North End and Boston Market District Food Tour with Local Guide
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Boston, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore Boston’s culinary delights on this guided small-group walking tour. With a local expert leading the way, sample apple cider doughnuts, ice cream, roasted nuts, and more at Boston Public Market and Haymarket Market (Fridays and Saturdays). Learn about the rich food heritage of historic Little Italy as you feast on Italian bread, taste fresh mozzarella at an old-school salumeria, and gobble up cannoli.
- Learn more about Boston's culinary history than you would going alone
- Sample classic and contemporary regional dishes on a walking tour
- All tastings are included in this fun, filling outing
- Receive personalized attention on a small-group tour
Sample Menu
Starter
Iconic Cannoli
Arrive hungry? We'll be ready for you! Our tour will begin with an iconic cannoli from Modern Pastry, a North End bakery institution founded in 1930.
Main
Sicilian Pizza
Galleria Umberto is a James Beard Award winner! Furthermore, it has been recognized as offering one of the top 100 pizzas in the country.
Starter
Award-winning Artisanal Bread
It's hidden, but when you find Bricco Panetteria, you'll be glad that you did. It's a 3x Best of Boston Bread Bakery winner.
Starter
Mozzarella
No one makes mozzarella better than Joe, Bricco Salumeria & Pasta Shop's longtime manager. Better than Italy's? You be the judge.
Dessert
Artisanal Bon Bon
Betty Petrova started making hand-painted artisanal Bon Bons in her former North End apartment. They've since been recognized as Best of Boston.
Dessert
Apple Cider Doughnut
In New England, a visit to a farm often comes with a warm apple cider doughnut. At the Boston Public Market, they bring the farm to you!
Dessert
Roasted Nuts
The owners of Q's Nuts at the Boston Public Market weren't satisfied with street-sold roasted nuts, so that started to make their own. Pick a flavor!
Main
Iconic Chowder
What better way to end our tour then with iconic chowder and cornbread at the historic Union Oyster House? Exclusive beer, anyone?
Dessert
Coffee, Espresso, or Old-school Lemon Slush
Polcari's Coffee has often been described as a time capsule, and it is! With a general store vibe, you'll enjoy coffee, espresso, or lemon slush.
Main
Meatball or Limoncello
Ristorante Limoncello is one of the North End's most popular restaurants. Mamma Connie's famous meatball is not to be missed. Or, perhaps, Limoncello?
What's Included
- Food tasting
- Lunch
- Expert Local Guide
- Drinks are extra (e.g. coffee, tea, wine, beer) , as is a tour guide's gratuity should guests wish to consider.
- Guide Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Tony DeMarco Statue191 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113, USA
Statue is located at the corner of Hanover and Cross Streets, next to Mother Anna's restaurant. NOTE: While location on the map is correct, does NOT correspond to 191 Hanover Street.
End point
- Union Oyster House41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
Tour will end at the historic Union Oyster House, 41 Union Street.
Itinerary
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 181 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Stefanie_D, Dec 2025
What a fun tour! Delicious food and more than enough to eat. Audrey is an amazing tour guide and really knows the neighborhood and people well. Great way to start our Boston trip and immerse ourselves with the locals. Thank you, Audrey for a truly memorable experience!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Someday, when we hang the "closed" sign on the door for good, it's not the delicious eats that this tour guide/owner will remember the most, or the many laughs enjoyed with our always-terrific guests, rather, it will be how moved I was by the love witnessed between family members. In this case, a young adult daughter spending alone-time with Dad, and a father who cherished every moment.
Thank you for choosing Boston Foodie Tours, and for allowing us and our partners to be part of a memorable father-daughter weekend escape. We were happy to be a prelude to a Celtics game, and to create lifelong memories with you. May our North End tour be the first of many that you will enjoy as a family, and may each food tour bring you the joy that this one did.
Geraldine_M, Dec 2025
Our guide, Audrey, was absolutely delightful!! She educated us about the North End neighborhood, giving us insights into the history and families. And, we enjoyed so many wonderful tastings, from pizza to desserts to limoncello. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
We love hosting families of all configurations, and this tour didn't disappoint either our guests or us. Two sisters meeting up in Boston, and including a North End food tour on their itinerary. What could be better? We know! An unexpected "private" tour with just the girls, and only pro-age baby boomers, including this tour guide!!!
Thank you for choosing Boston Foodie Tours, and for "Sip, Savor, & Shopping" through the North End with us. We hope that we added a special touch to your Boston trip that you wouldn't have experienced otherwise, and that we raised the bar high for future food tours that you might enjoy.
Deborah_M, Nov 2025
We highly recommend this tour. New to the North End, we wouldn’t ever have been able to taste and sample all the goodies that we did under Audrey’s expert guidance! By the end, we felt like old friends. 5 stars for sure!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
What a pleasure, and what a wonderful pairing: American Test Kitchen demos and meet-and-greets, and a North End & Market District Neighborhood Tour. Might need to consider a partnership!
We're thrilled that we were able to complement your food-focused visit to Boston so well, and offer you and your husband a personalized experience to satisfy your palettes, and your culinary interests. We hope that any future visits to Boston will include another food tour with us, and more discoveries that will improve your stay, and your cooking!
Jennifer_A, Jun 2025
Wealth of information from someone who knows seemingly everyone in the north end! The food was delicious and many many stops!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
It's true what they say: Midwesterners are always so well-mannered and kind, and this thoughtful, enthusiastic guest review proves it once again.
It could not have been more of a pleasure to host you and your husband on our North End & Boston Public Market Tour. We're thrilled that you enjoyed it as much as you did, from award-winning pizza through iconic chowder. Our favorite part, though? Your fun-loving husband's "delicious" Italian gesture photo. We think that it might be our best one yet!
Wishing you many more culinary experiences together wherever your travels bring you next.
John_W, Aug 2024
Audrey was fantastic! Very knowledgeable of the area, people, and especially the food. Nice variety of stops with stories throughout - highly recommend for anyone visiting Boston.
Jerry_W, Aug 2024
We really enjoyed the tour with Audrey. She know literally everyone and shared all sorts of interesting stories and history with us. We also tasted some frat food and we were so full by the end. Make sure to come with an empty stomach.
Ric_M, Jul 2024
Great first dinning experience for us in the area. We were exposed to many great restaurants and enjoyed all of the food and stories.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
On this day, we hosted two lovely families - including yours - and our first guests from Dubai, a mother and daughter. We're thrilled that our North End and Boston Public Market Tour was enjoyed by all, several of whom are international food tour veterans. With the bar raised high from the get-go, this tour guide's favorite memory? Your wife shared that it was one of the best food tours that she had experienced to date. Needless to say, it made our team's day to be a contender for a top ranking, and has inspired us to continue to chase excellence to ensure that we are perceived as a food tourism leader by our industry, and by our guests.
Donald_S, Jun 2024
It was as if our tour was led by the Queen of the North End! Audrey, our guide, seemed to be well known - and respected - in every restaurant that we visited. The entire tour was delightful, and it was a wonderful mix of restaurants, stories, gourmet shops, and a little Boston history. (Oh, the meat balls! Oh, the gelato!) Audrey made the afternoon fun for our whole family, which is not an easy task. We returned to the North End several more times - to eat! Let's do this again!
Ronny_O, May 2024
Audry, our guide was great. Knew many of the local businesses and was informed and educated about the North End. The tour stopped at great local restaurants and food stops!
I think it would have been a bit shorter but otherwise, it was a fun day!!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
We're always thrilled when locals join us, especially when as much of a joy to host as your family was. Four stars instead of five? We'll take it, and for good reason: This tour was delayed, in part, to celebrate your two young adult children's birthdays, and to provide an impromptu industry networking opportunity for your aspiring chef-son. That being said, we are acutely aware that there is always room for improvement, including sensitivity to tour durations, and welcome any and all feedback that will ensure an optimal experience for our guests.
