As one of the best foodie cities in America, New York City has no shortage of delicious eats spread across its five boroughs. But the enormous volume of food carts, award-winning restaurants and long-standing favorites can be overwhelming for visitors searching for the Big Apple’s most delicious dishes. A food tour can be a great way to narrow your search, thanks to the guidance of an in-the-know local. Considering traveler sentiment and expert opinion, U.S. News selected the top food tours in NYC. Whether you’re craving the best bagel or the tastiest slice of pizza, you’ll walk away with a full belly and a better understanding of the local food scene after one of these tours.
A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours – The Original Brooklyn Pizza Tour
Price: Adults from $95; kids from $85
Duration: 4.5 hours
Calling all pizza lovers – this tour was made for you. During the nearly five-hour outing, you’ll board a bus from Manhattan to Brooklyn where you’ll enjoy Neapolitan-style pizza at Grimaldi’s and Sicilian-style pizza at L&B Spumoni Gardens. You’ll also visit the filming locations of famous movies like “Saturday Night Fever,” “Goodfellas” and “The French Connection.” Plus, you’ll stroll the Coney Island boardwalk – a highlight for reviewers. Travelers heap praise on the guides and appreciate the many stops for photos.
The tour, which starts at $95 for adults and $85 for kids 11 and younger, are available Wednesday and Friday through Monday at 11 a.m. If you didn’t get your fill of the borough, you can also join in on the company’s two other Brooklyn-themed tours.
Nice Guy Tours – Greenwich Village Tour
Price: From $75
Duration: 3 hours
For a food tour that mixes in a healthy dose of New York City history, consider the Greenwich Village Tour from Nice Guy Tours. On this three-hour foodie excursion, you’ll make at least six stops for samples of the neighborhood’s best falafel, pizza, bagels, fries and cupcakes, among other tasty treats. Along the way, you’ll see neighborhood landmarks, such as the longest-running off-Broadway theater, the narrowest house, the oldest house and Washington Irving’s former home, not to mention the exterior of the famous “Friends” apartment. Participants heap praise on Nice Guy Tours, saying the guides are funny and knowledgeable, and the food is incredible.
The tour, which is offered Wednesday through Sunday at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m., starts at $75 per person. Food-focused tours of the Lower East Side are also available.
New York Fun Tours – The Best of Brooklyn Half-Day Food & Culture Tour
Price: From $149
Duration: 4.5 hours
For a crash course in the food and neighborhoods that make Brooklyn so unique, consider this nearly five-hour tour from New York Fun Tours. You’ll start the tour in Greenwich Village and then board a bus to Brooklyn where you may visit neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Carroll Gardens. As you learn about the history of each neighborhood, you’ll sample some of the area’s most famous dishes, including traditional Polish pierogis and kielbasa, New York-style brick oven pizza and Cuban sandwiches, among other tasty bites. At the end of the tour, you have the option of boarding the bus back to Greenwich Village or walking across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. Tourgoers offer high praise for the food and applaud the guide and driver for their expert knowledge of the area.
Tours are usually offered Thursday through Monday at 11 a.m. Tickets start at $149 per person. Private tours of Manhattan are also available.
Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting – Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest
Price: From $105
Duration: 3 hours
Learn about the history, culture and food of two of New York City’s distinct immigrant neighborhoods on this three-hour tour. You’ll meet your guide in Little Italy for a cannoli and a brief history lesson before heading to mom and pop shops to sample prosciutto, olives, cheeses, fresh pasta and more. After a brief stroll to Chinatown, you’ll enjoy a tasting menu of dim sum followed by a tour of the neighborhood’s historic Chinese landmarks. You’ll have seven different tastings in all – a great value, travelers say. According to reviewers, this is a fun combo tour with engaging guides.
Tours, which cost $105, typically begin at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., with an additional 11:30 a.m. tour on Saturdays. Daily tours are offered April through December. Private dinners in Little Italy and public tours of Mulberry Street are also available.
Intrepid Urban Adventures – Tenements, Tales, and Tastes
Price: From $79
Duration: 3 hours
This three-hour tour celebrates the impact of immigrants and the cuisine they brought to New York that locals and visitors still enjoy today. The tour starts at the African Burial Ground National Monument and weaves around the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown, among other ethnic enclaves. As your guide provides historical context of the various neighborhoods and the immigrants who shaped them, you’ll sample dumplings, knishes, pretzels and cheese, among other delicious bites. Reviewers say the tour provides an outstanding overview of the immigrant experience and deftly introduces participants to some hidden gems.
Tours are offered daily at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $79 per person. Intrepid Urban Adventures also offers other food tours and more.
Free Tours by Foot – Greenwich Village Food Tour
Price: Free (excludes cost of food)
Duration: 2 hours
A more economical option for a foodie excursion, Free Tours by Foot offers pay-what-you-wish food tours of the city, including Greenwich Village. During the two-hour outing, you’ll stop at four to five different outposts where you can choose what you want to taste and pay for it. You’ll generally spend between $8.50 and $15 on your bites, according to the company. Possible samples include falafel, pizza, bagels, cupcakes and arancini (fried rice balls). As with other trips from Free Tours by Foot, you’ll pay your guide what you think the trip was worth at the conclusion of the tour. Past travelers said they loved sampling the different food and appreciated the flexible pricing.
Tours are offered at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and reservations are required. The company also offers food tours in a variety of other neighborhoods, including Chinatown and Williamsburg, as well as seasonal tours.
