Genoa is the home of pesto and of Genoese focaccia, and its narrow old town is best eaten on foot. On Viator, two food tours stand out, both rated 4.9. One is a three-and-a-half-hour walk that adds up to a full meal, for about $57. The other is a two-hour tasting of five Genoese dishes with two Ligurian wines, which adapts to vegetarian and vegan diets, for about $68. Below, we compare two ways to book a Genoa food tour, side by side.
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The verdict
The full-meal walk has the most reviews of the Genoa food tours we compared on Viator: 4.9 across 565 reviews. It includes food that adds up to a meal, water, wine and an English-speaking local guide, for 12 people at most, and its stops include Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza De Ferrari. Reviewers list seafood, focaccia, pesto lasagna, minestrone and gelato.
The two-hour tasting includes five typical dishes, focaccia, farinata, pesto, panera and fried fish, and two Ligurian wines, with a guide who explains the history of the city between stops. The menu adapts to your preferences, and the listing states it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is rated 4.9 across 272 reviews.
Our pick for most travelers is the full-meal walk: it is the longer tour, the more reviewed and, at its standing price of about $57, the cheaper. Take the two-hour tasting if you have less time, need a vegetarian or vegan menu, or need wheelchair access.
The full-meal walk’s lower reviews are about quantity: in March 2026 two reviewers wrote that the amount of food was smaller than they expected. Most reviewers describe plenty. The full-meal walk also cannot take guests with severe or life-threatening food allergies, and the guide may speak both English and Italian.
Which one is for you?
Take the full-meal walk if
- You want a food tour that stands in for lunch or dinner.
- You want the lower standing price: about $57.
- You want three and a half hours through the old town.
- You want a group of 12 at most.
- You have no severe food allergies.
Take the two-hour tasting if
- You have two hours, not three and a half.
- You are vegetarian or vegan: the menu adapts.
- You need wheelchair access: the listing states it is accessible.
- You want the Genoese classics named on the menu, with two Ligurian wines.
- You want a guide in English, Spanish or Italian.
What each price covers
The full-meal walk, from about $57
Included: food that adds up to a meal, water, alcoholic drinks and an English-speaking local guide. The stops listed include the church of San Pietro in Banchi, Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza De Ferrari.
Not included: gratuities. The group is capped at 12. The listing asks for a moderate level of fitness, notes that the guide may speak both English and Italian, and does not accept guests with severe or life-threatening food allergies. It is not wheelchair accessible. On the date we checked, a temporary offer brought the price to about $51.
The two-hour tasting, from about $68
Included: two hours of food and wine tasting with a local guide; five typical Genoese dishes, focaccia, farinata, pesto, panera and fried fish; two Ligurian wines; and a menu adapted to your preferences, with vegan and vegetarian options.
Not included: hotel pickup. The group is capped at 15. The listing describes it as family and pet friendly, and the provider contacts you after booking about any dietary requirement.
Where each one starts
- Full-meal walk: in front of the Neptune galleon at the Porto Antico.
- Two-hour tasting: in front of the house of Christopher Columbus on Vico Dritto di Ponticello; the guide carries a small red flag.
- The two-hour tasting is wheelchair accessible; the full-meal walk is not.
- Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, local time.
Side by side
| Full-meal walk | Two-hour tasting | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.9 from 565 | 4.9 from 272 |
| Recommended by | 96% of travelers | 98% of travelers |
| Price | from about $57 | from about $68 |
| Length | 3 hours 30 minutes | 2 hours |
| Group cap | 12 | 15 |
| Food | Enough for a meal | Five named dishes |
| Wine | Included | Two Ligurian wines |
| Vegan or vegetarian | Not listed | Yes |
| Wheelchair | Not accessible | Accessible |
| Starts | Porto Antico | Columbus’s house |
What travelers say
On the full-meal walk
We had seafood, foccacia, pesto lasagna, minestrone soup and delicious gelato.
Kathy_O, May 2026, via Viator
We were really disappointed in the amount of food we were able to taste.
Susan_T, March 2026, via Viator
On the two-hour tasting
Perfect for a few hours in Genoa
Julie_B, May 2026, via Viator
He was able to accommodate our non-dairy dietary intolerance at each stop
Joshua_E, May 2026, via Viator
Both tours are rated 4.9, and the difference in the reviews is the one in the listings: the full-meal walk is a longer outing where some people wanted more on the plate, while the two-hour tasting is shorter and praised for fitting around diets.
How either fits a trip
Start with our guide to Genoa, then continue along the coast with the Italian Riviera. For the villages farther east, compare the Cinque Terre day trips. For more food tours, see the Bologna food tours. On a cruise stop in Genoa, compare our Genoa shore excursions.
Questions travelers ask
Which Genoa food tour should I book?
For most travelers, the three-and-a-half-hour full-meal walk, about $57 at its standing price. For two hours, a vegetarian or vegan menu or wheelchair access, the two-hour tasting, about $68.
What do you eat on a Genoa food tour?
The two-hour tasting lists focaccia, farinata, pesto, panera and fried fish with two Ligurian wines. On the full-meal walk, reviewers mention seafood, focaccia, pesto lasagna, minestrone and gelato.
Is there a vegetarian or vegan Genoa food tour?
The two-hour tasting adapts its menu and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, per its listing.
Is wine included?
Yes, on both. The two-hour tasting includes two Ligurian wines; the full-meal walk includes alcoholic drinks.
Where do Genoa food tours start?
The full-meal walk starts at the Neptune galleon in the Porto Antico; the two-hour tasting starts in front of Columbus’s house on Vico Dritto di Ponticello.
Can I cancel a Genoa food tour?
Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, local time.
Book the full-meal walk to let the tour be your lunch or dinner; book the two-hour tasting if you want the classics quickly or need the menu adapted. Either way, go hungry.
Editorial assessment by Italy2Love, September 2026. Inclusions, dishes and wines, group caps, dietary and allergy conditions, meeting points, accessibility, standing and temporary prices, ratings, review counts and cancellation terms read on both Viator product pages (product codes 51159P1 and 5516192P1), September 2026. Reviews quoted with attribution to their authors and to Viator. The discount on the full-meal walk was a temporary offer. Next review March 2027, or sooner on any change to either menu.