Our 15 Favourite Melbourne Bar Tours

1.Melbourne’s Living Laneway Scene: Local Bars and Their Stories

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 542 reviews · from $63Our pick

Join a local guide for a three-and-a-half-hour walk through Melbourne’s laneway bar scene. You’ll visit four venues chosen for the day and group, from basement pubs and speakeasy-style cocktail bars to rooftops and wine bars. Guides such as Ian, Hugo, Simon, and Laura have led tours, sharing local history and tips for places to try afterward.

“This tour was fun and we enjoyed discovering hidden bars with new friends. Marc was an enthusiastic host with lots of information on exciting bars to explore in the future. We enjoyed a variety of cocktails. Definitely purchase the premium package and have your drinks delivered to your seat. A very special tour.”

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2.Local Laneway Bars and Their Stories

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 305 reviews · 3 hours · from $63

Meet your guide at Gordon Reserve for a three-hour walk through Melbourne’s bar culture. You’ll visit four venues chosen from a changing group of heritage bars and laneway pioneers, hear how the city’s nightlife evolved, and get your first drink at the opening bar. Guides have included Hugo, Ian, Julia, Alex, Beau, and Simon.

“Had a great time, loved all the bars! Ian was a wonderful host.”

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3.Hidden Bars & Laneway Legends Tour Of Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 177 reviews · from $46

Walk from Fed Square through Melbourne laneways and Chinatown, hearing stories about barmaids, men’s clubs and the city’s drinking past. Your guide takes you to three laneway bars, with the exact venues varying by tour. Drinks cost extra, and the group is limited to 12. Guides named by past participants include Tess, Tom, Bridget and Lenny.

“Awesome way to spend an afternoon in Melbourne. Bars and Laneways were great and so was our guide Bridgette, who was very knowledgeable and fun.”

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4.Creepy Tales, Bars & Laneways Of Melbourne Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 169 reviews · from $46

Walk from Queen Victoria Market to Fed Square with a guide such as Tess, Bridgette, Lenny, or Daniel, hearing tales of cemeteries, executions, wartime crime, and ghosts. The three-hour route visits ten central Melbourne locations and pauses at three bars, where drinks are at your own expense. Groups are capped at ten, and the tour is for ages 18 and up.

“Very interesting creepy tales with the added bonus of visiting hidden bars and sipping on cocktails. Bridget knows soooo much history of Melbourne. The car park beside the Queen Victoria Markets story of the graveyard was an amazing story that gave me goosebumps!”

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5.Ice Bar Tour in Melbourne with Cocktails

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 96 reviews · from $32

Visit IceBar Melbourne, Australia’s only ice bar, for a 45-minute stay in a room built from more than 50 tons of ice. Your ticket includes a cocktail or non-alcoholic drink and a hooded cape, gloves and boots. Expect ice sculptures, games and a strict no-phone-photography rule, with venue photos available to buy.

“Well set up, very friendly staff. Love the sculptures”

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6.Melbourne Pub Crawl

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 87 reviews · from $18

Start at Wax Music Lounge at 6:30 pm, then follow a guide through a changing mix of Melbourne CBD bars and clubs. Expect queue-jump entry, free shots, a drink at the final venue and a guide with a camera. The crawl lasts about five hours, with Patrick named as one of its leaders.

“Patrick, the guy running it is a wicked dude! Great way to meet people and see melbourne, drink into the night and enjoy”

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7.Hidden Bar and Cocktail Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 62 reviews · 3 hours · from $63

Follow a small group through Melbourne alleys, up staircases and behind unmarked doors to visit three hidden bars. Your English-speaking host shares city stories and recommends cocktails to suit your taste. Finger food or pizza is included, but drinks cost extra. Guides have included Lucy, Ian, Jess and Josh; your guide may vary.

“One of the best tours you can do in Melbourne! Jess is a great guide and knows her stuff. Do it at the start of hour trip cause you'll find some amazing spots.”

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8.Hidden Bars of Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · from $121

Meet your guide at 179 Swanston Street at 7 pm, then walk through central Melbourne in search of bars that are easy to miss from the street. The Thursday, Friday, or Saturday tour visits about 10 to 15 venues, with two cocktails included. Guides such as Sam, San, and Rosie have led the route, which can change to suit the group.

