Travel Jobs Around the World: Bar Crawl Leader

This post was written by expert vagabond, Ana, from The Art of Epic Living!

This post was written by expert vagabond, Ana, from the Art of Epic Living!

The Job Description

A bar crawl is a packaged, flat rate nightlife tour, for which a party-seeking tourist will pay a set price in order to get free club entry, discounted drinks and the ideal opportunity to meet new young and fun people.

A bar crawl leader is responsible…for leading the bar crawls!

They are enthusiastic hosts in charge of guiding the group between different bars and nightclubs, being the life of the party, but also able to manage the responsibilities of organizing the event, keeping track of the tickets and sales, and ensuring that everyone is having fun in a safe way.

A typical day of work might include promoting ticket sales during the afternoon, entertaining guests with pre-party activities and drinks in the evening, and rounding up the troops for their journey through the bar scene later in the night!

A bar crawl leader should create a social and fun atmosphere between guests, encouraging good times, keeping people mingling, drinks full and shots poured. It is a very fun job, and an amazing opportunity to make countless new friends from all over the world!

Beware though- as good as it sounds- at the end of the day you have to control the rowdy group of intoxicated vacationers… and it’s not always sunshine and rainbows.

Where I’ve Worked as a Bar Crawl Leader

• Croatia
• Portugal
• Greece

While I was working in Croatia in a hostel, I actually created my own bar crawl! I went around to the different bars and asked if I could negotiate drink deals and free shots if I brought a large group of people in every night.

It was a win-win-win situation- good drink deals for hostel guests, good business for the bars, and endless free drinks for me!

I didn’t charge people for my “bar crawl” and I also didn’t get paid by the bars- I mostly did this just to have fun, spread good vibes, and to get free drinks.

In Portugal and Greece, I was leading bar crawls which were already set up. I was in charge of promoting the pre-parties and bar crawls, selling tickets and leading groups of people between our drinking destinations. In both situations, my mission was to make sure that everyone was having a blast, but under control as well.

Where in the World the Job Exists

This job exists in large cities, or in vacation destinations which attract a young, party-oriented crowd. Bar crawls are either part of a hostel’s nightlife itinerary, or can be run by separate bar crawl companies.

How to Get a Job Working as a Bar Crawl Leader

 In order to get this job, you must demonstrate that you are a social, energetic and fun-loving individual, to an extreme level. You need to be an outgoing and entertaining host to perfect strangers on a nightly or weekly basis.

This can be very exhausting, and people can burnt out very quickly if they don’t have the necessary stamina or time management. Even though this is a fun job, you must prove that your enthusiasm will keep you on top of your game, even in the wee hours of the morning.

Since personality is key, I suggest that you showcase your personality through meeting the employers in person, so that they can get an idea of who you are in the most effective way possible.

It is possible to do some research online, and seek out established bar crawl companies. Some places are pretty legitimate, with Skype interviews and training programs! If you want something more for the income rather than the fun experience, these types of companies might be worth checking out.

When I was in Buenos Aires- and in desperate need of a job- I was about to settle down into a position with a proper bar crawl company. I would’ve had a set schedule and been one of 10 or so staff members with my own nights and routes. I would get commission on top of my wage, and of course free drinks!

Luckily for my liver and my brain, I ultimately decided to decline the job.

If you are in a new city and go on a bar crawl as a guest, you will also have a greater chance of finding a job. You will be able to get to know the staff and the route of the bar crawl, and if you network correctly, you might be able to get your foot in the door!

Even if you’d like to work as a leader in other cities, experience as a bar crawl guest is important, so that you have firsthand experience in understanding what a bar crawl is all about.

If you want to be a bar crawl leader with a hostel, then you will probably have to secure a position at the hostel before you do anything. Once you’re a staff member, you can almost certainly help out with the nightly parties and activities, and depending on the place, have the sole responsibility of taking care of the bar crawls. You just have to look around, each place is different.

Availability & Pay for a Bar Crawl Leader

Availability will depend on the location. Some large cities will have bar crawls year-round, while seasonal locations will likely only have bar crawls during the busy months.

Salary as a bar crawl leader is also variable. If you are working with a company, you will most likely get a wage and commission depending on the number of tickets you sell. A big perk to the job is that you will probably have open bar at every stop on the pub crawl.

If you are a bar crawl leader with a hostel, you might not get payment in the form of money at all, but I think that there is definitely value in free drinks and fun times!

Payment will also depend on location. If you are in a city in Latin America vs. a city in the US or Europe for example, you can expect that your pay would be lower in countries with lower wages.