London Historic Pubs Private Tour With Free Drinks!

What a great tour with Stephen! We had a mixed walking and pub tour and had the most memorable time. Stephen had so many fun facts, stories, and pride about his country. We talked the rest of the day about how much he shared. The pubs stops were a great addition to a traditional tour and we even got the bonus of seeing prison cells in the basement of one of our pubs. A three hour walking tour may seem daunting but we could have toured with Stephen all day! We would enlist Stephen on our trivia team any day!!

I cannot emphasize enough how informational and enjoyable this walking tour of English pubs was!Stephen was a walking encyclopedia of facts and humorous tidbits of London and the pubs we visited. The pubs by themselves were amazing and historically significant but getting to know Stephen by the end of our 5 hours or so was an added reward. On top of everything else this was his 52nd birthday and my son Lucas and I and many others who happened to be in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese sang Happy Birthday to him while tipping a few more pints. What an experience - there is a reason that every other traveler that has written a review of this tour has rated it a 10. Stephen is fantastic - we will be back for another different tour with him for sure!

We have booked Stephen for a small tour with a totally different view of London as a present. After more than 4 hours with 4 pubs "walk-in" and 8 pubs "walk-by" plus a church plus plenty of additional spots and loads of insightful information presented in a digestible and funny manner, we concluded that it was a marvellous tour. We enjoyed our time with Stephen tremendously. Thank you! The tour is absolutely worthwhile.

We had the absolute pleasure of joining Stephen for a private guided pub tour in London, and it was truly the highlight of our trip. Stephen’s encyclopedic knowledge extends far beyond the pubs themselves, though each stop had its own fascinating story and character. He wove together the history of London, British culture, and even broader European events with such depth and clarity that every street corner seemed to come alive. What really sets Stephen apart, however, is his humor and engaging personality. He has that rare gift of making you feel both entertained and enlightened at the same time. The four hours we spent with him flew by, and we were genuinely sad when the tour came to an end. It felt less like a “tour” and more like being shown around by a brilliant old friend who happens to know everything about London. Stephen tailored the experience perfectly to our group, balancing history, storytelling, and of course, some of the most charming and historic pubs in the city. We laughed, we learned, and we walked away with not only a deeper appreciation for London but also memories we will always treasure. If you are considering a pub tour, or frankly, any tour in London or the surrounding areas, do yourself and your family a favor and book Stephen. You will be entertained, educated, and treated to a jolly good time that far exceeds expectations. He is simply the best.

My wife and I had a wonderful time on this tour. Super interactive and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend it.

Stephan added so much color and knowledge to the tour. It was a great experience start to finish. We got to see many different neighborhoods and pubs that we never would have found on our own.

Fabulous tour! A must-do if you have a free afternoon in London and are interested in some unique tid-bits and great storytelling! Stephen was an incredible guide who immediately fit in our group and felt like a friend; plus he always had a lively story to share with us over a pint! Would highly recommend this tour (or any of the Ye Olde England themed tours) and will be doing it again on my next trip to London!

This is a must for anyone coming to London. Steven is a fun and energetic character who knows everything about the city and beyond, answering any question I had to throw at him. Tours and history aren’t the most boring things in the world for me but it isn’t something I typically look forward to. However, looking back on the trip this was a highlight. Being able to see/tour the city and different pubs with a local was great. A lot of pubs we went to we would’ve never found on our own. Thanks Steven!

What an incredible tour!!! Our guide Stephen took us to five pubs that were fantastic with each one having a very unique history (and the beers were great too!). My favorite was the Mayflower, the oldest pub on the River Thames! Stephen is incredibly knowledgeable on London's history and shared many interesting stories about the pubs and the surrounding area. I would recommend this tour to anyone and we look forward to booking another tour with him next year!

Stephen was an exceptional friendly and knowledgeable guide! We got great pub history as well as history around London. Definitely worth it! I highly recommend this tour.

