Culinary Kickstart Tour: Florence in Florence - AdobeStock_297014164.jpg
4.9

Culinary Kickstart Tour: Florence

  • 2.5 hours
  • Food Tours
  • Florence
User image
User image

Choose one of 9 locals available

Experience hosted by Ana, Giuly & other locals

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

The way to a city's heart it's through its food! And on this private food tour, you'll get to know Florence through its cuisine and the tastings favorite of the locals. A local food expert is ready to give you a taste of the real Florence satisfying your cravings for local food and city highlights.

Destination
Florence, Italy
Category
Food Tours
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Italiano, Türkçe, Español, Deutsch, Русский, Français
Included
  • Private Guide
  • 6 Food & Drink Tastings
  • Vegetarian Options Available
  • All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
  • Entrance to attractions

6 reasons to book this tour

  • Kickstart your stay through the city's food scene
  • Try classic tastings typical of the local culture
  • Enjoy coccolo ripieno & Schiacciata alla Fiorentina
  • Get to know the best food local hotspots in Florence
  • Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
  • Avoid tourist food traps during the rest of your stay

What you can expect

Culinary Kickstart Tour: Florence in Florence - AdobeStock_297014164.jpg

With so much Italian food to choose from, where to begin?! Get a taste of the culinary scene of Florence on a private tour that will open your appetite to the best food and drinks the city has to offer.

Kickstart your flavorful journey in Florence with the help of a local foodie that will introduce you to typical and classic tastings beloved by the locals. Try from coccolo ripieno to schiacciata alla Fiorentina and more to get an idea of what to eat for the rest of your stay. The best way to start your Florence trip, with tasty food and a local connection!

But that's not it! On this private tour, food and city highlights are all part of the menu. Between at least 3 food stops, your host will show you Piazza della Signoria, Basilica of Santa Croce, and other remarkable spots in the area, making it the perfect Florence overview. After this private food, you're set to continue enjoying Florence like a local, with food and city recommendations.

The local hosts are natural storytellers, each with a different background ranging from local cuisine to city lifestyle. They can't wait to share some of their unique stories and personal anecdotes with you! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Florence, your Florence!

If you have dietary restrictions or requirements, please ensure to contact the host prior to booking to receive a personalized offer.

Choose your local

Get to know these 9 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

  1. Meeting point

    Meet at By the Fountain of Neptune - Florence to start your journey

  2. Itinerary

    This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

  3. Food Introduction

    This culinary kickstart tour is short and sweet! A perfect way to get acquainted with the local cuisine, its best tastings, and where to find them - all with the help of a local food expert
  4. Locals’ Favorites

    Kickstart your time in Florence by discovering the local cuisine. Try some of the ultimate locals’ favorite food treats like schiacciata alla Fiorentina and coccolo ripieno picked by your local host and hear why the locals love them so much!
  5. City Highlights

    This tour is more than just food; it’s a cultural experience! In between food stops, discover city highlights for a well-rounded experience that will satisfy your appetite for Florence. Check out Piazza della Signoria, Basilica of Santa Croce and more city highlights along the way
  6. Food Recommendations

    With this private food tour, you’ll be set to keep enjoying the most authentic food and drinks in Florence. Your food expert host knows where to go and what to order and will give you recommendations based on your likings and dietary preferences
  7. Special Diet or Allergies?

    If you follow a special diet or have an allergy to a specific food, let your host know! They’ll make sure to consider that so you can have an enjoyable and safe experience
  8. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

  • Feel confident booking

    Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

  • Change of plans?

    Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

  • Loved by travelers worldwide

    Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

User image
Rachel🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 June 2025
Ana was a great guide. Very knowledgeable about sites and locations around Florence. We enjoyed tastings at three locations. It was extremely hot the day of our tour, but Ana kept things lively and fun. Enjoyable Florence Tour
User image
Gina
(About local )
12 June 2025
My husband, myself and our two teenagers did a lunchtime food tour with Mara around the heart of Florence yesterday. When we finished, our kids proclaimed it to be “one of the best parts” of our 8-day Italy trip this far. Mara has great energy, is SUPER knowledgeable about Florence, is fun and interesting and easy to talk to. She took us to four spots and we cleaned our plates at each stop. Grazie, Mara!Fabulous lunch around Florence
User image
Jim🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 May 2025
Mara was fantastic. We booked our tour with her only 24 hours before it started. When we met her, we sat down, with a glass of wine of course, and she quickly devised a food, wine, history tour. She took us to real local places with wonderful food and people. Along the way she showed us interesting things that most tourists will never see. Visiting a wine window (and having her explain why they exist) and the finish at an awesome gelato shop wrapped up a fantastic overview of Florence. Florence Food and Fun!
User image
Gayla
(About local )
6 May 2025
We really enjoyed the Kickstart Food Tour with Mara. She was very enthusiastic about Florence and definite foodie. All the places she took us were delicious and she gave us many recommendations for our stay in Florence. Great intro to Florence!
User image
Holly🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 April 2025
Do not miss this tasting tour with Maria! My husband and I had such an incredible time and tasted the most amazing foods. Maria is such a warm, beautiful, and friendly person and her love for Florence and it’s food shines through in every step of the tour. We visited an authentic sandwich shop, had delicious espresso and gelato, and tasted other local specialties. We even visited a beautiful local market and sampled some of the freshest most gorgeous produce I have ever seen, with a side of Prosecco of course! Maria‘s tour extended beyond food as she enthusiastically showed us other gems of the city she loves so much. She really made our day so fun and memorable. Definitely sign up to taste Florence with Maria! Maria made the day!!!
User image
Claire
(About local )
16 November 2024
We spent 2 hrs with Georgio on a taster tour. Food, company and knowledge were brilliant. Would recommend.Fantastic morning with Giorgio
User image
Stefanie🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
9 November 2024
We had a really nice time wirh Giorgio, we enjoyed the food and the stories over the Italian culture. Lovely afternoon in Florence
User image
Kevin🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 October 2024
Antonella is extremely knowledgable about the area and incredibly accommodating! My wife, unfortunately broke her foot while on vacation a few days before our With Locals appointment. Antonella made us a custom tour and scoped our the area ahead of time to make sure it was wheelchair friendly. She took us to all the hot spots and made us feel like one of the locals.Amazing!
User image
Sara🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 October 2024
Maria was an excellent guide for our first time in Florence. While on our food tasting tour, she was able to sprinkle in a lot of the city's history. All tastings were excellent and we covered a lot of territory - she never rushed us. I found her very knowledgable and her presence was comforting. We look forward to using her again next time we are in the city.Excellent, inspiring and lovely guide
User image
Dianne🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
9 September 2024
We really enjoyed our time with Giorgio. He was charming and really chilled. When we met he asked us about our likes and dislikes and ensured our tour fit us perfectly. We loved the food and drink but were also delighted with the insights into this beautiful city. Thank you Giorgio. We really appreciated your time, knowledge and humour. Relaxed, informative and light hearted.
User image
Ricardo
(About local )
24 August 2024
The tour was NOT well prepared and Giorgio appears to be in a rush. Bad experience. Bad tour. I dont recommend itWaste of money
User image
Lydia🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
23 August 2024
Antonella was absolutely incredible! The tour was both informative and delicious, and we felt we really got to know Florence. Antonella was even kind enough to give us suggestions for what to do with the rest of our trip, and we ended up loving all of them! Incredible!
User image
kfrdpmzwmz🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
23 July 2024
My girlfriend and I had a wonderful food tour with Maria. We did not only eat classical italien dishes but Maria also extended the food one can eat to food for the mind. She told us many historic facts as we wandered through Florence. All in all, I have never been disappointed by Withlocals. So, if you should visit Florence, Maria is a guide who can guarantee a good time :)A truly authentic experience !!
User image
Sussy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
28 April 2024
Giorgio was wonderful. So knowledgeable and let us take our time. Food was delicious and things I had not tried before. Strongly recommend!!Great local food tour!
User image
