The 15 Best Food Tours in Charleston

1.Charleston French Quarter or Brunch Food Tour with 7+ Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,853 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $108Our pick

Choose a three-hour Charleston food walk through the French Quarter or Upper King Street. Guides such as Robin, Perry, Nathan, and Crystin lead small groups of up to 12 through local tastings, history, and a surprise dish. Expect plenty of food, steady walking, and no hotel pickup.

“Did a fantastic walking food tour around Charleston with Robin. Not only did she bring us to some wonderful and delicious food spots, she thoroughly entertained us with her knowledge and stories about Charleston history. Make sure you come hungry!”

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2.Downtown Charleston Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,376 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Spend about 2.5 hours walking Charleston’s French Quarter and Market area with a local guide such as John, Dana, Simon, or Georgia. You’ll sit down at four restaurants for generous Lowcountry tastings, ending with dessert. Expect a full meal, city stories, and a compact route.

“Schedule early in your trip so you can get all the recommendations on restaurants and places to visit. The guides are all registered historians so you learn more than you expect. Great information, great restaurants, great guide!”

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3.Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 948 reviews · 4 hours (approx.)

Chef Forrest Parker leads a 90-minute Charleston history walk from the Pineapple Fountain to a cozy bistro, linking local landmarks to Lowcountry food traditions. Then watch him prepare three dishes, enjoy lunch with wine pairings, and take home his recipes.

“Chef Forrest is great! He knows his history but he especially knows how the town’s history shapes its cuisines. I highly recommend this tour, if for nothing else the food you will enjoy!”

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4.Savor the Flavors of Charleston Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 881 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Spend about 2.5 hours walking Charleston’s historic streets with a guide such as Diane, Jade, Fran, or Faith. Taste dishes such as shrimp and grits, barbecue, collard greens, pralines, benne wafers, and she-crab soup. The group is capped at 12, and portions can be generous.

“Very enjoyable tour. Really liked how Faith tied the history of Charleston to the food we were sampling. Length of tour was perfect”

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5.Charleston’s Historic Downtown Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 349 reviews · from $110

Walk Charleston’s historic center with a guide such as Paige, Jeff, or Emerson, stopping at four restaurants for a full lunch of local dishes. Expect she-crab soup, rice, barbecue, dessert, and stories about French, African, Gullah Geechee, and pirate influences. The route lasts about 2 to 2.5 hours.

“If I could do more than 5 Stars I would. Our guide Page was delightful and knowledgeable. All food was a part of Charleston’s history. Starting with she-crab soup, Page explained its origins in Charleston and as we ate she tied the history together. Next a traditional rice and chicken dish and again right portion accompanied with more history and so it went. Page’s love of history and her hometown of Charleston was infectious. This a wonderful tour not to be missed.”

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6.Charleston Brunch Food Tour: Biscuits, Shrimps, Grits and More

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $108

Spend about three hours walking from Upper King to Cannon Street, stopping for biscuits, banana bread, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, sweets, prosecco, and a secret dish. Guides such as Sydney, Perry, Nathan, and Jesse add Charleston food and history along the way.

“this was an amazing tour. Nathan was the best tour guide I’ve had on a food tour. He was very knowledgeable of Charleston history, food history, and also very friendly. The food was amazing. I was super full afterwards and decided to get a drink package with which with the brunch.”

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7.Private Charleston Walking Food Tour at the French Quarter

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 201 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $370

Walk Charleston’s French Quarter with a private guide such as Kelli or Hannah, sampling chicken bog, she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, benne wafers, and more. You’ll visit the Custom House, City Market, and Dock Street Theatre while learning how Charleston’s past shaped its food.

“Hannah, the guide was a pleasure and the information on Charleston that she provided was the highlight. The food was ok to good, not great. One dish was a standout. Much better exceptional food options in the city.”

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8.Charleston Upper King Street Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 200 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Spend about 2.5 hours walking Upper King Street with a city-certified guide such as Mimi, Summer, or Charley. You will taste pre-selected dishes at four restaurants, learn how Charleston’s New South cuisine developed, and finish near King Street with a meal’s worth of food.

“We have done so many food tours and for us this one was just ok. The food and places we stopped could have been better. We would recommend the Lower Charleston Food Tour over this one. Save your money.”

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9.Small Group Food Tour – Savor the Flavors

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 169 reviews · 2h 30m · from $110

Meet your English-speaking guide at Bulldog Tours headquarters for a 2.5-hour walk through Charleston’s food culture. Sample grits, benne wafers, pralines, barbecue, collard greens, sweet tea, and more while guides such as Jade, Dena, Faith, and Blake connect each bite to local history.

“What a great experience! Faith was very knowledgeable and attentive to everyone on this tour. Her insight on the local food history was very engaging. Also I was concerned about my soy allergy when I signed up for the tour, expecting to pass on a lot of the food offered. Every stop was aware of my allergy and accommodated the food so I didn't miss out! Excellent choice for a tour!”

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10.Charleston’s Savor the Flavors of Upper King Street Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 130 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Meet your guide at 360 Meeting Street for a 2.5-hour walk through Upper King Street. Expect five or six Lowcountry tastings, local food history, and guides such as Gordon, Nancy, Fran, or Blake. The tour is seafood heavy, capped at 12 people, and ends near Hotel Bennett.

“Very fun tour! Tour guide was very knowledgeable…loved the restaurants we went to! Will go back next time in Charleston!”

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11.Charleston Farm-to-Table Food Tour and Chef’s Challenge

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 110 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $190

Meet your guide and chef at The Veggie Bin, choose seasonal ingredients, then explore Charleston’s Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood on foot. While you walk, the chef prepares a multi-course brunch at a downtown restaurant. Guides have included Jessi, Alice, John, Georgia, and Mimi.

“It was a fun, fabulous experience. The tour was very informative and interesting and the 5-course lunch was incredibly delicious! We learned so much about Charleston and the chef was so creative with the ingredients we chose.”

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12.Tastes Through Time – Charleston’s Best Food & History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 95 reviews · 2 hours 10 minutes (approx.) · from $94Best value

Walk Charleston’s Historic District with native guide Page, stopping at three restaurants for Lowcountry dishes, drinks, and a sweet finish. Along the way, connect Charleston’s original shopping district, an old church founded in 1680, and a mysterious passageway to the city’s food traditions. The small group is capped at 12.

“Very informative and the guide knew so much about the history of Charleston. Really gave the best experience of how Charleston came to be and the true culture behind Charleston.”

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13.3-Hour Secret Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 89 reviews · from $117

Walk Charleston with a local guide for three hours of BBQ, She-Crab Soup, seafood, handmade ice cream, and a secret dish. The small group, capped at 10, also visits the City Market and explores how African foodways shaped Lowcountry cooking. Guides include Robin, Crystin, Nathan, and Hanna.

“This was so much fun! a light history lesson with great food! Definitely worth the money as there was absolutely more than a meal! I must do all in Charleston”

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14.Historic Downtown Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 67 reviews · 2h 30m · from $111

Spend 150 minutes tasting Southern dishes at four Historic Downtown restaurants, with quick entry and a guide such as Paige or Jackson leading the way. Expect hushpuppies, she-crab soup, oysters, shrimp and grits, dessert, and a walk past the Old Exchange and Waterfront Park.

“Jackson was a great guide very informative And a good sense of humor”

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15.Downtown Culinary Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · from $99

Walk Charleston’s French Quarter and City Market with an English-speaking guide such as Mimi, John, Dana, Simon, or Jessica. Expect four seated restaurant stops, low-country tastings, beverages, local history, and a final dessert. The portions can add up to a full meal.

“Guide was very knowledgeable of the town’s history and friendly”

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