Walks 101's

Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour

Visit four legendary Melbourne hidden bars with a guide who will show you all the tips and tricks for finding the best drinks in town.

5/5 Stars Based on 400+ Reviews

Departs Daily
Start Time: 3pm
Starting Point: See Below
Languages: English
  • Cancel up to 24 hours prior to departure for a full refund
  • Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back
  • Rated #1 on TripAdvisor

Quick Look

  • Experience four unique Melbourne establishments
  • Visit repurposed venues, tucked-away cocktail bars, shipping container bars, and hidden speakeasies.
  • Learn some Melbourne history while weaving through laneways
  • Experience skilled Melbourne ‘career bartenders’ who know their stuff and can make drinks to your taste
  • Exclusive drink specials for the tour group
  • Discover hidden bars not advertised and only known to local Melburnians

Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour Overview

The Melbourne hidden bar culture is a unique part of Australia’s cultural capital. The difficult thing is just that – they’re hidden! This city makes you work to find its best bits, which is why you’ll find some of the best bars behind other venues, underneath laneways, or tucked into repurposed spaces.

Join your experienced guide and uncover four of these fascinating venues in one afternoon, and learn what makes each one special over a drink (or four!). Speak with talented bartenders during this small-group experience, making sure to chat with them about what kinds of drinks you like to personalise your Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour even more.

Melbourne Free Walking Tour Full Description

After checking in with your friendly guide at the starting point (see below), the group will get together for an introduction. Here, you will get to meet your group and learn a bit about them and what they like to drink, because after all you will be sharing a few beverages together over the next few hours!

Your guide will explain the Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour structure, a bit about the bars you will be visiting, and what makes the bar culture extra special in a city like Melbourne. After an introduction to bar number one, you’ll be off for your first drink!

We will be walking between our venues, with the occasional tram ride (within Melbourne’s free tram zone, of course!). Your guide will keep things interesting and talk about some points of interest along the way, too.  Make sure to wear comfortable clothing/shoes for a 5-15 minute walk between venues.

Our schedule changes depending on the day, but we will usually visit a selection of these venue types:

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Repurposed Venues: Melbourne is VERY good at is making use of space – this is how laneways became so popular in the first place! You’ll find Melbourne hidden bars inside pretty much anywhere, like old loading docks of textile factories, corporate parking lots, gold rush apartment buildings, or Victorian money order offices – or all the above!

Shipping Container Bars: Making venues out of shipping containers is very on-trend these days, and Melbourne is ALWAYS trendy. Expect elaborate open-air shipping container venues complete with delicious cocktails, craft beer, and street art.

Hidden Speakeasies: You may also visit dark speakeasy-style bars – hidden under laneways or even behind or above pizza shops, other bars, or dumpling houses. Try a new elaborate cocktail in the sort of atmosphere you could expect back when alcohol was illegal.

Extra Things to Know:

Early Start + Small Group Size

We run the Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour early in the day and keep the group size capped at 12 to ensure a more intimate experience at each bar, with the possibility for one-on-one time with the ‘career bartenders’ and an atmosphere where it’s possible to sit and have a conversation with each other (and all fit inside some tiny venues).

Your guide will facilitate conversation between you and the bartender, so you can chat about what drinks you like or receive custom recommendations. They’re true mixologists who are skilled at and love what they do, and are doing it as a career. Most will be able to tailor a drink to your interests, or recommend one based on what you usually like.

Drink What You Please

We like to keep our price point low because the Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour does not include drinks. This tour is NOT a “pub crawl” in the traditional sense, with cheap shots/sticky floors/bad bars. This tour is an ‘alcohol experience’ where the focus is on the finer side of Melbourne hidden bars and cocktail culture.

If you’d like to order a cheaper drink (or no drink at all!) and simply experience the unique venues, that’s totally fine. If you want to go all-out and order fancy cocktails at each bar, be our guest! We leave about enough time for one drink at each venue, but again, the tour is what you make it. We won’t tell you how fast or slow to drink – have as much or as little as you want!

