At the heart of any great city is a thriving food culture, whether that’s to be found in vibrant street markets, high-end restaurants or backstreet cafés. In fact, sometimes the greatest delicacies are discovered in the most unexpected places – which is why a food tour with a local guide can help you lift the lid on the city’s best-kept secrets. From sampling street food in Tokyo to tasting London’s best fish and chips, here are 30 unmissable food tours in the world’s most exciting cities.
Delve into the quaint cobbled streets of Montmartre for a true taste of the best that Paris has to offer: think historic chocolate shops, boulangeries and creperies galore. Secret Food Tours’ three-and-a-half-hour Montmartre Secret Food Tour takes you on a walk around the region with a knowledgeable local guide, stopping to sample the finest cheeses, cured meats, authentic macarons, pastries and chocolates, all while learning about the area’s culinary history.
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Japan’s vibrant capital is one of the hottest foodie destinations in the world, so what better way to initiate yourself than through a food tour? Magical Trip’s Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Food Tour takes you through the vibrant Shinjuku region by dark, with local guides showing you the best izakaya bars and food stalls during the three-hour tour. You’ll be able to sample a range of traditional delicacies, including yakitori (skewered chicken), fried tofu and gyoza, all washed down with authentic Japanese sake and local beer. The tour offers enough food for an evening meal and there is a vegan option available.
A trip to Lisbon would not be complete without exploring the historic port region, which was once among the most important trading ports in the world. Culinary Backstreets’ five-to-six-hour Song of the Sea tour takes visitors through its narrow alleyways, kicking things off with pastries at a local bakery and an espresso at Lisbon’s only wood-fired coffee roaster. From there, you’ll head on to sample the bounties of the seas, including north coast shrimp, local clams and percebes – goose barnacles that are found on Portugal’s rocky coast.
It would be impossible to try every distinct cuisine on offer in New York City, where regions as diverse as Chinatown, Little Italy and Koreatown exist almost side by side. Instead, take a deep dive into one of the city’s ethnic neighbourhoods with experienced guide Myra Alperson on one of her Noshwalks tours. Public tours take place once a month on a varied schedule. In 2023, Alperson has decided to dedicate tours to raising funds for Ukraine – check the website for more information on the neighbourhoods which will be explored.
Banglamphu, or Bangkok’s Old Town, offers a glimpse into ancient Thai cooking practices and age-old traditions – if you know where to look. Chili Paste Tours’ Old Bangkok Food and Culture Walk moves away from the lively Khao San Road and into the region’s hidden foodie hotspots, where you can feast on authentic Thai dishes freshly prepared by local chefs. Among the foods you’ll sample are herb fish soup, Northern Thai sausage, handmade chilli paste, tropical fruits and Thai sweets. Tours are offered privately and usually take around six hours, although they can be adjusted.
Explore the best of Rome’s culinary scene with an amble through Trastevere’s cobbled backstreets, home to an eclectic mix of historic eateries and trendy street food spots. During the three-and-a-half hour Trastevere Street Eats Tour offered by Eating Europe, you’ll get to try local cheeses at Antica Caciara, a famous family-run cheese shop, learn about authentic Italian meats with a butcher and sample mouth-watering pastries at the neighbourhood’s favourite bakery. Other dishes you’ll try include supplí (fried risotto balls) and trapizzino (a pizza dough-based street food).
Cool Copenhagen is a foodie’s paradise – think farm-to-table restaurants, contemporary Nordic cuisine and locally produced craft beer. You’ll get to experience all of that and more on Foods of Copenhagen’s Culinary Bike Tour, a four-hour tour showcasing the city’s up-and-coming chefs and innovative restaurants in the Vesterbro, Christianshavn and Refshaleøen neighbourhoods. The tour features around nine miles (14km) of cycling with five food stops.
