Are Food Tours Worth It?
In a simple answer, yes. They are 100% worth it. At least in my opinion.
Sure you could visit a couple different restaurants in an European city to get a taste for the local cuisine. But how do you know which restaurants to go to and which foods are the best to try? In one of my weekly emails, I talk about how asking a local for a restaurant recommendation is a great way to find those super awesome places you might not have found on your own, but are you going to do that for every meal? Probably not. There has got to be a better way...and there is- food tours. Not only do you get to try the best of the best that the city you are visiting has to offer, but you also get to know the city even more than you would have on your own. Depending on which type of food tour you get- either walking or stationary, the host of the food tour is usually a local. These tour guides give you an insider look at the city you’re in, so you become more than just a tourist. You start to feel like you are a part of that city. My most memorable food tour was one we took while we were in Prague (https://www.tasteofprague.com/). We only had two full days in Prague and we wanted to get the most out of our time there. Our hostess, Anna, was amazing. She took us through so much of the city we would have never even known about had we not taken that tour. She talked with us about the history of Prague, about how food has shaped the city they are now, how the local economy is thriving around food. We learned how about the Czech people- about what they like, what they don’t like and what they believe in. We would have never had that experience on our own. And my goodness, I would have never tasted beef tartare either….but I am so glad I did.
Food tours can range in pricing but a really good one will run you about $75-$100/person (depending on the city you’re in). That might seem expensive to some, but if you really think about what you are getting for the price, it is more than worth it. You get usually 6-10 small bites of food, a tour of the city- either through walking or through description if your tour is stationary and a lot of times you’ll get local drinks too. I challenge you to try to get that same value on your own…
So when you’re ready to start planning your next trip- let me know where you’re thinking of going and I’ll recommend you an awesome food tour. Send me an email at deborah@assistedtravel.net or comment below for more information.