“It was an fantastic tour and San was the perfect host. Such a great group of bars that were all different that we would never have known about without the tour…”

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9.Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 23 reviews · 5 hours · from $17Best value

Spend five hours moving between Melbourne CBD bars and a club with an English-speaking guide, free entry, shots, and a drink. The route is described as four bars and a club, though the exact venues are not named. Guides Frank and Eden have hosted, but your guide may differ. Check the current start time and how many shots are included before booking.

“The crawl was great. Perfect thing to do solo if your new in the city. I was traveling for the last gaga concert and met other people going to the concert that night. Eden was a great host and communicated every place where we were going. Fun night and I highly recommend this tour you see 4 bars and a club and have shots each. Great value for what you get!”

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10.Melbourne Hidden Bar and Cocktail Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · from $63

Follow a guide through Melbourne laneways to three tucked-away bars, with stories about the city’s streets and underground tunnels along the way. Finger food is included; drinks are extra. Guides named by past participants include Ian, Anie, Jess, Ethan and Tamara. Allow three hours, wear comfortable shoes and bring money for cocktails.

“Fun tour to see places we wouldn't have normally found or gone in. The guide was great and our group turned out to be really fun.”

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11.City`s History and Unique Bar Scene Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 19 reviews · 3 hours · from $148

Spend three hours with an English-speaking local guide, walking about 1.5 km from the Parliamentary precinct through laneways, bars and Chinatown. You’ll hear about Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung culture, gold-rush Melbourne and the old red-light district, with time to order drinks at distinctive stops. Guides have included Tristan. Drinks and food cost extra.

“A wonderful way to spend an afternoon, and Tristan took us to 3 fabulous places that we would never have found on our own. The history was an added bonus!”

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12.Alcotraz Melbourne: World’s First Prison-Themed Cocktail Bar

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 16 reviews · 1h 30m · from $61

At Alcotraz Melbourne, actors cast you as an inmate in a movie-style prison, complete with metal cells, orange jumpsuits and prison radio. Work with the guards to keep contraband from the Warden, then settle in for four rounds of cocktails or mocktails. Beer and wine are also available. The session lasts 90 minutes.

“So immersive, such great cocktails and just great fun!”

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13.Melbourne Pub Crawl (Batmania Tours)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $17

Start at WAX Music Lounge at 6:30 pm, then follow a local guide to three more Melbourne venues, ending at three-level StoryVille. Your ticket includes entry and a welcome shot at each stop, plus group games and chances to win prizes. Plan for three to four hours, and come ready to be sociable.

“DAMN what a crawl. would highly recommend for anyone looking to do something fun in Melbourne, was only here for a weekend and this was definitely the highlight! if i am ever in Melbourne again im am for sure coming back”

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14.Whisky Bars & Gin Joints: Melbourne Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $121

Join a group of up to 10 for a 2.5-hour walk from Parliament to Lonsdale Street. Sample three gins with cheese, three Australian whiskies with chocolate, and a whisky-and-beer boilermaker. Hear stories of sly grog shops, shipwrecks and bootlegging, with guide Mer among the tour’s named guides.

“What a great afternoon tour! Very informative and entertaining to hear about the history of whiskey and gin in Australia. The secret bars had lots of character and served really good gin and whiskeys. Mer was delightful and gave a very memorable tour!”

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15.Melbourne Beer Tour – Hidden Bars & Local Brews

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 12 reviews · 3 hours · from $239

Meet your English-speaking guide at the Sir William Clarke Memorial, then take the tram to Collingwood for tastings at three local beer venues, paired snacks and stories about Melbourne brewing. Small groups are capped at 12, with a private option. Expect about 1.5 km of walking, and bring a Myki card for the tram.

“Tristan was really cool. A true local. I would say this tour was disability friendly, I supported a man with Down syndrome on the tour and he really enjoyed it. It was just me, my client and Tristan. It felt like three mates who were all beer enthusiasts, going out to drink and chat mainly about beer, but Tristan had that local knowledge which added a lot to the experience.”

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