Philadelphia: Secret Bars and Favorite Spots Walking Tour

Philadelphia’s secret bar tour is less about lectures and more about finding a good drink without doing the homework yourself. You’ll start near Rittenhouse Square, visit several Center City bars, and finish around Broad and Sansom Streets. The stops can include a speakeasy-style lounge, a rooftop bar, or other local favorites.

I like the small-group social setup, which makes it easy to meet people or bring your own friends. I also like the practical extras: no cover charges, line-skipping, a liquor tasting, and drink recommendations at each stop. The main caution is that the bars are not named in advance, and the quality of the guiding can vary. Some guides, including Matthew and Mike, have earned strong praise, while one poor account described little commentary and weak group leadership.

Key points to know before you book

• The route begins at 1726 Walnut Street, outside TD Bank, then moves through Rittenhouse Square and Center City.
• You visit three or four additional venues, with the exact choices based on group size and availability.
• Food and drinks are extra, apart from an early liquor tasting.
• No cover charges and line-skipping can make the $35 fee worthwhile on a busy night.
• The final stop is near Broad and Sansom Streets, possibly a rooftop bar or speakeasy-style lounge.
• You must be at least 21, bring a passport or ID card, and leave large bags at your accommodation.

A bar crawl built around surprise

The appeal here is simple: you do not know the full bar list ahead of time. The company keeps the names close to the event date, so you are not simply following a public checklist of Philadelphia drinking spots.

That surprise cuts both ways. It can lead you to places you would not have chosen on your own, especially if you are new to Philadelphia. It also means you cannot check each bar’s menu, music, seating, or atmosphere in advance. If you need a very specific night out, such as craft beer only or quiet cocktail lounges only, this format may feel too open-ended.

The tour is designed for about three hours, with roughly 35 minutes at several stops. That is enough time for one drink, a little food, and a look around, but not enough for a long dinner or a relaxed evening at every bar. Think of it as a moving introduction to Center City nightlife rather than a full night spent in one place.

The published stop details also suggest a longer schedule than the stated three hours, since several stops are assigned 35 to 60 minutes. Treat those times as a rough plan and confirm the start and end timing before booking if you have theater tickets, a train, or another fixed appointment.

Starting at Walnut Street and Rittenhouse Square

Meet your guide outside TD Bank at 1726 Walnut Street. This is a useful starting point because it puts you in the Rittenhouse Square area, one of the city’s main dining and nightlife zones.

The first stop includes a cocktail and local snacks, along with the provided liquor tasting. That tasting is the only drink-related item clearly included in the price. You should expect to buy your own drinks after that, and the same goes for most food.

The first half hour matters more than it may sound. You meet the guide, learn how the group will move between stops, and get your first sense of the evening’s pace. If you are traveling alone, this is the easiest moment to introduce yourself to the rest of the group. If you arrive with friends, it gives everyone a chance to settle in before the crawl gathers speed.

One detail deserves care: the included tasting may be a small pour rather than a full cocktail. A past account described it as a shot connected to a purchase at the bar. I would not book this expecting a series of free drinks. The value is in access and organization, not in included alcohol.

Center City stops: variety over a fixed bar list

After Rittenhouse Square, the route moves into Center City. The plan calls for three or four more stops, though the exact number depends on the group and venue availability.

That flexibility can work well on a busy evening. If one place is crowded or unavailable, the guide can adjust instead of forcing the whole group into a poor fit. On the other hand, you cannot judge the tour by a guaranteed list of famous Philadelphia bars. The experience depends heavily on the night, the selected venues, and the guide leading your group.

Each stop is meant to last around 35 minutes, though some parts of the plan allow an hour. You might have time for a cocktail and a quick snack at one place, then a longer pause for dinner or free time at another. The stop-by-stop structure is helpful if you want to sample several parts of Center City, but it can feel rushed if you prefer to finish one drink slowly.

Your guide is supposed to offer drink and food suggestions at every location. That is one of the more useful parts of the tour. A local recommendation can help you avoid ordering blindly, especially when the menu is large or the bar has a specialty you would not notice on your own.

The social side is also important. One strong account praised Matthew for being friendly and taking a first-time visitor from London to places he would not have found alone. Another positive account credited Mike with making the group’s evening enjoyable. Those names suggest that the guide can make a real difference. Good pacing, clear introductions, and a few useful recommendations turn a bar crawl into an experience. Without those things, it becomes little more than a route between drinking stops.

What the secret bar promise really means

The word secret sets a high bar. You might visit a speakeasy-style lounge or a venue that is easy to miss if you do not know the area, but not every stop will feel like a forbidden local club. The final location may be a rooftop bar with city views or a speakeasy-style space, depending on availability.

That final stop gives the evening a useful shape. You are not simply dropped at an arbitrary bar after the last drink. You end near Broad and Sansom Streets, at 1300 Sansom Street, with time to keep drinking or make your own plans afterward.

Still, keep your expectations practical. The stops may be good without being truly secret. One disappointing account found the venues ordinary and felt that a basic online search could have produced similar results. That criticism points to the tour’s central risk: the $35 fee is paying for selection, access, and company, not a guarantee of rare Philadelphia discoveries.

I would judge the secret-bar promise by your own goals. If you want a night of pleasant surprises and do not want to plan, it is appealing. If you expect underground places with elaborate backstories and exclusive cocktails, you may find the branding stronger than the experience.

