Bring your appetite for this tasty walking tour of downtown Charleston. You’ll spend a few hours of mouthwatering fun touring the culinary side of the Holy City, learning about the history of the city as you dine at four local restaurants. Explore the French Quarter and the Market while tasting traditional and contemporary Lowcountry cuisine.

Taste Lowcoutry cuisine at four local restaurants
Learn about the history of Charleston through traditional dishes
Explore one of the oldest and largest historical districts in the US
A small group means a more intimate experience

What's Included

2.5-Hour Downtown Charleston Culinary Walking Food Tour
All pre-selected food tastings at 4 Charleston restaurants (meal for most)
City-Certified Tour Guide providing narration about Charleston's history and food

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Alcoholic Beverages

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

46 State St
46 State St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
Meet at Charleston Culinary Tours - 46 State St, Unit B, Charleston, SC 29401

End point

Charleston
Charleston, SC, USA
End points vary depending on route. All tours finish within 3-4 blocks of the starting location.

What To Expect

Charleston

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS must be communicated directly to Charleston Culinary Tours (843-259-2966) at least *36 hours* before your scheduled tour in order to be accommodated.
Vegan, dairy/lactose, & soy restrictions cannot be adequately accommodated. Guests with multiple allergies should contact Charleston Culinary Tours prior to booking to confirm accommodation.
We cannot assume responsibility for those with severe allergies.
We make every effort to provide a full meal for all guests, however, substitutions for dietary restrictions may not be 1-for-1 with regular tour offerings.
We recommend weather-appropriate attire and comfortable walking shoes.
Tours operate rain or shine, hot or cold. In the rare cases of EXTREME weather (e.g. Hurricane!), we will notify all guests as soon as a decision to cancel has been made.
Not recommended for those under 8 years of age.
Not wheelchair accessible

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with severe dietary needs
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS must be communicated in advance directly to Charleston Culinary Tours (843.259.2966 or info@charlestonculinarytours.com)
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS cannot be accommodated without advance notice (at least 36 hours prior to tour time)
We cannot accommodate vegan, dairy/lactose, or soy restrictions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

This tour is a great way to sample delicious food from select local restaurants while getting a little Charleston history/trivia as a side dish.

Food was great too, would be nice if umbrellas were provided.

Highly recommend that you do this tour at the start of your stay/visit in Charleston.

Reviews

4.5

872 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 872 reviews

Great time and food!

Earl_R, May 2023

The food was excellent and Simon our guide was very interesting and informative! We had a great time and met fun people to share with!

Response from Host, May 2023

Fun people are the best! Thanks so much for the review, Earl!

Simon was a great tour...

Carol_B, May 2023

Simon was a great tour guide. He had great stories and knowledge. Enjoyed the food as well. We are going to take another tour that he narrates.

Response from Host, May 2023

We're so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the tour. Thanks so much for joining Carol!

More than 5 Stars

Jason_L, May 2023

Exceeded expectations, and Simon is a fantastic guide! We enjoyed the family feel of the experience as we sit and enjoy the local food and the stories of those we dine with.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you so much, Jason! We love that you had such a great time with Simon and your fellow diners. Witnessing strangers become friends over a great meal is the best part of what we do!

Alice was a great tour...

Katherine_S, May 2023

Alice was a great tour guide and very informative. The food choices were good. I just was not a fan of coconut cake. It would have been nice to have options for dessert. No fault of Alice, but Well Hung brought out our drinks very late and we had finished our food. We felt rushed to finish our drinks due to leaving. I would recommend this tour.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for the feedback! We will certainly reach out to our restaurant partners about timeliness with drinks. We want our guests to enjoy a leisurely pace throughout the tour. Thank you for joining and the recommendation!

A slice of Charleston

Laura_B, May 2023

Selection of restaurants was wonderful, and Summer was delightful, informative, and engaging. Would recommend to others !

Response from Host, May 2023

Thanks so much for the recommendation Laura! We're thrilled that you enjoyed your time with Sommer at our restaurant partners. I hope we can host you again!

Great tour

Barbara_G, May 2023

John was the great tour guide, explained everything to us and the food was really great. It was interesting to try the different flavors. Also it helped to understand the city a little more when John explain things more thoroughly.

Response from Host, May 2023

Curated tastings with expert commentary are the best combo! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour. Thank you for the review and for joining!

1 traveler found this review helpful

The whole tour and the...

Stacey_M, May 2023

The whole tour and the food was amazing! Our tour guide was the best and she made us all feel special!

Response from Host, May 2023

How wonderful! Thanks so much! We're so happy to hear we could create a special experience for y'all!

Fun and food

Michael_H, May 2023

Great history and fun food samples. We were stuffed at the end ... lots of fun. A definite must!!!!!!!

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you! We always encourage Thanksgiving pants for the tour!

John was very good guide

Diane_G, May 2023

John our guide was very informative and showed us a variety of Southern cuisine and the restaurants we went to was good

Response from Host, May 2023

Great to hear Diane! Thanks for joining and taking the time to write a review!

New restaurants to try

Barbara_E, May 2023

Learning some the history of the restaurants as well as Charleston. The food was great and they were large portions.

Response from Host, May 2023

So glad to hear you enjoyed the history and food. We love providing a satisfying tour and dining experience! Thanks for choosing Charleston Culinary Tours!

A Foodies Dream!

