Join the Oldest Food Tour in Porto in 2024 [vegetarian-friendly]

The oldest Food Tour in Porto

Porto 101: Explore Porto's Food Scene with our Special Tour

The Downtown & Bolhão Market Food Tour is the longest-running food tour in Porto and how we started as a company - it's our baby. It highlights the classics, the timeless dishes and the essential ingredients that make Porto's cuisine what it is - bringing back the real flavors that grandma and grandpa knew and loved.

This 3.5-hour journey takes you from the gastronomic heart of Porto (Bolhão Market) straight into the vibrant heart of the city (Downtown Area), offering a deep dive into these two landmarks that have always been what makes Porto tick.

Discover 8 unique tasting locations, where you'll enjoy a hand-selected tasting menu: 11 food tastings (striking a perfect balance between sweet and savory) and 5 beverage tastings.

Expect to taste the lesser-known flavors of the north of Portugal and to meet the real Porto, the one that we experience every day and that most travelers rarely see (or taste). Don't expect the usual famous dishes like “Francesinha” or “Pastéis de Nata.” We're all about introducing travelers to foods and wines they won't easily find on their own, like the amazing “pataniscas” (so fluffy you could nap on them) and a variety of wines beyond the famous Port wine.

Speaking of wine, this tour pays homage to the culture of small-scale producers and gives a delicious overview of four different Portuguese wine regions.

At each tasting spot, you will also learn about the families and the history behind the restaurants, cafes and specialty food shops that you visit. In between tasting locations, you will hear about the history, architecture, and culture of the area while strolling through the city's charming streets.

In addition to the gastronomic journey, we also make a brief stop to show you the location of the old Jewish Quarter and address that community's contribution to the rise of Porto as a commercial hotspot. For a deeper dive into Jewish Heritage, consider booking our Private Jewish Heritage Walking Tour.

Worried about dietary restrictions?

We know that Traditional Portuguese gastronomy can be a little difficult to navigate when it comes to the so-called special dietary requirements. With that in mind, we've designed our Downtown & Bolhão Market Food Tour in a way that allows us to accommodate most requirements so that a larger amount of travelers can participate and enjoy. We've worked diligently with our partners on this mission to bring Portuguese gastronomy into the XXI century, and we continue to search together for alternatives that are enticing, adequate, delicious, and still reflective of the local traditions.

Secure your spot today, because tickets tend to vanish faster than a plate of freshly baked pastries.

Downtown Porto & Bolhão Market tour ticket price

  • Adult ticket: 85€

  • Children under 13 years old: 45€

12 Reasons Why People Love this Food Tour in Porto

  • 3.5 hours guided walking tour in Downtown Porto

  • Small group tour for an intimate experience

  • A visit to 8 unique family-run tasting locations

  • A hand-selected tasting menu: 11 food tastings (a perfect balance of sweet and savory) and 5 beverage tastings

  • Great insight into Porto's gastronomical and urban landscape while discovering the lesser-known Portuguese wine regions

  • A wine tasting chosen by a wine expert

  • A visit to the bustling Bolhão Food Market

  • A passionate and experienced, English-speaking, local guide

  • An exclusive Porto Free Guide e-book highlighting the best places to eat, drink, or visit in Porto

  • Personalized tips and recommendations for the remainder of your stay in Porto

  • Unique access to an online show cooking class featuring the Portuguese national dish

  • A charitable donation to a local NGO that helps the homeless people in Porto

Good to know

  • Tours run daily. Monday to Saturday at 10:00 am and 4:00 pm

  • All tastings listed below are included in the price

  • Please advise of any dietary restrictions on booking. We can accommodate some food restrictions on this Downtown & Bolhão Market Food Tour: Vegetarians, Pescatarians, No Pork, No Beef, Gluten or Dairy intolerants, No Nuts, Coriander or Cilantro intolerants, Shellfish Allergies, No alcohol

  • If you choose non-alcoholic options, please understand that we cannot ensure the cultural significance of the provided beverages

  • There is a difference between an adult fare and a child fare because we believe in the importance of family vacations and want to motivate parents to travel with teenage kids. Even though your child's ticket may cost a bit less, mini guests won't have smaller portions of food

  • Babies and toddlers are welcome to join in and not take part in the tastings, but their attendance must be communicated for logistics and insurance purposes

  • Tours are for all age groups. Make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and prepare to stand for an hour at the Bolhão Market