O’ngo Food Communications’ Small Group Night Dining Tour takes you on a journey through the city’s lesser known Jongno neighbourhood, to discover locals’ favourite spots for eating and drinking. You’ll visit night markets to taste crispy mung bean pancakes, try Korean barbecue beef at a traditional restaurant and sample authentic drinks. The tour takes around three-and-a-half hours and starts at 6pm every day.
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is often considered Vietnam’s culinary capital for its abundance of diverse and flavoursome street food dishes, from fragrant phở (noodle soup) to filling bahn mi sandwiches. To learn about authentic Vietnamese cuisine, take The Pho Trail, a four-and-a-half-hour morning tour offered by Saigon Street Eats. You’ll start with a traditional Vietnamese coffee and a sample of phở at a local restaurant, before heading on to a wet market to try a range of produce, finishing with a family-style meal at a local rice restaurant.
Within easy reach of the verdant Tuscan countryside, Florence is home to an abundance of locally sourced Italian produce, from creamy gelato to fresh pasta. For an introduction to the cuisine, look no further than Viator’s Small Group Florence Food Walking Tour. Starting at a local coffee roastery, you’ll learn about the roasting process, before heading on to a deli that’s been in business since 1885 to try panino tartufato, a truffle pâté sandwich. Next, you’ll visit San Lorenzo market, tasting the finest olive oils, balsamic vinegars and crostini, finishing up at a top wine shop for a wine tasting.
The food scene in Vienna is a fusion of old and new, with numerous international restaurants springing up alongside centuries-old Viennese gasthaus (inns). Wondering where to start? Take the Vienna Food, Coffee and Market Tour with Urban Adventures, where you’ll learn about the city’s coffee culture over freshly brewed espresso, try fresh produce at a bustling market and sample lesser-known Austrian delicacies, with help from a local guide.
Around 95% of Turkey’s landmass is in Asia and the remaining 5% is in Europe, with its capital city straddling the two continents. Explore both sides of the divide during Istanbul on Food’s aptly named Taste of Two Continents Tour, where you’ll learn about European and Asian influences on Turkish cuisine. Kicking things off in the Old City, you’ll visit a market for a traditional breakfast before taking a ferry to Kadıköy on the Asian side, where you’ll taste freshly brewed Turkish coffee, baklava (sweet pastries), dolma (stuffed grape leaves) and other local favourites.
Texan food is synonymous with barbecue and of course, Tex-Mex, and the eclectic capital is the perfect place to indulge in the state’s gastronomic delights. Head out on the Way Out Austin Food Tour, a three-and-a-half hour private small group experience organised by Twisted Texas, where you’ll sample foods including tacos, margaritas and barbecued meats at four of Austin’s best restaurants and food trucks. Along the way, you’ll get to see Austin’s vibrant street art and learn expert cooking tips from a barbecue chef.
It’s easy to get lost in Marrakech’s labyrinthine streets but follow your taste buds and you can’t go far wrong. Urban Adventures’ A Taste of Marrakech: Inside the Medina Tour takes you on a stroll through the dazzling Djemaa El-Fna main square at night, where you can take in the aromas wafting from nearby restaurants, be enchanted by the sight of street performers and of course, taste delicious food. Among the delicacies you’ll try are olives, nuts, dried fruits and pastries, as well as learning about Moroccan spices at a spice market.
Cape Town has gained a reputation as a sophisticated, cosmopolitan foodie hotspot in recent years, with a number of high-profile restaurants springing up. Enjoy the city’s charms on a full-day private tour with Cape Food and Wine, which takes visitors through famous areas including the colourful Bo Kaap, up-and-coming Bree Street and trendy Woodstock. You’ll sample four to five different foods, which may include local favourites like bobotie (spiced mincemeat with an egg-based topping) and biltong (cured spiced meat), although dishes vary seasonally.
Home to a vibrant and globally influenced culinary scene, Amsterdam should be next on any foodie traveller’s bucket list. Tour the city’s coolest district on Eating Europe’s three-and-a-half hour Jordaan Walking Tour, during which you’ll visit shops and cafes preferred by locals – including an almost 400-year-old café – sample Indonesian and Suriname dishes, taste world famous Gouda cheese and learn about the Dutch affinity with herring. That’s all while learning about the fascinating history of this 17th-century neighbourhood.