Chantel_F, May 2023

I really loved this tour and I really don’t have a critical thing to say about it. Simon was WONDERFUL, - not only very knowledgeable but very personable as well. He made me feel welcome and appreciated. He was efficient and fun. In fact, we had a great group that meshed well and at the different restaurants as we sat with different people, we all had a great time talking to each other and we were a good melting pot from all across the country. I was sufficiently full by the end of the tour, and even the dishes that I didn’t care for that much, I loved discussing with the group. Without too much of a spoiler, a few of our foods included shrimp and grits, hush puppies, she crab soup, pork slider and collard greens. Everyone’s food needs were accommodated. If I had to think of any critical thing, one restaurant wasn’t ready when we arrived and we had to wait a few minutes until they got it together but again, not too inconvenient. The foods were a great representation of Charleston cuisine, though I would have liked to have something praline for dessert and not regular chocolate cake. But I thought the value was great, the experience was wonderful and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Simon took his time and sent us off with wonderful recommendations to try next. Thanks so much!

Response from Host, May 2023

How dreamy! Thanks, Chantel, we're thrilled that you had such a wonderful time with Simon and your fellow tablemates. A great group really takes a dining experience to the next level.

Well worth it!!

craig_w, May 2023

We wanted to try the foods of the south. And we did. Smoked barbeque place, seafood and others. First time for collard greens and they were awesome. Coconut cake for desset was best ever. Tour guide John seemed like our best friend and made the experience worth it. We passed on dinner that night because we were stuffed.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you so much, Craig! We love that you enjoyed your time with John and sampling Southern cuisine with us.

Enjoyed Sommer

Dan_B, Apr 2023

Thoroughly enjoyed the commentary by our guide Sommer - definitely enriched the experience. Due to the slow service at 2 of the 4 restaurants visited, the tour felt rushed.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for the feedback, Dan, we're glad to hear you enjoyed your time with Sommer but sorry to hear that the tour felt rushed. We aim for a leisurely experience and will certainly discuss scheduling with our partners. Cheers!

Best food tour we have been on

Dominic_M, Apr 2023

Louise and I have been on several food tours around the world…. Simon takes some beating. His knowledge of history, Charleston, the food and the culture is unsurpassed and he is engaging, fun and great company. I don’t think I have been on a better food tour .. bravo

Response from Host, May 2023

What incredible and humbling praise! Thank you so much! We are thrilled to be ranked with our global counterparts. Thank you for joining!

Great tour, would do again.

Ashley_H, Apr 2023

John M. was a great tour guide. He was knowledgeable not just about the culinary scene, but Charleston's history and architecture as well. The food on the tour was excellent and the timing was great as well - we weren't too rushed but it didn't drag on too long either.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you, Ashley! We take pride in our knowledgeable guides and are so glad you enjoyed your time with John. We look forward to hosting you again!

Wonderful food tour Charleston

Judy_N, Apr 2023

Wonderful walking food/history tour of Charleston. Our guide John was excellent. He was very knowledgeable. The restaurants we stopped at were all very good.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for joining Judy! We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed your time with John and our restaurant partners.

Great Way to Eat Drink and Be Merry

Michele_M, Apr 2023

We had a wonderful time with our host who was knowledgeable and very professional. I would highly recommend the tour. Weather was great too:)

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for joining Michele! Seems our weather-making machine was cooperating during your visit ;) Glad you enjoyed your tour and thank you for the recommendation.

Knowledge guide, food ok

Nancy_P, Apr 2023

The guide was excellent, she was very knowledgeable about the history of the city. The food was good. It was a pleasant way to try couple restaurants, though for $90 dollars you could get a nicer meal. There were four stops, the last was a little cake in a take away cup.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thanks so much Nancy! We love hearing that you had such a great time with your guide and enjoyed the food offerings at our various restaurant partners. In regard to pricing, while we fully agree that one can enjoy a high-end meal for the price of our tour, we must note that our experience is inherently different than eating out on one's own and subsequently requires additional cost considerations beyond just the food itself. We provide a 2.5-hour fully guided tour with a full meal coordinated across 4 locations. Food is the biggest component of our budget but certainly not the only one, and we are proud to offer the best rate currently available in Charleston. Thank you again for your feedback, we will continue to find ways to elevate our tour to provide the best foodie experience in the Lowcountry.

So-so

Harriet_L, Apr 2023

The guide was very pleasant and informative. But the food was not very interesting. Nothing I couldn’t get elsewhere

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your kind words about our guide and are glad to hear that they provided an informative and enjoyable experience. However, we are sorry to hear that the food did not meet your expectations. We strive to provide our guests with a unique dining experience focused on representing Lowcountry cuisine, and we apologize if we fell short of your expectations. We recognize that taste is subjective and previous dining experiences vary with every guest; what may be interesting to one person may not be to another. We appreciate your feedback and will take it into consideration as we continue to improve our menu offerings. Thanks again for joining and sharing your experience. Cheers!

Wonderful food tour. The food was great, the tour guide a wealth of knowledge, and fun to be with others!

Becky_B, Apr 2023

Summer’s knowledge base and passion for history and restoration gave us a thorough view of Charleston’s history, past and present. We appreciated that she presented it through the ethical lens that acknowledges the dark past from which provides hope for the future.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for joining and for sharing such thoughtful feedback Becky. We love that you so thoroughly enjoyed your time with Sommer. We hope to host you again in the future. Cheers!

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