Charleston, South Carolina is a city known for its charm, history, interesting architecture, and…fantastic food?

If you’re a foodie, you simply can’t miss this Southern gem rapidly gaining credibility in the culinary world, filled with amazing dishes and eateries just waiting to be explored.

From legendary Lowcountry staples like shrimp and grits to the city’s modern farm-to-table masterpieces, Charleston’s food scene is as unique and interesting as its dramatic past.

I’m here to share the 7 top Charleston food tours with you, that are sure to open your eyes and tastebuds to a whole new world.

Best Food Tours in Charleston

	Charleston Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours	Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class	Charleston Private Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
Location:	99 S Market St, Charleston	1 Vendue Range, Charleston	99 S Market St suite 5, Charleston
Start:	Between 11:00 AM & 4:00 PM	9:00 AM	Between 11:00 AM & 4:00 PM
Duration:	3 hours	4 hours	3.5 hours
Includes:	Chicken bog, benne wafers, she-crab soup, handmade local ice cream, secret dish	Lunch, cooking demonstration by Chef Forrest Parker, alcoholic beverages, coffee and/or tea, copy of recipes, 90-minute walking tour	Chicken bog, benne wafers, she-crab soup, handmade local ice cream, secret dish
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Charleston Food Tours For 2025

1. Charleston Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
2. Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class
3. Charleston Private Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
4. Downtown Charleston Food Tour
5. Charleston Upper King Street Food Tour
6. Charleston’s Historic Downtown Food Tour
7. Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour

Charleston Food Tour Reviews

1. Charleston Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours

Taking place right into the heart of historic Charleston, this tour will immerse you right into the heart of Southern cuisine and culture. If it’s your first time in this magnificent city, it’s a great way to get a lay of the land while gaining insight into what really keeps it going.

The Charleston Walking Food Tour with Secret Food Tours takes you on a fun excursion through one of Charleston’s most captivating neighborhoods, with cobblestone streets lined with antebellum architecture.

There are various start times available to better accommodate your schedule, with a couple of different meetup points to select from, as well. We met up with our guide and the rest of our small group, setting off to our first tasting.

Our guide was absolutely fantastic – super friendly, and welcoming, and did a great job of sharing information both historically and culturally relevant to what we were passing or tasting.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with tourist traps, I personally enjoy the more “authentic” places that offer more of a feel for a city. We got to visit 4 different eateries, sampling all kinds of classic and newer dishes along the way.

Carolina-style BBQ is truly delicious but trying the iconic She-Crab soup and fried green tomatoes was something special! I won’t spoil the fun, but you’ll also get to savor their signature “Secret Dish”, which you’re bound to love!

We had a great time with our guide leading the way as well as the rest of our group members, but you can always opt for a completely private tour, too!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class

Next up, we have an intimate, 4-hour excursion that brings together history, culture, and tasty food into a seamless morning with unforgettable company.

The Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class experience takes things a step further than just touring – you’re actually going to learn how to cook some of the city’s iconic dishes so you can enjoy them no matter where you are!

Led by renowned local chef, Forrest Parker, things kick off with a 1.5-hour historical walking tour where you’ll be thrown into the deep end of Lowcountry cuisine, learning about its origins.

Getting to take a relaxing stroll through downtown and learning from a knowledgeable guide was a great way to start the morning, and our group was small enough that we felt free to ask any questions we had with ease.

It’s interesting learning about 400 years of history and local cuisine, gaining insight into the Holy City and what’s elevated it to become one of the planet’s top foodie destinations in recent years.

One of the most interesting parts for me was visiting a location where an enslaved chef once came up with a recipe that still has a huge influence over local menus!

We then headed to a charming bistro where Chef Forrest actually showed us how to whip up a couple of the most iconic recipes in Charleston, giving us some tips and tricks to use in the future.

He did a great job of explaining things to us, and it felt like more of a group contribution at the end of it. We couldn’t let all that amazing food go to waste, so after he was done cooking things up, we all got to sit down and enjoy the delicious lunch expertly paired with wine.

He was so thoughtful that he even included print-out versions of the recipes so we weren’t relying on our memory, alone!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Charleston Private Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours

If you’re someone who enjoys discovering gems off the beaten path from the typical tourist route, you’re going to love the Charleston Private Walking Food Tour with Secret Food Tours.

Many people out there hesitate to go on group tours because they’re worried they’ll get stuck seeing things they have no interest in or will just feel like another head in the crowd. That’s why I love this tour so much – it is based on your specific interests and goes at your pace, rather than the other way around!

What really sets this excursion apart is that it’s fully customizable, so you get to tell your guide what interests you and they’ll curate an itinerary based around it. As you may have already guessed from the name, the tour is also completely private, so it’s just you and your party, along with your guide.

It’s a more personal, intimate way to experience Charleston’s culinary delights in a way that doesn’t feel so “touristy”. Experience local eateries and specialty spots you may not find on guidebooks and YouTube travel channels because they’re so exclusively “local”.

Of course, your itinerary may be a bit different from mine if you choose to customize yours but you can expect delicacies like shrimp and grits to artisanal pastries and melt-off-the-bone BBQ.

Along the way, you’ll listen to your guide’s educational commentary about how the African slave trade introduced very specific ingredients and cooking methods to the local cuisine, that still make up the scene today.

Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or some combination of both, you’re sure to love this experience.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Downtown Charleston Food Tour

If you are on a tight schedule but still want to go on a solid food and/or history tour, look no further than the Downtown Charleston Food Tour. There are plenty of tour start times to choose from, making it that much easier to fit into your itinerary.

The Downtown Charleston Food Tour is an intimate, small-group experience that will take you through an array of traditional dishes at 4 restaurants, topping it off with a delicious dessert.

Meet up with your local foodie guide in the heart of downtown, following them through some of Charleston’s most beloved food spots. You’ll try everything from buttery biscuits to savory she-crab soup, all while learning about Lowcountry culinary traditions.

You’ll learn about which ingredients make up these signature dishes as well as the techniques and heritage behind each one. Make sure to come hungry, because the quantity of tastings you’ll have in just 2.5 hours is more than what you’d have in a single meal.

The braised short ribs with cola reduction were absolutely amazing and is something I’ll be sure to have again every time I come to Charleston. We stayed around half an hour at each stop, so we had plenty of time to rest and enjoy our food while hearing all about it – nothing feels rushed.

If you’re not someone who walks a lot, each of the stops is quite close to the starting point, so it’s nothing too strenuous! Combine all that with the charm and hospitality offered at every stop, and it’s a fantastic experience I’d recommend to anyone of any age or background.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Charleston Upper King Street Food Tour

Charleson Upper King Street Food Tour is a beautiful experience that highlights the varied flavors and history behind the city in a way that’s welcoming and approachable.

Instead of going out to a restaurant for dinner, why not choose this excursion as a fun and interactive alternative that’ll give you more insight into what makes Charleston tick.

Not only that, but it’s the chance to explore 3 different neighborhoods: Connonborough, Radcliffeborough, and Elliotborough, all with an expert guide to lead the way.

Start off by meeting your guide at the conveniently located Charleston Visitor Center at 3:00 pm, which is the perfect time right in between lunch and dinner! I personally recommend skipping lunch as you’re going to try quite a lot, but that’s up to you!

With a maximum of just 8 group participants, expect this to be a more customized tour that allows you more time to ask questions and less being herded around.

Of course, this tour isn’t just about checking boxes off on a list – it’s personalized to your group’s interests, with your guide providing commentary about the history behind the city and each dish you sample.

Our guide was amazing, making sure everyone was happy and was slow enough that we never felt rushed through any stop. You’ll go beyond the surface, learning about the Upper King Street district, which is known for innovative Southern cuisine you can’t find anywhere else.

Explore the farm-to-table movement, along with how the different flavors came to be thanks to the varied history and culture found here for hundreds of years. Whether it’s your hundredth or first time in Charleston, I guarantee you’re bound to learn and try something new here!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

6. Charleston’s Historic Downtown Food Tour

Next up, is the 2.5-hour Charleston’s Historic Downtown Food Tour which is your key to tasting the metropolis’ finest flavors, spanning hundreds of years. This is the perfect intro to this region’s rich food culture, where you’ll not only try the gems but learn about how they came to be.

Led by a knowledgeable local foodie guide, the tour takes you around the city’s charming cobblestone streets, stopping at carefully curated eateries that showcase just how dynamic the food scene here is.

If you’re a history buff, you’re definitely going to love this lunchtime experience, which is as educational as it is indulgent. The group sizes are kept quite small as well, which feels a bit more personal not just in terms of your tour guide’s conversation, but also the way you see the city, itself.

You have plenty of time to stop for photo ops, ask questions, or simply take your time at each eatery and not rush through your food. Sure, you could go to these eateries yourself, but chances are, you’re not going to find most of them on tourist-recommended sites.

These are frequented by locals with high standards for their traditional cuisine, and you’ll get to skip past the lines with VIP access to really make the most of your time! At some stops we even got to chat with the owners and the chefs, who offered insight you just won’t get by going to a restaurant casually.

I found it fascinating how so many French dishes came to be melded together with African ingredients to create a cuisine all on its own, unique from all the rest of the world.

Seeing the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon was pretty cool for this history nerd, as I had no idea there was such a massive pirate problem in the 1700s! I also enjoyed going to the city market, where you can pick up all the ingredients you need for a good local dish.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

7. Charleston’s Historic Downtown Food Tour

Last but certainly not least, is the Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour, which is also 2.5 hours and comes with many different start times. After going on this tour, I really felt like I had a better grasp on what “true” Charleston was like – after all, food is the way to the heart of anyone.

The expertly curated journey dives deep into the city’s rich food culture with a guide who was born and raised in this interesting metropolis! Expect plenty of Southern hospitality right from the get-go, when you meet up with your guide and the rest of your small-group tour at Anson Street, downtown.

The guide’s passion for his city and its food was contagious, and we were all eager to get started! He regaled us with interesting stories in a way that kept our attention the entire time, focusing on the Gullah influences, farm-to-table movement, and cultural melting pot that have all played a role in shaping Charleston’s local cuisine.

If you’re bringing kids along for the ride, I highly suggest putting this tour at the top of your list. Our guide did a great job with the smaller kids in our group, and keeping children’s attention is no small feat!

From creamy stone-ground grits and succulent pulled pork, along with classic benne wafers, you’ll have a smile on your face and a happy stomach!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience