Melbourne Hidden Bar History Tour

Forgot history textbooks and boring guidebooks, we’ll undercover the real characters and hidden history of Melbourne /Naarm (alongside a hidden bar or two!) that have made marvellous Melbourne what it is today. Experience the city’s unique bar scene with a local guide and have a drink at three amazing venues. By the end of this tour, you’ll discover that history really is better with booze (as if there was ever any doubt)!

Meeting Point

Sir William John Clarke Memorial

Spring St, Melbourne VIC 3002, Australia

Sir William Clarke Memorial Statue, Corner of Spring St and Treasury Place (next to the Old Treasury Building)
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What's included:

• Discover hidden bars known only to local Melburnians
• Experience Melbourne’s unique bar scene with a friendly local English-speaking guide
• Learn about Melbourne’s history with a drink in-hand
• Get tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay
• Try drinks at three unique Melbourne establishments (drinks non included in the tour price)

Not included:

• Because everyone’s drinking preferences and tolerances are different, rather than include drinks, we keep our tour price low and allow you to purchase drinks as you go. Most establishments accept bank cards, but there is occasionally a minimum spend. You may wish to bring cash if you want to avoid this.
• Drinks, food
• Tips/gratuities for your guide

What to expect:

Duration: 3 hours

Old Treasury Building

20 Spring St, East Melbourne VIC 3002, Australia

We begin next to the Sir William Clarke Memorial next to the Old Treasury Building. A symbolic area of Melbourne and home to our Parliament. The order of the venues may change, but together we will visit a variety of our favourite local watering holes, these may include a classic craft beer establishment, a laneway bar, a hidden speakeasy. Everyone has their favourite drink but you’ll be encouraged to try something different on this tour. Many of Melbourne’s most popular bars are in tiny, hidden laneways and survive on word of mouth alone.
Melbourne’s bar scene is ever-changing, so one of the bars will be chosen by your guide on the day, depending on the group’s desires, the weather, and what is trending in Melbourne at the time.
If you’re still thirsty by the end of the tour, don’t forget to ask your local guide for some more recommendations, so you won’t have to worry about a dry mouth for the rest of your stay in Melbourne.

45 minutes

Caretaker's Cottage

139-141 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Depending on the weather, your drinking preferences and what's open on the day, your guide will choose 3 amazing bars to take you to. One of our favourites is a hidden Cocktail bar behind an historic church

45 minutes

Little Lon Distilling Co.

17 Casselden Pl, Melbourne, Vic, Melbourne, 3000, Victoria

A thriving red light district, brothels, opium and gambling dens, Melbourne certainly had an interesting past! There's plenty of history to uncover on this tour, but don't worry it's not the boring history lesson you got in school!

45 minutes

Chinatown

Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Depending on your interests your tour could end up in any part of the city. One of our favourite places to take guests though is to the many hidden laneway bars of Chinatown!

45 minutes