Mary_G, Dec 2023
My daughter in law and myself had the most amazing tour yesterday. Our tour guide knew all local food owners and workers in both locations. She prides herself in knowing all the details on every location as well as some inside tidbits as well. It was a pleasure spending the afternoon with such a knowledgable, friendly, outgoing foodie! We look forward to booking more food tours around Boston with the company.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Who could have imagined that a rainy day tour could be so much fun?!!! Thank you and your lovely daughter-in-law for not only choosing Boston Foodie Tours, but also for joining us in less-than-ideal weather conditions. This tour guide/owner was pleased that the less-crowded streets of the North End, and our intimate group, provided us with the flexibility for a few extras, including an impromptu tasting of Bova's best-selling, savor-every-bite cannoli (Grazie, Mary!), a "revealing" meet-and-greet with one of Modern Pastry's owners (So, THAT'S how they do it.), and a stop to purchase pairs of Oprah's favorite gloves! (For the record, this tour guide was tempted, but, dutifully, kept focused on the tour. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)
While I don't know if we'll ever be able to replicate this tour, we'd sure like to try. Next time, though, we're going to charge for the laughs!
Jeremy_A, Oct 2023
From the moment we walked up Audrey made us feel right at home. I have taken many food tours and this by far was one of the best. We had a small intimate group of 11, which was the perfect size! Audrey’s relationships in the community and wonderful sense of humor made it one of the best parts of our trip to Boston. Make sure you ask her how to roast strawberries!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Guest: "How do you roast strawberries?" Not so quick-thinking tour guide: "In the oven." (Cue endless laughing.) We plead guilty to having had too much fun, AND too many from-your-belly laughs on this tour.
I can't imagine a better way to start the week than with a 5-star review from one of our favorite - and funniest! - guests. While it may have rained throughout, our spirits never dampened. Thank you for joining us, and for bringing light and laughter to our Boston Public Market & North End Tour. I hope that the memories you created with Boston Foodie Tours will be lifelong, and that we've played a small role in making your entire visit to Boston more enjoyable and delicious.
Cindy_D, Sep 2023
We were lucky enough to get a “private” tour with Audrey. She was so good and the food was excellent!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
It was such a pleasure to host you and your husband on our Boston Public Market & North End Tour, and for this tour guide to unexpectedly have you all to herself!!! I was thrilled to have crossed paths with you again while you were recreating the tour for your daughter. That's what it's all about: spreading the joy and the best eats with loved ones, too. I hope that you'll continue to return to your favorite new North End finds upon return trips, and to inspire others to do so as well.
Keith_F, Sep 2023
We have been on a lot of food tours in multiple countries. This was the best. Audrey was excellent and we had her undivided attention, so we were lucky. North End's Hanover Street is the foodie capital of Boston. Hanover Street is very entrepreneurial—no chains. Extra bonus chats with owners and family members that were not on the tour (sometimes the timing works), especially getting a look/see at Frank DePasquale's newest, Umbria. DePasquale is the premier restauranteur in Boston with 12 distinct eateries.. We had dined at a DePasquale institution, Bricco, the previous night. Excellent. Five tastings in all, and all tasty. Everybody knows Audrey. Bravo.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Another Boston Foodie Tours first: to receive a "boffo" review. We even had to look it up! Definition for the unfamiliar: very successful or wholeheartedly commendatory.
Thank you and your lovely wife for including us in your extensive travels, and for the enthusiastic review. We were glad to have had the opportunity to introduce you to top North End restaurateur, Frank DePasquale, and to offer you a private tour of his new restaurant, Umbria. We hope that you created memories on this tour - delicious and otherwise - that will last a lifetime, and that we've inspired a return trip to Boston.
Debora_C, Jun 2023
Visiting my son who lives near Boston in Hudson NH. Had a great time
And learned lots of history and had delicious food
Response from Host, Jul 2023
What a day: TWO food tours!!! We hope that along with your son, you enjoyed the second one as well, and that you experienced all of Boston's most notable classic dishes by your departure. We also hope that we, as well as others in our industry, have inspired you to enjoy many more food tours with loved ones wherever your travels bring you next.
Megan_W, May 2023
We really enjoyed our experience with this tour company. We booked our tour on a day they normally don’t operate (the listing was mistakenly left open). Audrey from the company contacted me and apologized and offered to do it on a different day. When I told her that it was the only day we had open on the trip (I booked us a lot of things to do 😂), she told me she would give us the tour anyway! I was not expecting her to do that. I’m so glad we got the experience, Audrey is a hoot! It’s a tour by a true Boston local with such a connection to the North End community. The food was delicious, her stories were interesting and the customer service of the company was top notch. We laughed and learned and were full as could be by the end. I highly recommend this wonderful locally run tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
How could we disappoint Boston's visitors? In this case, I'm so glad that we didn't, and that we have a long track record of not doing so.
