China · FOOD & DRINK

The 15 Best Food Tours in China

68 tours  ·  from $3

Chinese food changes completely every few hundred kilometres, and menus rarely help. These 15 walk the night markets, the dumpling windows and the hotpot streets, priced, timed and clear about how hungry to turn up.

Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai - Starting at Huangpi Nan Road and Xintiandi
Food, Food & Drink, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai

1.Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,382 reviews · from $79Our pick

Spend about three hours walking from Huangpi Nan Road through Xintiandi, the Former French Concession, and People's Square. Guides such as Jade, Kurt, TJ, Jim, and Wang Jian lead tastings of soup dumplings, scallion oil noodles, red-braised pork, roast duck, tea, and desserts. Morning, lunch, evening, and late-night departures are available.

“Fantastic guide (Jade), fantastic food and fantastic cat! Five stars! A wonderful time - make sure you have plenty of room in your stomach when you start.”

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Beijing Hutong Walking Food and Beer Tour at Hidden Restaurants - Walking through Beijing’s old residential lanes
Beijing Hutong Tours, Beijing Tours, Drinking Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Beijing Hutong Walking Food and Beer Tour at Hidden Restaurants

2.Beijing Hutong Walking Food and Beer Tour at Hidden Restaurants

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,132 reviews · from $80

Follow an English-speaking guide such as Ernstina, Winnie, Yoyo, or Haitao through Beijing’s hutongs for four generous food stops, unlimited beer and soda, and a craft pint at a local brewery. Expect hotpot, noodles, beef buns, and spring pancakes in a group of 12 or fewer.

“The Portions of the food were too little... Price is too high for only 4 dishes. Would not recommend.”

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Xi'an Evening Food Tour by TukTuk - The Muslim Quarter: Xi’an food with a family story
Evening Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tuk-Tuks, Xian Tours

Xi’an Evening Food Tour by TukTuk

3.Xi’an Evening Food Tour by TukTuk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 715 reviews · from $73

Join Lost Plate at 6 pm for a small-group tuk-tuk food tour through Xi’an’s city walls. Guides such as Buren, Amber, Michelle, and Jerry lead you to 4 to 5 family-run eateries, explain each dish, and finish with Xi’an craft beer at a local brewery.

“Fantastic tour, good food, great atmosphere and a knowledgeable guide. This type of experience helps you get to know the country better. Highly recommended.”

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Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour - Family-run restaurants and food with local appeal
Evening Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour

4.Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 616 reviews · from $90

Join UnTour Food Tours at 6 pm for three hours of family-run eateries, regional Chinese dishes, beer, yellow wine, spirits, and a xiaolongbao lesson. Guides such as Li, Li, Topher, Jasmine, and Andres explain the food and neighborhoods. The group is capped at 12 and ends near Jiangsu Road metro station.

“This was a great tour! We booked this for our first day's arrival in Shanghai as a way to help us timeshift. That turned out to be the right idea. Our tour was small, only 5 guests, which made getting around really easy. Each stop on the tour was interesting, and we enjoyed the chance to meet a few other travelers. It definitely helped us acclimate and opened out palette to a range of cool flavors. Highly recommended.”

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Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats - The 6:30 pm meeting and first tuk-tuk ride
Chengdu Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tuk-Tuks

Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu’s Local Eats

5.Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu’s Local Eats

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 435 reviews · from $73

Set out at 6:30 pm with an English-speaking guide such as Fiona, George, or Jaz, then ride a private tuk-tuk between four or more local eateries. Expect crepes, chaoshou, noodles, dumplings, mapo tofu, drinks, and plum wine at a 1970s-style bar.

“Great food tour in Xi'an, delicious and plentiful food, and so much fun riding around with the tuk tuk. Well done Lost Plate!”

