Melbourne Booze Makes History Better Tour

Forgot history textbooks and boring guidebooks, we’ll undercover the real characters and hidden history of Melbourne/Naarm (alongside a bar or two!) that have made marvellous Melbourne what it is today. Experience the city’s unique bar scene with a local guide and have a drink at three amazing venues. By the end of this tour, you’ll discover that history really is better with booze (as if there was ever any doubt)!

Drinks and food, Tips/gratuities for your guide

Try local beers, wines, spirits, or cocktails at three unique Melbourne establishments, Learn about Melbourne’s history with a drink in-hand, Discover bars known only to local Melburnians

For more information, please see our full booking conditions and Privacy Policy
Urban Adventures Day Tours - Special Booking Conditions: No deposit is required; full payment is due at booking for standard tours, while private tours require payment upon itinerary confirmation
Child rates apply at travel time, not booking time - proof of age must be shown on the tour day or the difference between adult and child rates is payable
Standard tours: cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a refund or credit
Custom (Create Your Own) trips: refund minus unrecoverable costs up to 48 hours prior; within 48 hours, 100% credit only
Multi-City Pass: a no-show without 24-hour cancellation notice may void the pass and cancel future tours without refund
Cancellations by the company (Force Majeure): refund minus unrecoverable costs
Amendments: customers must cancel and rebook at the new price; custom itinerary changes require 14 days' notice plus a $75 USD administrative fee per change
Prices exclude tips, personal items, and local taxes/fees

We begin in the heart of Melbourne's historic Parliamentary precinct and after an introduction by your guide, you’ll set of for your first bar. At each venue, and along the way, you’ll learn about Melbourne’s fascinating and conflicting history. Learn about the first peoples, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation ,and their ongoing connection to what is now called Melbourne. Explore the early colonisation of 'Batmania' as well as the gold rush era that led to the city being known as Marvellous Melbourne. Later known by other names, hear stories of the city’s debaucherous past of when it’s red light district ran rife , and the quintessential layers of multicultural migration to the city. You’re guaranteed to learn something new! The order of the venues may change, but together we will visit a variety of our favourite local watering holes, these may include, a laneway bar, a hidden speakeasy, a charming historic pub or a rooftop bar. Many of Melbourne’s most popular bars are in tiny, hidden laneways and survive on word of mouth alone. Visit a speakeasy-style bar and learn about how and why Melbourne’s laneway scene developed. Rooftop bars are a favourite place for Melbournians to gather and not just in summer. During winter, some rooftops add a marquee and heaters and carry on regardless. Melbourne’s bar scene is ever-changing, so one of the bars will be chosen by your guide on the day, depending on the group’s desires, the weather, and what is trending in Melbourne at the time. Everyone has their favourite drink but you’ll be encouraged to try something different on this tour. Not normally a gin fan? We’ll take you to a place where you can discover its charms. Want to check out some local wines? With the Yarra Valley just a stone’s throw away, it would be a sin not to taste some of the delectable wines in the region. Whatever you’re in the mood for, we’ll have you covered. If you’re still thirsty by the end of the tour, don’t forget to ask your local guide for some recommendations to continue on. Hungry? We’ll have recommendations for that also!

If you need to contact your local guide on the day of your tour, please call the local phone number listed on your voucher or at the very bottom of this email, Show Mobile Ticket, At Meeting Point, Please present your voucher to the local guide at the beginning of the tour

We’re happy to offer wheelchair-accessible tour with advance notice, Shared tours accommodate a maximum of 12 passengers to maintain a high-quality group experience, Private tours require a minimum of two participants