Fitzroy: Gangsters to Glamour Bar Tour
From Melbourne mobsters to the coolest place in town.
Located a few kilometres north of Melbourne, Fitzroy is our oldest and coolest suburb: trendy eateries, boutiques, bars, street art and live music venues.
But beneath Fitzroy’s trendy facade lies a dark past. Discover the best of Fitzroy’s coolest bars, street art laneways and fascinating, often terrifying history on the Fitzroy: Gangsters to Glamour Tour.
Fitzroy is Melbourne’s trendiest suburb – cool bars, boutique outlets and street art abound in the City’s funkiest quarter.
But Fitzroy is so much more than its boho vibe. As Melbourne’s oldest suburb, Fitzroy has a fascinating past – from chocolate barons to grog gangsters like Squizzy Taylor, Australia’s first and only saint, and even Muhammad Ali.
Join us as we explore Fitzroy’s best bars, street art and history on how Fitzroy went from Slumtown to Hipsterville, Gangsters to Glamour, Brothels to Bohemia (you get the idea).
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Learn Melbourne's Dangerous Past
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3 Brilliant Fitzroy Bars
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Gift Vouchers Available
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2.5-3 Hours
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Incredible Tour Hosts
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Last Minute Bookings
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Tour Inclusions
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Your Expert Host
Let one of our expert hidden bar and history guides show you a different side to Melbourne.
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3 Hidden Bars Visits
Visit three hidden bars you never would have found yourself, speakeasies, historic pubs and more!
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Dark and Dangerous History
Learn about Fitzroy’s dark past that lies beneath its trendy facade. Discover the best of Fitzroy’s coolest bars, street art laneways and fascinating history!
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Ticket Options (prices are GST/charges inclusive)
Drinks Upgrade: Receive a beer, wine or cocktail at each bar ( i.e. 3 drinks per person, per tour).
Standard: Simply order your drinks at the bar and pay your own way.
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Bonus Tour Inclusions
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Tour Photos
Our guide will take some happy snaps which will be shared with you after the tour!
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Get Expert Tips
After you book, contact our expert team for any food, entertainment or other Melbourne recommendations.
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DHT APP Access
Get access to our App for unique content, bar maps and more.
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Our Partners
More than $140 worth of value included from Naked Wines, The Whisky Club, Grip6 and Clementine’s.
What happens after I book?
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Instant
Email confirmation of your booking with key details including meeting point.
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Two Days Prior
We’ll send you several pre-tour reminders with any important updates.
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Day of Tour
Receive a same day text with Google Map directions to the starting point, your guide’s name and phone number.
- Thoroughly enjoyed the Fitzroy tour with some mates, so thought I'd give the Melbourne one a go with another group of friends and it was also fantastic. Great selection of bars, food and some hilarious stories.read moreread lessAndreas Baruhas11/09/19Great fun. I’ll definitely look to do the Fitzroy tour given how good the Melbourne laneways one was.read moreread lessThomas Malone11/08/19Would highly recommend, awesome night Went on the Fitzroy tour the other night. It was awesome, Laura was so lovely and very knowledgeable about the area.
Loved the bars we went to and really enjoyed learning a little bit about Melbourne's history. Would definitely do another one if I'm back in Melbourne.read moreread lessHannah C26/04/19 - Amazing! As Melbourne locals we didn't really know what to expect as we have lived here our whole lives and would like to believe that we know the history of our town, how wrong we were! We learned so much from our dynamic tour guide Tom, who was incredibly knowledgable and had so many little tips about not only Fitzroy but hidden bars and experiences all over Melbourne which we are sure to be exploring. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a fun and relaxed afternoon with a few drinks along the way.read moreread lessKiri R22/04/19Drinking history tour- Fitzroy Laura was amazing 😉! Our entire adult family came along for the tour. The pace was nice for my 72 year old father and the young 25 year old couple that was with our party. The history was informative and surreal as we stood in an alley and looked at small brick one story homes on blue stone streets and listened to Laura spin us the tale of what once was. Fitzroy is a hip artsy city with a rich history of feuds and gangs. This tour takes you back to what Fitzroy was during its roller coaster life consisting of gold rush to depression. Street art complements the hip small stores and pubs along the streets. Laura provided us with many recommendations and took us to neat pubs that each have their own unique twist on food and drinks. Highly recommend!!!read moreread lessTravelingtwin131/03/19Had a blast! Such an amazing time exploring the Fitzroy with Ben, the tour guide, and so many other interesting people. Learnt a lot, laughed a lot and drank a lot. The bars were amazing, food was top quality and we met very interesting fun people on the tour. Would completely recommend if it’s your first time in Melbourne like me, definitely started out my trip right.read moreread lessMaisie C07/03/19
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Final Details...
Frequently Asked Questions
Which bars will I get to visit?
From laneway bars to rooftops and hidden speakeasies, every tour is slightly different. We work with more than 20 different bars, and we like to rotate through the bars we visit so no one tour is the same!
Are drinks included?
Depends on the ticket price – we have options for both.
Do you do private versions of this tour?
For sure! You’ll find all the information you need to book a private tour on our private tours page. Our tours are great for birthday parties, corporate events, or just getting together with friends for a fun night out.
Are tours wheelchair accessible?
Yes, with a but. We’ll need you to contact us before you book so we can make sure the bars we select for your tour date are wheelchair friendly
How much walking is involved?
This tour is our longest at about 2km of walking in total.
How long does a tour last?
This tours last for about three hours, all up, although they can go for up to four hours if we have delays or if everyone is just having a really swell time!
That includes about 1.5 hours of walking (no more than 10mins without stopping) and 1.5 hours of socialising/bar visits.
During that time you’ll visit three of the city’s best bars, with 30-40 minutes at each bar to try some delicious drinks and soak up the atmosphere.
Of course, we finish our tour at the final bar, so you’re welcome to stick around there for as long as you want!
Does the tour include food?
How long do we stay at each bar?
We stay at bars 1 and 2 for about 30mins – enough for one drink. We appreciate that feels like a small amount of time, but if we stayed any long the tour would be too long, and we wouldn’t get to see everything! We finish the tour at our final bar, so you are free to stay on after the tour has finished.
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