New York City is known as one of the best places to eat in the United States. Its five boroughs are full of delicious places to eat. But the huge number of food carts, award-winning places, and long-time favorites can make it hard for tourists looking for the tastiest food in New York City. A food walk with a local who knows a lot about the area can help you narrow down your choices. U.S. News chose the best food tours in New York City by looking at what travelers and experts said. Whatever you’re looking for—the best muffin or the tastiest slice of pizza—one of these tours will fill you up and teach you more about the food scene in the area.
1. Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting – Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest
On this three-hour tour, you’ll learn about the history, culture, and food of two different immigrant areas in New York City. In Little Italy, you’ll meet your guide for a cannoli and a short history lesson. Then, you’ll go to mom-and-pop shops to try prosciutto, olives, cheeses, fresh pasta, and more. After a short walk to Chinatown, you’ll have a sample menu of dim sum and then be shown around some of the area’s historic Chinese sites. Many tourists say it’s a great deal because you get to try seven different wines. Reviewers say that this is a fun package tour with interesting guides.
The tours, which cost $105 each, usually start at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., and on Saturdays, there is an extra trip at 11:30 a.m. Between April and December, tours happen every day. There are also public walks of Mulberry Street and private dinners in Little Italy.
- Price: From $105
- Duration: 3 hours
2. New York Fun Tours – The Best of Brooklyn Half-Day Food & Culture Tour
New York Fun Tours offers a nearly five-hour trip that will teach you about the food and neighborhoods that make Brooklyn so special. The tour starts in Greenwich Village. Next, you’ll take a bus to Brooklyn, where you may see Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Carroll Gardens, among other areas. You’ll try some of the most famous foods in each neighborhood while learning about its past. These could be traditional Polish dishes like pierogis and kielbasa, as well as New York-style brick oven pizza, Cuban sandwiches, and more. After the trip, you can either take the bus back to Greenwich Village or walk back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. People who are on the tour say great things about the food and how knowledgeable the guide and driver are about the area.
Every Thursday through Monday at 11 a.m., tours are generally given. The first ticket costs $149 for one person. You can also get private trips to Manhattan.
- Price: From $149
- Duration: 4.5 hours
3. Nice Guy Tours – Greenwich Village Tour
Take the Greenwich Village Tour from Nice Guy Tours for a food tour with a good dose of New York City history. You’ll stop at least six places along this three-hour food tour to try some of the best falafel, pizza, bagels, fries, cupcakes, and other tasty treats in the area. You’ll see famous sights in the neighborhood along the way, like the longest-running off-Broadway theater, the narrowest house, the oldest house, and Washington Irving’s old home. You’ll also see the outside of the famous “Friends” apartment. People who have been on Nice Guy Tours say that the food is amazing and the guides are funny and knowledgeable.
The trip starts at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. It costs $75 per person. There are also walks of the Lower East Side that focus on food.
- Price: From $75
- Duration: 3 hours
4. A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours – The Original Brooklyn Pizza Tour
We’ve made this tour just for pizza fans. For the almost five-hour trip, you’ll take a bus from Manhattan to Brooklyn and eat pizza in two different styles: Neapolitan at Grimaldi’s and Sicilian at L&B Spumoni Gardens. Also, you’ll see places where hit movies like “Saturday Night Fever,” “Goodfellas,” and “The French Connection” were filmed. You will also walk along the beach at Coney Island, which has been praised as a highlight. Travelers love the guides and like how they stop so often to take pictures.
Adults can go on the tour for $95 and kids 11 and younger can go for $85. The tours run from Wednesday to Monday at 11 a.m. You can go on two more tours with the same Brooklyn theme if you didn’t get enough of the borough.
- Price: Adults from $95; kids from $85
- Duration: 4.5 hours
5. Free Tours by Foot – Greenwich Village Food Tour
Free Tours by Foot offers pay-what-you-wish food tours of the city, including Greenwich Village. These trips are a cheaper way to go on a food adventure. You’ll stop at four or five different sites during the two-hour trip to choose what you want to taste and pay for it. The company says that typically, your bites will cost between $8.50 and $15. Foods like falafel, pizza, bagels, cupcakes, and arancini (fried rice balls) could be samples. You’ll pay your guide what you think the trip was worth at the end, just like on other Free Tours by Foot tours. Travelers in the past said they loved trying all the different foods and liked that the prices were open.
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 1 p.m. are the times for tours, and you need to make an appointment. The company also has seasonal tours and food tours in some other areas, such as Chinatown and Williamsburg.
