Tours and Tickets
Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour
5

Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour

By Carmel Food Tours
Recommended by 96% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
About
Eat and drink your way through Carmel, a beautiful small town just down the coast from Monterey. Walk with a guide and an intimate group, as you enjoy the gourmet delights of this affluent California enclave. Learn about the town’s history and culinary culture while indulging on locally sourced and internationally inspired cuisine, wine, and chocolate. Samples amount to a full lunch and all are included in the tour.
Read more
from
$139.00
per adult

Lowest price guarantee

Ages 3-99, max of 16 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English

Highlights
  • Savor Carmel’s sophisticated food culture on this indulgent walking tour
  • Eat and drink your way through town with an insider guide and small group
  • Take in the beauty and history of California’s Central Coast
  • Enjoy what adds up to a full lunch of included food and wine samples

  • 3-hour food and wine tasting tour
  • All food samplings (enough for lunch)
  • All beverages
  • Professional foodie guide
  • Entry/Admission - Carmel
What's not included
  • Gratuities

Meet your guide at the Sunset Cultural Center in downtown Carmel. From there, your small group will set out to explore the culinary culture of this former artist colony, learn its history, and savor its delicious cuisine. As you stroll down secret alleys and through tidy town squares, you’ll visit restaurants, fashionable bars, and gourmet food shops while learning about the “locavore” movement. Possible stops might include Trio Carmel, Terry’s Lounge, Lula’s Chocolates, Anton & Michel, Casanova Restaurant, and Affina Food and Wine. At each stop, you’ll sample house specialties from olive oil to risotto, cocktails to gnocchi, fine wine to locally produced sweets. After a leisurely walk of more than 1 mile (1.6 kilometer)—suitable for adults of virtually all fitness levels—your tour ends by early afternoon. The tastings should add up to an average lunch, leaving you satisfied as you go about the rest of your day.

Departure details
  • San Carlos / 9th, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA The tour meets in the courtyard in front of the main entrance to Carmel's Sunset Cultural Center. The Sunset Center is located on San Carlos Street, and the entrance is at the intersection of 9th Avenue, across from the Carmel Woman's Club. The courtyard is located at the bottom of the stairs.
Return details
  • Carmel Plaza, Mission St, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA We end 2-3 blocks from the starting point, depending on the day's itinerary. Our guides are happy to give you specific return instructions, or walk you back if you're not comfortable with navigation.

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5973FOOD

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Comfortable shoes recommended
  • Please advise of any specific dietary requirements at time of booking; we are unable to provide substitutions without advance notice
  • Minimum age is 21 years for alcohol consumption.
  • Adult pricing applies to all travelers age 3 and up; tour is geared towards adults but well behaved children are welcome
  • Children under the age of 3 should be discussed with tour operator as to the appropriateness of attending.
  • ** We can accommodate vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten- and lactose-free diets with advance notice ONLY. Please inform us of any food allergies at time of booking. We are unable to provide substitutions without advance notice, so please note any special restrictions on your reservation.
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Not recommended for travelers who are unable to walk without difficulty or pain
  • 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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

  • All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.

What you can expect during your visit
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Contactless payment for gratuities and add-ons
  • Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.

Which attractions will I visit with Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour?
How much is Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour?
Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour price starts from $139.00. Discover and book Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour on Tripadvisor
What is the Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour cancellation policy?
Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour cancellation policy: All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties. Discover and book Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour on Tripadvisor
Which company provides Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour?
Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour is hosted by Carmel Food Tours. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Carmel Food Tours on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour on Tripadvisor

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5973FOOD

Reserve your spot

Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • You'll start at
    San Carlos / 9th
    Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA
    The tour meets in the courtyard in front of the main entrance to Carmel's Sunset Cultural Center. The Sunset Center is located on San Carlos Street, and the entrance is at the intersection of 9th Avenue, across from the Carmel Woman's Club. The courtyard is located at the bottom of the stairs.
    See address & details
  • 1
    Sunset Cultural Center
    Stop: 15 minutes
    See details
  • 2
    Carmel Food Tours
    Stop: 3 hours - Admission included
    See details
  • You'll end at
    Carmel Plaza
    Mission St, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA
    We end 2-3 blocks from the starting point, depending on the day's itinerary. Our guides are happy to give you specific return instructions, or walk you back if you're not comfortable with navigation.
    See address & details
+
About the operator
Carmel Food Tours
689
Carmel, California
Joined in February 2012

#1 of 24 Food & Drink in Carmel
  • dankT5032AM
    dankT5032AM
    0
    0
    Walk among the clouds
    We met up with Bonnie as planned and walked to several places that we can revisit later. Great information, great history lessons on Carmel by the Sea. Food was great and each stop had a great story behind it. Bonnie was the Carmel OG! Will recommend this experience to anyone Dan and Becky
  • Q5798BKcharlesh
    Q5798BKcharlesh
    0
    0
    The perfect way to experience Mexico!
    I have been fortunate to participate in two of CFT's offerings; the Carmel Food and Wine Tour in 2017 and the San Miguel de Allende Mexico Tour in December 2022. Both experiences were delivered way beyond my expectations. The Carmel tour provided a wonderful exposure to this charming town's hospitality offerings. The San Miguel de Allende tour was a carefully curated, intimate, concierge travel experience that sets a high bar for our future travel planning. Our new friends Staci and Migdalia were gracious hosts who made certain all guests needs and interests were addressed. The itinerary, accommodations and daily scheduled offerings were exceptional. This was the perfect first trip to Mexico beyond-the-beaches for us and a multi-sensory dive into the food, crafts, shopping, music, history, and culture of this fascinating country. Put this tour on your bucket list.
  • Ben_Carmel
    Ben_Carmel
    0
    0
    Amazing tour
    A great experience for couples, individuals, friend groups, or the whole family. They took us to several local establishments, all of which had great food and drink. We walked throughout downtown Carmel, which was absolutely beautiful. We learned a lot of the history of the area which was really interesting. Our tour guide Bryan was fabulous--smart, funny, knowledgable. He made the day really rewarding.
  • Beachchef
    Beachchef
    0
    0
    Over the top- Amazing
    Professional, courteous, knowledgeable! It was our first time to Carmel and the tournwas much more than we imagined! The food, shops, drinks and history of this area make it a hidden gem! Finally, our guide Amber was AMAZING!
  • ploew1
    ploew1
    0
    0
    The best!!
    We, as two couples, have been on numerous food tours in various cities in the US and abroad. The Carmel Food Tour was by far the best we have encountered. Our guide, Amber, was charming and knowledgeable sprinkling historic and current tidbits of information about Carmel throughout the tour. However, the best part was, of course, the food and drink. There were 7 locations we visited with first class food, wine, desert and chocolate and generous servings throughout. We were more that filled at the end. Highly recommended, with a fair price for what we received.
  • Mark K
    Mark K
    0
    0
    Fantastic tour!!
    Our tour guide, Bonnie, was amazing. We had seven stops, all were very good. The walking is easy. Very informative tour, unique stops, and top quality food/drink tastings. Would highly recommend this tour .... my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
  • Gessica B
    Gessica B
    0
    0
    Great tour
    My husband and I had a great time doing this food tour with Amber! She was knowledgeable and very nice! We had some good bites, good sweets/desserts, one wine tasting, and a whole glass of margarita which we enjoyed. We are happy with the great customer service and that they allowed me to buy 2 tickets when only one was available when I inquired about it. They also were nice enough to give us some recs of places to try while out in Carmel-by-the-sea for our 10 year anniversary. Highly appreciated the kindness. I would do it again. Gess B.
  • hughejd
    hughejd
    0
    0
    Wonderful way to experience Carmel
    Great tour! The pace was perfect, with plenty of time at each stop, and time in between to see and learn about Carmel. Mig was the perfect guide — charming, knowledgeable, and with a gift for making everyone feel comfortable. Highly recommended!
  • susanhZ4668LT
    susanhZ4668LT
    0
    0
    Fun food experience
    We had a great tour with Amber and Brian. On our walk we tasted gourmet meatloaf sandwiches, tacos with a mexcalita, hot dogs, pastries and chocolate. It was a great way to learn about Carmel. Wear comfy shoes for walking and come hungry!
  • Jackie P
    Jackie P
    0
    0
    Bikes, Bites, and Bevs
    We booked the Carmel Bikes, Bites, and Bevs tour and loved it! We met at Mad Dogs and Englishmen to pick up our e-bikes and headed to Point Lobos. Staci led us past cottages and historical sites occasionally stopping to describe the landmarks. After a couple beautiful hikes at Point Lobos we headed back to Carmel by the Sea to begin the bites and bevs portion of the tour. Amber escorted us to four tasting locations where we were served a generous taste and a beverage. My favorite was the crispy cauliflower and elderflower gin and tonic at Alvarado Street Brewery. Amber was knowledgeable about the locations we visited and recounted tidbits of Carmel history as we walked to the different establishments. Thank you for a fabulous day of exploring, exercising and eating!
  • dimmtoons
    dimmtoons
    0
    0
    Tastefully Magic
    I can not say enough about our experience with Carmel Food Tours. We booked it along with a bike tour of Point Lobos in Carmel through Mad Dogs and Englishmen Bike Rentals. After our bike ride our tour guide Amber was waiting to take on another adventure in Carmel. The 4 restaurants were fabulous and the menus along with the cocktails were delicious. I have to say that I was absolutely surprised at the portions that we received from each of the purveyors. Completely unexpected. I thought we might get a little appetizer to share. No way! We each got our own dish, and not just a taste of a beverage but a full cocktail, wine or beer. Even if you don't do the bike tour I'm sure their regular food walking tour if fantastic. I also love the little bites (no pun intended ) of history that Amber gave us were fantastic. Thank you Carmel Food Tours. We will be back!!! M & P
  • SedonaFlyFishingAdv
    SedonaFlyFishingAdv
    0
    0
    Awesome food tour!
    Great activity for history, drinks, and food. We did the bike tour first. Stacy the owner came on our bike tour and she was Awesome! Funny, personable gal that kept the tour on pace. She passed us off to Amber, great gal that really knows her history and cuisine in the Carmel by the Sea area. She took us on a walking food, drink, and history lesson in the town. 4 stops sampling different drinks and food from Carmel’s best. From signature cocktails to Carmel’s best wine, this trip definitely covered it. It was a lot of food and a lot of booze! We had a great couple along on the tour. It gave us the chance to chat and have fun as well. Definitely put it on your things to do list!
  • Buttons1948
    Buttons1948
    0
    0
    Carmel Food Tour
    I would highly recommend this tour. Not only do you enjoy delicious food but you also get valuable insight into the history of this charming village by the sea. The tour would make a great gift for a special occasion or just friends and family visiting from out of town.
  • U5896GFalessandrab
    U5896GFalessandrab
    0
    0
    Wonderful Food & Wine Tour
    Our guide, Tracy, was very knowledgeable and provided us with a great experience. We visited three restaurants, tried different wines, Italian, Mexican, and French cuisine, plus dessert and olive oil experience. We also experienced some local honey from a very young entrepreneur.
  • Wyski
    Wyski
    0
    0
    Food Tour Carmel
    Bonnie was terrific and provided us with tips, history, and whimsy. The day was perfect and provided me with ideas for future trips. I would definitely do this tour again, especially if we could have Bonnie as our guide again!
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

