About this tour
When Sarah from our Global Hobo crew ran Edinburgh's Old Town bar crawl, she found a slick operation that trades on the city's gritty drinking culture without the chaos. Six hours, five-plus venues, skip-the-queue access, and a photographer trailing the group to catch the best moments. You'll hit a mix of tucked-away bars, cocktail spots, and proper pubs — the sort of places locals actually drink in, not tourist traps. It's organised fun: free shots at each stop (nothing bonkers, just a welcome dram), discounted pints, and all your photos gifted at the end. The vibe skews toward mixed groups and solo travellers after a proper night out, not weekend lads trips.
Highlights
- Skip queues at every venue — walks straight through while others wait
- Photographer on the night captures candid shots, posted free next day
- Five or more bars in Old Town, each with character and local roots
- Free welcome shot at every stop — Apple Sourz or house equivalent
- Exclusive drink discounts beyond what you'd get walking in alone
- Mixed groups mean you'll meet people, not just your own crew
- Guide knows the backstreets and hidden bars, not the obvious circuit
What to expect
Sarah's night started with the group meeting in Old Town — compact enough to walk between venues, buzzing with other drinkers and some tourists, but not overrun. The pace is steady: 45 minutes or so per bar, enough time to order drinks and chat without it feeling rushed. The guide herds you through the back doors (literally, some are tucked down alleys), which meant no standing outside in the queue like you'd do solo. Each bar's different — a mix of cosy pubs with wood panels and sticky floors, sleeker cocktail spots, and one proper club at the end.
The free shots arrived reliably — nothing that'll tip you sideways before 8 p.m., which is fair dinkum because six hours is a marathon. Sarah reckoned the discounted drinks made a real difference by the end of the night. The photographer was unobtrusive, just capturing moments rather than posing everyone for Instagram, and having the pics sent over the next day actually felt like a nice touch. By the final venue, the group had loosened up — Sarah met people from four countries and swapped numbers with a couple.
What travellers say
- Queue-jumping at every venue saves real time on busy nights
- Free photos from a proper camera, not just phone snaps
- Genuinely reduced drink prices across all bars, not token discounts
- Mixed-group setting means meeting fellow travellers, not just your own crew
- Local guide knows the backstreet bars, avoids the tourist clichés
- Six hours of standing and walking — not for anyone with dodgy knees
- Stag and hen groups banned; limits group size for same-sex groups
- High-energy, loud environment — not suited to quiet conversation
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
If you're new to Edinburgh or want an organised way into the local drinking scene without researching, this nails it. The skip-the-queue perk is genuinely valuable on a Friday or Saturday. Discounted drinks stack up to real savings. The photo thing works — you get candid shots without anyone forcing group poses. Mixed groups mean you're not trapped with just mates; you'll chat to randoms, which is half the point of a crawl.
It's not for pregnant travellers or anyone with heart trouble — they say so upfront, which is fair. You'll be on your feet for six hours with walking between bars; wear proper shoes. It gets loud and boozy, so if you're after quiet conversation, this isn't it. They've banned stag and hen groups after bad experiences, and no single-sex groups larger than five — which keeps the vibe less rowdy but also means some people won't qualify. You'll need valid photo ID (passport or non-paper driving licence). Peak times (Friday, Saturday) will be rowdier; weeknights are calmer. Have a meal before you start. Public transport is nearby if you need to get home.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original Global Hobo summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.