Boston Foodie Tours FAQ answers all your questions about Walking Food Tours & Things to Do in Boston. If your question is not in our FAQ, please feel free to contact us.
A food tour is a tour of food-related businesses with one or more tasting samples at each stop. At Boston Foodie Tours, we also include an overview of Boston’s rich history, first-hand anecdotes, and a bit of culinary education. And depending upon the neighborhood, we might even add some movie trivia and crime stories!
Gift cards can be used for either public or private tours for which tickets have been posted online.
If purchased PRIOR to January 1, 2018, contact us at info@bostonfoodietours.com to redeem. We will require a copy of your gift certificate. Our current ticket vendor, FareHarbor, will generate a new gift card number, which you can then use to purchase tickets for your preferred tour and date online at www.bostonfoodietours.com.
If purchased AFTER January 1, 2018, you may use your gift card to purchase tickets for your tour of choice via our website at www.bostonfoodietours.com.
Massachusetts law mandates that gift cards be redeemable for a period of seven years; however, we will accept them at any time. That being said, we hope that we’ll have the opportunity to introduce you to Boston’s best eats in the near future.
Yes, our current tours are all walking tours. Guests should be physically capable of walking tour distances, which are generally no more than one mile. Our Beacon Hill tour also requires that guests are physically capable of climbing a hill, lest they miss out on historic Louisburg Square and Acorn Street.
At Boston Foodie Tours, we believe that our guests enjoy an optimal experience as part of intentional, intimate groups. For that reason, we tend to operate our public tours often smaller than others’, with a minimum of four guests, and a maximum of twelve guests.
Large private tours are staffed with one lead tour guide for each group of up to twelve guests, and, as needed, with an assistant runner/logistics coordinator. The groups rotate through smaller tour stops separately, often coming together at restaurants.
The short answer is yes and no. It simply depends which tour.
When purchasing tickets via FareHarbor for public tours, you will be asked for dietary restrictions. Prior to finalizing your purchase, we list swaps that are available, if any, at each stop so that you can make an informed decision as to whether a tour is a fit for your particular dietary needs. In general, we are unable to accommodate gluten-free, lactose intolerant, or vegan guests in the North End, and to offer value for money. When available on a public basis, we recommend that guests with dietary restrictions consider our Beacon Hill Neighborhood Tour.
We defer to parents’ judgment as to whether our tours are a fit for their children. To make an informed decision, we encourage you to read our tour descriptions fully, including content, duration, and tastings.
While we wish that we could discount our tickets on occasion, with a focus on Boston’s award-winning eats, and corresponding expenses, we’re simply unable to offer our tours at a discount without raising prices further.
Children under the age of two are free of charge. Over the age of two are charged full price.
Absolutely! In fact, our tours will allow you to join a group, and to familiarize yourself with Boston’s most-visited historic neighborhoods while enjoying some of the city’s best eats.
Unfortunately, buildings in Boston’s more historic neighborhoods often require climbing up or down at least a few stairs for entry. In order to address individual concerns, we invite you to contact us at info@bostonfoodietours.com. In some instances, we simply require advance notice in order to provide accommodations.
Unless otherwise noted, our ticket price includes all tastings, courses, and takeaways, when offered. It also includes taxes and servers’ gratuities. It DOES NOT include soft drinks, coffee/tea, or alcohol, for which we’re happy to start a guest tab. We simply don’t want to charge you up front for what you may/may not want. And unless you provide a gratuity for your tour guide upon ticket purchase, it does not include a tour guide gratuity should you wish to consider.
Yes, in fact, we encourage it! Contact us at info@bostonfoodietours.com.
Yes! If you feel that your tour guide has done a satisfactory job, they would welcome a gratuity. Industry standard is 15%-20%, and 25% for exceptional service. If you purchase your ticket(s) via FareHarbor, you will have the option of including a gratuity. We also accept Venmo.
Times vary depending upon the tour. Tours range from 5-7 stops at a somewhat leisurely pace so that guests can fully enjoy the experience. Tours generally run from a minimum of 3 hours to a 3 1/2 hours.
No, but close by, whether a street away or a few blocks away from the starting point, or simply at the opposite end of the street. At the conclusion of the tour, our tour guides will direct guests to their next stops as appropriate, including to public transportation, which is easily accessible.
While we strongly encourage guests to take public transportation, there are parking garages/lots available within close proximity to tour meeting and ending places. We encourage guests to use the Spot Hero app to find the best available locations and deals. On Sundays, meters are free in Boston if you are lucky enough to find an available one.
Guests will have access to restrooms on each tour, though, the number and timing will vary.
Yes! While you may have limited time to do so depending upon group size, itinerary, and foot traffic, our tour partners welcome your business, and may even offer you a discount!
Though we do suggest that guests have a light bite to eat beforehand, our current tours amount to an entire meal, which often means that you won’t require either lunch or dinner elsewhere. We suggest that you read the tour description closely so that you can prepare accordingly.
Rarely. We simply hate to disappoint our guests. Tours run rain or shine, with the exception of anticipated or current extreme weather conditions, or if we fail to meet our minimum enrollment. On the infrequent occasion that a tour is cancelled, guests are provided with the option of transferring their tickets to another preferred date, or of receiving a full refund.
Ticket purchases are refundable up to twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled tour. No-shows are not refund-eligible.
If purchased via FareHarbor, tickets can be transferred twenty-four hours or more prior to the scheduled tour. We suggest that you contact FareHarbor directly to arrange.
While we love dogs, too, city regulations do not permit animals at food tour stops.
For the comfort of all of our guests, Boston Foodie Tours maintains a “no smoking” policy, including vapors.
Two ways: You can check our tour calendar, and/or you can subscribe to our mailings at www.bostonfoodietours.com.
Yes, we are a food adventures service. Not only do we offer private tours, which we customize for clients, we also offer private Dine Arounds and industry-led cooking classes.
Costs vary depending on the event, guest count, what’s included, etc. Currently, we are offering a private standard North End Neighborhood Tour and a Boston Public Market & North End Tour with tiered pricing for parties of up to twelve guests, for which tickets can be purchased at www.bostonfoodietours.com. If you don’t see a preferred private tour/event, please contact us directly at info@bostonfoodietours.com, or at (617) 461-5772 to discuss.