tour you will understand how pubs are a part of Britain and Britain is part pub!

Catch a glimpse of what ale houses were like in the Golden Age from the best possible source, William Shakespeare, in whose plays we can see the attitude towards drinking and the importance of the pub as a centre for amusement, entertainment and social life in the 16th Century. Learn about Oliver Cromwell, the puritan leader of the only republican period in English history, the Commonwealth of England which lasted 11 long years in which pubs and theatres were closed, and even Christmas cancelled one year! Hear how this proved to be unbearable for Londoners and how the restoration of the monarchy led to possibly the most excessively lascivious and libertine period in British history as you drink a pint of delicious ale in a pub built during that era!

In this tour, you will understand why Queen Victoria once said: "Give my people plenty of beer, good beer, and cheap beer, and you will have no revolution among them."

*Important note*: Pints in London cost around £5 so please budget accordingly. All pubs take card payments but some have a minimum spend.