Port Louis: Street Food & City Tour
Description
Your experience starts from the Caudan Waterfront. Walk through the bustling streets of Port Louis. Mauritius has some amazing food, influenced by its Indian, Chinese, and African cultures. The central market is one of the best places to experience the best Mauritian food. You will find fresh, deep-fried gato pima, or chili bites. Made with soaked split peas, zingy spring onions, and green chilies, these really do pop in your mouth. Next, travel through the gates of the Chinatown of Port Louis to discover treats derived from Hakka Chinese dishes. The tour includes about 8 different dishes to try. Along the way, explore the old buildings, the Company Garden with their amazing hanging Banyan trees, the busy market and China Town.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In the district of Port Louis, lies the 1,640 m2 site where the modern indentured labour diaspora began. In 1834, the British Government selected the island of Mauritius to be the first site for what it called ‘the great experiment’ in the use of ‘free’ labour to replace slaves. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured labourers arrived from India at Aapravasi Ghat to work in the sugar plantations of Mauritius, or to be transferred to Reunion Island, Australia, southern and eastern Africa or the Caribbean. The buildings of Aapravasi Ghat are among the earliest explicit manifestations of what was to become a global economic system and one of the greatest migrations in history.
The Jummah Mosque (Jummah Masjid; formerly Mosquée des Arabes, “Mosque of the Arabs”) is a mosque in Port Louis, Mauritius dating from the 1850s. The building combines Indian, Creole and Islamic architecture. The Jummah Mosque houses the remains of Jamal Shah (a pir from Kutch, India) in a marble tomb next to the mosque.
China Town is filled with shops, many being over a hundred years old. Some chinese families have been running their businesses for generations and would rarely opt to upgrade to newer building structures. We came across quite a few tiny and dark retail shops. These were the ones that gave us the Chinese- Orient feeling. China Town does have new generation buildings as well where some businesses operate. Trade has always been part of the Sino-Mauritian culture. For long China Town was the trade center in Mauritius but this declined with the introduction of supermarkets on the island. China Town declined as a commercial hub and lost its former glory- many of the Chinese shops (we lovingly call them “la boutik sinwa”) were abandoned which left China Town desolate.
This bustling, lively open-air market offers a variety of goods for sale including fruit, herbs, spices and potions.
Jardins de la Compagnie is the city's most attractive garden, with its vast banyan trees, huge number of statues, quiet benches and fountains. During the day it's perfectly safe and even rather appealing, but avoid it at night, when it's a favoured hang-out for sex workers and drug addicts. In early colonial times, the garden was the vegetable patch of the French East India Company. Today, it's known for statues of local sculptor Prosper d'Épinay and much-loved musician Ti Frère.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(17)
We thought that this was just a street food tour but it turned out to be so much more. Dourvesh, our guide, included historical stops & facts, and even took us to a beautiful & peaceful garden. He was so informative about Mauritius’ history. And the food was yummy!
Very informative and interesting tour. The food was amazing and plentiful. Our guide was excellent!!
A great experience to walk around the area of Port Louis whilst sampling local cuisine. I was completely stuffed! Our guide was very knowledgeable too.
Excellent visit in good company. Discovery of port louis and tasting of local multicultural dishes. On top to do again.
A thoroughly interesting walk through the streets of Port Louis, learning so much history - and eating so much delicious food.
This walking tour of Port Louis was a standout experience, and Dourvesh made it truly memorable. He’s a fantastic guide—warm, relaxed, and incredibly knowledgeable. As we explored the city, we visited many of its most iconic and historic buildings, each brought to life through Dourvesh’s insightful stories and explanations. The culinary side of the tour was a delight—we sampled eight or nine varieties of street food, including some hidden gems we’d never have found on our own. And the street art? Absolutely stunning. Some pieces were so striking they defy description—you simply have to see them for yourself. If you’re visiting Mauritius, this tour is an absolute must.
Great food tour. Our guide was great. Really friendly and knowledgeable. Good mix of historical info and experiencing everyday life in Port Louis. Loads of food to try - would highly recommend. Thank you 😊
A wonderful tour! I went with my husband and our two kids (ages 12 & 14) and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
A really nice, relaxed way to see Port Louis, with a great informative guide who gives you just the right amount of info and time on your own! We would never have ventured so far by ourselves, and we would have missed so much of the town's charm!
Dourvesh was a fantastic guide who showed us the highlights of Port Louis food and cultural scene. He adapted the tour to our interests and we were absolutely stuffed by the end and had to spend a bit longer looking at the glorious banyan trees in the city centre park! Everything was delicious but the most intriguing food were the selection of pickles with fresh tamarind, salt and hot sauce - unlikely anything I've ever had!
