Historic Downtown Pub Crawl

“Eat, drink, and be merry!” More appropriate words have rarely been uttered when talking about the Historic Downtown Pub Crawl. There is simply no better way to experience pub culture in Houston.

The Historic Downtown Pub Tour immerses you in the history of this lively Texas city by the best means possible — through its bars! This Houston night tour takes you to four bars in the historic center of Houston, giving you a variety of different atmospheres in which to relax. Locations can vary each night depending on opening hours, but there are so many great Houston bars, we always have options.

The tour starts at Barringer Bar, a gorgeous spot inside the old (1870s) Houston Dry Goods & Notion Warehouse. You meet your local guide and enjoy a drink while learning about how rough and tumble early Houston could be. Don’t forget your spurs and dueling pistols!

After some introductions, you travel around the block to a bar in an old watch and jewelry store, where you learn a little about the railroad and its legacy here in Houston.

Next, you take a stroll through Market Square Park, a small urban oasis complete with restaurants, sculptures, memorials, and remnants from old Houston buildings and sidewalks. This spot is a hive of activity and full of Houston history.

This park is ringed by bars and pubs inside historic buildings, including a tailor shop that becomes a bar at night; a charity bar that believes in the connection between food, drink, and community; plus many more authentic Houston bars. With your local guide to show you all the points of interest, you are sure to get the inside scoop on more than one of these historic gems.

After learning about the buildings in the square, you make your last stop in a more elegant bar to get a picture in the oldest elevator in Houston. It’s the perfect way to finish off a fun-filled evening in Houston’s historic downtown district.

Additional information

Dress standard: Please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing. The weather from May – November can be hot and humid. The weather from December – February can be cold. Please check the local weather forecast and dress appropriately in case of rain and/or high winds.

Your trip: For your Urban Adventure, you are in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.

Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. See you at the start point! Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.

Additional information: Parking is free downtown after 6 p.m. on Monday – Saturday and all day Sunday. Otherwise, you can choose from on-street parking meters, indoor parking garages, and outdoor parking lots. For more information about parking downtown, go to www.DowntownHouston.org.

Child policy: All participants must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid photo ID. Any travelers who cannot produce ID proof of age at the beginning of the tour are not permitted to join the tour.

Local contact

Office phone number: +1 (832) 992-3179
Email address: [email protected]

Mr. Andrew H. from USA traveled on 17 Jan 2018:

The guide was awesome and the bars were cool!

Ms. Janna R. from USA traveled on 19 Jul 2017:

Mike is extremely knowledgeable about Houston history (and actually history in general!), had great stories, and very friendly – we had a great time!

Ms. Ali H. from USA traveled on 02 Jul 2017:

Mike was awesome! He was so knowledgeable and took us to places we definitely wouldn’t have found on our own. He adjusted the tour to accommodate our group since it was a private tour and it was absolute PERFECTION. We would recommend him and Urban Adventures to anyone going to Houston and we can’t wait to try out other cities.

Mrs. Beverly W. from USA traveled on 21 Mar 2017:

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Houston on the historic pub crawl! Michael was knowledgeable and fun, and even introduced us to the fantastic Fusion Taco bar. We loved hearing the history of the pubs we visited, as well as walking around downtown, which was beautiful. Great end to Spring break!

Mr. Michael C. from USA traveled on 27 Jul 2016:

Pretty fun experience for somebody who has never been to Houston before. The tour guide (Mike) was a good guy and answered all of our questions. I’d do it again in another city or recommend the one in Houston to somebody that hasn’t done it.

Mrs. Lisa C. from USA traveled on 17 Feb 2016:

Everybody enjoyed this tour and learned something new about Houston, visitors and locals alike.
This would be a perfect activity to do with out of town guests.

Ms. Kristen B. from USA traveled on 03 Feb 2016:

This tour was fantastic! The tour guide was very knowledgeable, fun, and shared very entertaining stories with us. I highly recommend this tour to everyone!