  • Experiences happen rain or shine

  • Restrooms are available during the tour

  • The distance walked is 3 km/1.9 miles

  • Bring good shoes and an appetite

  • The tour starting point is located a short 3 min walk from Bolhão metro station (exact location provided with tickets)

  • Pickup not included

  • All our tours are run in English but we can provide Portuguese or Spanish speaking guides upon request, for closed groups. Feel free to ask us about this and more at [email protected]

  • Advanced purchase of tickets is required: we don't accept walk-ins

  • Tickets must be purchased by 8:00 pm WEST the night before

  • Confirmation will be received at the time of booking (along with your complimentary Porto Tour Guide)

Interested in a more exclusive Food Tour in Porto?

If you'd like to upgrade to a Premium Drink Package, we invite you to request a Private Downtown & Bolhão Market Food Tour. Please contact us for more details at [email protected]

Peace of mind policy

Let's imagine that you are unable to make the tour. Can you have a refund? The answer is yes.

  • Cancellation requests submitted until 72h before the tour start will be fully refunded (minus the processing fees);

  • Cancellation requests submitted between 72h and 24h before the tour start will be refunded in 80% of the total purchase value (minus the processing fees);

  • Cancellation requests submitted 24h or less before the tour start are not eligible for any refund.

Refunds can only be processed back to the original credit or debit card used in the purchase. Processing fees: 1.5% + 0.25€ for European Union cards and 3.25% + 0.25€ for non-European Union cards.

As part of our "Peace Of Mind Policy", the first two cases listed above are eligible to be converted into Gift Cards. These are issued with the same purchase value, free of processing fees penalty, and two-year validity. They can be used and topped up for any Taste Porto product. They can be redeemed by the customer or regifted.

We've worked hard on making this a 5-star Food Tour. Secure your spot today and let's see if you agree with us!

Local food

We only work with locally owned and operated food establishments.

Oldest Food Tour in Porto

Tens of thousands of happy guests, including Anthony Bourdain and Rick Steves.

Experienced Tour guide

We see our guides as culinary ambassadors of the city and you as our guest.

Socially responsible

A portion of the ticket price is donated to a local NGO that helps the homeless people in Porto.

Trip Itinerary

Stop #1 – Queijaria: where cheesy dreams come true

Cheese? You bet! Portugal's got your cravings covered and there's no better place to sample Portuguese cheeses than a Queijaria (cheese shop).

Stop #2 – A former Flower Shop that transformed into a Wine Bar

Grab your glass and let's explore the lesser-known wine regions in Portugal. Get ready to sip your way through stories that are as rich as the wines themselves.

Stop #3 – Charcutaria: a haven for Pork aficionados

Spoiler alert: our love of pork is legendary! Let's get savory and dive deep into the world of Portuguese cured meats.

Stop #4 – A very authentic Portuguese Padaria

Enjoy a centenary recipe - the super fluffy Pão-de-Ló - as you hear the stories behind it and immerse yourself in the energy of the iconic Bolhão market.

Stop #5 – A specialty Coffee Room

Would you fancy a cup of specialty coffee? It's not just about the caffeine kick; it's about indulging in every sip.

Stop #6 – Porto's Seasonal Fruit Shop

The Bolhão Market Tour ends with a fresh combination of seasonal fruits that will provide you with the energy and curiosity to start your exploration of Downtown Porto.

Stop #7 – The oldest restaurant in town

Enjoy this one-of-a-kind third-generation owned restaurant and its sandwich that brings together fresh bread, slow-roasted pork loin, and sweet cured ham. Perfectly paired with a glass of red sparkling wine. It's more than a meal - it's a legacy!

Stop #8 – Traditional restaurant with a modern twist

Finish off your tour in style with a few more glasses of wine to pair with our Portuguese favorite combo: pataniscas and the so-called naughty rice.

