While Erin Express technically counts as a bar crawl, a lot of people treat it more like a citywide day party that keeps getting louder as the hours go on. If your goal tomorrow is less focused on a quiet pint of Guinness and more geared towards a sweaty dance floor with a DJ playing throwbacks, there are a few stops you’ll definitely want to prioritize.

We’re leveling up Erin’s Express this year – can you handle it? The bar crawl, happening this weekend, already hits some of the city’s most reliable party spots, but this year, a few new locations have officially joined the lineup. 

St. Patrick’s Day in Philadelphia is a full-day, full-city event where the best move is rarely staying in one place. The real fun comes from bouncing between neighborhoods in order to find packed pubs and that glorious moment when an entire bar starts singing along to an Irish classic.

Philadelphia makes bar hopping easy thanks to its walkable nightlife neighborhoods, each with its own personality. Some neighborhoods lean toward classic Irish pub vibes, others bring the party energy with DJs and packed dance floors, and a few give you the perfect mix of both.

St. Patrick’s Day in Philadelphia is less about subtlety and more about commitment, and that commitment is to the color green.

And also commitment to confidently ordering whatever drink best represents the kind of night you’re planning to have.

Your drink order says a lot about who you are on St. Patrick’s Day, so here’s what your order might be revealing about you.

The best weekends usually follow a loose plan, yet still retain enough structure to keep things moving. The best weekends, however, thrive when flexibility is allowed to breathe. 

If Erin’s Express is on your calendar this St. Patty’s season, think of it as the subject matter for your weekend, but not necessarily the whole thing. The real move is building a full itinerary around it, so you’re not scrambling for food, pacing, or next steps once the wristbands come out.

St. Patrick’s Day season in Philadelphia is certainly about green drinks and packed bar crawls. For many people, however, the real celebration starts with live traditional Irish music and fiddles, bodhráns, whistles, and songs that feel like they’ve been passed down for generations.

You can technically order a Guinness most places in Philadelphia.

But drinking Guinness like you mean it? That’s different. That means you care about the pour. You respect the settle. You pick a bar that understands the ritual as opposed to one that treats it like just another tap option between a lager and a seltzer.

And while green beer on St. Patrick’s Day will always exist, a proper Guinness deserves better. Here’s where to go when you want to do it right.

In Philadelphia, St. Patrick’s Day is so much more than just one day, it’s a migration pattern.

For roughly 72 hours every March, thousands of people in green outfits travel neighborhood to neighborhood in coordinated insanity. Some wake up early, while others never sleep. But the biggest mistake you can make on St. Patrick’s weekend in Philly is thinking all bar crawls are the same.