- Price: Free (excludes cost of food)
- Duration: 2 hours
6. Manhattan Walking Tour – Hell’s Kitchen Food Tour and Central Park Walking Tour
Reviewers say this tour has the right amount of food, history, and sites. That’s 3.5 hours of walking, and you’ll stop five times in Hell’s Kitchen to eat tasty treats like doughnuts, empanadas, hush puppies, and baba ghanoush. You will also enjoy a walking tour of Central Park, which is a popular thing to do for tourists. People on tours love the passionate guides and the tasty and interesting food. Reviewers will also like that tours are limited to eight people.
The tours start every day at 12:30 p.m. and cost about $149 per person. Do you not want to see Central Park? Simply book the Hell’s Kitchen Food Tour and pay around $100 per person.
- Price: From $149
- Duration: 3.5 hours
7. Foods of NY Tours – Chelsea Market & The High Line
This three-hour walk of Chelsea Market and the High Line lets you try one of the best hot dogs in the city, ice cream made in Brooklyn, and more. The tour includes seven tasting while you’re on the go and one tasting while you’re sitting down. Your knowledgeable guide will also talk about the history of the market and how the Oreo cookie was created in Chelsea Market. Reviewers love how passionate and interesting the tour guides are when they talk and make suggestions.
From March to June, tours run at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Thursday through Monday. Starting in July, tours run every day. Adults pay $69 and kids ages 5 to 12 $40. If you want to see more than just Chelsea, you could sign up for one of the company’s tours of other well-known foodie areas, like Brooklyn, Chinatown, or Nolita.
- Price: Adults from $69; kids from $40
- Duration: 3 hours
8. Like a Local Tours – Flatiron Food, History & Architecture Tour
Fans of both history and food will enjoy this tour, which looks at the food, architecture, and history of Flatiron and Union Square, two of New York City’s most famous areas. Eat Italian food at Eataly and a Reuben at Zucker’s Bagels during the three-hour, mile-long walk. You can also take pictures at the famous Flatiron Building and do other things. People who have been on tours love the food and the knowledgeable guides, who are praised for explaining a lot of history in a fun and interesting way. Some reviews, though, say the walk might not be fun for kids because it’s mostly about history.
Tours leave every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and cost $78 for adults and $68 for kids ages 4 to 10. Visitors under 4 years old can go for free. The business also runs food and walking tours in other towns and neighborhoods in New York City, such as Brooklyn.
- Price: Adults from $78; kids from $68
- Duration: 3 hours
9. Secret Food Tours New York – NYC Food Tour in Greenwich Village
On this 3- to 3.5-hour food tour through Greenwich Village, travelers can try a traditional New York bagel, a Reuben sandwich, a local cupcake, a slice of pizza, and a luxury doughnut. What makes this tour fun is the “secret dish,” which you only find out about on the day of your trip. People on the tour say it’s educational, and a lot of them love the secret stop.
The price of the tour is $75 for adults, $65 for children, and $70 for teens. There are tours every day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feeling hungry still? The company also has walks of the food scene in Brooklyn and the East Village that focus on pizza.
- Price: Adults from $75; teens from $70; kids from $65
- Duration: 3 to 3.5 hours
10. Sidewalks of NY Tours – West Village Food Tour
On this three-hour trip, you can eat traditional New York City dishes and look around the tree-lined streets of the West Village. You’ll go to six places with a local to try tastes of things like bagels, pizza, falafel, and cupcakes. You’ll learn about the places where the Beat Generation and Bob Dylan hung out, as well as the histories and customs of the restaurants. You’ll also be able to see the outside of Monica’s apartment from “Friends,” among other popular West Village spots. Reviewers love how much food is served and how different the food is. Others rave about how nice and knowledgeable the guides are.
Each tour costs $75, and they run every Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. The prices cover all food. You can also check out the company’s other food tours of Midtown, Downtown, the Lower East Side, and more if you’re still hungry.
- Price: From $75
- Duration: 3 hours
FAQ’s
Q1. What makes NYC food tours unique?
Food tours in New York City let you try a lot of different foods and learn about the city's rich food scene. These tours show how New York City is a national melting pot through food, from famous street food to high-end restaurants.
Q2. How do I choose the right food tour for me?
Think about your food preferences and whether you want to explore certain areas or try a lot of different dishes. Explore tour schedules and read reviews to find a trip that fits your tastes and interests.
Q3. What types of cuisines can I expect on these food tours?
There are a lot of different kinds of food on NYC's food tours, from traditional American fare to street food, foreign flavors, and gourmet treats. You can try a lot of different foods, from pizza and bagels to ethnic food from different areas.