Reviews

Went on a 3,5 hour downtown tour with André (the founder and owner), easily the best money I spent this year!
Oliver, Denmark
This was hands down the best tour I have ever taken. My 12 year old daughters are still talking about it!! We did the Market Tour with Ricardo and he was amazing…incredibly knowledgeable about not only Porto and the food but history and politics…there was not a question he could not answer. He was also very friendly and fun and remembered all of our names immediately. We spent time in the Bolhao Market tasting various foods and wine (fresh squeezed orange juice for the tweens) then went to two restaurants for more food and wine (soda). There were 9 of us on the tour which was just right. I have already recommended this tour to friends who will be traveling to Porto. It is a must do!
Janis, USA
We had a 6-month-old in a stroller, so naturally we were concerned about the narrow Porto streets, hills, and smaller restaurants. But that was not an issue! Each area had enough room for us and the overall tour was amazing. Props to Ricardo as a great and knowledgeable guide!
Mike, USA
My husband and I don't typically seek out many tours when we travel but it came recommended by someone who is actually from Porto. We are so happy we obliged! It was a wonderful opportunity to go into small hidden gems and try traditional Portuguese dishes (including dishes that aren't obvious to those visiting). Sergio was our guide and he was absolutely lovely and knowledgeable. He gave a short history and background about each food we ate. Loved that we also got to go into the food market which was an authentic experience and likely would not have found it on our own. Had a great variety of places and types of foods to try-- eat light that day beforehand! We had such a blast with our small group that we ordered a bottle of wine and stuck around for 2 more hours! Also, they are conscious of COVID-19 precautions which is greatly appreciated.
Amber, USA
Are you an Expat/Immigrant looking for a Food Tour? DO THIS ONE! I did the Porto Food Tour with Andre! Andre is the founder of Taste Porto! What a great experience! Not only did I learn about wine, cheese, pastries but also about the history and the PEOPLE who contribute/create these wonderful epicurean delights! I would suggest this tour to anyone who not only wants to eat great food (BTW - you will eat a LOT of yummy food) but also to any Expat/Immigrant who has landed in Porto amongst all of the restaurants! Being an Immigrant (Expat) myself and living in Porto it has been intimidating to try and narrow down which restaurants, bakeries, markets, etc. to go to! Andre was SO HELPFUL that he actually catored (pun intended) the (end of) the tour to ME, and MY NEIGHBORHOOD. He introduced me to a local shopkeeper, showed me which restaurants in my neighborhood to go to - AND even wrote up and emailed me the list!
Christine, Porto
The Downtown Tour was a great intro to Porto and Miguel was our friendly passionate guide. We enjoyed the morning tasting our way around streets to foodie places we would never have found without him. Miguel knows everyone and it made the tour more of personal experience to meet up with his food partners and share their stories. All the food was delicious. The tour was well-paced and we learned so much more from our own guide rather than a travel book.
Helen, New Zealand
Sergio was an awesome guide and the whole experience was really fun- super glad we picked this tour over the others!
Merritt, USA
I wish I did this first on my trip. You get to taste a lot of great food but also get a lot of great recommendations for the rest of your trip.
Matt, USA
We’ve just had the most fantastic morning with Miguel. We read about this food tour which was recommended in the latest Sunday Times Travel Magazine. If you look at the website it honestly delivers and more! Miguel was so passionate about his city and all the fabulous places we visited. The best bit is we’ve got another 3 days to go back and visit all the amazing places we visited. If you get the chance book the DownTown Food Tour.
Rose, UK
Book this tour! It was our 2nd time in Porto and the first time we did a food tour...it was excellent! We choose the Downtown tour and we had food we would not have experienced any other way. The food was delicious and fun speaking to the owners of the restaurants. Joana our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and gave us the history not only of the food, but its origins as well. She was funny, nice and just great to be with. She even contacted her company to give us recommendations on restaurants (we wanted a really special Michelin Star Restaurant and they sent us a list). When we come back to Porto, we plan on booking again. Thank you, TastePorto!
Jackie, USA
They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and Taste Porto takes this saying to another level! These guys are super professional and will go out of their way to answer questions you might have about the city or the food that you are tasting. We absolutely loved our downtown tour and enjoyed every bit of our time. Highly recommended!
Feras, USA
We did an amazing food tour in downtown Porto with another couple it was a slow Saturday for some reason, it is usually up to 10 people. We ate specialties from Eastern Portugal. We went to the market. I enjoyed an amazing coffee at one of the oldest cafes in Porto. We meandered to a very old jamon (ham specialty house) and drank special red sparkling wine from Portugal and delicious ham on rolls, done in several layers. We went to "All in Porto" which is an excellent wine bar and ate a charcuterie plate with some local Douro wine, and then finally we went to had a special liquor and a Christmas Dessert. All carefully selected locations. Led by the amazing Gregorio. If you are reading this Gregorio, I hope you are doing well!
Fober, USA
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