Most establishments accept bank cards, but there is occasionally a small transaction fee. You may wish to bring cash if you want to avoid this.

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Highlights

Melbourne Hidden Bars

Delicious Cocktails

Experienced Bartenders

What To Bring on Your Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour

  • Weather-Appropriate Clothing: Melbourne is known for having four seasons in one day, so please come prepared! Make sure to check the weather for the whole day (trust us on this).
  • Your Camera: If you’d like to take photos and make memories inside our handpicked and unique bar venues!
  • A Filled Tummy: We recommend not coming on your Melbourne Hidden bars tour too hungry, because we all know what happens when you drink alcohol on an empty stomach! Some of our bar venues may offer us snacks, but this is not guaranteed.
  • Money: Drinks are not included in this tour, so bring cash or a bank card to pay as you go!
  • Comfortable/Closed-Toe Shoes: Wear shoes comfortable enough for the 5-15 minute walk between bars. Make sure they aren’t thongs/flip-flops/jandals; some venues may not allow open shoes inside after a certain hour.

Starting Point

Your tour begins at Gordon Reserve (74-108 Spring St) – this is a park with a fountain and is located between the Parliament and Old Treasury Buildings.

Melbourne Hidden Bar Tour Reviews

Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour FAQs

What time does the Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour end?

While we advertise the tour as 3 hours we only arrive to bar 4 just before the 3 hour mark,  so make sure to leave yourself enough time for one last round. We recommend scheduling an additional 45 minutes for mingling and revelry before heading home or to your next event. 

Where will the Melbourne Hidden Bars Tour tour finish?

Our bar schedule changes daily depending on which bars are open. We can’t tell you exactly where the tour will end, but it will be within the free tram zone of the CBD (aka super easy to get anywhere in the city afterwards).

How much can I expect to spend on drinks?

It depends on your budget and what you like to drink – a pot of beer will typically cost $5-10 while a cocktail is usually in the $20-$25 range. You are welcome to order as much or as little as you like on the tour.

What should I wear?

Melbourne is known to have four seasons in one day – please check the weather report (for the full day) and dress accordingly! We recommend bringing a cardigan or jacket just in case, and think about bringing an umbrella.

We recommend wearing closed-toed shoes or sandals – some venues may not allow thongs/jandals/flip-flops inside after a certain hour.

Other than that — dress how you please! Some like to dress to continue the night after our tour completes, and some go more casual.

Is this a pub crawl?

No, we are not- not in the traditional sense, anyway! We do not attempt to give you free, watered down shots, or bring you into venues when they are at their loudest and most crowded.

We consider ourselves more of an ‘alcohol experience,’ where the focus is on the finer side of Melbourne hidden bars and cocktail culture. Expect a more intimate, small-group experience that takes place earlier in the day, so to be able to talk to each other and the bartenders.

How big are the groups?

We cap our group size at 12 people to ensure each person has the chance to have a personalised experience with the bartenders and each other. Plus, some of our venues are too small to fit many more people inside!

Can we visit this great bar I heard of online?

Your guide will bring you to the best bars that are open on the day of your tour. We have curated a list of our very favourite venues, all of which are special in their own way, and the venues change depending on the day.

So, unfortunately we can’t promise certain bars, unless you book a private tour with us. In that case, we are happy to tailor the tour to your specific needs and interests, including but not limited bars of your choice. Book a private tour here!

Can I bring my stag-do/hens party/birthday party/work trip?

Of course! We are happy to host private functions on our personalised private tours. These are 3 hours tours we tailor specifically to your group’s requirements and interests. Book a private tour here!

How much walking will there be?

Expect to walk about 3km during the tour.

Can I bring my school group/office/etc?

We recommend that you book a private tour for your organisation if there are more than 10 people. We can tailor 3-hour private tours to your specific needs and interests. Reserve your tour here!

View All FAQs

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