Private Historic London Pub Tour: Oldest Pubs & Hidden Stories

5.0 (2 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation

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Private Historic London Pub Tour: Oldest Pubs & Hidden Stories — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Private Historic London Pub Tour: Oldest Pubs & Hidden Stories, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Highlights

Explore Pub where Elizabeth I used to dance
Drink in the same pub where Charles Dickens used to drink
Have a pint at the most well-known pub for journalists since 1667
See the last surviving Victorian gin palace in London
Discover extravagant religious-themed pub

Private and Luxury Beer & Brewery Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Spring Break Short term availability Weather Dependent - Moderate

At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 20 people
People per booking: 1–10
Guide: English
Operated by: Pigeon Tours

Ages: Children (15–17 years) · Adults (18–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Professional Tour Guide

Not included

Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

The Lamb

10 min

You will start your tour from Victorian-style interior pub, where Charles Dickens used to drink. English Heritage describes the pub as “an exceptional piece of Victoriana”.
Crown Tavern

10 min

Continue your journey towards the tavern where Lenin used to drink before revolutionary matters took him to Russia. It is thought that he may even have conferred with Stalin on site. More recently it was the setting for a scene from Notes on a Scandal, starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. There you will try a good pint of ale.
Ye Olde Mitre

10 min

Afterwards, you will get to one of the most difficult to find of all the pubs. It’s unashamedly traditional (no TVs), and long may that continue. The previous clientele is rumoured to have included Elizabeth I (one story goes that she danced around a cherry tree that is still there). your guide will take to the most famous pub for journalists since 1667. Countless literary grandees and journalists – from Samuel Johnson and Dickens to the Fleet Street hacks of the 20th century – have occupied a nook or cranny in its labyrinthine interior. You will try a pint in the pub where beer cellars are former cells of the prison.
Blackfriars Bridge

10 min

You will see the weird pub with the extravagance of its religious-themed art nouveau interior.
The Seven Stars

10 min

One of the few places in the area to survive the Great Fire of London, the tiny Seven Stars pub now has more than four centuries of history behind it. Located just behind the Royal Courts of Justice, it is a natural stomping ground for the pinstripes of the legal profession.