Pike Place Market is one of the most iconic landmarks in the entire Pacific Northwest, where you’ll find not only the freshest seafood around but plenty of unique souvenirs, history, and quirks.

Whether it’s your first time in Seattle or you’re a local who’d like to learn more about the unique place beyond the fish-throwing, one of the best activities you could partake in is a proper tour.

I’ve gone ahead and detailed the 5 best Pike Place food tours, which are well worth your time and money, with local experts there to lead the way. Don’t go anywhere, because I’m about to show you how to get a behind-the-scenes look at the market’s history, local artisans, street food, and more!

Be sure to see our reviews of Mt Rainier Tours, Olympic National Park Tours and Seattle Harbor Cruises.

Best Food Tours of Pike Place Market, Seattle

	Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour	Pike Place Market Tasting Tour	Early-Bird Tasting Tour of Pike Place Market
Departure:	Simply Seattle, located at 1600 First Ave. and Pine St.	Honest Biscuits, 1901 Western Ave Suite E, Seattle	Indi chocolate, 1901 Western Ave D, Seattle
Start:	Between 10:00 AM & 12:30 PM	10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM	9:00 AM
Duration:	2 hours	2 hours	2 hours
Includes:	Chef guide, samples at 9 different stops, discount card with 10% off at selected partner vendors	All local products and drink tastings, insiders view of the market place, small-group tour	Professional guide, food and beverage testing, VIP discount at select partners on return visit
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Pike Place Food Tours For 2025

1. Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour
2. Pike Place Market Tasting Tour
3. Early-Bird Tasting Tour of Pike Place Market
4. Seattle: Pike Place Market Guided Foodie Tour
5. Meet the Market-Food and Fun tour in Pike Place Market-2 hours

Pike Place Food Tour Reviews

1. Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour

Whether you’re a foodie or simply want to experience all the best Seattle has to offer, the Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour is just for you. It’s a streamlined excursion designed so not a minute is wasted, and you’re really maximizing your time at the market with a guide who knows what they’re talking about and where to go.

You’ll have the opportunity to stroll through one of the city’s most iconic spots while sampling a wide variety of light bites from local vendors, so let’s jump right in!

The tour clocks in at about 2 to 2.5 hours, and there are plenty of different start times available to choose from, which makes it easy to fit into even the busiest schedules. Start off by meeting your guide at First and Pine, which is basically right there at the market, and set off inside.

Along the way, you’ll visit 9 stops, sampling everything from fresh seafood to artisanal chocolates and delicious local specialties. They have an amazing baklava there as well, so if you can’t do a sample, do yourself a favor and just place an order to take back to your accommodations for later!

One of the best benefits of this tour is that we got to skip the typically enormous lines at Pike Place Chowder, where they serve up incredible seafood dishes made PNW-style.

Your chef will not only lead you through the market but will also share insider tips about where Seattle’s top chefs shop for their ingredients, from fresh veggies to seafood and meat.

With a 10% discount card to partner vendors, you’ll also get access to some local favorites like Chukar Cheerries and their delicious chocolate-covered Rainier cherries. All in all, it’s a fantastic, all-encompassing couple of hours!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Pike Place Market Tasting Tour

Seattle is such a special place, and there are seriously endless activities to partake in and things to see. However, the Pike Place market is undoubtedly one of the top 3 you need to visit if you want a good look into what the city’s vibes are – it’s not just a tourist spot.

The Pike Place Market Tasting Tour is the perfect way to explore the iconic landmark, where you’ll follow your expert guide through the wild 9-acre market, with the opportunity to meet farmers, butchers, bakers, winemakers, and artisans of all kinds.

With over 8 tastings from some of the market’s most renowned food vendors, it’s a complete look at a true taste of the Pacific Northwest, from smoked salmon at the famous fish-throwing stand to a freshly baked southern cheese biscuit and indulgent handcrafted Italian gelato.

However, you’ll learn far beyond just culinary treats – you’ll do a deep dive into the history and culture of the market and Seattle’s wild background, in general.

This is a 2-hour experience with many different start times available to choose from, from the morning to late in the afternoon. Meet at Honest Biscuits right on Western inside the market, with our friendly guide immediately taking us to our first stop for some prime food sampling!

The cheese biscuit was absolutely incredible and, it took everything in me not to order a few for later in the day – though I was soon distracted enough by some of the best clam chowder I’ve ever had.