Stephen took us on this amazing tour of some of the hidden historic pubs in london.We loved the day very much Stephen is very friendly chatty and has so much knowledge. We will go on one of his tours again and would thoroughly recommend his tours to everyone. we saw places we didn't know existed despite living only an hours drive from London . He also gave us a longer day than we expected and didn't feel rushed at all 10/10

Such a wonderful tour. Stephen was an amazing guide full of knowledge and enthusiasm. We not only went to pubs with an abundance of history but also saw numerous monuments and special sights. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to go on a pub tour, it is definitely worth it

Fantastic tour. Stephen is an amazing guide. It’s not just a Pub tour but a tour that provides interesting historical information. Stephen is an entertaining guy and we enjoyed every moment of our tour. A great way to spend a day.

The Historic Pub Tour is highly recommended. Such a great way to get away from the usual touristy stuff. Stephen is a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable, engaging, generous and personable. This private tour (that’s right, a private tour so no large groups, or a guide yelling their boring script or wearing dodgy audio sets!) took us off the tourist tracks and showed us an interesting and intriguing history of London, stopping at numerous authentic historical pubs and enjoying a drink at each one (the drinks were included in the price). Conversation easily flowed with Stephen. We enjoyed his stories and the way he shared his knowledge. He is a passionate guide who wants to give you a great experience. This tour was exactly what we were looking for and we can’t recommend it enough.

We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Kevin. He met us at our hotel to bring us on the tube to our destination. Area. He shared his knowledge of history and interesting points of comment along the way which was very insightful and added a tremendous amount to this tour. It was just the right balance of enjoying a pint, learning unknown facts about the pubs we visited and walking. We would highly recommend this tour and Kevin!

*my family and I booked this tour on Viator. Cross posting our 5 star review because this tour deserves it and to note that the 3-star review here is not accurate and is actually misplaced. Please disregard it My family and I absolutely loved this historic pub tour with Stephen. He showed up promptly at the agreed-upon meeting spot and time, and immediately charmed us with his vast knowledge of the history of London. It was fascinating learning about the various streets and corners of London and the original significance of each of the pubs we visited. Also, the drinks served at each bar were delicious. Seriously, Stephen is a more reliable Wikipedia and you would be hard pressed to find a better guide. My family and I will be booking future tours with Stephen when we return to London next time as he offers a wide variety of tours throughout London.

My family and I absolutely loved this historic pub tour with Stephen. He showed up promptly at the agreed-upon meeting spot and time, and immediately charmed us with his vast knowledge of the history of London. It was fascinating learning about the various streets and corners of London and the original significance of each of the pubs we visited. Also, the drinks served at each bar were delicious. Seriously, Stephen is a more reliable Wikipedia and you would be hard pressed to find a better guide. My family and I will be booking future tours with Stephen when we return to London next time as he offers a wide variety of tours throughout London.

We were a big group for the private tour and Stephen was an exceptional guide. I’ve personally been to London 5-6 times and I ended up seeing a lot of new neighborhoods and pubs that I hadn’t ever visited. Stephen is extremely knowledgeable, all of us were blown away by the fun facts and depth of history he shared. The pubs he took us to were exceptional and ones where the locals drink, no touristy spots. He was fun, delightful, kind, EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGABLE. He was one of the highlights of our trip, highly recommend.

What a fantastic tour! Drinks, history, conversation, more drinks! Stephen Liddell was a superb guide with an endless wealth of knowledge on anything and everything you could want to know about London and areas further afield. While the beers were great, they weren’t the point, which was even better. Just sitting in historic pubs having ANY drink, hearing the stories, talking about whatever, that was the point. We got caught in some steady rain a couple times, which just seemed to add to the authenticity, and Stephen went right along with it (while not keeping us outside any longer than necessary). He even offered up a great suggestion on where to buy cigars (Stephen, we took you up on that) and maybe some thoughts on where one’s Premier League loyalties should lie. Hope we can do this again on our next visit.

Our guide, Stephen, was incredibly knowledgeable and interesting. We learned so much about the history of the old City of London, Holburn, and Farringdon areas in addition to visiting unique, historic pubs. Stephen offers many other tours, and we will definitely take one the next time we visit London.

