8 Must-Do Food Tours to Consider For Your Next Trip

Much of the fun when traveling to a new place is choosing what to eat. It’s an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and enjoy new foods that you may never try while living in your hometown.While you might be unsure of where to go for local delicacies, taking a food tour can give you a crash course. A local guide can walk you through some of the best spots and ensure you’ll be taste-testing foods the city is known for.

As you plan your next vacation and pick somewhere new to visit, make sure to put these food tours on your “must-do” list. It’s your chance to try regional cuisines no matter where you travel in North America, and you certainly won’t go home hungry.

1. New Orleans, Louisiana

In between ghost tours and parading down Bourbon Street, make sure to taste test all the foods New Orleans is known for. This three-hour food tour with Destination Kitchen walks you through the famous French Quarter with both history and cuisine in mind.

Indulge on everything from seafood gumbo to decadently sweet boudin beignets to jambalaya. You’ll get to sightsee and find out the inside scoop on food knowledge from local kitchens. Plus, sip on some tasty cocktails along the way.

2. Montreal, Canada

Enjoy a European-styled getaway without actually having to fly to Europe. Nestled along the Saint Lawrence River in Canada, you’ll quickly become obsessed with the cobblestone streets and old buildings throughout Montreal. Munching on the French-Canadian cuisine is a major bonus. 

This Old Montreal food tour walks you through historic sites with food and drinks along the way. Enjoy a smoked salmon bagel, French onion soup, macarons, and more throughout your visit. And don’t worry — the fan favorite poutine is also on the itinerary. 

3. Chicago, Illinois

You’ll get to check all the boxes on the city’s must-have foods through Chicago Food Tours. A guide takes you on a three hour walk that will include feasting on Chicago-style deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwich, popcorn, and hot dog. You’ll finish the tour off on a sweet note with a decadent brownie, which just so happens to have been invented in the city.

4. Mexico City, Mexico

Skip the resort on your next trip to Mexico and pay a visit to Mexico City instead. It’s the perfect place for foodies and history buffs alike. This walking tour with Sabores Mexico Food Tours ensures that you won’t be returning home without tasting some of the best food the city has to offer.

Throughout this five hour walking tour, you’ll pay visits to traditional markets, cantinas, and street stalls. Your guide will inform you on Mexico’s food and culture while you try samples in the 700-year-old city center.

5. Austin, Texas

If there’s one thing Texas deserves to be known for, it’s the famous barbecue. Next time you’re in the state’s capital, book a ticket for the Best of Austin Food Truck Tour. This three-hour outing takes you through various neighborhoods that know a thing or two about Texan food.

You’ll visit four to five food trucks across the city and feast on iconic barbecue foods, sip on craft beer, handmade cocktails, and some sweet treats. Plus, you get to ride in an air-conditioned bus that will keep you cool in the warm Austin weather.

6. New York City, New York

It wouldn’t be a proper food tour round-up without including New York City on the list — and for good reason. The city attracts people from all over the world making it one of the most diverse foodie spots ever. Its many boroughs and neighborhoods each have its own cuisine and famous restaurants, which means you could sign up for a different food tour each time you come to visit.

One of the foods this city is known for is pizza, which is why this three hour outing with Secret Food Tours is a great choice. It walks you through the East Village to try pizza from different cultures such as Lebanon, Beijing, Italy, and Germany.

7. San Francisco, California

Eat like the locals do in the hilly and effortlessly cool city of San Francisco. Not only was it named the number one best foodie city in the country.by U.S. News., but it also happens to be one of just five cities in the U.S. that’s home to a Michelin-reviewed restaurant.

Have a little bit of everything during your tour of North Beach and Little Italy. The eight block stroll provides culinary taste tests of coffee, chocolate, local meats, and Italian deli specialties. Alternatively, you could go on a tour of Chinatown to try things like barbecue pork buns, rice cakes, shrimp dumplings, and more.

8. Charleston, South Carolina

Take advantage of southern comfort food at its best when you vacation in Charleston, South Carolina. Through Bulldog Tours, you can return home knowing you visited its highly acclaimed culinary spots. You’ll try everything from stone-ground grits to benne wafers to fried green tomatoes and more. Beyond taste tests, your guide will dive into how food has evolved throughout the city’s 300 year history.