Mackenzie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
9 September 2023
Tommaso planned the perfect afternoon where we learned about the history of Florence, its culinary origins, and had fantastic food and drinks throughout it the afternoon. It was an excellent way to cap off our stay in Florence!More than just excellent food!
User image
Roxanne🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
28 June 2025
Well informed. Courteous. Enjoyable companion. Funny. Exceptionally well-versed on local culture and history. Fun to be with! Wow. Excellent. Recommend and repeat!
User image
Lauren🇮🇹 Italy
(About local )
27 June 2025
Michele was our favorite guide in two weeks this summer. He was very engaging and got our teen interested. Definitely try to schedule with him!!!Michele was our favorite guide!!
User image
andreas🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
27 June 2025
Mrs. Giuly was absolutely fantastic and our tour with her magical. She was incredibly informed and passionate about what she was doing. Her tour wasn’t just about dates and facts; it came from her heart and her interest was infectious. We were so pleased and incredibly lucky to have her as our guide. Thank you dear Giuly!!!
User image
Alexandra🇷🇴 Romania
(About local )
19 June 2025
We had a lovely tour of Florence with Elisabetta! From the very beginning, she made us feel welcome and comfortable. Her explanations were engaging and insightful, and we truly appreciated the interesting conversations we had along the way. She was absolutely wonderful with our 12-year-old — patient, kind, and creative in making the tour interactive and fun for him as well. It really made the experience special for our whole family. Thank you, Elisabetta, for your time and for showing us the beauty of Florence in such a personal and meaningful way!Great tour, wonderful experience
User image
Ian, Isobel and Eleanor
(About local )
19 June 2025
We had a great experience walking with Ana. We were three adults newly arrived in Florence. We had booked the tour from home. Communications with Ana before meeting were excellent, both in greeting and for arrangements to meet on the day. We met at a café/bar on the Duomo piazza. Ana was charming and most welcoming. After introductions we had coffee and learnt from Ana some of the customs around bars and coffee, most helpful for the rest of the week (we have toured in Italy before but it turned out that there was much we did not know!). Ana then took us walking, mentioning, explaining, informing and advising as we went, collecting useful recommendations on where we might eat during the week. We visited some points off the tourist trails with interesting stories. Ana was thoroughly engaging. We had stops for coffee and wine. A particular memory will be cheese and cold meat tasting at a delightful small, old-established delicatessen, finishing at a favourite gelateria. Quite deliberately we took our tour on the first evening of our visit to Florence and appreciated the suggestions and advice for further visits during the week of our stay. Ana was thoroughly good company. We came away delighted with the experience. We will be very happy to use ‘With Locals’ again on future city holidays. Thank you Ana!
User image
Tony
(About local )
13 June 2025
We had a wonderful time with Maria! The tour had some great foods and Maria was very informative and engaging. We would strongly recommend her for a tour!Great Tour!!!
User image
Jessica🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
13 June 2025
Mara was so fun and engaging and shared a fun afternoon with us and our children. She accommodated everyone’s tastes and shared stories of the city and food with us. So much fun and such great food and wine! Mara’s tour is a must do!
User image
Meghan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
13 June 2025
This was a wonderful day for us. My daughter said probably her favorite ever we had a lot of tasting is very local wonderful places with Mara who showed us a side of Lawrence. We absolutely adore. She’s a wonderful guy and I highly recommend her and his tour it was a great day!Tastings and walking of Florence
User image
Steven
(About local )
12 June 2025
We had a wonderful time with Elizabetta exploring parts of Florence and eating wonderful food. It was more than the food though. She was a great companion and shared her knowledge of the city and its history. Would highly recommend this. Good Food and Great Guide
User image
Steven
(About local )
12 June 2025
Hiring Michele was one of the best decisions we made on our trip to Italy. He was great and we got so much more out of our visit to the Uffizi than we would have on our own or in a large tour group. He was so knowledgeable and just a great companion to spend a few hours with talking about Italian art. Well worth it. Great Experience
User image
Debs🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
11 June 2025
Elisabetta was engaging and good company as well as informed. It was everything we hoped for and would definitely recomend taking the interesting tour exploring areas you might not otherwise visit. Debs and Mona. Superb
User image
Temple🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
10 June 2025
Mara was kind, patient, fun, smart, hilarious and knew her stuff. Mara’s tour was comprehensive but never boring. We had just arrived in Florence and she arranged a tasting w/ a tray of delicious meats and a glass of wine - in a beautiful intimate cafe. My students and I especially loved our stop at the movie-theater bookstore and nearby art exhibit. We ended our tour at a wine window (wish I could attach pictures). Then we stood and sipped while she personally interacted with each of my students. Perfect in every way.Mara’s the guide you want!