Juan d. from USA traveled on 17 Sep 2015:

I had a great time

Mr. John C. from traveled on 16 Jun 2015:

Fun group of 6 of us and the places we went were very interesting and the history was educational.

Mrs. shelley j. from USA traveled on 19 Apr 2015:

our guide, mike, was great and we relly enjoyed the tour and historic information

Mrs. Deanna A. from USA traveled on 31 Mar 2015:

Our guide was pleasant, friendly, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. We had a great time- both excursions!

Ms. Kathryn G. from USA traveled on 28 Jan 2015:

I had a blast! Our guide Mike was very interesting and fun. Lots of interesting facts

Mr. Robert N. from USA traveled on 10 Dec 2014:

Mike did an outstanding job on our Pub Tour. He made history come alive…and also had several great ghost stories. We’d recommend this Tour to any other Yankees who’re visiting Houston for the first time.

Mrs. Lauren N. from USA traveled on 14 Oct 2014:

Loved it! I am a local and learned so much.

Ms. Krystle R. from USA traveled on 08 Oct 2014:

The tour guide, Mike, made this tour a fun and memorable experience for my boyfriend and I. He was friendly and knowledgable and he made a point to initiate conversations with every one in the group, which was almost 25 people! I will recommend Urban Adventures and will definitely do a tour again!

Mr. Katja S. from USA traveled on 07 Oct 2014:

Had a wonderful time and Mike was a great tour guide.

Mrs. Donna W. from USA traveled on 29 Sep 2014:

I really enjoyed our historic downtown pub tour of Houston. I wanted something unique to Houston and I found it. Great guide and interesting stops and bartenders !!

Ms. Felisita C. from USA traveled on 17 Sep 2014:

We had such an amazing time. The your guide Mike was awesome! We will definitely plan another tour in our best future! Thank you so much…

Mr. Jim W. from USA traveled on 23 Jul 2014:

Had a great time. Mike was AWESOME!

Mrs. Debra C. from USA traveled on 01 Jul 2014:

We not only had fun, but we learned a lot about Houston’s history during our downtown bar tour. There are many very cool bars and buildings that we’ll visit again, and we highly recommend this tour!

Ms. Diana G. from USA traveled on 19 Jun 2014:

Have to say we had a blast. Our tour guide Mike was a hoot. I thought he keep it interesting. I cant wait to try another one of there tours.

Mr. Justin D. from USA traveled on 25 Mar 2014:

Probably would have been better with more people (only 4 people in our party) but I know that was beyond your control.

Ms. Brittany J. from USA traveled on 07 Jan 2014:

Mike was an amazing guide! I learned so much from this tour that I had never known before…and I am a born and raised Houstonian! Mike was also very friendly and personable. This was my second time on the pub tour! I loved it the first time so much that I had to bring my friend with me for a second time.

Mr. dj f. from USA traveled on 12 Nov 2013:

Me and my fiance had an exceptional time. We were amazed at the knowledge of our tour guide and the diversity in Houston. Lived in the suburbs my whole life and this was one of the most unique and enjoyable things you can do on a budget.

Mrs. Gina D. from USA traveled on 07 Aug 2013:

Mike was a great tour guide. I’ve lived in Houston most of my life and I learned a lot about our city’s history. The 4 bars we visited will all receive a second visit if not more from us.

Mr. Dan B. from USA traveled on 07 Aug 2013:

Mike was an excellent guide who did Houston proud. My husband and I along with the couple we brought with us had a wonderful evening getting to know Houston better. We enjoyed the other 3 couples who were in our group also, Mike was very good at bringing us all together so we became one group instead of 5 couples. I plan on telling everyone I know to go on this tour, it is a great way to spend an evening in Houston.

Ms. Kristin M. from Australia traveled on 02 Aug 2013:

MIke was a great guide and introduced my bf and I to our new favorite bar and drink in downtown Houston. He was very helpful to any questions we had and managed to keep a group of slightly intoxicated people in line as we navigated downtown. It was very enjoyable! I’m recommending the tour to all my friends 🙂

Ms. Kaura W. from USA traveled on 31 Jul 2013:

Mike was a wonderful guide. I had a great time!

