Florence was always at the top of my bucketlist, considering it was quite literally the birthplace of the Renaissance, and all of the breathtaking art and culture that was born from it.
Tucked right into the rolling hills of Tuscany, it’s not only visually stunning with an amazing histoyr, but is also a culinary gem.
This was something I hadn’t thought much of until I was there, and I can’t say this enough – you’re truly missing out if you don’t take one of these top Florence food tours. I’ve carefully curated the best 5, so let’s jump right in!
Best Food Tours in Florence
| Walking Food Tour of Florence with Tastings | Florence Private Food Walking Tour With Locals: 6 or 10 Tastings | Florence Sunset Walking Tour with Wine & Food Tasting | |
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| Location: | Monument to Dante Alighieri, Piazza di Santa Croce, 50122 | Via Giosuè Carducci, 1, 50121 Firenze | Piazza Santo Spirito, 50125 Firenze |
| Start: | 11:00 AM or 5:30 PM | Between 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM | Between 3:30 & 6:30 PM |
| Duration: | 3 to 3.5 hours | 3 hours | 3.5 hours |
| Includes: | Professional local guide, food tastings, wine tastings | PRIVATE tour - 6 or 10 food & drinks tastings, private multilingual local foodie guide | 14 samples at 6 different locations, Negroni cocktail demo and drinking, taste 5 amazing wines |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Florence Food Tours For 2024
- Walking Food Tour of Florence with Tastings
- Florence Private Food Walking Tour With Locals: 6 or 10 Tastings
- Florence Sunset Walking Tour with Wine & Food Tasting
- Small-Group Florence Food Walking Tour
- Florence: Early Evening Food & Wine Tour in Oltrarno Neighborhood
Florence Food Tour Reviews
1. Walking Food Tour of Florence with Tastings
- Duration: 3 to 3.5 hours
- Departure: Monument to Dante Alighieri, Piazza di Santa Croce, 50122
- Departure Time: 11:00 AM or 5:30 PM
- Includes: Professional local guide, food tastings, wine tastings
While it’s not a rule, I find that people who are talented in the arts also tend to be amazing at crafting a delicious plate of food. While I’ve been around Italy and know that it has some of the best cuisine in the world, Florence is truly exceptional.
The Walking Food Tour of Florence with Tastings does not disappoint, offering a few hours of learning about and tasting some of the most exquisite food and wine in the country.
The tour starts off by meeting with your guide at the Dante Alighieri Monument, which is conveniently located right in the Piazza di Santa Croce. Our guide was super sweet and friendly, welcoming us to his hometown with a clear passion for everything Venecian – especially the food!
What I really love about this tour, is that it takes you off the beaten path so we were able to see plenty of “hidden gems” we probably otherwise wouldn’t have known about.
While I’m sure that this could vary, we ended up taking on 6 restaurant stops with 4 glasses of wine included so we got a taste of everything.
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It’s a great option if you’re going as a solo traveler or with a significant other, as the small group settings are great from meeting others from around the world. We saw everything from little markets and street vendors, to elegant wine bars and larger restaurants that are known around the country.
As we journeyed around trying delicious food and drink, our guide did a great job of teaching us plenty of history behind Italian cuisine, as well as many other interesting facts.
We even learned that a ton of the food we eat here in the US is literally illegal in Italy and tastes much worse (which was quite alarming!). If it’s your first time in Florence and you’re really trying to immerse yourself quickly into the local foodie culture, this is the one.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Florence Private Food Walking Tour With Locals: 6 or 10 Tastings
- Duration: 3 hours
- Departure: Via Giosuè Carducci, 1, 50121 Firenze
- Departure Time: Between 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM
- Includes: PRIVATE tour – only you and your local 6 or 10 food & drinks tastings of high quality local products – depends on option booked, vegetarian alternatives, sustainable carbon neutral experience (B-Corp) private multilingual local foodie guide
Next up is another one of my favorites: the Florence Private Food Walking Tour with Locals: 6 or 10 Tastings. As the title of the tour suggests, you can select from either the 6 or 10 tasting option, depending on your time and budget available.
No matter which one you select, though, you can count on it literally being your guide only taking you and your party around to Florence’s very best food offerings.
If you’re looking to understand the local culture and history, it’s nearly impossible to separate it from its culinary heritage. After all, so many important events have taken place around a table filled with cheeses, cured meats, and artisan breads.
Our guide did a fantastic job of shring insights into the history of Florentine cuisine and its influences, making each dish a bit more meaningful in that way. This tour has many different start times and meeting places, making it very easy to fit into even the busiest of itineraries.
I’ll admit that I’ve fallen into a tourist trap or two when looking for authentic Italian food, but our guide helped out quite a bit in that regard.
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He not only showed us how to steer clear of those traps, but what to look out for when searching for the real thing.
We were able to try plenty of regional delicacies like coccolo ripieno, cantucci, and so many more dishes that covered both sweet and savory flavor profiles.
Walking to each stop by foot allowed us plenty of opportunity for some history lessons and exclusive peeks at popular landmarks as we cruised along.
