Best Food Tours in Florence: Markets, Cooking Classes, Oltrarno and Chianti (2026)

The best food tours in Florence are not one tour but four different formats: a morning market walk, a hands-on cooking class, an evening tasting walk in the Oltrarno, and a wine trip into Chianti. Each one suits a different traveler and a different day of the week. This guide helps you choose the right one, then shows what you will actually eat.

Last updated: September 26, 2026

Florence food experiences at a glance

How we sort these options: by format and by the kind of traveler each one fits, not by ranking individual operators. As a result, you can use the table with any company you find.

How to choose among the best food tours in Florence

Start with three questions. First, which days are you in town? Second, do you want to walk and graze, or cook and sit? Third, how much wine do you want in the plan?

• Weekday morning free? Then a market walk gives you the most variety for your time.
• Only Sunday free? In that case, choose a cooking class or an evening walk, since the traditional market stalls do not trade.
• Traveling with children? A cooking class usually works better, because kids get to make something.
• Second trip to Florence? Also consider Chianti or an Oltrarno evening, which cover ground a first market tour does not.

Market-and-tasting walks: Mercato Centrale and Sant’Ambrogio

Most classic Florence food tours are built around one of two covered markets. The Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo is the big, central one. Its ground floor still holds butchers, cheese stalls and produce stands, while the first floor is a modern food hall with counters and seating. By contrast, Sant’Ambrogio, near Santa Croce, is smaller and more local, with fruit and vegetable sellers outside and food stalls inside.

Timing matters more than most guides admit. According to the city’s official FeelFlorence page for San Lorenzo Market (checked September 2026), the ground-floor stalls of the Mercato Centrale open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 15:00 and Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00, and close on Sundays and holidays. However, the first-floor food hall opens every day from 8:00 to midnight.

Sant’Ambrogio keeps even shorter hours. The official FeelFlorence page for Sant’Ambrogio market lists it as open Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 14:00, closed on Sundays and holidays (checked September 2026). In short, a market tour is a weekday or Saturday morning plan.

A good market walk usually mixes tastings at the stalls with a stop or two in the surrounding streets. For a guided version, see our page on the Florence food tour. For restaurants and trattorias after the tour, our guide on where to eat in Florence covers the sit-down side.

Cooking classes: when a class beats a tour

A cooking class trades walking for depth. Instead of tasting ten small things, you learn to make two or three dishes, then eat them at the table. In Florence, classes typically focus on fresh pasta and a Tuscan sauce, and some add a dessert such as tiramisu or cantucci.

Choose a class if you are on a longer trip and want a break from sightseeing. Similarly, a class is a safe choice for a rainy day or a Sunday, when the markets are closed. Some classes start with a short market visit, so check the details of each listing before you book. See the Florence cooking class page, or compare options across the country in our guide to cooking classes in Italy.

Oltrarno evening walks: wine bars and the other side of the river

The Oltrarno is the neighborhood across the Arno from the Duomo, around Santo Spirito and San Frediano. It is known for artisan workshops by day and small wine bars by night. As a result, evening food walks here lean toward wine, crostini (toasted bread with toppings) and cured meats, often ending with a sit-down dish.

This format fits travelers who have already seen the markets, or who arrive in the afternoon. Also, it is a good way to see a lived-in part of the city after the day-trippers leave. However, if you want a big lunch of street food, a morning market walk is the better match.

Chianti and beyond: extending a food tour into the countryside

Chianti Classico is the wine country between Florence and Siena. According to the Chianti Classico consortium (checked September 2026), the production zone covers the whole municipalities of Castellina, Gaiole, Greve and Radda in Chianti, plus parts of four others. Its symbol is the black rooster, which you will see on the neck of every bottle.

There are three main ways to go. A classic Chianti wine tour from Florence usually visits wineries by van. Meanwhile, an e-bike tour of Chianti from Florence adds exercise and slower views. For something more playful, a Vespa tour of the Tuscan hills puts the scenery first. For more wine regions, see our wine tours in Italy.

What you will eat on a Florence food tour

Whatever format you pick, the same Florentine foods keep appearing, so it helps to know them in advance.

• Lampredotto: the fourth stomach of the cow, slow-cooked and served in a bread roll with green sauce. It is the classic Florentine street food, sold from kiosks and market stalls.
• Schiacciata: Florence’s flat, salty, olive-oil bread, split and filled with cured meats and cheese.
• Cured meats and pecorino: for example, finocchiona (fennel salami), prosciutto toscano and Tuscan sheep’s milk cheese.
• Bistecca alla fiorentina: a thick T-bone steak, grilled rare and sold by weight. Tours rarely include it, so plan a dinner for it.
• Cantucci and vin santo: hard almond biscuits dipped in a sweet dessert wine, the traditional end to a Tuscan meal.
• Chianti Classico: a Sangiovese-based red that pairs with almost everything above.

For the full picture of the region’s dishes, read our guide to Tuscan food.

Booking tips for the best food tours in Florence

• Book the market walk early in your stay. Then you can return on your own to the stalls you liked.
• Skip breakfast, or keep it small. Most tastings add up to a full meal.
• Flag dietary needs before booking. Florentine food is heavy on meat, offal and gluten, so vegetarians should ask in advance.
• Check the meeting point. In particular, Oltrarno walks start across the river, which can be a longer walk from your hotel than you expect.
• Pair it with sightseeing. For example, a morning market walk combines well with an afternoon at the Uffizi or the Duomo.

In short, the best food tours in Florence work best around your sightseeing, not instead of it. For the sightseeing side, see our best tours in Florence for a first visit and the Florence travel guide. In addition, our food tours in Italy hub compares food experiences in other cities.

Prefer to cook rather than taste? Our guide to cooking classes in Florence compares pasta, Tuscan classics and farmhouse classes.

Coming for the day? Our guide to the Rome to Florence train explains whether a day trip works and which trains to pick.

Best food tours in Florence: frequently asked questions

What is the best food tour in Florence for a first visit?

A morning market-and-tasting walk around the Mercato Centrale or Sant’Ambrogio, on a weekday or Saturday. It covers the most typical Florentine foods in one go.

Can I do a food tour in Florence on a Sunday?

Yes, but choose a cooking class or an evening walk. The ground-floor stalls of the Mercato Centrale and the Sant’Ambrogio market close on Sundays and holidays, while the Mercato Centrale first-floor food hall stays open.

What is lampredotto?

It is the fourth stomach of the cow, slow-cooked and served in a bread roll, often with green sauce. It is Florence’s signature street food.

Is a cooking class or a food tour better in Florence?

A food tour shows you more of the city and more dishes; a cooking class teaches you two or three recipes in depth. Many travelers do the tour first and the class later in the trip.

Can I combine a Florence food tour with Chianti?

Yes. Many visitors do a market walk in the city on one day and a Chianti wine, e-bike or Vespa tour on another.