It was a pleasure hosting you and your husband on Mother's Day, a holiday on which we usually don't operate. That being said, I'm grateful that our partners and I didn't miss the opportunity to host such a lovely couple. With just a twosome, we were able to offer you the flexibility to explore a bit more throughout the tour, and, hopefully, to discover places of interest and food finds that not only created lifelong memories for you, but will also do so for loved ones to whom you'll recommend them in the future.
Thank you for supporting a locally-owned food tour business, and for recognizing the value that native Bostonians bring to guests' experiences. Wishing you many more delicious food adventures wherever your travels bring you in the future.
Amanda_F, Apr 2023
Audrey is a fantastic host. We had a nice group on a beautiful day. Lots of small bites along the way. Would totally do the again!!
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Awww ... thank you!!! I was thrilled that you and your friend enjoyed our Boston Public Market & North End Tour as much as you did, and am hopeful that there will be many more food tours in your futures. May they continue to bring you as much joy, and as many lifelong, delicious memories, as they have brought me, both locally, and during my travels.
JeanFrancois_G, Jan 2023
Great foodie tour!! We had a great time and learned so luch about Boston's North End. I highly recommend and Audrey is simply the most wonderful guide!
Response from Host, Jan 2023
We simply couldn't be more excited to be hosting Canadian guests once again, and their referrals, too! We're pleased that you and your wife enjoyed our Boston Public Market & North End Tour, and that you had an additional few days to return to your favorite discoveries.
Thank you for supporting a locally-owned small business. We're glad that our native status, and over a decade of developing relationships with neighbors and vendors, resulted in an optimal tour experience.
Laurie_S, Oct 2022
Our guide was terrific. Not only did we get to taste a variety of what Boston offers, we learned interesting facts about some of the history and current culture of Boston.
Catherine_R, Oct 2022
Audrey was fantastic, so helpful and knowledgeable. We tasted over ten items and were so impressed with the variety. It was fun learning about the neighborhood from a local. I highly recommend this tour especially because of Audrey.
Response from Host, Nov 2022
Thank you for supporting a locally-owned food tour business!!! We're glad that you appreciated not only the best eats shared on our Boston Public Market & North End Tour, but also the history and personal, firsthand stories that we have collected for over a decade. The ones that you can't Google!!!
AnnK, Sep 2022
Our tour guide, Audrey, did a marvelous job of introducing us to both the food and history of Boston. She is one of the best guides we’ve ever had.
Response from Host, Dec 2022
Oh, Ann, you're so kind. We do our best to provide an optimal tour experience for all of our guests, and couldn't be more pleased or flattered when our guests regard our tours - and our tour guides! - so highly.
It could not have been more of a pleasure to host you and your sister. We were pleased to learn that you had given the tour to her as a gift, and, as (somewhat) locals, that you made new discoveries in Boston's North End and Market District. We hope that more readers will be inspired by your experience to consider our tours for gift-giving purposes, and to join us for a relaxing, delicious afternoon.
Janice_H, Sep 2022
Too pricey for what you got to try. When we booked it, I swear it said a Lobster Roll which I was looking forward to. Instead we got a piece of pizza, a cup of clam chowder and a couples samples. The samples were not for just our tour anyone could get them.
Response from Host, Sep 2022
Oh, dear. On the rare occasion that a guest is disappointed in one of our tours, we're disappointed, too. In fact, we take it personally.
We regret that our Boston Public Market & North End Tour, which has consistently received 5-star reviews, didn't meet your expectations, largely due to a misperception. While the tour did include a lobster roll tasting pre-Covid, it has not been included in the tour for the past few years for two reasons: a change in recipe, and guests' preference to enjoy award-winning pizza in the North End, with which it has been replaced. All tour descriptions over which we have control have been updated accordingly. To our knowledge, the mention of the lobster roll tasting appears in past reviews only.