Stephen Liddell is a talented and entertaining guide. He is a mine of information; it's surprising he doesn't self-combust with all of it whirring around in his head and which he shares with you as you walk around the streets of London on a bespoke tour that he's crafted. It's like walking around with your favourite teacher and friend, having a conversation and, on this one, as it's a pub tour, the occasional bevvy to whet your whistle. He tells you tales, drops in anecdotes of people he's met and talked to; the famous and the everyday as you crisscross bits of London that are both familiar and never knew existed. Although we racked up some steps (not all with Stephen that day), we hardly noticed as we stopped at 4 or 5 pubs along the way, not all for an alcoholic drink ;) We enjoyed it so much that we're hoping to do his Secret Gardens later this year. I usually have to drag my husband along on walks, but he was thoroughly absorbed and has been praising Stephen's talents to friends and family since!

This was the most fun day we had during our stay in London! It has a relaxed, tourist guided pace. We went to 5 pubs but Stephen had even more to offer but we chose to take our time with a young child and enjoy those 5. We were taken to pubs with great old stories such as the flirting parrot and Lenin’s hang out spot. Each pub stop came with a drink for each person giving us a sampling of English pub offerings. We did this on our last full day and it was great relaxing and fun day while still learning more after a full week of tourism. Stephen did a great job showing us hidden spots such as gardens, chapels, and the oldest continually inhabited building in London as we walked from pub to pub. Highly recommend!

Stephen was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Definitely recommend. The history and atmosphere was enjoyable.

What a brilliant brilliant tour. Stephen enlightened us all with some obscure London history facts and stories. We alI loved his passion and knowledge; he is a walking encyclopaedia. We were lucky to go to some of the pubs that many people had their last ever drink in! If you get a chance to go on this tour, do book Stephen to do this.

We absolutely loved this tour. Stephen is amazing! I particularly enjoyed going down to the cells at the Viaduct Tavern. Stephen knows everything there is to know and his knowledge knows no bounds. Thoroughly recommended. Book it - you won’t be disappointed!

I live in London so it's not often I do a tour in my own city! But here was a great reason 🙂 Pubs I've never been, places I've never seen, sights I've never known, gins I've never drunk! If anyone ever wants to do a tour of London, I can heartily recommend this, or indeed a tour of any kind, guide supremo Stephen Liddell, a encyclopaedic mind & a heart of gold who can't do enough to make his guests happy 🙂

What Stephen doesn’t know about London, you could probably fit on postage stamp. He is, hands down, the best guide in the UK! I’ve been on a few tours with this company (admittedly most already ended in a pub!) but this was fascinating. I loved every minute of it!

I have no words to describe how amazing this experience was and how amazing Stephen was. I came with very high expectations and they were surpassed at every pub, with every story, fact and with every moment spent with Stephen. This, without a doubt, and after 6 years living in London was the best thing I have done to this day. I booked it to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday and it was truly magical. Stephen is full of facts, interesting stories and a genuine passion for the city and what he does and it shines through making it an unforgettable experience. I will recommend this to everyone and I hope I will be able to do many more of the tours he does. Every pub was unique and wonderful, and I feel extremely lucky to have been part of this experience. This was a tour done with love, from the designing of the walk, to the care in every detail that he shared with us. By the end of the experience I felt like I was saying goodbye to an amazing new friend.

Stephen took us on a wonderful tour around Clerkenwell on Christmas Eve and we had a fantastic time. His knowledge was incredible and gave us a tremendous insight into not only that part of London but London as a whole. He was warm, funny and really made us all feel relaxed. We were talking about all Christmas! Thanks Stephen!

This tour was more than I could have asked for. Stephen truly is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to facts about London and these historic pubs. It felt like we were walking back in time! Many facts you would miss unless you had a guide like Stephen taking you around. We booked this as the start to our work xmas party and it was a blast. Pubs, pints and history of London. What more could you want! I will keep recommending Stephen to everyone I know looking for a fun and insightful experience around London. I also can't wait to do his other tours! Truly, I could not recommend this tour MORE! Even on the tour I ended up chatiitng to some people at one of the pubs we went to and I said YOU MUST BOOK STEPHEN! Low and behold, they've booked him for a tour on Christmas Eve! What a lovely idea.

Stephen is awesome and did us a mash up of the pub tour plus crimes and punishment. We had such an incredible afternoon - the pubs were amazing with fabulously different beers available and the information he pulls out of thin air about the location and the pubs history is something to behold. We can’t wait for our next trip!