Dinner, snacks, and what you actually pay for

The tour price is $35 per person. Drinks and food are not included, so your final spending will depend on how much you order at four or five locations.

That is not automatically poor value. Cover charges can add up in Philadelphia, and line-skipping is useful when a bar is busy. The tour also provides recommendations, a liquor tasting, and a guide who handles the movement from one place to the next. If the venues are crowded and the guide is active, those services can justify the fee.

The value is weaker if you planned to visit only one or two bars, do not care about skipping lines, or prefer to choose your own drinks. A self-planned evening may cost less in tour fees, though you would need to do the research and handle the route yourself.

The food plan is not a full meal guarantee. The Rittenhouse Square stop includes local snacks, and one Center City stop lists dinner. You should still budget for your own meal and ask the guide what food is available that night. The inclusion of brunch vouchers for selected restaurants is a useful extra for the next morning, but the details are not specified, so do not treat the vouchers as a guaranteed meal or fixed-value credit.

A sensible budget includes the $35 tour fee, several paid drinks, and possible food purchases. If you are trying to keep the night inexpensive, order selectively and ask for recommendations before buying at every stop.

Group size, guide quality, and the social mood

This is a group tour, and the company promotes it for both friends and solo participants. That makes it a good fit if you enjoy talking with strangers and do not want to spend the whole night making decisions.

Group size can change the feel considerably. A small group may move quickly and receive more direct attention from the guide. A larger group may create a livelier atmosphere, but it can also make ordering and moving between venues slower. The exact size is not fixed in the information provided, so you should be comfortable with some uncertainty.

Guide quality is the biggest variable. The best accounts describe Matthew as friendly and Mike as helpful, with the route feeling social and easy to enjoy. One highly negative account described two guides, with one contributing little and behaving in a way that damaged the evening. Another small-group account said the guide offered almost no useful information about the stops.

You should not expect a formal Philadelphia history tour. The experience specifically avoids long history lessons. You can expect insider tips, fun facts, and stories about the bar scene, but the amount and quality of that commentary may depend on who leads your group.

That distinction is important. If you want a local host who helps you meet people and points out good orders, this can work. If you want detailed explanations about the city, architecture, or the history of each bar, choose a different kind of tour.

Practical details for a smooth night

The tour is in English and is described as wheelchair accessible. Since the route moves between several venues, it is still sensible to ask ahead about the specific stops if you have mobility needs. Venue access can vary even when the tour itself is marked accessible.

Bring a passport or ID card. You must be 21 or older, and the age rule is enforced as a basic condition of the activity. Pregnant people and anyone under 21 should not book this tour.

Leave luggage and large bags behind. A compact personal bag is the safer choice, but the stated restriction is specifically against luggage or large bags. Sleeveless shirts are not allowed, so dress with the venue rules in mind rather than treating this as a casual daytime walk.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and the reserve-now-pay-later option helps if your Philadelphia schedule is not settled. Check the available start times before committing, since the duration is listed as three hours but the individual stop blocks suggest that the actual pace may vary.

The tour finishes at 1300 Sansom Street, near Broad and Sansom Streets. That central ending point is handy if you want to continue your evening, find dinner, or return to your accommodation by your own arrangements.

Who should book the Philadelphia secret bar tour?

I would choose this for a first night in Philadelphia when you want a ready-made social plan and do not want to research bars. It also suits a small group of friends who would rather compare several places than settle into one venue.

You are most likely to enjoy it if you:

• Like cocktails and casual bar-hopping
• Are happy to pay separately for drinks and food
• Enjoy meeting people in a group setting
• Want help finding venues around Rittenhouse Square and Center City
• Value skipping lines and avoiding cover charges
• Can accept that the stops are not named in advance

I would think twice if you want a detailed city tour, guaranteed famous bars, free drinks, or a carefully controlled dining experience. The tour does not promise any of those things.

Should you book it?

Book it if the $35 fee feels like a fair price for a guide, a planned route, no covers, line-skipping, and a social evening with several drinks. The strongest experiences appear to come when the guide takes an active role, as Matthew and Mike reportedly did.

Skip it if your main reason for booking is the included alcohol or the word secret. Drinks and food cost extra, and the liquor tasting may be modest. The venues can be enjoyable, but the tour is not a guaranteed collection of exclusive bars.

My practical advice is to book with flexible expectations. Think of it as a hosted Center City bar crawl with surprise stops, not a history tour or a luxury cocktail package. If that sounds like your kind of night, it offers a simple way to get started in Philadelphia after dark.

FAQ

Where does the Philadelphia secret bar tour start?

Meet your guide outside TD Bank at 1726 Walnut Street in Philadelphia.

Where does the tour finish?

The tour finishes at 1300 Sansom Street, in the Broad and Sansom Streets area.

How long does the tour last?

The advertised duration is three hours. Individual stop times may vary, and the planned stop blocks suggest that the pace can change during the evening.

Are drinks and food included?

No. Drinks and food are generally purchased separately. A liquor tasting is provided at an early stop, and local snacks are listed at the Rittenhouse Square stop.

Are venue cover charges included?

Yes. No cover charges are included for the venues visited during the tour, and line-skipping is also provided.

What age do you need to be?

You must be at least 21 years old. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed.

What should you bring?

Bring a passport or ID card. Do not bring luggage or large bags, and sleeveless shirts are not allowed.