Our experience is that guests leave this tour - and all of our tours - full if they've taken part in all tour tastings.This tour begins with award-winning pizza and arancini (the latter Monday - Saturday only), and ends with iconic chowder and cornbread. Both are considered filling, substantial tastings, which are complemented largely by lighter ones. In between are tastings of an iconic mini cannoli, 3x Best of Boston Italian artisanal bread, and a mozzarella and balsamic vinegars tastings. At the Boston Public Market, guests enjoy 3-4 small tastings, a few of which are complimentary to all, and, in our view, are the best that the Market has to offer. That being said, we add to the nuts tastings with a bag of choice, which, we're told, no other tour does. While it may not appear that we are charged, we are billed accordingly, as is true of the donut tasting as well. We also provide gratuities to all partners, including those who offer complimentary tastings.
Our goal is twofold: To ensure that our guests leave us happy, and that they receive value for money, which includes food, tour content, and guide's performance. We genuinely regret that this wasn't your experience, and urge others who are considering our tours to review all CURRENT tour descriptions and guests' reviews to ensure suitability to interests, and satisfaction.
Steven_M, Sep 2022
It was a very nice tour
Audrey was very informative and fun
We’ve been on many foodie tours and this was our favorite
Response from Host, Sep 2022
Thank you and your lovely wife for including us as part of your cruise itinerary, and for sharing some fun, thought-provoking, cruise-learned trivia that's sure to entertain - and stump! - our future guests, too.
We're always flattered - and a bit verklempted - to learn that our food tours have been guests' favorites to date. We're pleased that we and our tour partners made your brief stay in Boston a memorable one, and hope that we've inspired you to return to enjoy your favorite eats and stops once again.
christina_b, Aug 2022
Great tour with plenty of sampling and very knowledgeable guide. I took my 16 year old son and he loved it as well.
Response from Host, Aug 2022
It was a pleasure to host you and your delightful son on our Boston Public Market & North End Tour. Once again, we were proud to demonstrate that food tours are a wonderful activity for two, or even three generations of a family. We hope that you'll create many more food memories together in the future, and that we've inspired you not only to return to Boston, but also to consider joining us again.
Jerry_H, Aug 2022
Audrey was outstanding. She not only took us to wonderful eateries, but took us on a history tour. I would recommend the tour to anyone that loves food and wants to know about the history of the North end.
Response from Host, Aug 2022
And it's wonderful families like yours that make our job such a pleasure and an honor.
Thank you, your delightful wife, and your lovely son for joining us on our Boston Public Market & North End Tour. I hope that our city's rich history and memorable best eats will inspire you to return in the future, and to consider joining us again.
Kathy_T, Jul 2022
We had a great time on the foodie tour!! It was a great balance of food and enjoyed all of the history and stories!!
Taren_C, Jun 2022
Our tour guide, Audrey, was fantastic! This was one of our favorite tours. Loved all the food we got to eat and all the history behind the North End including the stories behind the local restaurants. We highly recommend this tour. A must do if you are visiting Boston!
Leslie_T, Jun 2022
There are very few words…. Excellent, amazing, incredible, and noteworthy are only a few to describe our experience.
Audrey, our foodie and historic expert walked us thru Boston history and provided a wonderful taste of the area. It’s hard to say which food was our favorite as each was so different.
Audrey is a delight and made our tour a memorable experience.
WELL worth the money spent!!!!
Thank you
Matthew_K, Jun 2022
Audrey was a wonderful guide who made the north end come alive. The food selections were delicious with the history of the area interspersed.
Response from Host, Jun 2022
At Boston Foodie Tours, we pride ourselves on sharing joy, but often our guests share it with us! Thank you for bringing joy and light to our somewhat intimate - on this day - Boston Public Market & North End Tour. We're pleased that you enjoyed the tour, and hope that you'll consider joining us again should you return to Boston in the future.
SUSAN_M, May 2022
This tour was a wonderful experience, my family really enjoyed Audrey and her great personality! The food was perfect and we were full after our tour was at its end! Thank you Audrey!
Sandra_A, Mar 2022
Great experience with Audrey! Excellent food tastings at quintessential Boston favs for pizza, cannoli, arancini, balsamic vinegar, mozzarella, bread & clam chowder.
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