Beer can be a shortcut to London.

This Secret Beer Tour turns a stroll along the Thames and South London brewing streets into a guided tasting of London craft beer. I especially like how you learn the right way to taste beer and how the Bermondsey Beer Mile setting makes the history feel local, not textbook. The only real catch is you should eat first, because no food is included.

I also love that the tour isn’t just sipping random pints. You’ll hit an historic tap room, then keep moving to different styles (think IPAs, sour beers, smoky stouts, and cask ales) before ending with a stop where you sample beer straight from the tank at a microbrewery. One consideration: the itinerary can change based on availability and weather, so be ready for a bit of flexibility.

Key things to know before you go

• Nine beers over 3 hours: plan for a lot of variety, not one-note beer tasting.
• Thames-area starting point in an historic tap room: the tour begins where London brewing roots feel tangible.
• Bermondsey Beer Mile scale: you’ll explore a street area home to 16+ craft breweries.
• Taste-technique lesson: you’ll learn how to taste beer so flavors read more clearly.
• Microbrewery tank sampling: you get a behind-the-scenes look and fresh pours.
• Bring snacks appetite: there’s a chance to buy salty snacks at venues, but you still need a meal beforehand.

London’s Beer Mile meets a proper tasting lesson

If you like the idea of a pub crawl, but you want it smarter and more interesting, this tour fits. In South East London, you’re not just chasing breweries for the sake of it. You’re walking through one of the city’s brewing stories, from historic brewing landmarks to a cluster of modern craft spots.

The tone is also a big part of the value. The guide experience comes through in the way past groups describe it. When the guide is Luke, the tour reportedly feels like friends hanging out over great beer, with history woven in rather than dumped as a lecture. Other guides, like Dave, have a similar energy: enthusiastic, friendly, and eager to talk brewing and beer styles without making it feel stiff.

Is this tour for beer experts or casual sippers?

It works for both. You’ll get enough variety—IPAs, smoky stouts, fruit sours, cask ales, wheat beers, wild fermented ales, and more—that you can compare styles side by side. And you’ll get instruction on tasting, so even if beer is new to you, you’ll leave with a better way to notice flavors.

Price and value: what $127 buys you

At $127 per person for about 3 hours, you’re paying for three things:

1) Multiple curated pours

You’ll try nine beers on the tour, with on average around 8 samples listed for 3–4 venues. Each sample is described as roughly a small glass, and the total adds up to about 3 pints.

2) Guided context

You don’t just get beer names. You get what the venue represents in London’s brewing story, plus a lesson on how beer tasting can be as detailed as wine tasting.

3) Access to the brewing side

That microbrewery stop matters. Sampling beer straight from the tank gives you a freshness and a process angle that a typical pub night usually doesn’t include.

If you compare this to buying nine beers yourself, you might end up close on price depending on the venues. But the real value is the structure: you’re sampling widely while still understanding what you’re tasting.

Meeting point by Tower Bridge: start where the river matters

You meet at Starbucks Shad Thames Tower Bridge Piazza, 49 Shad Thames, London SE1 2N. It’s a straightforward grab-and-go meeting point, and you’ll start near the river.

Friday starts are listed as 5pm, while Saturday and Sunday start at 3pm. That timing is ideal if you want an evening-ish plan without spending the whole day planning logistics.

No hotel pickup is listed. So if you’re staying centrally, plan to reach the meeting point under your own steam.

Stop 1: a 17th-century tap room and Thames-side brewing roots

The tour kicks off in a 17th-century tap room by the banks of the Thames. This is where the experience earns its name—Secret Beer Tour—because you’re not just collecting beers. You’re grounding the tasting in where London brewing really took hold.

What makes this first stop especially useful:

• You get context early: learning about the history of beer at a place tied to the city’s brewing past sets the baseline for the rest of the walk.
• You start with a craft-style selection: the first stop includes a selection of craft beers, designed to show variety rather than repeat the same style.

A small practical tip: arriving well fed matters even more at the start. You’ll be tasting multiple beers over the evening, and eating beforehand helps you enjoy the flavors instead of just chasing alcohol.

Stop 2: Bermondsey Beer Mile and why the area matters

Next you move into one of the most beer-focused areas in London: the Bermondsey Beer Mile, a street area described as home to more than 16 craft breweries.

This part of the tour is about more than walking between venues. It gives you a map in your head for London’s modern brewing identity. You’ll also hear the tour guide link styles and brewing influence to where they grew in the capital.