Stephen has an encyclopaedic knowledge of London facts, stories and trivia. We had a wonderful day that satisfied both the history buffs and real ale enthusiasts! We saw some of the most beautiful pubs in London, all with fascinating histories. We went down into the cellar of one pub where they used to keep prisoners and another pub that technically is in the city of Cambridge. I've been tiring of living in London recently but this tour reinvigorated my love for this city!

This tour was just amazing, entertaining, educational, nutritional, hydrating and fantastic fun. I went with 4 friends and Stephen our guide so there were six of us in all. The pubs were all great and served a decent selection of beer on the whole. But Stephen is just the best guide. He is a genuine mine of information. He has masses of knowledge of history and every few yards we learned something new and interesting, including the cells in the cellar of the Viaduct Tavern , where Stalin and Lenin met in the Crown Tavern, The life and death of Jeremy Bentham, the history of the Hospital of the Knights of St John with its monster sized canonball, to mention just a few. We had our dinner booked for 6:30 pm, otherwise we could have gone on for another 5 hours - honest! I would mark this tour 100%!

I had a fantastic time last Friday on the Historic London Pubs tour. Great tucked away pubs with lots of history and great beer. Our guide, Stephen, made the whole experience so much better than simply a pub crawl. His encyclopaedic knowledge historic London made the tour educational and engaging. He took us to several pubs each with it’s own, sometimes grim past. The routes between the pubs were chosen carefully and Stephen continued to add history and anecdotes as we went. I would highly recommend this tour and I will certainly be taking another of Stephen’s tours in the future.

Great tour I totally recommend, wonderful venues all backed up with historical anecdotes. Stephen lead us through over a thousand years of history taking us down hidden passageways and around secret gardens you'd never know where there. I look forward to having the chance to take another of Stephen's tours soon.

Excellent tour from Stephen, had a great time. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and approachable. I don’t have any hesitation and the next time I’m passing through London, I’ll be doing another tour. Thanks for a great tour!!

My sister and i started with the Ripper Tour and finished with the Historic Pub tour. It was a beautiful day and despite the fact that all of us had transport disruption to get to our meeting place all was forgotten once we all met up . We had a great day full of interesting sites and fascinating facts. From Whitechapel to Clerkenwell we covered miles . Places we would have scurried past Stephen was able to reveal hidden history. Brilliant. Thank you Stephen x

We were met at our hotel by Stephen after introductions we set off on an old pub/ historical tour. This tour turned out to be s pub/WWII/London tour because we were so interested in so many things. Stephen worked with us to answer all our questions and point out sooo many location with background. The tour was fantastic. Wished it could have gone on longer..... would highly recommend his company “the olde England tours” to anyone....we are considering returning to London and will definitely tour with the company again.

The locations visited were terrific and representative of London’s history. Stephen is exceptionally knowledgeable and customized his comments to the interests of those on the tour. An exceptional tour!

This is much more than just a Pub Crawl, this is a history lesson with BEER!! We were a family of four, ages 19 to 54. This tour totally blew me away, I was not expecting the in depth history and the sites we saw. We went into an old debtors prison under a pub, we drank a beer where Lenin and Stalin met. We saw where a king gambled in a pub, we had lunch where kings and queens have been drinking for hundreds of years. We saw where William Wallace was executed. I mean we saw ALOT! I'm a travel agent and I've been on many tours, both large groups and private. This was by far one of the best private tours I've ever done. The guide, Kevin, was AWESOME! His knowledge, his stores and most importantly his enthusiasm made this tour THE highlight of our stay in London. My 19 year old, who didn't drink one drop of alcohol, said this was his favorite thing we did on our trip. So if you are looking for a tour that gives you history of London and gives you a chance to drink a beer in a pub hundreds of years old....book this tour! Ask for Kevin as your guide.....he really is one of the best guides I've had the pleasure of meeting.

Tour included the White Hart Pub of Jack the Ripper fame, the Ship Tavern, Seven Stars, the Blind Beggar, and the Knight's Templar. Personalized tour with good beer and cocktails, good conversation, and fascinating history explained by our knowledgeable guide Stephen Liddell. I highly recommend Ye Olde England Tours. My wife and I had a great time!