5.0
209 reviews
Excellent
189
Very good
13
Average
5
Poor
2
Terrible
0

Stephanie F
1 contribution
Feb 2022 • Friends
I do not like leaving negative reviews but we as a group were pretty dissapointed in our time.

Advertised as a food and wine/drink tour, this was more of a free samples tour and unfortunanly do not reccomend.

They started off strong with a small appetizer and wine pairing at Grazings (which I will say was delicious). We then walked to a honey store which gave us some sample dots of honey, a street hot dog and water bottle (corn on the cob for vegitarians), then to a nut store for some more free samples, a chocolate eclair, lastly chocolate store for free chocolate samples (there was even a sign out front advertising as such).

It was not worth the price tag unfortunantly and was not a food/wine tour as advertised. There was one curated food and wine pairing. If the rest of the stops were like the first location we would have felt more like our money was well spent.

Spend your money on a nice dinner somewhere and then walk around for some free samples. A hot dog/corn on the cob, appetizer, eclair and free samples is not worth the $100+ price tag.
Written February 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Stephanie, Thank you for your valuable feedback. It’s clear we missed the mark on your experience and I’ve reached out directly to the email you used during your purchase. Thanks for the opportunity to make things right.
Written February 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heidi H
5 contributions
May 2021
We had the best time with Amber on our food tour. I knew it was going to be a great tour after the first stop. We got a meatloaf slider with a fried onion ring and it was amazing. After that we stopped for a sausage at one of the oldest markets in Carmel. We did a honey and chocolate tasting, had street tacos with fried grasshopper and mezcalita and one of the best eclairs I've ever had. Every stop was amazing.