This is where you’ll likely notice more of the flavor range the tour is known for—examples mentioned include:

• London Black (with its London identity)
• Historic IPA connected to brewing invention in the capital
• Cask ales
• Wheat beers
• Fruit sours and wild fermented ales

What you should expect from the pace

The tour is on foot and described as “navigate between” historic London sites and Bermondsey. That means you should wear walking shoes you trust. The stops are “pints worth” of tasting, but the walking is part of the experience—getting from one beer personality to the next.

Stop 3: the microbrewery where you taste from the tank

The final tasting highlight is a microbrewery, where you meet staff and sample beers straight from the tank.

This is one of those details that turns the tour from a nice intro into something you’d remember after. Tank sampling tends to feel fresher and more direct because you’re tasting what’s being produced, not something that’s been sitting around for ages.

What you’ll gain here:

• A brewing process perspective: the guide and brewery staff explain brewing process and ingredients as part of the sampling.
• A style anchor: tasting here helps you connect what you learned at the start to how craft beer is actually made.

In the past, the brewer and staff have been described as enthusiastic and clear about beers—especially for groups that named their favorite stop as Long Arm Brewing.

The “secret” part: how the tasting lesson changes what you notice

One of the most praised aspects is the tasting guidance. The tour specifically includes learning the correct way to taste beer and understanding why beer flavors can be just as complex as wine.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a beer person, the practical value is this: you’ll get better at describing what you’re tasting, not just deciding if you like it. You’ll be guided through differences in:

• hoppiness (especially with the IPA-style beers)
• sour sharpness (with sour and fruit sour styles)
• roast and smoke (with smoky stouts)
• body and finish (with smooth ales and other pours)
• cask and wheat character (with cask ales and wheat beers)

And yes, there’s a secret beer among the nine you’ll try. That’s the fun wildcard that keeps the tour from feeling predictable.

What else you need to know: food, snacks, and changing plans

Eat first

A substantial meal before the tour is highly recommended, and no food is included. There’s an opportunity to eat at the end, and your guide will recommend options, but the tour itself is built around beer sampling.

I’d treat it like this: eat a real meal, then show up ready to taste. If you arrive hungry, the alcohol and flavors can feel harsher.

Snacks are optional

During the tour, there’s an opportunity to purchase salty snacks from the venues. If you’re the type who likes a little buffer between pours, this is worth keeping in mind.

Expect itinerary changes

The schedule is subject to change due to location availability and weather. This doesn’t mean you lose the experience. It means the specific venues and beer lineup may shift while the overall structure—historic start, Bermondsey area, microbrewery tasting—stays the same.

Who this tour is best for (and who might want a different plan)

You’ll likely love this tour if:

• you want a guided craft beer walk through a real London brewing district
• you enjoy learning how to taste, not just drinking
• you like variety across styles (sours, stouts, IPAs, ales)
• you want a 3-hour plan that doesn’t sprawl into a full night

It may be less ideal if:

• you hate walking or tight timing
• you’re sensitive to alcohol and want fewer tastings
• you’re looking for a food-focused tour (this one is beer-first)

Practical tips to make your 3 hours feel smooth

• Start hydrated: London air can do a number on you, especially with repeated sips.
• Wear comfy shoes: you’ll be moving between venues on foot.
• Order your preferences in your head: if you know you like sour beers or smoked stouts, you’ll enjoy the comparison more.
• Ask questions early: guides seem to respond well to curiosity, and the microbrewery stop is the best time to focus on ingredients and brewing methods.
• Plan your post-tour meal: there’s an eating opportunity at the end, and the guide can point you to choices.

Final verdict: should you book the London Secret Beer Tour?

I think this is a strong pick if you want a structured, educational craft beer tasting without turning it into a classroom. The tour’s biggest strength is the combination of beer variety, a tasting lesson, and a real brewing stop where you meet staff and taste beer from the tank.

That said, don’t treat it like a casual afterthought. The tour assumes you’ll show up with a proper meal, you’re ready for walking, and you’re open to styles you might not pick on your own.

If you’re in London for only a few days and want one beer experience that feels both fun and grounded in place, this is one I’d prioritize.

FAQ

How long is the London Secret Beer Tour?

It lasts about 3 hours.

How many beers will I try?

You’ll try nine beers on the tour, with on average around 8 samples across 3 to 4 venues.

Where does the tour start?

The meeting point is Starbucks Shad Thames Tower Bridge Piazza, 49 Shad Thames, London SE1 2N.

Is hotel pickup included?

No, hotel pickup is not included.

Do I need to eat before the tour?

Yes. It’s highly recommended to have a substantial meal before you go, since no food is included during the tour.

Are snacks available during the tour?

There’s an opportunity to purchase salty snacks from the venues during the tour.

What language is the tour guide?

The live tour guide speaks English.

When does the tour run?

It lists Friday at 5pm and Saturday/Sunday at 3pm.