The lively and bohemian El Born neighbourhood, nestled between the Gothic Quarter and Ciutadella Park, is home to some of Barcelona’s most amazing tapas bars. Wanderbreak’s aptly named Born to Eat Tour takes you on a three-hour trip through the region’s rustic streets, stopping for tasters at four locations where you’ll get to try tapas from all over Spain. Wash it all down with a glass or two of wine at the tour’s final stop, a charming bodega where you’ll sample various types of Spanish wine and cava.
Chiang Mai is a feast for all the senses: from the scent of smoky barbecue meat to the colours of vibrant fruits and the noisy bustle of markets in the Old Town, there’s so much to take in. Chiang Mai Food Tours’ Taste of the North and Old Town Chiang Mai Walk makes it simple, taking you through historic markets to sample more than 10 authentic Thai dishes, including northern Thai sausage, curry noodles and local sweets.
With a rich culinary heritage shaped by French and Spanish immigration, New Orleans is known for its Creole and Cajun cuisines. During a three-hour Food History Tour by Doctor Gumbo, you’ll sample a variety of local dishes including gumbo, a thick meat and vegetable stew with Creole and Cajun seasoning; Creole brisket, smoky barbecue beef; and po-boy, a traditional Louisiana sandwich.
Athens is a food-lover’s paradise – think sumptuous stuffed vine leaves, creamy feta cheese, sticky loukoumades (Greek doughnuts) and authentic Greek gyros. If you’re ready to feast on the best the city has to offer, book an Athens for Foodies tour with greeking.me. Starting at the historic heart of the city, Syntagma Square, you’ll taste a traditional spinach and feta phyllo pie at a local café before heading on to explore hidden gems, tasting specialities including dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), pastourma (cured beef), feta cheese and kalamata olives. The only prerequisite? An empty stomach.
Delhi is a city that’s arguably best experienced in the mornings, when market traders are beginning to set up and several unique breakfast foods are served. Deli Food Walks runs four-hour food walking tours around the Old Delhi region, taking place between 8.30am and 1pm daily. Among the dishes you’ll try are bedmi pooris, a sweet and fluffy breakfast bread served with potato curry; nagori halwa, a semolina-based sweet breakfast snack; and chole kulche, a white pea curry served with fluffy bread. If you’ve got any room for dessert, you can try authentic Indian sweets, too.
San Francisco’s North Beach area is home to Little Italy, where some of the best Italian foods on the West coast can be found. During a walking tour by Local Tastes of the City Tours, you’ll get to sample dishes at local institutions, including deli favourites at Molinari Delicatessen and cannoli at Stella’s Pastry, a café which has been in business since 1942. On top of that, you’ll enjoy pizza at one of the region's best pizzerias, sip your way through the area’s best coffee shops and explore former Beat generation hotspots.
With more restaurants per capita than any other Canadian city, Montreal has a buzzy, exciting food scene that’s well worth exploring. Book onto a Mile End Food Tour to explore the city’s culinary hub, tasting a variety of dishes including Montreal’s famous bagels at St. Viateur, falafels that have been voted as the best in the city at a neighbourhood vegan restaurant, and sweet treats at a local French patisserie. Tours are offered Tuesdays and Saturdays and last for three hours.
London is a creative food destination where you’ll find Michelin-starred restaurants, buzzy food markets and trendy gastropubs within a stone’s throw of each other. If you’re overwhelmed by choice, take a detour from the city centre and head towards the up-and-coming East End for a food tour with Eating Europe. During the three-and-a-half hour tour, you’ll get to sample fish and chips at award-winning Poppies, learn about Brits’ love of Indian food at the best curry house on Brick Lane and check out the neighbourhood’s famous 24-hour bagel shop.