Mr. Todd L. from USA traveled on 30 Jul 2013:

Our guide, Mike Schmidt, was great!! Really made it fun, and would recommend this tour to my friends. Learned a lot, and history I never knew, and now have some great new pubs to take my friends to, places I would have never known about. – Thanks Mike!

Mr. Michael Shane M. from USA traveled on 01 Jul 2013:

Mike was great at modifying the tour to better suit our needs. We really appreciated that.

Ms. Kathi D. from USA traveled on 03 Jun 2013:

I have lived in Houston over 40 years and until this tour I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know about my city! Michael was a great tour guide and made the history of our town and the Downtown bars, that I never even knew existed, come to life. I loved standing outside the actual places where history took place here many years ago and hearing the stories. We certainly shared lots of laughs on this tour too. I have already recommended this tour to many friends and plan on taking the tour again with my husband. In Fact, Michael mentioned Urban Adventures tours take place around the world and I immediately emailed my husband who was in Vietnam that week and he booked a tour with you that day and enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed mine. We are now sold-out UA Fans! Thank you Michael and Houston Urban Adventures!

Mrs. Rhnanda M. from USA traveled on 27 May 2013:

We enjoyed the tour so much! Our guide was very knowledgable & pleasant. I would take another tour in another city.

Mrs. Lori L. from USA traveled on 23 May 2013:

Downtown Houston rocks!
Michael was at his best May 17th! His personality shined with the level of enthusiasm that capped the evening. We were sorry our friends could not join us…their loss…but we made four new friends from Pearland, Katy and Cypress(five, including Michael).
The facts and details were terrific…a memorable evening, and one of the nicest evenings to be on the streets of downtown Houston. It’s nice to get an update of its revitalization, especially with Super Bowl LI now on the horizon….
Michael, thank you for sharing your favorite secret place with us…can’t wait to return and hope we bump into you on the street!

Mr. Donovan S. from USA traveled on 22 May 2013:

Had a great time and would definitely recommend.

Ms. Nora B. from USA traveled on 08 May 2013:

Mike was our tour guide & we couldn’t have asked for a better one! He helped us have a blast! It was a wonderful night for many! Thanks Mike!

Mrs. Lynnette L. from USA traveled on 29 Apr 2013:

Mike was great!! We really enjoyed it!

Mr. Greg Q. from USA traveled on 28 Apr 2013:

We had a great tour. Kerrendra, our guide, did a fantastic job discussing some of Houston’s history as well as introducing us to some very interesting sights and watering holes. All four people in our group had an excellent time. Highly recommend!!!!

Mrs. Michelle G. from traveled on 27 Feb 2013:

Had an excellent time and enjoyed the information our tour guide provided.

Ms. Therese F. from USA traveled on 23 Jan 2013:

We had a fabulous time with Kerrenda Brown as our tour guide. She was knowledgable and fun!

Ms. Caren C. from USA traveled on 09 Jan 2013:

Connie was awesome. Informative AND entertaining. We had a blast and I’ve already recommended this tour to friends.

Mr. Sasha K. from USA traveled on 18 Dec 2012:

Unexpectedly fun tour – I had no idea there were so many great places to go in Houston. I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone.

Ms. Charlesetta G. from USA traveled on 27 Nov 2012:

The tour was fantastic and our guide was exceptional and a walking wealth of history and knowledge.

Ms. Mariela R. from Venezuela traveled on 24 Oct 2012:

Had a great time! our guide was great!

Ms. Lisa G. from traveled on 01 Aug 2012:

Sandra Lord is a great tour guide, and I look forward to touring the Houston Tunnels and the October Ghost tour. However, you do need to update your description of the tour. We did not start or end at the Lancaster for example. My friends and I have fun no matter what we do, and we still enjoyed this tour. Sandra was super accomodating and we will be back for sure!

Ms. armida f. from USA traveled on 04 Jun 2012:

Excellent personality and friendly.