I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.
— Frank Sinatra
Nothing spells absolute disaster and incredible fun at the same time as a pub crawl. If you’re wondering how to set up a pub crawl for success, you’ve come to the right place.
Read on to discover…
- The definition of a pub crawl
- Why you should organise one
- How to plan everything in advance
- How to promote it online
- What to do on the day
Remember: A good pub crawl won’t be remembered…until hard evidence is presented.
What is a pub crawl exactly?
Pub crawling and bar hopping are often just terms for a very long night out that involves going from place to place to try out all the drinks.
But they’re also a really popular event type for tourists. Local guides can show visitors historical pubs and funky venues they might not have found on their own.
Tip: You can find really creative pub crawls from around the world to inspire your own.
The many reasons to organise a pub crawl
Tourists aren’t the only people who love pub crawls. Pretty much any social occasion can involve a pub crawl as part of the experience.
Here are just some of the events that use pub crawls:
- Birthdays
- Brewery tours
- Wine tasting events
- Stag and hen dos
- Fancy dress parties
- Fundraisers
- Pokemon GO tournaments
Tip: Here are 30 types of people that go to pub crawls to help you find your target audience.
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How to plan a pub crawl
The devil is in the detail when it comes to planning your epic night out. Since it’ll involve drunk people, you better make sure to cover all bases and have some backup plans in case it goes south.
1. Choose drink types
Since a pub crawl is all about the drinks, choosing the right type of drink should be your first step in the planning process. Will it be beer, wine, whiskey, or cocktails?

2. Find the right bars
Once you know what drinks you’ll be consuming, you can start looking for the right places to visit. There are many resources online that can help you with that.
Begin your search on these sites:
It’s important to pick places that are close together, so you can transition between them smoothly. Avoid places that you know will be busy at the time of your pub crawl.
3. Consider party size
How many people you plan on including in the pub crawl will determine which places you can get in to. Small local pubs won’t be able to cope with a sudden influx of 50 half-drunk people.
4. Call the bars in advance
Speaking of sudden influxes, it would be a good idea to call the bars in advance to let them know you want to include them in your pub crawl. They might even offer you a group discount.
5. Look into transportation
It’s practical if the local area has good public transportation connections. Failing that, you might want to book some taxis in advance to pick people up and make sure they get home safe.
Here are some of the most popular taxi services:
6. Plan the order of visits
Now that you know where you’re going and how to get there, you can create a pub crawl schedule. Send the itinerary to everyone who will be part of the crawl, so they’re prepared.

There are a number of pub crawl apps that can help you plan the route:
7. Pick a theme for the crawl
Choose a fun or silly theme for your pub crawl. St. Patrick’s Day pub crawls will usually involve green attire and Irish pubs. Oktoberfest crawls will require some lederhosen and German bars.
How to promote a pub crawl
Unless your pub crawl is only intended for a small and select group of friends, you might want to think about the marketing side of things.
Here are a few tips for how to promote your pub crawl:
- Set up the event on a ticketing platform.
- Create PPC ads on Facebook and Google.
- Use an event hashtag for Instagram.
- Create a social media competition ahead of time.
Tip: If you need more help, learn how to come up with an event marketing strategy in our detailed guide.
What to do on the day of a pub crawl
You’ll have your hands full on the day of your pub crawl. Not only do you have to herd a large group of people around, but they’ll also become increasingly difficult to manage.
1. Mind the pace
Pub crawls are exciting, but it’s easy to get caught up in the fun. Make sure that everyone, including yourself, doesn’t get drunk too fast so the night ends too early.

Tip: Use an app like DrinkControl to keep tabs on how much alcohol enters the system.
2. Maintain the momentum
You should, however, keep up the pace of the pub crawl when it comes to your movements. Don’t lose momentum by staying in one place for too long. Stick to one drink per pub or bar.
3. Make sure to eat something
Pub crawls can easily stretch over an 8-hour period. Since that’s a full working day, make sure you and your group eat something in between the drinking. (It’s not cheating when you’re an adult.)
4. Take pictures of the night
Encourage everyone to take photos and make videos of everything that happens on the night. Make sure you keep them all in a shared folder that everyone can access afterwards.
5. Use a pub crawl hashtag
If you’re dealing with a larger crowd, you should consider using a hashtag for the pub crawl. That way, everyone can see what others are sharing on social media sites.
Tip: Read about how to choose the right event hashtag for your pub crawl.
6. Make sure everyone stays on
Some people might decide to stay at one bar or go home early. Give them an incentive to hit all the stops by offering a prize to those who finish. You can even turn the entire crawl into a scavenger hunt.
Tip: Use this list of pub crawl scavenger hunt ideas for some inspiration.
7. Organise drinking games
People will be more likely to stick to the schedule if they’re engaged. And nothing is as engaging (and dangerous) as drinking games. Drunken Jenga, anyone?
Tip: Read about 12 different drinking games you can play during your pub crawl.
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Hope you enjoyed our guide on how to set up a pub crawl. You now have all the tools you need to pull off an epic night. Just make sure you don’t lose them or forget them on the day.
Got some epic tales to tell? Share your stories with us in the comments section below.