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Hong Kong's Tin Hau Hidden Eats Food Tour with 7+ Local Tastings - The first tastings: brisket noodles and roast goose
Food, Food & Drink, Hong Kong Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Hong Kong’s Tin Hau Hidden Eats Food Tour with 7+ Local Tastings

6.Hong Kong’s Tin Hau Hidden Eats Food Tour with 7+ Local Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 352 reviews · from $107

Meet your local guide in Tin Hau for about three hours of Cantonese food and neighborhood history. Try brisket noodles, roast goose, dim sum, fruit, sweets, tea, and a secret dish while walking past temples, Victoria Park, Queen’s College, the Central Library, and a wet market. Groups are capped at 12.

“Had a wonderful food experience with Sandy. She provided lots of information about the food and history of the Tin Lau area. Each of the food stops were unique and interesting. Come with an empty stomach as there is plenty of food to try!”

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Small-Group Hong Kong Island Food Tour - Sheung Wan’s dried seafood and old trades
Food, Food & Drink, Hong Kong Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Small-Group Hong Kong Island Food Tour

7.Small-Group Hong Kong Island Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 343 reviews · from $115

Start in Sheung Wan with trolley-served dim sum, then follow an English-speaking guide to wonton noodles, milk tea, roast meat, and egg tarts. Walk through old markets and shops, ride the Ding Ding tram, and finish in Wan Chai. Groups are limited to nine people.

“I'm so glad I booked this tour! Mel was incredibly knowledgeable and provided fascinating insights into the history of the food, taking us to some truly excellent spots. It was definitely a highlight of my trip to Hong Kong and I can't recommend this tour enough!”

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Hong Kong Food Tour: Central and Sheung Wan Districts - Graham Street Market and the Everyday Food Supply
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Hong Kong Food Tour: Central and Sheung Wan Districts

8.Hong Kong Food Tour: Central and Sheung Wan Districts

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 333 reviews · from $107

Follow an English-speaking guide such as Ed, Yammy, or Lilian through Central and Sheung Wan for six tastings, including wonton noodles, roast meat, dim sum, preserved fruit, sugar cane drinks, and egg tarts. The 3.5-hour walk also visits Graham Street Market, Hollywood Road, and a historic temple.

“Great tour, would recommend to anyone interested in Cantonese cuisine. Our guide Ed was very pleasant and knowledgeable. There was a good balance between walking, eating and talking.”

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Beijing: Hidden Gems Guided Food Tour with Beer and Tastings - Meeting at Shichahai and entering the hutongs
Beijing Tours, Drinking Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours

Beijing: Hidden Gems Guided Food Tour with Beer and Tastings

9.Hidden Gems Guided Food Tour with Beer and Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 306 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $75

Walk 2.5km through Beijing’s old hutongs with an English-speaking guide such as Janice, Tony, Winnie, or Haitao. Stop at four local eateries for hotpot, noodles, an endangered Muslim dish, spring pancakes, beer, and other tastings. The 3.5-hour evening tour feels like dinner with a food-loving local.

“This was a great tour! Excellent guide Grisle, very knowledgeable and friendly. We visited four restaurants and learned so much about the culture, both in the restaurants and in the streets round about them. Variety of dishes, authentic and very tasty! Tried a couple of local beers and rice wine too. No negatives.”

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Half-Day Bike Tour of Shanghai Old Town with Food Tasting - Fuxing Park: a look at Shanghai’s daily rhythm
Cycling Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Half-Day, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Half-Day Bike Tour of Shanghai Old Town with Food Tasting

10.Half-Day Bike Tour of Shanghai Old Town with Food Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 306 reviews · from $100

Start at 9:30 a.m. with a safety briefing, coffee, and a vintage bicycle. Your guide leads you through Shanghai Old Town, the Former French Concession, Fuxing Park, Fazang Temple, and local food stops. Guides may include Charlie, Claire, Jeremy, Kat, Rose, or Mr Q.

“Great way to spend a half-day in Shanghai. Our guide Jeremy was very knowledgable and guided us through some less touristy sections for the city. We also stopped for some tasty street food, which was an added bonus. I definitely recommend this tour.”

