Feel like a true New York insider during this secretive boozy tour that visits three of Midtown Manhattan’s most historic watering holes with an in-the-know guide. ‘Sneak’ into the bar of Prohibition-era speakeasies (we can’t reveal the location online), plus take in a Victorian-era bar, enjoying an included libation at one of the locations.

Take in the Manhattan history during a walking tour of landmark Midtown bars
Visit a secretive Prohibition-era speakeasies
Drinks offered at local watering holes (own expense)
Toast your trip participants inside a Victorian-era bar

What's Included

Local, professional and licensed guide
Free admission, express entry and preferred customer treatment at venues
Visit to three historical and iconic NYC bars and pubs
Great storytelling of U.S. immigration, political and Prohibition history

Alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
825 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019, USA
Meet on 8th Avenue between 49th Street and 50th Street outside the office building of Cravath, Swaine & Moore. There is a bike rack in front and Carnegie Deli is across the street.

End point

Times Square
Manhattan, NY 10036, USA

What To Expect

Kick-off this booze-themed tour of Midtown Manhattan in the late afternoon at a central meeting point. Over the course of the tour, visit three local bars, hear details about the history of Prohibition in New York, and purchase a drink if you wish.

Make the first stop of the evening at a speakeasy that first got its start during the 1920s, a period when drinking was outlawed in New York and the United States. Though the cocktails today flow freely at this historic spot, the location continues to maintain its secretive appeal.

Continue to another historic Victorian bar, learning more from your guide about the various watering holes that once populated Midtown areas like Times Square, Hell’s Kitchen, and Broadway, one of New York’s most famous streets. During this stop, you also enjoy a complimentary drink.

Finish the trip in the setting of a local beer garden. New York might be crowded, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t space to set aside for fun locales like this particular Midtown spot. Finish your trip here, ending your adventure.

Times Square (Pass By)

Theater District (Pass By)

Hell's Kitchen (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum drinking age is 21 years old
Dress code is smart casual
A maximum of 10 people per booking
Near public transportation

Participants must bring a government issued photo ID or a passport for proof of age
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 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

109 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 109 reviews

thanks Kate! Speakeasy

Sophie_H, Feb 2024

Kate so charismatic and kind! She brought something special to the presentations, both in history and the drinks recommendations 💕. I was so surprised to see the Broadway items at the Blue Room, so it felt really exclusive and like a cool experience. I highly suggest talking with and bonding with your whole group because you’ll be all laughing together by the second bar!!

Good times! Fun!

Erich_S, Dec 2023

Ariel was awesome. Very knowledgeable and well spoken. I live nearby in Manhattan so was fun to learn about the speakeasy’s in the neighborhood. The history lesson was my favorite part.

Outstanding experience and vip entrance to awesome bars .

Hector_G, Dec 2023

Superb bars , superb experience and super informative tour highly recommended!!! Our host Kate was the best thank you .

Fun!

Patricia_D, Dec 2023

Adriana was a great tour guide! She knew interesting history and had a great personality! Most of the drinks at each place were around $20 but I feel like that’s to be expected. Several of them had light apps too.

An OK tour

William_C, Oct 2023

We enjoyed this experience but I can’t say it wasn’t an amazing one. Our guide was great fun, very personable and social but there wasn’t very much information or history on this tour. A lot of the time you are just left to socialise with other members of the tour and if you have a group that doesn’t gel it can be pretty awkward. The three locations we visited were pretty mediocre. The last one had the very worst drink we have ever had, which we found hilarious. Overall, if you have nothing to do in the evening it is something you might enjoy and meet some interesting people.

Great! Do not ban sneakers

Nancy_B, Sep 2023

It was great and Ryan was fantastic! Knowledgeable and personable. My only critique is to get rid of requirement not to wear sneakers. I saw people with sneakers in all the places we went. Given that it rained, sneakers would have been more comfortable than the shoes I was wearing

Response from Host, Sep 2023

We're over the moon that you had an absolute blast with Ryan on our tour! He's like the Beyoncé of our team – everyone's crazy about him! Now, let's dive into the shoe saga – we're big fans of comfy and safe walking shoes in life, and trust us, there's no "shoe police" here. We're too busy giving guests the only VIP tour experience in the city with daily availability while being the reigning champs of the city's nightlife tour scene! 🏆🍸 However, in our quest for non-touristy gems, some places we hit up have kindly asked us to keep the sneakers at bay. The good news? They've been more welcoming than a grandma with a plate of freshly baked cookies. Now, the real issue is the questionable shoe purchases in all of our lifetimes. We’ve all been there! Next time, before your adventure, ring us up, and we'll be your trusty shoe-shopping sidekick ready to save your soles as there’s a whole universe of footwear out there beyond sneakers – we're talking loafers, boots, flats, broags, derbies, platforms, moccasins, hiking boots, combat boots, rain boots, Mary Janes, Mules, chukka boots, oxfords, tennis shoes…or for the fashion-forward, even trendy espadrilles! 🌍👞🚀 We're all about delivering top-notch customer service and ensuring your city escapade is fabulous from top to… footwear 🌟👟😂

Fun but a bit lacking on the information given to us. Jen was very personable and fun to be with.