If you have a sweet tooth, you’re in for a real treat with the different bakery gems you’ll get to try, along with the gelato perfect for a clear summer day on the water. Truffle Queen and Hellinika Greek Yogurt are some of my favorites, and throughout your foodie adventures, you’ll learn all about the interesting history behind everything!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Early-Bird Tasting Tour of Pike Place Market

Okay, so I have to start this off by saying that the Early-Bird Tasting Tour of Pike Place Market is one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had in the city. Just the fact that you get access to the market before the crowds are allowed in is more than worth the cost.

If you’ve never been to Pike before, you should know that it can get insanely busy – I’m talking the kind of crowding where you literally are just stuck in one spot because of the density of the people around.

Having the chance to explore it at your leisure, without that potential pressure, is an incredible advantage: seeing the different stands set up, checking out the different levels, and so on.

Meet up with your guide and the rest of your small group at indi chocolate inside the market, then set off while learning all about the history of this place. Learn how it started over a century ago, where farmers would come in and sell their fresh goods to the public.

Being from the Pacific Northwest and having lived in Seattle for a couple of years, it’s safe to say I’ve been to Pike Place Market dozens of times. However, none of those visits made me feel quite like an insider as this tour did.

Stop for many different tastings of fish dishes, desserts, drinks, and everything in between, while meeting the stand owners and artisans, themselves. Another aspect I loved about this specific excursion was that it took us to many vendors that I hadn’t gone to before – only passed by.

You can tell the guide really knew what he was doing, inviting us to try more hidden gems and sharing cool facts and personal anecdotes to make it that much more special.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Seattle: Pike Place Market Guided Foodie Tour

Learn all about the market’s rich energy, history, and of course, unique and delicious food. The Seattle: Pike Place Market Guided Foodie Tour is for those who don’t just think food is cool – they’re obsessed with it.

From flying fish and blooming flowers to the endless rows of fresh produce and local eateries, it is a sensory overload, and there’s no better way to explore it than with a local guide who knows all the insider secrets.

On this tour, expect to try some of the best artisan foods in the market, including mouthwatering southern biscuits, rich Italian gelato, locally made Greek yogurt, and the finest PNEW-style smoked salmon around.

You’ll also get to taste America’s #1 clam chowder, delicious Italian truffles (an art form in themself to find!), and treats from the market’s oldest bakery. It’s a true culinary journey, where every bite tells a story of the market’s colorful history.

Start out by meeting your guide at the North end of the market and follow them around as they take you to the best places inside!

As I mentioned before, this place can get pretty crazy, especially if you’re visiting during peak tourist season! If you have any special dietary restrictions or preferences, they do a great job of accommodating them with advance notice, which makes it great for anyone and everyone!

What really made this tour so special was our guide’s plentiful stories, sharing not only the history of the market, but also of specific vendors. The knowledge he possesses made it clear that he must know these vendors personally, as no other tour guide I’d had in the market knew this stuff.

Try plenty of samples while there, and receive a discount card for when you go back next time!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Meet the Market-Food and Fun Tour in Pike Place Market-2 hours

Last but not least, is the Meet the Market-Food and Fun Tour in Pike Place Market – 2 Hours. Start out by meeting your guide at The Crumpet Shop at the market, which is a place I’ve passed by a thousand times but surprisingly had never stopped into before!

No matter if it’s rain or shine, a few hours at Pike Place is never a bad idea – it’s refreshing in the summer and charming in a uniquely PNW way when it’s wet outside. I highly recommend getting on some proper walking shoes beforehand, as you may be going up and down stairs and will definitely be going over some old cobblestone streets and alleyways!

This is one of the most affordable tours of its kind, as well, so if you’re trying to save some cash without skimping on quality or quantity, this is the route to take. Not only that, but it’s really easy to fit into a busy schedule with multiple start times offered.

There’s no better way to be introduced to Seattle’s culinary scene than to try the famous Totem Smokehouse, where you’ll savor free salmon jerky and learn about how important the fish is to the PNW. You can’t miss Piroshky Piroshky, so take some time here to watch them whip up their delicious pastries, and even try a few, too!

Our walks and learning about the history of the market between each stop was perfect, as we could digest and prepare for the next! Soft biscuits, the “first” Starbucks, City Fish, and a couple of other famed eateries will be explored, as well – try the best pizza in the state, James Beard award winners, and more.

Some of my favorite things to do is to visit Holy Cow Records and see if I’m actually going to pick one up, before snacking on some fresh tacos al pastor in the Lower Level market.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience