Editorial
London has 3,500 pubs. Planning the right pub crawl london route means knowing which ones deserve 45 minutes and which ones you should walk straight through. The difference between a legendary night and a forgettable one is understanding neighborhood geography and closing times.
London pubs operate on strict closing times. Most central pubs close at 11 PM on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Plan your crawl accordingly. The distance from Soho to Embankment is walkable in 15 minutes. The distance from central London to Shoreditch is 20 minutes by tube or 30 minutes by foot depending on how you navigate. Budget 45 minutes per pub if you actually want to experience it, not 15 minutes if you are just drinking and moving. Walking the central route should take 3-4 hours. Walking the east side route takes the same time but you will move slower because the bars are further apart.
Transportation matters. The central route is entirely walkable. The east side crawl requires the tube unless you want to walk for 30 minutes between stops. A zone 1-2 travelcard costs GBP 3 for the journey. Plan your route before you start because the tube map is confusing at first.
Thursday through Saturday are standard crawl nights. Sunday through Wednesday, central pubs will still be packed but you will feel the difference. Friday and Saturday nights you will meet more tourists. Weekday evenings you will meet more London regulars. Choose based on the experience you want. Avoid December 20-January 2. Avoid major sporting events unless you specifically want them. The best pub crawls happen on ordinary Thursdays when locals outnumber visitors.
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