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Beijing Private Hutong Food Walking Tour - Entering Dongsi Hutong, the old city’s everyday side
Beijing Hutong Tours, Beijing Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Beijing Private Hutong Food Walking Tour

11.Beijing Private Hutong Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 299 reviews · from $82

Spend four hours eating your way through Dongsi Hutong and LongFuSi Jie with a private guide such as Allen, Lucy, Jay, or Miko. Expect 20-plus tastings at markets, bakeries, shops, and local restaurants, plus old courtyard architecture and practical help with Beijing transport.

“This was a great way to try local food items you wouldn’t know to try. Mike was a fun guide who had a clear plan for us. He started by giving us a preview of what we were going to eat and checked our adventure-meter to see if we were ok with the intestines (we said maybe not), so he went with his plan B which was awesome! It was a LOT of food and we didn’t completely finish anything. So def do this on a hungry stomach. We had beers whenever we wanted too. I had thought the hutong alley would be scruffier but it was a nice street.…”

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Late Night Food Tour in the Shanghai's French Concession - People’s Square and the main food haul
Evening Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Late Night Food Tour in the Shanghai’s French Concession

12.Late Night Food Tour in the Shanghai’s French Concession

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 260 reviews · from $89

Meet your local guide at Huangpi Nan Road Metro Station at 8:30 p.m. for a walking food tour through Xintiandi, Zhaozhou Road, and People’s Square. Expect noodles, dumplings, barbecue, sweets, beer, and several neighborhood stops. Guides such as TJ, Jade, Helen, Jamie, and Serena add local context.

“The guide was very friendly. It was clear he put a lot of effort in planning this tour and choosing the restaurants.”

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Hong Kong Street Food Tour with Locals - Dim Sum, Wonton & more - Sheung Wan’s milk tea and postwar comfort food
Food, Food & Drink, Hong Kong Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Hong Kong Street Food Tour with Locals – Dim Sum, Wonton & more

13.Hong Kong Street Food Tour with Locals – Dim Sum, Wonton & more

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 226 reviews · from $52

Follow a local guide through Sheung Wan and Central for dim sum, dried seafood, milk tea, char siu, egg tarts, wonton noodles, herbal tea, pu-erh, and egg waffles. Guides such as Summer, Michael, Alice, Stephen, Wind, and Andy add food lore and Hong Kong history.

“Highly recommend ! Whether if you are a first timer or a local from a different district, between savoury and sweet palates, there is always something for every one.”

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Shanghai: Half-Day Biking and Local Food Tour - Meeting at South Shanxi Road
Cycling Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Half-Day, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Shanghai: Half-Day Biking and Local Food Tour

14.Half-Day Biking and Local Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 170 reviews · 3 hours · from $88

Ride 11 miles through central Shanghai with an English-speaking guide such as Ellen or Alyssa, stopping in the French Concession, Xintiandi, Taikang Road, Old Town, and the Bund. Bikes, helmets, water, entrance fees, photos, and local food are included. The route suits beginners, but you will ride near city traffic.

“A fantastic way to view Shanghai. Although the roads look busy and scary all the drivers and motorcycle riders just give way to each other. Ellen our guide gave us an awesome experience showing us a variety of places to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Shanghai. Shanghai is flat so no big hills to climb and despite 31 degree temperatures it was cooler biking than walking. Would definitely recommend.”

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Small Group Kowloon Michelin Rated Street Food and Culture Tour - Sham Shui Po: local dishes in a working neighborhood
Food, Food & Drink, Hong Kong Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Small Group Kowloon Michelin Rated Street Food and Culture Tour

15.Small Group Kowloon Michelin Rated Street Food and Culture Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 170 reviews · from $115

Meet an English-speaking guide such as Mel, Sinclair, Andy, or Kiyo at Sham Shui Po MTR station for four hours of Cantonese food, markets, history, and daily life. Expect 7 to 9 tastings, two Michelin-recognized stops, MTR travel, and a finish near Yau Ma Tei.

“Mel was a great guide. We enjoyed the different food and drink as well as the history on the areas we visited. Would highly recommend this tour!”

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