Hungry Hogtown St. Lawrence Market & Old Town Food & History Tour
Description
Discover Toronto one bite at a time on this relaxed walking food tour through Old Town and St. Lawrence Market. Over 2.5 hours, you’ll explore the city’s historic core with a local guide, visiting landmark sites like Brookfield Place, the Flatiron Building, and St. James Cathedral. Along the way, enjoy classic Canadian favourites including a peameal bacon sandwich, freshly brewed coffee or tea, and a traditional butter tart. More than just a food tour, this experience connects each bite to the people, industries, and everyday lives that shaped Toronto—from its early market days to the multicultural city it is today. It’s an easy-paced, story-driven walk that leaves you full of both food and perspective.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pause outside the Hockey Hall of Fame, a tribute to Canada’s most iconic sport. See the “Spirit of Hockey” statue, capturing the grassroots origins of the game, and hear how legends like Tim Horton helped shape both hockey culture and one of the country’s most recognizable brands.
This is Toronto’s Flatiron Building, built in 1892, and yes—it’s older than the more famous one in New York. It was designed to squeeze into this awkward wedge of land, which makes it look like it’s about to slice through traffic like the bow of a ship. It belonged to the Gooderham family, who made their fortune in whiskey, so if the building looks a little confident… that’s probably why.
Berczy Park is one of Toronto’s most charming public spaces, tucked just behind the historic Flatiron Building. At its centre is the city’s most beloved fountain, featuring dozens of cast-iron dogs of all shapes and sizes, all gazing up at a single golden bone perched at the top. It’s a playful tribute to the neighbourhood’s dog-loving residents and a reminder that even in a busy downtown, Toronto still makes space for a little whimsy.
Learn about the centre of spiritual life for the rich and powerful in Toronto 100+ years ago at this Anglican cathedral. The fifth to stand here, the present building was completed in 1853, after a massive fire wiped out the centre of Toronto in 1849 in our first "Great Fire". It was the church of the first British colonists and stood as a symbol of power for the ruling class through much of the city's history. If the church is open to the public we will take a peek inside!
The bulk of this tour takes place in Old Town Toronto and your guide has a number of stories and sites to share with you. Toronto's history as a small military town established to support a nearby fort (Fort York - in the west end of downtown) and growth into a bustling city will be explained over the course of your time here.
National Geographic Traveller Magazine declared this the "best market in the world" several years ago and it's a must-visit for everyone exploring Old Town Toronto. Closed on Mondays (and civic holidays) this is a place you should schedule some time to visit more thoroughly after your guide gives you an overview of its history and significance to not only the early Town of York, but the modern Toronto that town became. Not only a popular tourist attraction, the St Lawrence Market draws locals in search of specialty and locally-produced items like gourmet mustards, Ontario wines and cheeses, and the famous peameal bacon sandwich. If you worked up an appetite on your walk because the food and drink offered at the St Lawrence market is the big finale. Taste a peameal bacon sandwich, a butter tart, a famous soft drink invented just blocks away, and more!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour leaves on time. If you are late, the guide cannot wait.
Reviews(126)
I took the Old Town Toronto History Walking Tour on Friday, Jan. 9 with Michael and had a fantastic time. I was the only one who showed up for the tour, but Michael kindly took me around downtown, showed me some cool sites, and informed me about the history of the city. He answered any questions I had, and we had great conversations on our walk. I definitely recommend this tour for anyone wanting to learn more about the city.
Thank you, Matthew. We are glad you had such a great experience with Michael. Whether it is one person or twenty, if you book a tour, we do our best to make it happen. It sounds like you got a personal introduction to Toronto, complete with history, great conversation, and plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Thanks for the recommendation, and we are happy Michael helped make your visit memorable.
Guide was very knowledgeable and personable as well as professional. Michael was very accommodating. I highly recommend this tour.
We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your tour with Michael. He is both knowledgeable and personable, and it is great to know his professionalism and flexibility helped make your experience so positive. Thank you for recommending us and for joining the tour.
David was an excellent guide. He’s from the area so he’s very knowledgeable and also made recommendations for current things to fo
We are so glad you enjoyed your tour with David. As a local, he knows Toronto inside and out and loves sharing both its history and what is happening around the city today. Thank you for joining us and for sharing your experience.
Learned some about the older part of Toronto, thanks! Our group stayed pretty closely together the whole tour, walking in sort of a line so people could pass. Wish our tour guide hadn’t insisting on hurrying across the street before we were all there and especially wish he hadn’t started speaking as soon as the first person was next to him, but had waited a few seconds more til we could all hear.
Thank you for joining our Old Town tour and for sharing your feedback. We are glad you enjoyed learning about Toronto’s early history, and we appreciate your note about group pacing and timing. Our guides aim to keep everyone together and able to hear clearly, and your comments help us make sure we continue improving that experience.
Michael was a great Tour Guide! One of the best free walking tours we ever had. Strongly recommend to join a tour with him!
We are so glad you enjoyed your walk with Michael. He is a wonderful guide who makes Toronto’s history come alive, and we are happy to hear this was one of the best free walking tours you have taken. Thank you for the strong recommendation and for joining us.
Very interesting tour with Kieran, who had a great sense of humour, which we enjoyed. A good rep for friendly Canada! Learnt many things we didn’t know about Toronto.
We are so glad you enjoyed your tour with Kieran. His sense of humour and friendly style are a perfect match for sharing Toronto’s stories, and we are happy to hear you learned new things about the city. Thank you for joining us and for the kind words.
Fun facts you could never know otherwise. Nice guide with calm appearance and knowledge of the facts.
Leuk om te horen dat je het naar je zin had. Onze gidsen delen graag weetjes die je anders nooit zou ontdekken. Bedankt voor je mooie woorden, hopelijk zien we je nog eens terug op een van onze andere tours.
Our tour guide, Mike, was very entertaining and knowledgeable. A very comprehensive overview of downtown Toronto.
We are so glad you enjoyed your walk with Mike. He is both entertaining and knowledgeable, and it is great to hear you found the overview of downtown Toronto so comprehensive. Thank you for joining us and for sharing your kind words.
Excellent tour with Michael. Interesting walk in the old town. Michael was very knowledgeable and welcoming. I would repeat.
We are so glad you enjoyed your Old Town walk with Michael. He is a welcoming guide who loves sharing the history of Toronto, and it is wonderful to hear you would repeat the experience.
I made several attempts to contact the tour operator to confirm my booking, however I never got a response. I will never use this site for tours again.
We are sorry to hear you had trouble reaching us. I'd be interested in learning how you tried to contact us. We always want it to be easy for guests to get in touch, and the best way to reach us directly is through our website at tourguys.ca and you can email me directly at jason@tourguys.ca We appreciate your feedback and hope you either made the tour, or will give us another chance to show you the tour experience we are known for.
