Philadelphia's Italian Market Food Tour
Description
Come and explore one of Philly's most vibrant, diverse and delicious neighborhoods during our Italian Market Food Tour. This tasty stretch of 9th Street has been home to a curbside market since the 1800's, and has served as a backbone of this community for generations. Listen as your expert local guide tells some amazing stories of the market's past while you delight in 5 delectable bites that show-off the local flavor. This tour highlights Philly's wonderful diversity, and the amazing food scene that it has created. You will try Italian classics like the tomato pie and cannoli, Mexican delicacies like spicy chicken tacos and freshly-pressed tortillas, and Vietnamese bites like the banh mi sandwich. Take a nice relaxing stroll with your guide as your senses are immersed in the sights and sounds of this iconic Philly market. In addition to the amazing food, you'll also enjoy some dazzling pieces of public art that can be found down many backstreets and alleys in the area.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your tour in one of the South Philly’s many wonderful public parks, where your local expert guide will introduce themselves and the discuss the culinary journey you’ll be embarking on.
Down these streets you'll see stalls and stores of all kinds, as glorious scents and surprising sights surround you. There are many different breads, meats, produce, and cheeses to be enjoyed - along with classics such as cannoli and newer additions like fresh tortillas. You'll get a chance to speak to some local shopkeepers and hear about their family's experiences in the market. You'll also hear about the evolution of this immigrant neighborhood and how foods, dishes, and cuisines from all over the world have found a home in South Philly.
Baking the city’s best bread since 1918, Sarcone’s is the perfect place to try Philly’s traditional pizza slice…the tomato pie
Making delectable Italian sweets since 1904, including an unforgettable cannoli
Delicious Mexican cuisine with a kick, like the tacos de pollo pibil
Melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella cheese knots, marinated in a light olive oil await you here
Two Vietnamese restaurants known for their tasty and flavorful spins on the traditional Banh Mi sandwich
Sip several varieties of olive oil and vinegar from around the world in this tasting room
Fresh, soft, hot-off-the-press tortilla shells paired with creamy homemade guacamole
Wonderful cafe serving espresso, chocolate truffles and homemade gelato
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
Reviews(331)
Tom was a great tour guide who was very knowledgable about all things Philly food. He came prepared and was easy to engage with. Tour had a variety of foods to try so that was exciting.
Barry was the best tour guide..food was great and we loved hearing about the history from a local. Highly recommend!
Extremely Disappointing — Not Worth the Money This was hands down one of the most disappointing tours I have ever taken, and certainly the worst experience I have had booking through Viator. I had a family of five visiting Philadelphia and was excited to take them on this tour to experience the Italian Market and learn about its history. The tour description outlined several stops and made it sound like we would actually learn about the history, culture, and significance of the Italian Market. Unfortunately, that is not at all what we received. Our guide arrived approximately 20 minutes late and openly told us he had overslept. We were all left standing around waiting for him. When we finally got started, the first scheduled stop wasn’t even prepared for our group. He then attempted to take us somewhere that wasn’t part of the advertised tour and had nothing to do with the Italian Market, seemingly to fill time or make up for the fact that things weren’t ready. About 45 minutes into the experience, we still had barely begun the actual tour. I finally had to point out that we hadn’t even made it through the scheduled stops. Another father and son in our group became so frustrated that they left the tour early. Most disappointing of all, our guide provided virtually no meaningful history, facts, or information about the Italian Market. That was the entire reason I booked this experience. I live in Philadelphia and specifically wanted to share the history of this iconic neighborhood with my visiting family. Instead, we spent our time waiting, wandering, and wondering what exactly we had paid for. This experience was completely unacceptable and absolutely not what was advertised. I would not recommend this tour to anyone, and I sincerely hope Viator reviews the quality of this particular offering. I am requesting a full refund for our entire party. This tour was not worth the money we paid, and frankly, it was not worth a dollar. An incredibly disappointing experience.
Hello, thank you for posting this feedback. We apologize deeply for the negative experience you had on your tour. We always strive to give a stellar experience every time we lead a tour. We have processed your full refund. If you wish to speak with us further about your tour, please feel free to call us at 215-280-3746.
I loved the Italian Market. A fabulous tour.
It was great! Really amazing. Nina was a perfect guide. She took us to very nice places
This was a great tour. Heather who was our guide had much knowledge about the market’s rich history. The food items on the tour were varied, well thought out, delicious and all came with a bit of history. Props to Heather again, it was great!
Great stories about the area and lots of small stops to get yummy food. Left the your very full. Great guide!
excellent history and tasting. Tom L was very gracious and accommodating. he shared a lot of food knowledge and local history.
Excellent experience fun learned a lot new things
Awesome tour with Nina- great information and lovely guide - great food
