If you’re looking for the best street food tour in Florence, Italy, we found it! Jack and I had the best experience in Florence on a Street Food Tour, which was filled with delicious local tastings and tons of interesting historical insights.
Italy is known for its food, and Florence ranks high as one of the best places for Italian food. Since we’re huge foodies, there was no way we were leaving Florence without learning more about the food culture. So, we set out to find the perfect foodie tour.
From homemade pasta to local cheeses, truffle-infused oil, focaccia, wine, gelato and the not-so-popular lampredotto, this food tour in Italy was fantastic and a must-do if you’re looking for a unique experience in Florence!
We Found The Best Food Tour In Florence, Italy: Find Out Below
In this post, I’m sharing our experience and providing a quick review of the food tour we did in Florence, Italy. I’m also covering topics including:
- Why we think this is the best food tour and how you can book it.
- 11 of the most popular food tours in Florence (so you can choose from the creme de la creme).
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The Best Food Tour In Florence!
1. Street Food Tour with Local Expert Guide
⭐RATING: 4.9/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 2.5 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: SMALL | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Coccoli with creamy Stracchino and prosciutto.
This was actually a combination of a walking tour and a food tour, so we killed two birds with one stone, so to speak. After spending weeks exploring Tuscany and eight weeks in Italy, we were really excited to visit Florence.
By the end, we had mixed feelings about the city, but overall, it was a beautiful place to visit, rich in culture thanks to its art, architecture, and impressive history. It’s also one of the top foodie destinations in Italy!
When we were searching for a food tour, we wanted one which would incorporate local delicacies as well as some of the more traditional dishes. We wanted to visit the central market but also learn about the city and its history, so a knowledgeable guide was essential.
Before we decided on a food tour, we considered cooking classes to learn pasta making or gelato making; even a day trip to a local wine tasting could have been a good alternative. However, we finally settled on the Street Food Tour, and I’m so glad we did!
🌟 My top pick >> Street Food Tour with Local Expert Guide. It’s a small group tour led by a local guide and includes a journey through traditional Tuscan food.
Why Is The Street Food Tour In Florence The Best?
After reading tons of reviews trying to find the perfect food tour, the Street Food Tour was the most cost-effective and had the highest reviews. It was just over £30 for a morning (2.5 hours) of tastings.
🏨 Accommodation // Where To Stay In Florence
Budget-friendly: 3110 ArtHotel | Mid-range: Hotel Orto de’ Medici | Luxury: NH Collection Palazzo Gaddi
In actuality, the tour went on for well over 3 hours (we were asked beforehand if it would be okay to overrun). It was a small group, twelve in total, led by the very enthusiastic Dilara.
She shared her outstanding knowledge of Florentine history, showing us images and walking us around to attractions between tastings, including the Florence wine windows, which we would have never noticed without her.
As for the tastings, we got a lot more than we were expecting and visited a variety of locations, from bakeries and markets to restaurants and gelato shops. In truth, we were quite full by the end.
Each food tour changes slightly and incorporates different tastings of traditional Tuscan foods; ours had the following:
- Cantucci and vin santo (sweet wine)
- Coccoli (balls of fried bread, alias cuddles)
- Pasta ragu
- Pappa al Pomodoro (breaded tomato soup)
- Lampredotto sandwich (tripe)
- (the above could be switched with Salumi)
- Olive oil and balsamic tastings
- Truffle tastings
- Gelato
⭐ Pro tip >> I recommend booking at the start of your trip as you’ll visit a lot of unique places and learn a lot which you can use throughout your trip. We went back to the market the following day!
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Popular Food Tours From Florence, Italy
The Street Food Tour aside, there are other top-rated food tours in Florence, and I wanted to provide you with some alternatives if, for some reason, you can’t do the above tour. Below are the best food tours in Florence, Italy.
2. Sunset Walking Tour with Wine & Food Tasting
⭐RATING: 5/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 3.5 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: MAX 12 | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Experience Florence’s rich culinary heritage and secrets with a range of local delicacies, including fresh pasta, zero-waste soup, and artisanal cheese, on this sunset walking tour. You’ll get to enjoy Florence’s vibrant nightlife and learn to make the famous Negroni cocktail. Discover the hidden gems, indulge in real gelato and visit historic wine cellars and wine windows while sipping on Tuscan wines.
3. Val D’Orcia Cheese and Wine Tasting Tour
⭐RATING: 4.5/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 11.5 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: LARGE | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Escape the busy city life of Florence and enjoy a peaceful day trip to the heart of Tuscany at Val D’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit local wineries and the quaint towns of Montalcino, Pienza, and Montepulciano, and try some local cheese.
