Gold Coast & Old Town Food Tasting & Cultural Tour

As I was only in Chicago for the weekwnd and it was my first visit to Chicago, I wanted to get a good feel for the city. I spent the Saturday at Millenium Park, the Art Institute and shopping on State Street (only window shopping on Michigan Avenue!). For th Sunday I wanted to do a tour but something that would get me into the heart of Chicago rather than just 'sights'. This tour just fit the bill. Many thanks.

I would highly recommend this walking tour. Each place was extremely organized and our tour guide was charming and informative. It was fun to explore the three neighborhoods on foot and learn a bit of their history and architecture. My group wanted to go back and shop so we walked the route again in reverse. This all made for tired feet and full stomachs! You need to organize similar tours in other ethnic areas of the city!

We loved the food tour. Our guide was so knowledgable not only about the food shops we visited but also about the area and the historical facts. It was a great time and well worth the time and money.

My adult daughter and I went to Chicago to visit my son who recently moved there. The three of us took the tour and I have to say, we ALL enjoyed it. The guide not only took us to the specified stops, but discussed changes in the history of Chicago and explained much of the architecture on the route. SO much better than a bus tour!

Our tour guide was very well-informed. He seemed very enthusiastic about his material, which made him fun to listen to. The 6:00 tour is great-- the sunset is beautiful!

2 of us were tourists visiting family, and 2 of us were locals that had never done this tour. We all enjoyed it! Our tour leader was fun and knowledgable about the food AND the area. We backtraded and revisited several of the stores to make purchases and the 2 locals are planning on going back in the future. Thanks for supplying, brochures and magazines with websites furnished so that I can purchase from North Carolina! Looking forward to my trip next year and going on the new tour you're planning.

I had a great time. Traveled with my parents who were in from out of town. It was a great way for them to see the city outside of just downtown and I learned a lot about Old Town (which I rarely ever see). We actually went back to Old Town for dinner that night and walked around the area. Loved the Spice House and the Oil & Vinegar shops. I think that the Chocolate and Catering place was not as cool. I love cheese but the shop itself was not as impressive. If you ever have a tour in Lakeview, Pastoral would be an awesome stop! Overall, it was a great afternoon! I'm looking forward to the Wicker Park/Bucktown tour in September.

My two grown daughters and I decided to do this on our first get away weekend together. It was fabulous. We had an enthusiastic, knowledgeable young tour guide who made this experience very enjoyable. We particularly enjoyed learning about the spices, teas and oils. However, since we needed to go back to these places to make purchases, the three hour tour (which actually lasted longer anyway) turned into an almost all day affair. We put on many miles walking back to these places and then back to the starting place. It was very worthwhile though, and I would recommend it to any adults. The pizza and the toffee WERE the best I have ever eaten.

great info and stores--guide was perfect

My husband and I, and our 22 and 14 year old sons totally enjoyed the tour. We went back to a few of the places on the last day of our trip to Chicago to bring home some Spices, Vinegar, To Die For Chocolates, and had lunch at the Bacino's Restaurant where the tour gave us a hearty sample of their stuffed crust pizza. Our tour guide Nikki was delightful. Very knowledgable and enthusiastic. She told us about specific buildings and architecture as well as brought all the food stops to life. Be very careful walking around with your eyes to the sky though as the Chicago sidewalks are very uneven and in disrepair. I took quite a tumble due to a pretty pronounced hole in the sidewalk just before the Chocolate and Catering stop. Even with the tumble, I loved the tour.