Speakeasy Tour: NYC's Hidden Bars & History

Embark on a tipsy journey through New York City’s hidden speakeasies, exploring the rich history of Prohibition and the notorious gangsters and bootleggers of the era.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Studio 54 - NYC’s most famous nightclub
  • Times Square / Theater District - Walk through the one-of-a-kind Times Square area on your way to the next iconic bar
  • Hell’s Kitchen - One of NYC’s most historic and culture rich neighborhoods.
  • Theater District - Historic Broadway theater district
What's Included
  • Visit to three historic bars, pubs and speakeasies
  • Licensed local guide expert in NYC history and culture
  • Storytelling of the Prohibition Era and Gilded Age in New York City
  • Free admission and preferred entry at venues
What's Not Included
  • Drinks and Food are available for purchase at the venues
  • Gratuity
Additional Information

Embark on a spirited adventure through the clandestine bars of New York’s underbelly. This exploration will give you a sense of unearthing secluded refuges amid the hectic tourist scene in Midtown. Lead by one of the city’s most charismatic guides, you’ll be entranced by the rich past steeped into your evening drinks. Join us as we trace back to the…

Location
825 8th Ave
8th Avenue
Meet on 8th Avenue between 49th Street and 50th Street outside the office building entrance of One Worldwide Plaza (825 Eighth Avenue). There is a bike rack in front of the building and a large American flag hanging in front. Carnegie Diner is visible on the opposite side of 8th Avenue.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(174 Ratings)
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Maren_s
Mar 31, 2025
Solo with good company - Went to three different bars with an absolutely fabulous guide. There was only one other person on the tour so we had a great time getting to know each other. The first bar was amazing and definitely wouldn’t have found on my own, the other two were fun but not what I would consider a typical speakeasy. If you’re travel solo, definitely do this as it’s a great way to get some company and some fun bars. If you’re with a group, you can do your own tour easily.
Review provided by Viator
Charlene_s
Mar 31, 2025
TOUR was so enjoyable! - Ariel was absolutely amazing, extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to enjoy a different view of the City. My Family wanted to make new memories for my BIG 50! I highly recommend this awesome tour! Look forward to doing this again in the future! My favorite was The WOO WOO!
Review provided by Viator
Brian_h
Mar 29, 2025
Last minute booking and worth every penny! Thanks Ryan! - The tour was so much fun. We had just gotten into the city and weren’t sure what to do because the weather was iffy. We had looked at this option earlier in the week and just didn’t know what night to go for it. We are so glad we did! Ryan was phenomenal and his knowledge and presentation of the stories and history made the night. The spots were hit were each very unique and different from the others which made each stop that much more fun. Not only did he know a lot about the locations and histories of the areas, he knew the staff at each location which made each stop more fun. I highly recommend booking this tour when you are in NYC. You won’t be disappointed.
Review provided by Viator
Melinda_h
Mar 28, 2025
Fun Experience! - Walter was a fount of information and was very entertaining! We had a great time! I don’t have anything else to say but there is a 100 character minimum.
Review provided by Viator
Tamekia_j
Mar 19, 2025
He was very informative... - He was very informative and very friendly and fun. Would tell my friends about the experience! Thanks for the time.
Review provided by Viator
Debra_p
Mar 17, 2025
Prohibition Tour with Friends - Arielle our guide is fantastic, thus is our 2nd year touring and she has now shown us 5 different locations that we fantastic! Highly recommend this tour
Review provided by Viator
Cheryl_n
Mar 12, 2025
A fun filled event ,seeing places some won't even know exist. - Firstly the host was amazing ,ours was Ariel.Bubbly ,sociable and knowledgeable. She gave everyone attending the tour time to arrive ,even our party of two stragglers.The history of the plaza where me met was fascinating.Once we hit our first venue Woo Woo (not an explanation of the euphoria felt type Woo Woo)that was the venues name.We were escorted to a hidden room just like in the days of prohibition. This was an eye opener not for the faint hearted,but nothing gourdy or explicit on show the drink names were in keeping and the atmosphere was relaxed.The party we were with was a mix of couples and singles some from Rome celebrating their 15th anniversary,lovely couple.A couple from mid America I believe with a friend,two gents from India and a lovely young lady Sydney who was assisting with the social media.Everyone was included and made to feel welcome.Drinks were recommended based on your preferences,not all hit the mark but they were all cocktails and certainly looked the part You paid the host by card so be prepared.We moved onto the next adventure at the Civilian. There we were led up a spiral staircase into an affluent back room for our private soiree.Later to learn that the sweeping red velvet curtain we had passed was the actual curtain used on the set for the Phantom of the Opera ,this blew my mind.The room was surrounded with glass cases filled with memorabilia from an array of shows and many images were captured .Aries again shared some history covering the many rules and ruses used in 1920s.Choose your drinks wisely would be my tip for this venue as some are lit ,some glow and some drip from a contraption resembling a coffee percolator.Again a little pricey but your paying for the ambiance. We had covered little Italy 🇮🇹 so far .The final venue shall not be named ...I assumed we were taking the tube ,or subway as they call it ,but low and behold a gentle tap on the wall and in we were led to my favourite of the three venues.we had our own private section again but could still feel part of the whole bar,sorry gin joint ,speakeasy whatever word you use is appropriate. After a further talk on the whole debacle of booze, the good ,the bad and the plain ugly we were left to chat among ourselves and on the whole I would say be prepared to drink,but it's then up to yourself how much.it had gone 02.30am when our own night ended with many laughs and I'm sure hangovers to follow.
Review provided by Viator
Ayana_z
Mar 3, 2025
Unfortunately I was... - Unfortunately I was unable to attend since I had gotten sick and I was already aware of their 24 hr cancellation policy but I appreciated the meet up location text as well as them checking in to see if we could make it. Maybe next time I can actually go
Review provided by Viator
S796ristephanies
Feb 28, 2025
Fun evening - Ryan was a great guide. I enjoyed his stories and drink suggestions. Bar choices were fun. I liked some more than others.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly_f
Mar 21, 2025
Interesting and enjoyable tour - Ryan was a really good guide, who gave us plenty of information during our tour. First prohibition bar was a great insight into the prohibition era.
Review provided by Viator
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