Join this tour to explore the cellars and museum of a wine estate that once belonged to the powerful Piccolomini family. In Montalcino, you’ll get to try some world-renowned Brunello wine, and in Pienza and Montepulciano, you’ll sample some wine and cheese before returning to Florence by bus.
⭐ Pro tip >> Are you short on time? Alternatively, try this 1-hour cheese and wine tasting in Florence.
4. Italian Food Market Tour and Cooking Experience
⭐RATING: 4.9/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 5.5 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: LARGE | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Join local renowned chefs for a fun day of cooking and shopping, the two things that Italians are best known for. Start your day by visiting the local market and selecting the freshest ingredients to prepare a Tuscan feast under the guidance of your chefs.
You’ll meet the butchers, bakers, and farmers selling their produce and taste the local food and wines. On this tour, learn how to identify the best quality ingredients. Afterwards, head to the kitchen to make fresh Tuscan-style bruschetta, homemade pasta, and a seasonal main course, all paired with Chianti wines.
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5. Food and Wine Walking Tour with Dinner
⭐RATING: 4.9/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 4 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: LARGE | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Discover the culinary gems of Florence in this 4-hour food and wine dinner tour. Accompanied by a local guide, you’ll try some of the city’s iconic dishes and traditional Tuscan treats at local restaurants.
The tour begins with an aperitivo while taking in stunning views of the city. Savour the finest cheese, cured meats, truffles, and aged balsamic vinegar paired with wine or a Negroni cocktail. On this tour you’ll get to taste Florentine street food and enjoy a sit-down dinner at a local restaurant, and finish with an expert lesson on gelato.
🚑 DON’T FORGET TRAVEL INSURANCE!
SafetyWing is a fantastic travel medical insurance that is super affordable and great for backpackers. You can purchase a policy before or after your travels begin. 🤗
6. Tuscany Wine & Food Tour with Guide
⭐RATING: 4.9/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 8 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: LARGE | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Join a guided day trip from Florence and explore the wine-producing region of Tuscany. During the tour, you’ll visit three organic wineries, learn about the winemaking process, and taste local wines, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
The tour includes a visit to the medieval town of Greve in Chianti, where you can check out the main square and enjoy some free time before heading to the final stop. At the historical family-owned villa and winery, you’ll taste the winery’s local products and compare the philosophies of the three different local winemakers.
7. Florentine Steak Experience
⭐RATING: 5/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 1.5 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: MAX 8 | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
If you’re looking for a unique culinary experience in Tuscany, consider trying the iconic bistecca Fiorentina, made with Chianina beef, at a traditional trattoria in central Florence.
With this tour, you’ll learn the secrets of selecting the best cut and cooking it to perfection with the guidance of a chef instructor. After grilling your steak, you’ll enjoy a full three-course Tuscan meal with wine.
Top Private Food Tour, Florence
8. Walking Food Tour of Florence: 10 Tastings Including Wine
⭐RATING: 5/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 3 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: PRIVATE | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Discover Florence’s vibrant food scene with a private foodie guide on a scenic tasting tour through the Tuscan Renaissance city. You’ll get behind-the-scenes access to the city’s best food favourites, as well as sample regional delicacies such as coccolo ripieno and cantucci during multiple food stops.
You’ll also have the opportunity to explore the city on foot and see landmarks while moving between locations. The tour includes 10 high-quality local food and drink tastings, ranging from sweet to savoury Tuscan specialities – It will be similar to the Street Food Tour we did but PRIVATE!
Favourite Cooking Classes In Florence, Italy
9. Pizza and Gelato Preparation Class
⭐RATING: 4.8/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 3 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: LARGE | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Learn to prepare pizza and gelato like Italians do with a professional chef in a late afternoon class. Discover the history of these delicious creations and make Pizzaiolo, a pizza with tender, flexible yeast dough and a flavourful tomato sauce.
Your chef will also introduce you to the world of gelato, teaching you about raw ingredients and selecting the best products. You’ll get to taste gelato chocolate and learn about natural colours, heating and freezing techniques, and their effects on ingredients. This experience will leave you with unforgettable memories of Italian culture.
10. Pasta and Dessert Cooking Class with Drinks
⭐RATING: 4.7/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 3.5 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: SMALL | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
If you’re looking to improve your cooking skills and learn to make authentic, fresh pasta using traditional Italian recipes, join this cooking course led by an expert chef. You’ll learn to make high-quality fresh pasta using both a rolling pin and a pasta machine, as well as classic recipes and methods.
During the course, you’ll make three different types of pasta with three different sauces, along with a typical Italian dessert. After the class, you’ll enjoy lunch or dinner in a fun and friendly atmosphere with the dishes you’ve prepared and a glass of Tuscan wine.
11. Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour
⭐RATING: 5/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 7 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: MAX 26 | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
Join a full-day Tuscan cooking experience that includes a market visit and cooking class, followed by a 4-course lunch. Begin by shopping for fresh ingredients at a Florentine market before heading out to a Tuscan farmhouse in the countryside.
You’ll learn how to create classic Italian dishes from scratch with this tour under the guidance of an expert chef, including bruschetta, pasta, roast pork, and tiramisù. Enjoy your creations complemented by Tuscan wine. You’ll also receive a cooking certificate and recipes to take home.
Best Tuscan Tour With Lunch & Wine
12. Tuscany Day Trip: Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Lunch at a Winery
⭐RATING: 5/5 | ⌛ TOUR LENGTH: 11-12 HOURS |🧍 GROUP SIZE: LARGE | 🏛️ BOOK NOW
If you’re looking for a memorable day trip from Florence, you have to visit the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside. You’ll have the opportunity to visit Siena and its cathedral, dine on a delicious 3-course Tuscan lunch with wine in the Chianti hills, stroll through the charming streets of San Gimignano, and witness the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the Square of Miracles. This tour offers a great way to discover the highlights of Tuscany in just one day.
What Food Must You Eat In Florence?
Here are the top 10 foods you should try while in Florence!
- Pappa al Pomodoro: A tomato base, garlic, oil, and basil thickened with leftover bread and topped with freshly grated parmesan.
- Coccoli with Prosciutto and Stracchino: Pillowy fried balls filled with salty prosciutto Toscano and creamy stracchino cheese.
- Crostini con Fegatini: chicken liver pâté on well-toasted pieces of Tuscan bread.
- Bistecca alla Fiorentina: A massive, classic, thick-cut T-bone steak. Sourced from the local Chianina cattle breed, it is grilled and seasoned with just olive oil, salt, and pepper and served bloody.
- Il Peposo: A traditional Tuscan stew, with pieces of beef seasoned with black pepper, garlic, and salt, and then stewed all day in a Chianti red wine.
- Panino al Lampredotto: A quintessential Tuscan street food made from the abomasum – the fourth and final stomach of the cow.
- Schiacciata Bread: Tuscany’s chewier, flatter version of Liguria’s focaccia.
- Ribollita: A flavorful soup of cavolo nero, cannellini beans, carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, herbs, and garlic that gets thickened with chunks of stale bread.
- Cantucci with Vin Santo: Unleavened cookies; almond is the most traditional and the best to pair with vin santo, an amber-coloured, honey-flavoured dessert wine
- Schiacciata Alla Fiorentina: Soft, fluffy, orange-flavoured cake filled with a layer of vanilla cream.
Resources For Europe
Is it your first time visiting Italy? We’ve written lots of useful posts to help you plan your trip. You can check them all out on our Italy Page here, but below are some of our most popular articles:
- Do you know where the best botanical garden in Italy is? We do! Find out why we think Villa Taranto is the prettiest.
- Read this post to find out the pros and cons of visiting Florence and decide if you should visit!
- Are you heading north? Visit the hidden gem of Orta San Giulio.
- Find out the reasons behind why we think Pisa is worth visiting.
- Is the Boboli Gardens in Florence worth your time?
In Summary: Best Food Tours Florence, Italy
As always, I would like to leave you with some final thoughts about a food tour in Florence and why I think it makes a great activity while visiting Italy. We visited many places and did a lot of activities while travelling around Italy, and I can honestly say the Street Food Tour was one of the highlights.
We liked the small size of the group and our guide’s enthusiasm to share her knowledge of Florence with us. The tastings were quite large and enough to keep us full; if anything, there may have been too much food, but I won’t complain about being overfed!
The tour was well-planned and thoughtful, and all those involved were welcoming and friendly. We had enough breaks and visited bakeries, restaurants and the central market, which was what we wanted. For us, the Street Food Tour checked all the boxes.
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Florence Food Tour FAQs
Are Food Tours In Italy Worth It?
If you’re a foodie and want to learn more about Italian cuisine, food tours are totally worth it.
What Are The Best Food Tours In Florence?
The best food tours in Florence depend on what you’re after; however, I think the best food tours are:
Street Food Tour with Local Expert Guide
Sunset Walking Tour with Wine & Food Tasting
Italian Food Market Tour and Cooking Experience
What Are The Best Private Food Tours In Florence?
The best private food tour in Florence is:
Walking Food Tour of Florence: 10 Tastings Including Wine
What Are The Best Cooking Class Tours In Florence?
The top-rated cooking class from Florence is:
Cooking Class & Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with a Local Market Tour
Do You Tip On Food Tours?
It’s up to you if you want to tip; it is not expected.
Are There Any Florence Food Tours By Night?
The best nighttime Florence food tours are:
Florentine Steak Experience
Food and Wine Walking Tour with Dinner
