The New Michigan Pub Crawl: 19 Pedal Pubs (and Boats) Reinventing Boozy Fun in the Mitten

Because just sitting at the bar can be pretty boring.

MICHIGAN—Whether you choose city streets or Great Lakes waters, there’s no longer a reason to keep your boozy gatherings confined to stuffy bars and restaurants in Michigan.

A concept first popularized by the Dutch, the Motor City (among many other Michigan cities) are now climbing on board with new ways to spend a night on the town—quite literally. 

Whether it’s with bikes, boats, or streetcars, these are the businesses turning pedal pubs and cycle-boats into an entertainment revolution, and giving everyone a little bit of exercise too:

Southeast Michigan

The HandleBar (Detroit)

• Full Bike Rate: $249-$349
• Minimum Party Size: 6
• Bike Capacity: 16
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

If you want Michigan’s original party bike, HandleBar is where you want to go. Tours are flexible with stops, with one route from the Tin Roof Bar and the other from the Detroit Shipping Co. Tours include many popular Detroit areas, like Campus Martius, Greektown, The Belt Alley, Midtown, Corktown, Eastern Market, Comerica Park, and Ford Field.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Detroit Rolling Pub (Detroit)

• Full Bike Rate: $275-$385
• Minimum Party Size: 6
• Bike Capacity: 16
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

The owners of the Detroit Rolling Pub brought the pedal bar experience to the next level and earn the title of Michigan’s first cycle boat. This party bike company loves getting creative. In addition to creating the world’s first tiki bar pedal pub, the Detroit Rolling Pub often hosts team-building activities. You can book the “Bar Hop Tour,” or spend a night on the town (and day) with scavenger hunts and historical tours. 

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

The Michigan Pedaler (Detroit)

• Full Bike Rate: $175-$325
• Bike Capacity: 6-15
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

The Michigan Pedaler offers a standard size party bike, as well as a “Mini Pedaler” for six. Both have been dubbed “The Cadillac of Party Bikes.” And for the lazier cruisers, the electric motors in the Pedalers make actual pedaling optional. Tours focus on four major areas of the city: Downtown, Midtown, Corktown, and Eastern Market. Groups choose whichever stops they’d like to make— if any—within any given two-hour window when they set up the route.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Rochester Pedal Ride (Rochester)

• Full Bike Rate: $299-$399
• Minimum Party Size: 10
• Bike Capacity: 14
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

For a relaxing cruise through downtown Rochester, the Rochester Pedal Ride is your ticket. Though the route is pre-determined to stay in observance with local law enforcement, the exact stops and itinerary are up to the riders. This party bike rides into Metro Detroit too!

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

Detroit Cycle Boat (Detroit)

• Full Boat Rate: $500-$650
• Minimum Party Size: 6
• Boat Capacity: 16-18
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

The owners of the Detroit Rolling Pub have brought the pedal bar experience to the to earn the title of Michigan’s first cycle boat. The Detroit Cycle Boat takes guests on a scenic cruise along the Detroit River. It’s also certified by the US Coast Guard—so the ride is surely safe.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

High Five (Ann Arbor)

• Full Bike Rate: $375-$419
• Minimum Party Size: 10
• Bike Capacity: 14
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

If you’re planning a trip to the home of the University of Michigan, a party bike is a great way to soak in the city. With High Five, tours include a brewery tour, a craft beer tour, or a totally custom tour, where customers can choose three stops along their own customized routes. 

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Pedal Saloon (Ann Arbor)

• Full Bike Rate: $349-$420
• Minimum Party Size: 7
• Bike Capacity: 10-14
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

Pedal Saloon is a multi-location party bike experience, available in two Michigan locations—including beautiful downtown Ann Arbor. Individual seats start at $45.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Great Lakes Pedal and Pour (Port Huron)

• Full Bike Rate: $400
• Minimum Party Size: 10
• Bike Capacity: 16
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

The Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes and home of the Blue Water Bridge, Port Huron provides plenty of lakeshore to explore. Parties can choose their own route in the city limits.

Learn more at the website and Facebook page.