Barbara_B, Jul 2023

It was fun and I loved Jen. She was very personable and caring. My only criticism is that my friends and I all wanted more information about the prohibition era. she spoke a little too fast and assumed we knew more than we did about prohibition. So we felt that we were struggling a bit to piece together the information.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Enthusiasm overload? Guilty as charged – our tour guides are history aficionados on an energy spree! 🎉 But fear not, our golden rule is: when in doubt, speak out! We're all about giving your voice a megaphone – at every stop, every nook, and every cranny. Jenna's got that "Best Guide in the City" badge for a reason – she's a maestro of attentiveness. And you guessed it, a quick clarifying question could've pulled back the reins. But hey, no time for regret – we're here to learn, grow, and ensure your experience hits all the right notes. Next time, don't be a silent observer of the historical hurricane – let us know, and we'll tailor the journey to your liking. A personalized tour that's as smooth as a jazz tune? Count us in! 🎷🎶🕵️‍♀️

Nightlife Funsies!

Jenny_C, Jun 2023

Kate was a super fun fantastic story teller. We had an amazing time drinking very tasty drinks and getting to know different neighborhood bars. Kate made finding new bars extra fun.

Birthday kicks!

Janice_L, Dec 2022

Kate was funny and friendly. Loved her drink suggestions and truffle fries were delicious at Lily’s. Thanks for Heather’s BDay cake!

Great educational experience !

Christa_T, Sep 2022

We had a very nice experience and learned so much about history of probation and speakeasy.our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Speak Easy Tour

Sharilyn_P, Mar 2020

Tim was fantastic. Very enjoyable experience. It was fun and very informative. Be prepared to spend at least $20 at each place for cocktail.

Speakeasy Fun

Louise_P, Feb 2020

Tim our guide was brill! A great night meeting new people and enjoying excellent cocktails and great way to see bars we would of never have found

Loved the history of Prohibition

Teresa_V, Feb 2020

Thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide Emily was the best ! Very knowledgeable and also entertaining. The sites were very interesting and unique in their own way. Definitely recommend!

Speakeasy

christineluckham, Jan 2020

A brilliant experience Tim our guide was very informative and good fun would definitely recommend this

Speakeasy Tour

ablake, Jan 2020

This was a great tour! We visited three local bars and learned a lot of information about the local speakeasy history.

Best tour guide, best experience

Luccia_A, Jan 2020

Our tour guide, Emily, was absolutely fantastic. She made the experience of learning the history and visiting the sites worthwhile. We had a total blast, each location was unique and exciting. I have already recommended this to everyone I know! 10/10 for sure

Great Evening Treat

Pat_M, Jan 2020

My wife and I had an extra night in Midtown with no specific plans. Instead of finding a favorite Irish pub, we booked this tour. It was great in every regard. Our guide, Tim, was a natural, who helped the others, some from overseas, meld beautifully into a really fun group. The stops are historic and interesting, great for photos to post. All in all, a perfect evening. Highly recommended!

NYC Speakeasy fun

Donna_O, Dec 2019

We enjoyed the first two locations tremendously, but the third was a bit of a letdown - no place to sit, we were just brought in, given a beer and then left on our own pretty far from where we started. However, our guide was a 10 on the scale of 1 to 10 and we would book with her again.

Speakeasy Spirits

Suzanne H, Dec 2019

We enjoyed this fast-paced walking tour; once we reached each speakeasy, there was no rush to enjoy the libations and history. Also, everything from beer, wine, and spirits were available. Our guide, Alex, was extremely knowledgeable about the speakeasies, the history of the distilling process of just about every spirit from gin to beer to whiskey. However, we were only to visit 2 of the 3 scheduled locations due to private parties being held for Christmas. Calling ahead for availability should have been done. Despite that, the tour was super fun. He did take us to an unplanned spot - the tiniest bar ever behind a Korean takeout. . The people on the tour were diversified in age and where they were visiting from. We like to meet people from new places - and having the common interest in history and booze created a fun dynamic. We would recommend this to our friends if they visit NYC.

Speakeasy history and drinking tour

Compass825432, Dec 2019

By far one of the coolest things I have done in NYC. Tour guide was fun and very interesting and Informative history. Three very cool speakeasy bars and loved the private lounge space reserved at each for the group. Didn’t feel rushed and enjoyed each stop! Drinks pricy at each but hey it’s Manhattan!