(COURTESY OF FOODS OF NY TOURS)
Foods of NY Tours – Chelsea Market & The High Line
Price: Adults from $69; kids from $40
Duration: 3 hours
Sample one of the city’s best hot dogs, Brooklyn-made ice cream and more on this three-hour tour of Chelsea Market and the High Line. The tour includes seven on-the-go tastings and one seated tasting, along with commentary from your expert guide about the market’s history and the story of how the Oreo cookie was invented in Chelsea Market. Reviewers laud the tour guides for their engaging, passionate commentary and recommendations.
Tours are available at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Thursday through Monday from March to June and then daily beginning in July. Prices start at $69 for adults and $40 for kids ages 5 to 12. When you’re ready to explore beyond Chelsea, consider signing up for the company’s tours of other famous foodie neighborhoods, including Brooklyn, Chinatown and Nolita.
Manhattan Walking Tour – Hell’s Kitchen Food Tour and Central Park Walking Tour
Price: From $149
Duration: 3.5 hours
According to reviewers, this tour combines just the right mix of food, history and sightseeing. During the 3.5-hour stroll, you’ll make stops at five different spots in Hell’s Kitchen for tasty eats like empanadas, hush puppies, baba ghanoush and doughnuts. You’ll also enjoy a walking tour of Central Park – a particular highlight for travelers. Tourgoers are complimentary of the passionate guides and the interesting and delicious food. What’s more, tours are capped at eight participants – another plus for reviewers.
Tours are offered daily at 12:30 p.m. and cost approximately $149 per person. Not looking to see Central Park? You can book the Hell’s Kitchen Food Tour by itself for around $100 per person.
Secret Food Tours New York – NYC Food Tour in Greenwich Village
Price: Adults from $75; teens from $70; kids from $65
Duration: 3 to 3.5 hours
This traveler-approved, 3- to 3.5-hour food tour takes visitors through Greenwich Village to sample a classic New York bagel, a Reuben sandwich, a local cupcake, a slice of pizza and a gourmet doughnut. Part of the fun on this tour is the “secret dish,” which is revealed the day of your tour. Participants say the tour is educational, with many praising the secret stop.
The tour costs $75 per adult and $65 and $70 for kids and teens, respectively. Tours are offered daily beginning at 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Still hungry? The company also offers tours of the Brooklyn food scene, as well as pizza-focused tours of the East Village.
Like a Local Tours – Flatiron Food, History & Architecture Tour
Price: Adults from $78; kids from $68
Duration: 3 hours
Appeasing both history buffs and foodies, this tour explores the food, architecture and history of two of New York’s most iconic neighborhoods: Flatiron and Union Square. During the three-hour, mile-long stroll, you can enjoy Italian fare at Eataly and a Reuben at Zucker’s Bagels, plus snap pictures at the famous Flatiron Building and more. Tourgoers rave about the food and the knowledgeable guides, who win praise for sharing plenty of historical context in a fun, engaging way. However, a few reviewers warn the tour may not be entertaining for children since it focuses heavily on history.
Tours, which start at $78 for adults and $68 for kids ages 4 to 10, are offered Wednesday and Friday through Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Kids younger than 4 can tour for free. The company also offers food and walking tours of other NYC neighborhoods and boroughs, including Brooklyn.
Sidewalks of NY Tours – West Village Food Tour
Price: From $75
Duration: 3 hours
Indulge in classic New York City dishes while exploring the tree-lined streets of the West Village on this three-hour tour. With a local as your guide, you’ll make six stops for samples including bagels, pizza, falafel and cupcakes. Along with the histories and traditions of the eateries, you’ll also learn about the hangouts of the Beat Generation and Bob Dylan and view the exterior of Monica’s apartment from “Friends,” among other West Village hot spots. Reviewers applaud the variety of food offered and the generous portions. Others gush about the friendly, knowledgeable guides.
Tours, which cost $75 per person, are offered Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. Prices include all food. If you’re still not full, consider the company’s other food tours of midtown, downtown and the Lower East Side, among others.
Underground Donut Tour – New York City: Downtown Donut Tour
Price: Adults from $60; kids from $40
Duration: 2 hours
Doughnuts have an extensive history in New York City. Dutch settler Anna Joralemon opened the United States’ first doughnut shop in NYC in 1673, and Harlem bakery owner Adolph Levitt created the first automatic doughnut machine, dubbed “The Wonderful Almost-Human Automatic Doughnut Machine,” in 1920. Travelers can learn more about this deep-fried, ring-shaped pastry with the Underground Donut Tour. The two-hour walk takes guests on a journey through downtown New York, with stops along the way to try treats like a brioche-style doughnut and an everything doughnut. Reviewers say the tour guides are knowledgeable and the outing is an overall delicious experience.
The tour costs $60 for adults and $40 for kids 10 and younger. Tours are offered Wednesday through Sunday between 9 a.m. and noon. Underground Donut Tour also offers outings in Times Square and Brooklyn, along with private tours, tours for students and bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Greg Walks NYC – NYC Greenwich Village Italian Food Tour
Price: From $79
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
New York City Greenwich Village Italian Food Tour teaches travelers about the area’s Italian history through food. During this two-hour tour, foodies will have a chance to visit Greenwich Village venues like Raffetto’s Pasta and the Tiro A Segno Italian Rifle Club – one of the oldest private Italian heritage clubs in the U.S. Sample Italian delicacies such as prosciutto di parma, Italian cheese bread and fruit-a-misu. Reviewers say this tour is fun and filled with interesting information.
Tours cost $79 per person and are offered Tuesday through Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The company also offers other walking tours, including the East Village Pierogi Food Tour.
