Skip the tourist traps and lose yourself in the flavors of true Charleston cuisine. Taste local delicacies like classic Carolina-style BBQ, historic She-Crab soup, and famous fried green tomatoes and, as with all of our tours, you'll also indulge in our decadent Secret Dish, which just might make you leave singing a happy song! Your local guide will steer you toward the very best spots to enjoy these classic Southern dishes.

3-hour walking food tour led by a passionate and experienced local guide
Food and drink tasting of local delicacies in their best form
Learn about Charleston history, food, and culture
Small group size guaranteed, no more than 10 people
Private upgrade option available

What's Included

Yucatan Pork Taco and Street Corn
Benne wafers
She-crab soup
Shrimp & Grits
Handmade local ice cream
Our delicious Secret Dish

Hotel pick - up

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

99 S Market St suite 5, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
The meeting spot is in front of Port of Call Food + Brew Hall - 99 S Market St Suite 5, Charleston, SC 29401, we'll be waiting with an orange umbrella and a big smile!

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

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What To Expect

U.S. Custom House (Pass By)

Charleston City Market (Pass By)

Dock Street Theater (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps

Most travelers can participate
*Please note: the itinerary and menu is subject to change, based on the locations' availability, weather, and other circumstances.
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 good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Mindy_W

We really enjoyed this walking food tour. The food we tasted was all very good, but the best part was our tour guide, Joe. Joe did a great job, explaining all about the history of Charleston as well as the history of food in the area. He was a wealth of information and made the tour so interesting. The tour lasted almost 4 hours so it was well worth the price. Highly recommend this tour overall.

Reviews

5.0

674 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 674 reviews

My favorite tour!

Jaime_B, Apr 2024

This tour was so fun and tasty! Our tour guide, Joe, was incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and fun. We really enjoyed the food choices and history of the city. If you can request Joe, you are guaranteed a great tour!

Too expensive for the food experiences

Barbara_p, Apr 2024

Tour guide Joey was great. The food portion of the tour was average . Too expensive for what the food experience was

Southern sampler.

Cheryl_M, Apr 2024

What an enjoyable experience. Skyla was great!!! A must do when visiting Charleston. Great varity. You will not leave hungry.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It's our pleasure to have hosted you, Cheryl. We always strive to offer a diverse selection of culinary delights - ensuring our guests leave satisfied and with a taste of the city's best. We'd love to welcome you to explore our tours again next time you're traveling!

See the sites and savor the city

Elizabeth_T, Apr 2024

What a great way to see the city and learn its history while savoring unique food options. Our guide Crystin was amazing! She was knowledgeable, took care of every food allergy etc and by the end we were calling her family. I highly recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience on our Charleston Walking Food Tour! We're delighted you enjoyed exploring the city's history through delicious food. Until next time!

Not worth the price - portions too small. More like tapas sampler. Tour part was wonderful.

Kay_R, Apr 2024

The actual tour of the French Quarters was excellent however the food option for a vegan was abysmal. I went with vegetarian as they said they couldn't do vegan. The portions were more like tapas portions. The portions were about the size of a petite woman's palm.A small bowl of macaroni and cheese (yuck) at Port of Call could have just fixed the rice in vegetable broth and kept out the sausage and I would have at least had the Southern rice. Oyster House had a gollup of plain grits, pimento cheese, cole slaw,in little plastic cups like you would fill with ketchup at the ball park. and 4 corn fritters and 2 crackers. (Others had same with she crab soup).WellHung did the best job and I really appreciated this portion of a meal. Grits with fried zucchini and onion crisps on top. Yummy. Friends had brisket or some type of meat on theirs. We got to taste Charleston Benne Wafers which we yummy even though not vegan. Off Track ice cream was the highlight of the trip! Vegan ice cream that was FABULOUS!!! For $110.00 I was disappointed. I think my friends enjoyed theirs but the portions left us all hungry. I was sure that this was the tour that offered vegan options. I must have inadvertently booked the wrong trip. Very disappointed in food but tour guide Joe was great! I especially loved how he honored the Charleston slaves who built this beautiful city! Thanks Joe.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Kay. We really appreciate your insights and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the journey, particularly Joseph's insightful lead through Charleston's French Quarter. On the other hand, regarding the dietary options, we always aim to accommodate various dietary preferences, and while we do our best to offer vegan options, there are occasions where we may need to suggest vegetarian alternatives due to the limited availability of strictly vegan dishes at our selected food stops. Please know that we carefully select our food partners to highlight local businesses in Charleston - which may sometimes limit flexibility in certain dietary requests. We equally understand your concerns about portion sizes and want to assure you that we carefully curate the portions of our selections to provide a balanced tasting experience. Our aim is to ensure that no guest leaves feeling overly full or unsatisfied, but we regret that this was not your experience on this occasion. Your feedback is invaluable, and we continuously review our offerings to maintain our high standards of quality and guest satisfaction. While we regret that your experience fell short of your expectations, we're grateful for the positive aspects you highlighted. It's important to us that every guest leaves our tours satisfied, and our team takes your comments positively. We'll review your feedback internally to ensure we continue to improve and deliver exceptional journeys for all our guests. If you’d like to discuss this further, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@secrettours.com.