If you’re really looking for a raw and authentic glimpse into Florence’s culture, this is a great tour that seamlessly wraps it all up into one pristine package.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Florence Sunset Walking Tour with Wine & Food Tasting
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Departure: Piazza Santo Spirito, 50125 Firenze
- Departure Time: Between 3:30 & 6:30 PM
- Includes: 14 samples at 6 different tasting locations, Negroni cocktail demo and drinking, taste 5 amazing wines, local english speaking guide, Florence – A food lover’s guide
If there’s anything more beautiful than Florence as the sun goes down, enveloping the spires and meticulous sculptures in a golden glow, let me know. Up until this tour I haven’t found anything yet, so I’m highly recommending you take the Florence Sunset Walking Tour with Wine & Food Tasting!
As someone who absolutely loves making cocktails and learning the history behind the classic ones, this was one of the best tours of its kind for me!
We started out by meeting with our guide in the centrally-located Piazza Santo Spirito, where we immediately started off with a briefing as to what to expect on the tour. While still at the plaza, we enjoyed a crisp Prosecco and “cheered” to a fantastic night with new friends!
We then walked over to Oltrarno, where we were able to try a couple of differen types of Pecorino, 1 Parmigiano at the King of Cheese, and try plenty of the local dairy produce (much better than any other dairy I’ve ever tasted).
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We then visited our first wine window, which was such a cool experience (and wish we had these in the US!).
I then sampled a refreshing bruschetta and a glass of white local wine while learning about the history behind the wine windows traditions at the second official wine window!
It was here, where we tried charcuterie boards expertly paired with wine while relaxing in a cellar that dated back to the 12th-century!
After that, we were able to taste Negronis and learn how to make them, along with plenty of stews, and other types of wines. We wrapped things up with a hearty Tuscan pasta along with a real artisan Gelato, which were all so delicious!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Small-Group Florence Food Walking Tour
- Duration: 3 hours
- Departure: Via dei Cimatori, 9R, 50122 Firenze
- Departure Time: 9:30 AM or 4:30 PM
- Includes: Local guide, food and wine tasting
One common misconception about Italy is that you have to spend a lot in order to have a world-class experience like this one.
That’s not only not true, but this tour is actually one of the most affordable of its kind, letting you jump right into the heart of local food and wine culture! The Small-Group Florence Food Walking Tour is an intimate experience that balanced history, art, and food perfectly.
I was actually quite surprised at just how budget-friendly this tour was, considering we got to try so many amazing things with a tour guide who’s clearly passionate about what they do.
We started out by meeting them at the Via dei Cimatori where we got acquainted and were able to ask any questions we may have. They were very friendly and welcoming, and with no more than 8 participants in our group, we didn’t worry about missing any information or tastings.
Our first stop was luckily a local coffee bar, which was better and richer than any other I’d previously tried in Florence (assuming I went to a tourist trap).
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After trying 2 different types of roasts and learning about each one’s production process, we hen went to a traditional delicatesssen and fueled up on a truffle pate sandwich.
Truffles are a must-try when in Florence, and I think that for those of us who aren’t used to the flavor, it’s very palatable in sandwich form.
After that, we made our way to an enoteca to learn how to taste wines, trying 2 different local blends expertly paired with regional cheeses and cured meats. Then, we had a little dessert at one of the city’s best gelaterias before cruising around the famous San Lorenzo Market.
I was so impressed by the quality of produce found here, that I ended up going back the next day to load up on groceries!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Florence: Early Evening Food & Wine Tour in Oltrarno Neighborhood
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Departure: Piazza Santo Spirito, 50125 Firenze
- Departure Time: 4:45 PM
- Includes: All tastings, including food, wine, and gelato, expert English speaking tour guide, small group of 12 people or fewer
I can’t say this enough, but if you’re looking for the perfect alternative to a romantic date at a restaurant in Florence, look at this tour now. In fact, go ahead and book it, because I guarantee the Florence: Early Evening Food & Wine Tour in Oltrarno Neighborhood tour will sell out!
You could definitely do this one as a fun outing with friends as well, as it has a more lively vibe to it, focusing a bit more on wine and dinner options.
Starting out at the Piazza Santo Spirito, it’s easy to meet up with the guide here as it’s centrally-located and very easy to find. As our group allowed for a maximum of just 12 participants, it was very easy to follow along and answer questions as we saw fit.
Our first stop of the evening was at the charming Caffe Notte right on the corner, where we dove headfirst into everything “Tuscan food” and tried local cheeses, bruschetta, focaccia, and of course, the Chianti Classico that’s won countless awards.
From there, we took a quick trip to one of the city’s renowned wine windows to try our choice of either a local red or white glass.
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I’ Vinaino di San Frediano was next, which is known for being one of the most popular wine bars among locals, trying some Tuscan cold cuts and wine.
After this, I did start to get a bit full, but saved plenty of room for bistecca alla fiorentina at the BBQ Trattoria Barbecue with world-class cuts of meat and flavorful seasoning.
It would be crazy to spend time in the birthplace of gelato and not revel in the cold dessert, so we took a little stroll over to one of the most reputable places for a cup.
After that, our guide even took us to some of their favorite art galleries and museums, so we had plenty of stops to make throughout the rest of our trip!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Foods Tasted
Tour Guides
Value
The Walking Food Tour of Florence with Tastings is our Editors Choice for the best Florence food tasting tour