User image
Emilio
(About local )
9 June 2025
From the moment we met Maria, it was clear we were in for something special. Warm, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable, Maria brought the city of Florence to life in a way that only a true local could. Her passion for Florentine history, culture, and—most importantly—its food was contagious. Every stop on the tasting tour was a carefully chosen gem. Maria introduced us not just to incredible flavors, but to the stories and people behind them. We sampled the most delicious prosciutto, artisan cheeses, wine windows, and of course, gelato that we’re still dreaming about! What made the experience even more exceptional was Maria’s ability to tailor the tour to our interests while sharing insights and anecdotes that made us feel connected to the soul of the city. She was attentive, funny, and had a way of making everyone feel like an old friend. This was so much more than a food tour—it was a cultural journey, and Maria was the perfect guide. If you’re coming to Florence and want an authentic and delicious way to experience the city, do not miss the chance to tour with Maria. She is truly a gem! Grazie mille, Maria—we’ll be talking about this day for years to come! Maria = the best!
User image
Ilona
(About local )
9 June 2025
Really enjoyed the tour. Got a lott of information and good tips for the rest of our stay. Great!
User image
Emily🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
9 June 2025
Mara was the sweetest guide for our 90 minute Kickstarter tour. She met and exceeded all of our expectations. We asked for and received an engaging mix of touring, history, art and foodie recommendations. Mara tailored our tour to our family needs and had multiple helpful answers to our many questions. She really set us up for our next days here in Florence. Grazie Mara' Amazing, Kind & Informative
User image
Robyn🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
8 June 2025
This was the perfect way to start our trip to Florence! We got an overview of the city, a great feel of the culture, and overall lay of the land. Our guide, Mara was simply amazing! She checked in with us before the tour to get a feel of what we liked and was accommodating throughout the tour. She explained what we were going to try, and made suggestions and recommendations for substitutions for those who had a more delicate pallet. Mara made sure we tried everything we wanted, and we even later revisited some of the locations during our trip. She was easy to talk to and in the end, we felt we had a new friend in Florence. Highly recommended you book with Mara!Simply amazing!
User image
maurice🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
8 June 2025
Maria was very easy to communicate with. She is a very enthusiastic person, using the authentic places as part of the food tour. We had so much fun during this 3 hrs. I recommend it to everyone who is planning to visit Florence. We made the mistake of staying only one afternoon in Florence. Stay at least 2-3 full days, there is so much to see and taste.Knowledgeable and empathic human being.
User image
Vidhya🇸🇬 Singapore
(About local )
5 June 2025
We did a tour with Eduardo as our intro to Florence . He was very communicative , friendly and accomodating from the start . He spoke very well and was clearly knowledgeable about all the history and interesting stories of Florence . We were entertained by his stories, we all learnt a great deal and he gave us great tips on things to see and do for the rest of our time there as well. I will definitely recommend Eduardo for anyone looking for a personalised walking tour in Florence ! Great tour with a knowledgeable guide
User image
Seth
(About local )
4 June 2025
Giuly was wonderful! We asked her to put together a personal tour of the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens for my nephew and myself and Guily delivered. She was thorough and yet provided space to allow our experience of what she was showing us. We found this to be a nice balance of information and experience. Not only that but she connected our experience with other historical landmarks in relation to the Palace and Gardens that were in different parts of Florence. This gave us a larger perspective of understanding the time in which we were peering into. Guily herself was delighful, light hearted, and attuned to our experience and pacing. She was helpful with other recommendations about what to do in the city from resturants to piazzas. My 18 uear old nephew even commented that it was one of his favorite tours because it was so easliy informative but digestable. Thank you again Giuly we had a lovely time with you and appreciated so much your expertise and sharing! SethExceptional tour
User image
Randy
(About local )
1 June 2025
We had an enjoyable time exploring Florence with Guily. It was a combination of a food and city tour. The tour was informative and interesting. Enjoyable tour
User image
Benjamin
(About local )
30 May 2025
I booked a food tour with this company because they offer private tours. We decided to go with Maria based on past reviews and her interests. Maria took us to her favourite places around Florence...to shop, eat, market, etc. Each place we visited felt very unique and would not have been able to experience by oneself. The food and drinks consumed were great (the best macchiatto I've tasted) and plentiful. Maria was very warm and engaging and provided a personal touch to the tour. She was very helpful and gave many recommendations, even after the tour finished. I highly recommend her. There was a lot of walking on the tour but necessary to experience the wonders of Florence. The tour would have been even better if we could have expressed our interests in what to taste, but it is tailored depending on the guide. Our group had specific dietary requirements and this was advised at the last minute. Maria was able to accommodate this with no issues. She was fantastic in looking after us. Thank you for a wonderful experience! Wonderful food tour around Florence
User image
Peter🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
30 May 2025
Giorgio is a great guide. The tour was very good, in Italian perfecto? Nice places to drink and eat and a great conversation. Highly recommended.A great and delicious experience
User image
k6rtts2yrn🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
30 May 2025
Eduardo connaît tout de la ville et a un grand plaisir à partager ses connaissances. Il s’est adapté à nos demandes et nous a permis de comprendre la cité, son histoire et ses artistes dans un tour du centre ville de 3h. Très sympathique, il nous a donné plein de trucs et de plans pour la suite de notre séjour!
User image
John🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
30 May 2025
We had a fantastic day walking around Florence with Maria. Maria was friendly and informative and showed us some really unique spots along the way. From a family run wine on tap establishment to a 500 year old wine cellar and some other shared stories along the way, Maria immersed us in the local culture of the area while avoiding the busy tourist spots. We truly enjoyed peaking behind the curtains of the daily life of Florentines that is difficult to see amongst the sea of people visiting from all over the world while enjoying delicious wine and an outstanding meat and cheese board to cap it all off. Maria was flexible with our family when there was a sudden urge from our teenagers to eat paninis and gelato which is exactly what we were looking for. We will definitely utilize with locals again in the future and hope to be able to come back to Florence and enjoy a glass of wine with Maria when she is off the clock. So Local!
User image
Mark🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
29 May 2025
Giorgio took us on a great food and local knowledge tour of Florence. We started with a very informative stroll through the farmers market. Next, we walked through the streets as he explained some of the historic buildings and the stories behind them. Along the way, we stopped at several places and sampled food and beverage that the locals enjoy. It didn’t seem like we had enough time. I would love to do it again and spend a couple more hours with Giorgio as our guide. Food plus tour
User image
Veronica
(About local )
29 May 2025
Guily was knowledgeable, engaging and educational. She provided just enough content and kept us going through the major art exhibits.Fabulous Introduction to the Ufizy Gallery
User image
Natty
(About local )
28 May 2025
Our group of 4 felt privileged to have such exclusive access to local food and just to spend time with Elisabetta- a lovely person passionate about her city. Her English was excellent and she was real and down to earth. It was a nice chance for us to ask her questions about real day-to-day life in Florence. Would absolutely recommend!A chance to hang with & eat like a local
User image
Nancy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
28 May 2025
Eduardo, was excellent from the moment we booked on line. Always responded to texts right away, answered questions, guided us through the process of booking tickets. We met at the perfect time of the day, entered the Uffizi, and were swept up in his in-depth narrative of the history and art we witnessed. We loved our tour, and Eduardo’s perspective. We wished we booked him for all of the museums.Perfecto
User image
Madalina
(About local )
26 May 2025
Eduardo was a wonderful guide! thank youGreat Uffizi Tour
User image
Roger
(About local )
22 May 2025
He was an articulate and interesting host who showed us the underrated tombs of the Medici and chapel. We highly recommend him!Eduardo was excellent!
User image
Meredith🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 May 2025
Mara was wonderful. She took us to some hole in the wall locations with fantastic food and friendly locals. She educated us on what is authentic and fake and how to find the best options for local flavors. She was also extremely considerate to our slow moving group. Friendly and knowledgeable guide
User image
Howard🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
21 May 2025
I am so grateful that I had a tour with Ana today in Florence. Not only is she able to clearly explain the real treasures and history of Florence, she is obviously very passionate about this amazing city, it's history and culinary delights. The unexpected bonus was that I really enjoyed our conversations about life from someone living here and will remember it forever - I feel that I will definitely be back to Florence 🙏Tour With Ana - A True Gem of Florence
User image
Rachel🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 May 2025
Ana was a great tour guide! We got to learn so many things about Florence along with trying some great wine and food!! Great tour
User image
David
(About local )
16 May 2025
Our guide Michele earn his pay within the first 30 minutes showing and telling us all different kinds of extremely interesting things about Florence's history, architecture, art , and culture. Money well spent.Michele was great!
User image
Gareth
(About local )
12 May 2025
Eduardo obviously had a genuine passion for the Mediccis and brought them to life with his enthusiasm. A thoroughly enjoyable tour.Engaging and Informative

Withlocals experiences
are always

Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.

Other Food tours in Florence

€68.02per person