Small but exceptional.

John_G, Apr 2024

My husband and I were pleasantly surprised to learn we were the only two on the tour. Our guide Crystin stilled pulled out all the stops and gave us an excellent tour. Her knowledge and experience was exceptional. We will definitely book another tour with this company.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We appreciate your review, John! Our team works hard to ensure each guest has a memorable experience, and we're glad to see that reflected in your review. Thank you for choosing Secret Food Tours!

Great experience

Hulda_G, Apr 2024

Robin was so knowledgeable and had such great, positive energy. I appreciate how she brought to light the significance of women and their role in Charlston history. Furthermore, she pointed out important details about the slave trade that were new to me.

Tour guide makes the Tour

Staci_H, Apr 2024

Robin absolutely made the food tour experience. She was funny and knowledgeable about Charleston's history and food. The food was very good as well. I would have enjoyed another savory dish in place of two dessert options.

Do it, you’ll love it!

Sarah_S, Apr 2024

Would highly recommend! Such a great tour! Crystin was our guide and she took us to some great spots within the city! We lucked out with a beautiful April day and tried so many different foods, all from some awesome restaurants. Crystin was fun and gave us some interesting historical facts throughout the day. We had plenty of samples that filled us up for the afternoon!

Fun food tour

Kathleen_C, Apr 2024

Food was good but our guide Joe was fantastic! He was very knowledgeable and answered any questions. He was friendly and made the tour a great experience.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience, Kathleen! We're delighted to have been a part of your journey. We invite you to explore our food tours again for more culinary delights and enriching experiences.

True Charleston

Jason_H, Apr 2024

Crystin was the perfect tour guide, excellent mix of place/history/food in a tour like this. She truely made the tour one of a kind.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your review, Jason! We'd love to welcome you back to explore more of our diverse culinary adventures.

Fun afternoon

lpilnick64, Apr 2024

The tour guide Skyla was very sweet and accommodating. The places we went to were really good and I enjoyed everything we ate. I highly recommend it.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for recommending us, Nick. Ensuring our guests enjoy delicious food and friendly service is our top priority. We hope to see you again soon!

Brigitte_M, Apr 2024

Tour guide was good and knowledgeable. Servings were small at the oyster house and not great. Company was good

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your review, Brigitte. Our commitment to providing an exceptional experience is unwavering, and your input helps us refine and elevate our tours. We're grateful for your kind words and look forward to welcoming you on another gastronomic adventure!

Rainy Day Tour was Great

Deborah_W, Apr 2024

We enjoyed the tour even in the rain! Joe did an awesome job as the guide! The tour moved along at a pleasant pace without wasting time or rushing us. Make sure you check your time for when the tour starts!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you on another culinary adventure. As you continue to explore new cities, remember that Secret Food Tours awaits you!

Wonderful Food Tour

Dara_P, Apr 2024

We went for a weekend getaway to Charleston to celebrate my wife's 30th birthday. After contemplating a couple different food tours, I am so glad that I decided on this one. Robin, our tour guide, was incredible. She was very knowledgeable, engaging, friendly, and hilarious. She made the tour. The food itself was also wonderful and it was more than plentiful for lunch. The shrimp and grits, praline butter, and ice cream were our favorites!

Great tour

Kim_T, Apr 2024

Crystin was a wonderful guide. She made the tour fun and entertaining and gave a lot of additional recommendations for restaurants and entertainment. Food stops were wonderful and delicious. They were also accommodating for one of us that had food concerns. Great time! Highly recommend!

Amazing

Lauren_P, Mar 2024

I have been on many food tours throughout the world and this one ranks with the best. Crystin was amazing and the food was really fantastic. I highly recommend.

Pick this tour!

Jessica_F, Mar 2024

My husband and I visited Charleston for our anniversary and booked this tour because it seemed fun. Crystin was our guide and she was phenomenal! She was so knowledgeable and funny. We met so many new “cousins” and had great food. If you’re trying to decide if you should do this, do it!! This was the perfect way to end our trip.

Food and fun

rmsmit, Mar 2024

Enjoyed a fun afternoon with Crystin! Delicious food and lots of great information, both entertaining and educational!

Must do food tour

Scott_T, Mar 2024

Amazing food tour, we were lucky to have two great food host Crystin and Jesse leading the tour. Not only did they take us around to some great food spots they also had numerous recommendations while we were in town.

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