Melbourne History Walk with Bar Stops & Local Stories
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Melbourne, Australia
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Raise a glass to Melbourne's history while bar-hopping among some of the area's best watering holes, without worrying about navigating. Hear tales of the Gold Rush, rebellions, royals, and Olympians while a fun-loving guide shows you how locals unwind. Visit a range of venues—from a typical Aussie pub, a hidden speakeasy, or a cozy wine bar—for a safe and social way to partake in Melbourne's famous bar scene while meeting fellow travelers.
- Get a taste of Melbourne nightlife on a boozy bar hop and history tour
- Kick things off on a historical note at the Old Treasury Building
- Pop into pubs, wine bars, speakeasies, and cocktail lounges with a guide
- Get top tips on other places to eat and drink during your stay in Melbourne
What's Included
- Discover hidden bars, rooftop venues, and speakeasies tucked away in Melbourne’s laneways
- Follow a flexible route tailored to group interests and the day’s best bar picks
- Connect with fellow travelers in a relaxed, small‑group setting (max 12)
- Learn the real stories and characters behind Melbourne/Naarm’s history
- Enjoy engaging storytelling from passionate local guides
- Drinks, food
- Tips/gratuities for your guide
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Sir William John Clarke MemorialSpring St, Melbourne VIC 3002, Australia
Sir William Clarke Memorial Statue, Corner of Spring St and Treasury Place (next to the Old Treasury Building) Find the exact meeting point with what3words: ///bounty.gift.allow
End point
- Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia
City - Central Business District, within the free tram zone
Operating hours.3:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Old Treasury Building
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Caretaker's Cottage
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Little Lon Distilling Co.
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Chinatown
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Bring card or cash? While most stalls take cards, a few may require a minimum spend — consider carrying some cash.
- Rain or shine? This tour runs in all weather — just bring layers and a sense of adventure.
- Under 18? This tour is for adults only — guests must be 18 or older to join.
- Is the tour accessible? Some areas may have limitations, but we’ll tailor the experience with early communication.
- How far do we walk? The tour covers around 1.5 km (0.9 miles), but this may vary based on group interests.
- Are drinks included? Drinks are not included, so you’re free to choose whatever you love at each stop — from craft cocktails to wine, beer, or alcohol‑free options. No fixed menu, no generic inclusions, just total flexibility to match your taste.
- Is sustainability important to you? This tour is carbon neutral and run by a certified B Corp committed to responsible travel.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 81 reviews
Michel_H, Oct 2025
We loved the tour and its flexibility to the group and their personal preferences. We visited hidden gems and places we probably would have missed if not for this tour! The bars were fabulous and all with a different but great vibe. Our guide provided interesting historical information about Melbourne and kept it very interesting.
Julie_V, Feb 2025
Tristan took us on a history and hidden bar tour, it was the best afternoon, and Tristan is a wealth of knowledge about Melbourne. We had so much fun I highly recommend this tour to everyone.
Frances_P, Feb 2025
Hidden history lesson with great bar drinks and cocktails. With knowledge of Melbourne that I never knew. A great interesting way to getting insight into Melbourne's hidden history. Thankyou Tristan.
Jane_K, Jan 2025
It was a nice afternoon out and about Melbourne. However, the selected bars could have catered more to the age group of participants.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Hi Jane,
Thank you for your review. We hope that you learned a lot while on tour with us, and we are happy to read that you did enjoy the afternoon. We are grateful for your suggestion about the selection of stops to cater for the demographic or hopes of the group on the day of departure. We have sent your constructive critique along to our team for discussion. We look forward to seeing you again in future, and thanks again!
With warm wishes,
Jennifer_H, Nov 2024
Tristan was a wonderful guide that was open to fit the experience to our tastes. A perfect blend of sightseeing, bars, and history. Thank you Melbourne!
Hope_Q, Sep 2024
Seriously the perfect tour after a long week of traveling to Melbourne for work. A great way to have some amazing cocktails and hear about the history of Melbourne.
kimmaree_s, Sep 2024
Tour was informative with lots of good stories from Melbourne's past it was fun to find the hidden bars, we really enjoyed it.
Donna_S, Jun 2024
This was a great tour. Our guide Tristan was wonderful. Lots of drinks, laughs and great company. Will be choosing another one next visit.
