Literary Pub Crawl and Tavern Tour in London

Badge of ExcellenceLondon, England

London Literary Pub Crawl and Tavern Tour

3 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore London’s Soho and Fitzrovia neighborhoods with a guide and visit pubs whose past patrons include the likes of Dylan Thomas, Charles Dickens, George Orwell and Virginia Woolf. Kick off the 2.5-hour tour with a traditional British pub quiz, and the set off in search of the old pubs that have inspired generations of creatives. Visit, too, places connected with modern-day artists, musicians and writers such as Paul McCartney and Damien Hirst.

2.5-hour walking tour of Soho and Fitzrovia in London
Visit the pubs that have inspired generations of writers and artists
Hear about writers like Charles Dickens, Dylan Thomas, Virginia Woolf and George Orwell
See places connected with Paul McCartney, Damien Hirst and other modern-day creatives
Listen to readings and take part in a British pub quiz

What's Included

Guide
Live entertainment

Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

The Wheatsheaf
25 Rathbone Pl, W Central St, London W1T 1JB, UK
Departure Point: The Wheatsheaf Pub, Fitzrovia, London Directions: The nearest Underground stations are Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street. On arrival at The Wheatsheaf Pub, get a drink (own expense) then head upstairs. Return point: The tour ends at The Coach and Horses Pub, Soho, London

Start time

05:00 PM

End point

The Coach & Horses, Soho
29 Greek St, London W1D 5DH, UK
Near to the Palace Theatre (Harry Potter) and Shaftesbury Avenue. There are many other bars and restaurants if you wish to carry on!

What To Expect

Soho

Admission Ticket Free

London Literary Pub Crawl Tour

Admission Ticket Free

Fitzrovia

Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children (under 18 years old) must be accompanied by an adult
Service animals allowed
Minimum drinking age is 18 years

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

54 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 54 reviews

Lots of fun!

Rachel_W, May 2023

Really enjoyable evening and our guide Richard was great! The tour seems to be as long as you want it to be....does not necessarily end after 2.5 hours. We were crashing after a long day of travel after 6 pubs/drinks but I think it could have kept going longer if we had been willing.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thanks, Rachel. It is a bit of a flexible feast! But thanks very much for coming to see us and for your kind comments.

Richard was a delight. So...

Amy_W, Apr 2023

Richard was a delight. So full of info and such a performer. Highly recommend this tour. A few considerations: the tour runs long (4+ hours), eat beforehand, pubs are busy on Sat night so be prepared for noise and crowds. We ducked out for an early flight at the 4:15 mark and Richard was gracious and upbeat. Definitely recommend this experience in London.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thanks very much, Amy. Very kind.

So much fun and I learned...

Celine_M, Apr 2023

So much fun and I learned a few things. Such as great evening. Highly recommend for literary enthusiast and non enthusiasts alike.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thanks so much for this. We assume no previous knowledge! Thanks for coming. Cheers!

Great tour

Mary_C, Apr 2023

Excellent pub crawl/literary tour of London. I would definitely recommend this to any literature savvy (and also if that's not the case). Our guide Richard was very funny, knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you so much for this. As you know, we're not a travel company but a bunch of writers and artists, so this feedback is great to hear. I'll pass it on to Richard and will probably have to buy him a drink to celebrate! Thanks again. And thanks VERY much for coming on the tour. Cheers! Nick.

Amazing pubs and stories

Adam_F, Nov 2022

We had an amazing time on this tour! Richard is a fantastic guide, really bringing stories to life and going above and beyond. It was great to experience so many bars and actually get seats in most places on a Saturday night! We had a great group and would hesitate to book again.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thanks so much for this Adam... and sorry it's taken so long to reply! I only just saw this. (We're not a travel company so have no 'back office') Yes, we kind of love what we're doing. And some of the pubs know who we are and what we do and look on us all as 'locals.' Thanks SO much for coming - and again, for your kind comments. Cheers, Nick

Fantastic

Siobhan_B, Aug 2022

Fantastic experience! Richard, our tour guide, was a wealth of knowledge and charismatic. We learned a lot and drank a lot and we’re sorry it had to end.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Thanks so much for this. Most of us were at the Edinburgh Fringe, but Richard held the fort. He LOVES hosting the tour and ‘sharing the love’ - mainly because of lovely people like you! Thanks again.

Entertaining & Educational Literary Walk

Melanie_M, Jul 2022

Richard gave us a great stroll through the pubs talking about the lives of the artists and writers that frequented them. He answered all of our questions and demonstrated a great love for England and its contributions to the literary world. Highly recommend for a fun night out walking through the Fitzroy and SoHo areas of London.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thank you very much. This is very kind of you. As you probably know, we are writers and artists and not a travel company, so reviews like this are great to hear. Cheers!

Fun filled evening, and maybe learn something.

Selwyn_F, Apr 2022

Richard was very interesting, personnable and a great story teller. We had a wonderful time, saw some great pubs, had a few drinks, while actually learning a few thing on the way. Highly recommend the tour.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thank you so much for this. Richard will be chuffed! And SO sorry it's taken so long to respond to you. We're writers so don't have a 'back office'! Hopefully, we might see you again soon. Cheers!

Fine

Jenny_W, Mar 2020

This is my third pub tour. I felt there was one too many pubs, a little too much blurb and there was no need to read passages of books.

Response from Host, Mar 2020

Thanks Woolfone. Fair point. We are a theatre company though and we love the books! We tend to be a pub crawl with beer AND books. I like the fact you can hear passages written in the pubs where they were written. Karl Marx? George Orwell at the Newmans? And did you stay for the sing-along around the piano at the last pub? There’s usually quite a lot of beer involved there! But thanks for coming and for the review.

Guide did not show up

Desiree_B, Sep 2019

I signed up for the London Literary Pub Crawl scheduled on Saturday 31 August, through Viator. When I got there at 5pm there was nobody at the meeting point. I waited until 5:20pm and the guide did not show up. It was definitely the correct place as the bartenders knew of the tour and told me that this had happened to others before when there were only one or two people who signed up for a walk. I also tried calling the number in the confirmation email but got only an answering machine directing me to this email address. This is unacceptable and irresponsible and unprofessional. Do not sign up for this tour.

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Hi Desiree, as I explained in the emails, there was no tour running that day as we were all at the Edinburgh Festival. We’re writers, not a travel company. I’m so sorry you slipped through the gap by buying a ticket from a third party, but you were the only one. And you’ve been refunded. So come back another time when we are running (every Saturday now till the next Edinburgh Festival!) and we’ll buy the first drink! Cheers!

Our guide was excellent and his...

DFred_H, Dec 2016

Our guide was excellent and his recitations were beautifully done. I was hoping for a few more locations where earlier writers had also drunk. The Francis Bacon and Augustus John connections were revealing. Altogether it was satisfying. The Wheatsheaf is a perfect starting point.

Neil, I mean Charles was a...

Dami S, Jun 2016

Neil, I mean Charles was a character! His use of verse, song and humor kept a smile on my face. The flare from the aftermath of the parade also added an interesting twist. Well done Sir!