Pedal Boat Pub (Lake Orion)

• Full Boat Rate: $450-$530
• Minimum Party Size: None, 6 recommended
• Boat Capacity: 16
• Tour Length: 1.5 Hours

Oakland County’s first cycle boat bar provides picturesque tours of Lake Orion. Bring your own beverages, food, and music—and explore one of Michigan’s beautiful inland lakes. Parties are welcome to stop the boat and take a dip in the water at any time!

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

Mid-Michigan

Pedal Saloon (Lansing)

• Full Bike Rate: $349-$420
• Minimum Party Size: 7
• Bike Capacity: 10 or 14
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

Lansing is the second location for Pedal Saloon—and it allows you to customize your own tour of the Capital City for a variety of special occasions. Individual seats start at $45. 

Learn more at the website and Facebook page.

Sunrise Pedal Trolley (Bay City)

• Full Bike Rate: $300-$375
• Minimum Party Size: 8
• Bike Capacity: 15
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

Explore the gorgeous waterfront town of Bay City along the Saginaw Bay with the Sunrise Pedal Trolley. Tours allow custom stops for any occasion—all in downtown Bay City. Note: the trolley cannot cross the bridge, but specific tours of the west side of Bay City are available.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

Twisted Mitten Tours (Alma)

• Full Bike Rate: $300-$400
• Minimum Party Size: 8
• Bike Capacity: 14
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

The small town of Alma is in the “middle of everything,” and you can explore this wholesome heartland small town with Twisted Mitten Tours—which offers two pre-determined routes: the Superior Tour, keeping parties along Superior Street downtown, or the Riverside Tour, which tours Riverside Park before returning downtown. Custom tours and special stops are OK too.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

PedAle Trolley (Frankenmuth)

• Full Bike Rate: $300-$375
• Minimum Party Size: 8
• Bike Capacity: 16
• Tour Length: 2-2.5 Hours

Forget horses. Little Bavaria may be best explored on a trolley. Tours are customizable to a variety of locations across Frankenmuth. Individual seats for bar hop tours start at $25.  

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

West Michigan

Great Lakes Pub Cruiser (Grand Rapids)

• Full Bike Rate: $199-$665
• Minimum Party Size: 2-6
• Bike Capacity: 6-16
• Tour Length: 2-3 Hours

The Great Lakes Pub Cruiser offers a unique way to explore Beer City, USA—with several different tours, including through the Downtown Loop, the Downtown Market, the Northwest Side, the North Monroe District, and more. Parties select stops along the route ahead of time. You can also choose the smaller “Hops Cycle” for fewer seats with more pedal power.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

Grand Haven Cycleboat (Grand Haven)

• Full Boat Rate: $450-$500
• Boat Capacity: 16
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

The popular West Michigan coastal vacation hotspot of Grand Haven has a cycle boat of its own, formerly known as the Grand Haven Paddle Pub. And although the name has changed, it still offers plenty of pedal cruise boat adventures along Grand River and Spring Lake. 

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

Southwest Michigan Cycle Boat (St. Joseph)

• Full Boat Rate: $450-$1200
• Minimum Party Size: 8
• Boat Capacity: 16
• Tour Length: 2 Hours or 5.5 Hours 

Many visitors come to St. Joseph for Warren Dunes State Park, but the Southwest Michigan Cycle Boat is sure to make the experience even better. The cycle-boat there is called the Harbor Hopper, and individual seat purchases start at $43, with private tours available.

An additional package called the Southwest Michigan Lake and Land Tour offers the usual two-hour boat experience, followed by a “Brew Bus” tour of local breweries and wineries.

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

Northern Michigan

TC Cycle Pub (Traverse City)

• Full Bike Rate: $149-$389
• Minimum Party Size: 4-7 
• Bike Capacity: 6-14
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

The Cherry Capital sits in the heart of northern Michigan’s wine country—and there are plenty of coastal views worth soaking in. So, why not enjoy both on a pub crawl of your own? Parties can pick between a small or large bike, and also build their own custom itineraries.

Learn more at the website and Facebook page. 

Charlevoix Cycle Pub (Charlevoix)

• Full Boat Rate: $500-$550
• Boat Capacity: 14
• Tour Length: 2 Hours

As the first cycleboat in northern Michigan, the Charlevoix Cycle Pub allows parties to peddle around and explore the always-gorgeous Lake Charlevoix. Individual seat purchases for evening bar hop tours across the lake are also available starting at $35. 

Learn more at the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.