Julie_R, Jun 2024
Tristan took us for a tour of Melbournian history and introduced us to some amazing little bars whilst doing so. We enjoyed every moment of the drinks, locations and story telling. Thanks Tristan!
Vicky_H, Jun 2024
It was great seeing parts of the city up close. I laved the unique pubs and talking to the other people on the walk. Tristen was wonderfully entertaining with lesser known history of Melbourne. Would highly recommend this tour
Carolyn_G, Jun 2024
We all had a fantastic time with Tristan. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Plenty of laughs were had. Would highly recommend this tour.
Adam_H, Apr 2024
We had a great time. Tristan was very knowledgeable and a wealth of information.
Would recommend this tour to anyone.
Phil_B, Apr 2024
Absolutely terrific tour! Tristan was a great guide and very knowledgeable! We went to some great bars. Ones that we wouldn’t have found by ourselves. Tristan’s local knowledge was invaluable. The history of the area was comprehensive and very interesting. Thanks for a great afternoon!
Lin_G, Apr 2024
Fabulous afternoon, our tour guide Tristan was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic and went over and above for our tour. Group was small so he became our guide and photographer! Having a cocktail, whilst listening to the story of the establishment, made it a special afternoon.
Billly_C, Apr 2024
Tristan was a well informed guide and made the tour very enjoyable. He made great pub selections and we definitely recommend the tour.
Lori_E, Feb 2024
Great time had by all!
Interesting and fun!
Lots of information provided by tour guide ! It poured rain, but that’s Melbourne!
PattiJo_W, Sep 2023
Tristin was a first class tour guide. He was well prepared, professional and a great story teller. We enjoyed learning all about Melbourne’s history and visiting the “hidden” bars. This was a wonderful walking tour and we found so many places to visit again. Tristin was informative, warm and a joy to be around.
Julie_B, Jul 2023
Anna was an amazing guide, friendly, knowledgeable and knew all the great spots to take us to. Well worth it. Loved it ☺️
Sophie_K, Jan 2023
Local Tour guide was very knowledgeable and adapted the bars to our preferences. The tour group was very small, did expect it to be slightly larger and would’ve liked at least one drink to be included in the price of the tour. It was a great way to see the city and learn tips from a local.
Joshua_P, Dec 2022
Tristan was a great guide and really personalised the tour for us. We could tell he knew so much of the history of the city and was really tailoring the tour to our preferences. We really like the stories he brought to life and the people who have lived here previously. Also it was a great selection of bars that we wouldn't have found ourselves
Sivakumar_A, Aug 2022
Interesting tour with visits to some backlanes as well. Our guide Nicole was awesome! The bars were nice and unique in their own ways.
Andrew_C, Aug 2022
Great tour, great tour guide (Anne) with a lot of knowledge and stories. Phenomenal experience. Drinks were great as well, and the service at the places we went to was great as well.
Jemele_H, Aug 2022
Anna was our tour guide and we was exceptional — knowledgeable, personable, and funny. She took us to some great spots and especially loved the lesson on the street art in Melbourne. My husband and I enjoyed her company immensely. She is a gem.
Kevin_T, May 2022
Nothing to share. It was canceled and supposed to be rescheduled for Friday. Was told I would receive a confirmation email. Never received any email. Plus tried to get in contact with Viator. Still no contact.
Joanne_S, Apr 2022
We discovered some great places to go, hidden amongst city buildings. We had a fantastic tour guide named Joseph who was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of information on Melbourne. It was a perfect day for our tour and we thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. Would recommend this tour.
Sue_T, May 2021
We had a very interesting and informative afternoon with V !
We loved the bars we went to. The drinks were yummy too.
V has a wealth of information about the history of Inner City Melbourne’s early days. She particularly showed us and discussed with us how women who had no other choice set up successful businesses in order to survive.
sharon, Feb 2020
Not much history but saw four interesting/boho bars. Pleasant enough guide but was a little disorganized. The last bar wasn’t even open so we had to scramble to another.
evanstd, Jan 2020
Thank you Nicole for a great afternoon in some hidden bars with a bit of history learnt along the way. Also, thanks for the tips for future visits.
From $36.82
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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