Portions were generous and while we finished everything, most people in the group were not able to finish everything. I'd definitely recommend this tour since you explore all the little charming side streets that would be easily missed otherwise.
Written May 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heidi, we're so glad you had a great time! Those sliders though, right?? Thanks for sharing your experience with future guests!
Written May 21, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michael K
1 contribution
This was a great experience and a wonderful tour guide. Brian, who will likely be famous soon, was a great guide and very entertaining. This tour takes you on places that are behind the scenes, provides a historical view of the city and provides plenty of good food and drinks.
Written August 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Don B
Concord, California, Usa6 contributions
Dec 2021
Bonnie was our tour guide and she was very informative and personal making the tour very enjoyable.
I was told that each tour is different and depends on the guide, time of year and what day you choose. We live in the Bay Area and are starting to go to Carmel more
often and our tour introduced us to several places we had not had a chance to visit or knew nothing about.
The only negative thing was that there were 17 in our group and some of the shops were to small to accomidate all of us. There was always opportunities to buy items in the shops but not really enough time to look, but we had the option of returning after the tour was over.
Written December 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Taylor D
Madrid, Spain8 contributions
May 2021 • Friends
This tour was an incredible experience of great value. Mig and Brian were very knowledgeable and entertaining, and all the food we had was beyond delicious. Our tour included several delicious bites, two wine tastings, a margarita and my personal favorite part - a honey sampling at Carmel Honey Company. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Carmel who enjoys good food and exploring a beautiful town.
Written May 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for sharing your great experience with others. We are lucky to have a wonderful team of guides and terrific tasting partners who are both yummy and entertaining. I hope you'll come back and see us again!
Written May 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Suzanne B
Philadelphia, PA5 contributions
We really enjoyed the tour. Brian was friendly, humorous, knowledgeable and made sure everyone was having a great time.

The portions were large and delicious. The historical tidbits about Carmel were fun facts. We appreciated that we got a tour discount at the businesses we toured and we purchased a few items as gifts.

We were impressed that Brian guessed our names before we told him and got 90 percent of the names correct, he made a point to remember every persons name throughout the tour!

We will definitely to return to Carmel.
Written September 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jason M
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Couples
My wife and I had a wonderful time on the tour. I little walking, learned some city culture, met some great people and devoured excellent food/drinks along the way. Thank you Bonnie for doing an amazing job! -Jason & Vikki
Written July 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Esojo
Harwich, MA4 contributions
The concept is a good one, and our tour guide was great. She was engaging and knowledgeable. The food itself was average. So many fabulous food choices in Carmel, yet, this tour cannot rely on their chosen restaurant’s laurels. They need to step it up a notch (or two).
Written July 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Peter
Modesto, CA12 contributions
This is the second time I have done this tour in the last several years, first with my wife but this time with a bunch of guys I’ve known for many years. All of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our guide, Bonnie, was knowledgeable, experienced and charming adding historical and architectural comments about Carmel as the tour progressed.

We had a wide variety of tastings at multiple locations with choice of wine, beer, cocktail, or non alcoholic beverages. The food was of high quality and the venues interesting/charming. Plenty of food and drink by the end of the three hours. All in all, time very well spent. Highly recommended.
Written August 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Belinda C
5 contributions
Jan 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this walk-about Carmel and the insights to some of the restaurants and shops. I wouldn't label it a "wine" tour though we were served a delicious Rose at Grasings (and I'm a big red lover). However, I do not hesitate to recommend this tour. The food and imparting knowledge were plentiful. Our group consisted of locals, out of state and out of country visitors. Learning about Bonnie's (the tour guide) local favorites and stories was delightful. Can't wait to go back to Carmel to explore these recommendations!
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 206

Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour provided by Carmel Food Tours

Product Overview: Carmel Small Group Walking Food & Cultural Tour

Prices From$139
Number of Reviews208
Number of Photos130
Duration180 minutes