Boston North End Food Tour with Authentic Local Flavors & Dishes
Description
Discover Boston’s famous North End, where Italian tradition meets New England seafood, on our Secret Food Tour. Over 3 delicious hours, our local guide will lead you through cobblestone streets as you explore the city’s rich 400-year history while tasting its most iconic dishes. Enjoy a comforting cup of New England Clam Chowder, a pastrami sandwich, authentic Italian Brick Oven Pizza, a sweet Mini Cannoli, a refreshing Lemon Slush, and more. In total, you’ll experience 6+ tastings, including Our Delicious Secret Dish, revealed only on the tour. Along the way, we’ll share stories of Boston’s past, from Puritan settlers to the modern-day city, making each stop both flavorful and unforgettable. Whether you’re a foodie, history lover, or simply craving the best bites in Boston, this tour blends culture, flavor, and local charm into one memorable experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We'll explore high-quality artisan and ethnic products, along with freshly-prepared foods from independent merchants at the Boston Public Market.
Hanover Street, once a Native American path, now a vital Boston thoroughfare, renamed in 1708 after the House of Hanover, hosts Little Italy's Italian culture and played a role in the American Revolution, featuring landmarks like St. Stephen’s Church and the Concert Hall.
A historical plaque at 256 Hanover Street in Boston's North End commemorates the trial and execution of Italian anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti on August 23, 1972
We'll take a moment to eat at this spot full of history. North Square has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1961, greeting visitors to the North End with historic charm.
Built in 1680, it is downtown Boston’s oldest building and one of the few remaining 17th-century dwellings in a large urban area in the United States.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- *This tour involves a fair amount of walking; comfortable shoes are recommended.
- *Please note: the itinerary and menu is subject to change, based on the locations' availability, weather, and other circumstances.
- *Please ensure to contact us in advance of the tour for any dietary requirement, to ensure we can cater for them the best we can.
Reviews(1,531)
Elisabeth was terrific. Took us to very interesting eateries and she had tons of historical info as well. She kept us in the shade on a usually hot day.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. Your review is appreciated by our entire team. We look forward to welcoming you back to Secret Food Tours!
Great value and experience. Small group made it easy to navigate and hear her narrative. She has great food contacts and bypassed long lines at multiple locations. We went back to several locations the following day.
Thank you for your rating and for sharing your experience. We’re delighted the tour became such a positive part of your time in the city. We look forward to welcoming you back to Secret Food Tours!
Highly recommend this food tour! It was very well organized and communication ahead of time and throughout was clear and helpful. We were gifted this tour as a Christmas present and as Boston residents, it was just as fun as if we were visiting a new city! It was a wonderful day learning about the North End’s history and cuisine. Shoutout to our guide, Elizabeth, who was clearly beloved by the workers at each of the establishments we visited, shared many recommendations of her favorite local spots, and was truly passionate about passing along her food and history knowledge! Thank you, Elizabeth!! :)
We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It’s wonderful to know the tour became such an enjoyable part of your time in the city. We’d love to have you join Secret Food Tours again!
Here’s a polished review that highlights Elizabeth and your experience while keeping your concerns with the company separate: I’ve been on several Secret Food Tours, and they’ve all been excellent. While I do have some separate feedback for the company itself, I don’t want that to take away from the outstanding experience my best friend and I had with Elizabeth on the Boston tour on July 3, during the celebrations leading up to America’s 250th birthday. Elizabeth was absolutely wonderful—personable, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about Boston’s history, neighborhoods, and the restaurants we visited. She made everyone feel welcome and encouraged conversation, which created a fun, engaging group dynamic. One of the highlights was discovering our shared interests in cooking, recipes, and gardening. I’m from Phoenix, Arizona, and my best friend is from Rochester, New York, yet Elizabeth found so many ways to connect with all of us. It felt less like a tour and more like spending time with a knowledgeable friend who loves sharing her city. By chance, we ran into Elizabeth two days later while she was leading another tour. Introduced to her new group, we exchanged more stories, and it was clear that she brings the same enthusiasm and warmth to every experience. The food was delicious, the history was fascinating, and Elizabeth’s personality made the tour memorable. I look forward to staying connected with her for future recipe and gardening tips. If you’re considering the Secret Food Tour in Boston, I highly recommend requesting Elizabeth—you’ll be in great hands!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Hearing that you enjoyed every step of the tour means a great deal to us. We hope we'll have the chance to host you again with Secret Food Tours!
The tour guide, Jack, was really good. Friendly, seemed to know the food scene and gave some good information about the city and area. Unfortunately, the food tour was not very good at all. We always like to go on a tour the first day in when visitng a city to learn about it and find some good spots to go back to while there. On every other tour we have gone in, sat down, and the restaurant served a small sample of what they want us to try to get a feel for what they do or learn about the place or their food. On this tour we didn't actually go into a single place. We literally stood outside on the street or in a different area in the summer heat and waited for quite a while as the guide went in, got some food samples and brought them out. It didn't even seem like some of the places knew there was a food tour or wanted it in their place. We ate everything standing or sitting on benches. There was one restaurant where he just brought out was a few slices of cheese and Prosciutto. Wasn't even really sure which building that particular restaurant was in. If they combine this guide with actually seeing the inside of some restaurants and trying something to get a real feel for the places, it would be a much better tour.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're glad to hear that Jack made a positive impression and that you enjoyed his hospitality and the insights he shared about the neighborhood and its food scene. We also appreciate you sharing your perspective on the tour format. Our food tours are thoughtfully curated to showcase some of the best of the local food scene, while balancing the unique character and operations of each of our local partners. We understand that every guest has different expectations, and your feedback about wanting more opportunities to experience the venues themselves is valuable as we continue refining the experience we offer. Guests often enjoy discovering local favorites through this style of tour, but we recognize that it may not match everyone's preferred way of exploring a destination. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know what would have made the experience more worthwhile for you. Thank you again for joining us during your visit to Boston. We hope you'll consider joining us again on another Secret Food Tour in the future, and we'd love the opportunity to welcome you back for a different experience.
Great guide! Delicious food!!
It was a pleasure having you on the tour. Hearing that you enjoyed it from beginning to end is exactly what we hope for. We'd love to have you join Secret Food Tours again!
Elizabeth is the absolute best tour guide! She generously shared her historical knowledge of Boston’s food scene & culture and set a tone for friendliness & camaraderie among our group. Her food choices were on point! She made practical tweaks to our route to make a 3-hr walking tour on a 100+ degree day truly enjoyable (no easy feat!) with her upbeat, positive disposition. Highly recommend this experience for tourists & locals alike!!
Thank you for your comments! It's always a pleasure hearing that guests leave with so many positive memories. We'd be happy to welcome you back to Secret Food Tours.
It was extraordinarily hot during our experience, but Elizabeth still made it enjoyable! We tried a lot of great foods and drinks and would highly recommend.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Knowing your time with us was well spent is exactly what we hope to hear. We look forward to welcoming you back to Secret Food Tours!
Seán was a great tour guide! We had a wonderful day!!
We truly appreciate your kind review. Your feedback reminds us why we love sharing these experiences with our guests. We hope to see you again with Secret Food Tours!
Sean was fantastic with food and history information and very pleasant person!
It was a pleasure having you with us. Finding local favorites is truly one of the best parts of exploring somewhere new. We hope you'll discover another city with Secret Food Tours!
