Greece offers a captivating blend of ancient history, stunning islands, and Mediterranean culture. From the iconic Acropolis in Athens to the whitewashed villages of Santorini, this sun-soaked destination combines archaeological wonders with pristine beaches and world-class cuisine.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Greece through its food.
Athens Street Food & Market Tour
Walk through the Central Meat and Fish Market (Varvakios), the surrounding spice shops, and the Monastiraki and Psyrri neighbourhoods sampling souvlaki, bougatsa, loukoumades, and local cheeses. Led by local food guides who know the vendors personally.
Thessaloniki Street Food Crawl
Explore Greece's food capital on foot, sampling bougatsa (custard pie) at Bantis, trigona (honey cream pastries), koulouri (sesame bread rings), and the city's famous soutzouki (spiced sausage) across five neighbourhood stops. Thessaloniki is widely considered to have the best street food in Greece.
Santorini Wine and Food Sea Experience
Sail around the Santorini caldera on a private boat with onboard wine tasting featuring indigenous Assyrtiko and Nykteri wines paired with local fava bean dip, Santorini cherry tomatoes, and fresh seafood mezze.
Crete Farm-to-Table Experience
Visit an organic Cretan farm near Heraklion to harvest seasonal produce, learn about extra-virgin olive oil production, and participate in a cooking session preparing traditional Cretan dishes before a long family-style lunch.
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Greece's food scene.
Street food tours
Street food walking tours focus on souvlaki, gyros, loukoumades, koulouri, and market snacks in Athens, Thessaloniki, and island towns. Typically 2.5-3.5 hours and €35-55 per person.
Market tours
Guided market tours of Varvakios (Athens) and Modiano (Thessaloniki) include interaction with vendors, tasting produce, and insights into Greek culinary shopping habits. Often combined with cooking classes.
Restaurant tours
Multi-restaurant tasting tours visit 3-4 restaurants per evening, sampling mezze, wine, and regional specialties in a progressive dinner format. Popular in Athens' Psyrri and Monastiraki areas.
Specialty tours
Wine tours in Santorini, Nemea, and Naoussa wine regions; cheese and honey tours in Epirus and Crete; olive oil tastings in the Peloponnese and Crete; ouzo distillery tours in Lesbos.
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Greece home with you.
Athens Cooking Class with Market Visit
Begin at the Central Market choosing ingredients with the chef before returning to a kitchen near Monastiraki to prepare 4-5 Greek dishes including moussaka, spanakopita, and tzatziki, finishing with a sit-down meal.
Cretan Cuisine Cooking Experience
Learn Cretan-specific dishes in a traditional farmhouse kitchen near Chania, focusing on dakos (barley rusk salad), snails with rosemary, lamb with stamnagathi (wild greens), and loukoumades with local thyme honey.
Santorini Cooking Class with Caldera Views
Cook on a Fira terrace with views of the caldera, preparing dishes featuring Santorini's unique ingredients: cherry tomato bruschetta, fava puree, white aubergine, and fresh fish grilled with Assyrtiko wine sauce.
Greek Pastry Class in Athens
Master the art of Greek pastry-making from scratch: handmade filo dough for tiropita, syrup-soaked revani cake, and fresh loukoumades with honey and walnuts in a convivial kitchen in the Koukaki neighbourhood.
DIY self-guided food tour
Athens' central neighbourhoods offer an excellent self-guided food exploration, easily navigable on foot. Allow a full morning or late afternoon for the best experience.
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Stop 1: Varvakios Central Market (Athinas 42) - browse the meat and fish halls, then buy olives and cheese from the surrounding shops (7am-2pm Mon-Sat)
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Stop 2: Brettos Distillery, Plaka (Kydathineon 41) - Greece's oldest distillery (1909) for ouzo tasting and herb liqueur sampling
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Stop 3: Ariston Bakery (Voulis 10) - legendary Athens bakery for cheese and spinach pies baked in the original 1910 oven
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Stop 4: O Thanasis souvlaki (Mitropoleos 69, Monastiraki) - classic charcoal-grilled souvlaki since 1947
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Stop 5: Dipotto wine bar (Theatrou Square, Monastiraki) - underground barrel wine bar serving local wine by the carafe with mezze
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Stop 6: Psyrri neighbourhood - artisan cheese shops, charcuterie, and craft beer bars in the emerging food district behind Monastiraki
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Greeks eat late: lunch 2-4pm, dinner 9-11pm - restaurants that open at 7pm are tourist-oriented, the best locals arrive from 9pm
Order mezze (small plates) to share rather than individual mains - this is how Greeks eat and gives you far more variety
Thessaloniki is widely regarded as having the best street food and pastry culture in Greece, superior to Athens for everyday eating
Look for the word 'psistaria' (grill house) for the best souvlaki and grilled meats, and 'ouzeri' or 'tsipouradiko' for authentic mezze culture
Fresh fish is priced by weight in Greece - always confirm the price before ordering as a 'plate of fish' can unexpectedly cost €40-80
Cretan cuisine is considered Greece's healthiest and most distinctive regional food - seek out dakos, wild greens, and local olive oil when in Crete
The humble souvlaki wrap (gyros pita) is a complete meal for under €3 - the quality benchmark for any Greek town
Greek coffee culture: frappe (iced Nescafe), freddo espresso, and Greek coffee (boiled in cezve) are the three local standards - ask for 'metrios' (medium sugar)
In restaurants, 'mageirefta' (oven-cooked dishes like moussaka and gemista) are ready from noon and often finished by 3pm - arrive early for the best selection
Ouzo should be sipped slowly with mezze, never drunk neat - dilute with water until it turns milky white, which is traditional