What is a Pub Crawl and How Can I Plan and Enjoy a Night Out With Friends?

Organizing a night out on the town can be a great way to spend time with your friends, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. A pub crawl is the perfect way to visit different bars, clubs and pubs in one night and sample some of the offerings in an area. But what is a pub crawl, and how can you plan and execute your night out right?

What Is a Pub Crawl?

A pub crawl is an event where people visit multiple pubs and enjoy drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) and food at each venue. Participants typically move from one pub to the next as a group, making it a great way to enjoy a night out with friends.

Pub crawls in their traditional form date back centuries, but they are gaining in popularity as a form of tourism in modern countries. People can join pub crawls for any occasion – from birthday parties to hens or bucks nights, or just for fun, creating a fantastic way to discover an area.

Why Is It Called A Pub Crawl?

The name comes from the fact that participants must wander from one venue (i.e. “pub’) to the next (i.e. “crawl’).

In its most basic form, the pubs that participants visit on a pub crawl are typically quiet watering holes. However, in recent years, pubs and nightclubs are increasingly hosting pub crawls with stricter rules, such as requiring participants to dress in specific costumes, visit specific venues and travel in groups of a certain size.

This makes the event more of a “walk-about’ than a pub crawl, but the same rules still apply – people must visit multiple venues in search of refreshment and enjoyment.

Planning Your Own Pub Crawl

Planning your own pub crawl is easy, but there are some things you should consider before getting started. Here’s how to plan the perfect pub crawl:

Plan Ahead

The key to a successful pub crawl is planning ahead. Make sure you pick venues that are close together so your guests won’t have to walk too far between stops. This can be difficult in urban areas with spread out pubs and clubs, so be prepared to compromise on this point if you’re in an area like this.

Choose Your Venues

The venues you choose should reflect your budget and tastes. Most pub crawls include several watering holes – pubs, bars and clubs – where people can sample the local drinks, discover new locales and soak up the atmosphere. You can make this part of the festivities by designating a different venue for every hour or two, or opt for a “shot bar’ experience where everyone samples different shots or spirits over the course of the night.

No matter what venues you choose, make sure the routes are planned out and printed for everyone in advance so participants know exactly where they’re going before they set off (and to avoid any arguments!).

Don’t Overdo It

It goes without saying that drinking alcohol responsibly is essential during any pub crawl. Remember that you don’t have to drink at every stop – eating snacks along the way will help balance your alcohol intake, as will having at least one non-alcoholic drink between each alcoholic one.

Take Care of Your Guests

A good pub crawl host should take responsibility for their guests – never set them off without designating a leader who is responsible for ensuring everyone gets home safely, as well as ensuring no one gets overly intoxicated or puts themselves at risk of injury or harm. Make sure you check IDs at each venue and that everyone has made sensible decisions about their drinking habits for the night.

Where Can I Join A Pub Crawl?

Joining a pub crawl is always a great option if you don’t feel like organizing your own. To find upcoming pub crawls in your area offers an extensive database of groups that plan pub crawls around the world – all you have to do is pick a city and search for pub crawls near you! Most pub crawls have a set route and cover entry fees and drinks packages, but it’s still always worth double-checking ahead of time to make sure you’re getting the most value for money and that your group is well-equipped with what they need for the night out.

The Bottom Line

A pub crawl is a great way to explore different parts of town, sample beverages from different locales and spend some quality time with your friends (socially distanced). So long as everyone follows sensible drinking habits and plans out their route ahead of time, it can be an extremely enjoyable night out. Whether you organize one yourself or join one of the many pub crawls that other groups host around the world, make sure you do plenty of research ahead of time to ensure you get the most out of your experience!