Ghent Food & Drink Tasting Tour: Local Specialties with Guide

Taste your way through Ghent's medieval streets and centuries of flavor

A 2.5-hour walking food tour through Ghent led by a local guide, stopping at unique locations to taste cheese croquettes with mustard, Belgian pralines from a Gault Millau-rated chocolatier, local ham, jenever, broccoli beignets, potato waffles, and beer in a 13th-century pub. The guide shares Ghent's history, legends and stories as you move through the city's medieval heart. Children from age 6 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Culinary and historical walking tour

• Meet local guide in Ghent
• Taste cheese croquettes with mustard
• Sample local Ganda ham
• Visit oldest candy shop
• Try homemade broccoli beignets
• Enjoy potato waffles with pickles
• Taste Belgian pralines at chocolatier
• Drink local beer in 13th-century pub
• Sample jenever, local spirit
• Explore Ghent’s medieval heart
• Listen to historical stories and fun facts

The experience

You've got an afternoon free in Ghent and want to eat like a local without hunting down restaurants yourself. This walking tour threads through the medieval streets with a guide who knows where the best cheese croquettes sit, which chocolate shop earned its Gault Millau rating, and which 13th-century pub still pours the beer the way it's been made for centuries. You'll taste at least ten different things (sweet and savory mixed together) at stops chosen for both the food and the setting. The guide handles the route and the stories. You handle the eating.

The tasting menu moves through Ghent's specialties: cheese croquettes paired with local mustard on a picturesque square, Belgian pralines, local Ganda ham, homemade broccoli beignets, potato waffles with pickles, and jenever, a spirit made from juniper berries and apples. Local beer comes in that 13th-century pub. You'll also visit Ghent's oldest candy shop. Between tastings, the guide fills in the city's medieval history, its legends, and the kind of detail that makes the streets make sense: why a building sits where it does, what a street name means, which corner has been a market for 600 years.

The walk covers Ghent's medieval heart and takes 2.5 hours total, which means you can fit it into a morning or an early afternoon and still have time for other plans. The pace is walking speed, suitable for all fitness levels, and the group stays small. Service animals are welcome, and public transit stops are nearby if you need to get back to your hotel or the station.

What’s included

• Local guide speaking English.
• all tastings including cheese croquettes with mustard, Belgian pralines, local ham, broccoli beignets, potato waffles with pickles, local beer and jenever.
• entry to Ghent's oldest candy shop and the 13th-century pub.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturdayDeparts at 14:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (6 to 15 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Charlie Tours

Is this one for you?The 2.5-hour length fits a morning or early afternoon without eating up your whole day, so you can explore Ghent's museums, canals or neighborhoods before or after. Small-group walking means you move at a conversational pace and the guide can answer questions as you go.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 15 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I taste on this Ghent food tour?

You'll taste at least ten items across the walk: cheese croquettes with local mustard, Belgian pralines from a top-rated chocolatier, local Ganda ham, homemade broccoli beignets, potato waffles with pickles, local beer in a 13th-century pub, and jenever, a juniper-based spirit. You'll also visit Ghent's oldest candy shop. The tastings mix sweet and savory throughout the route.

How long does the tour take and can I fit it into a half day?

The tour runs 2.5 hours, so you can book it for a morning and have the afternoon free, or take it early evening if you want the rest of your day open. The route covers Ghent's medieval center at a walking pace.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes a local guide who speaks English, all the tastings (at least ten items), local beer and jenever, entry to the locations you visit, and all fees and taxes. You don't need to arrange anything separately or pay at each stop.

Will I learn about Ghent's history, or is this just about the food?

The guide weaves Ghent's history, legends and stories throughout the walk. You'll learn why the medieval streets are laid out the way they are, what the city's past means to its present, and the stories behind the neighborhoods you're walking through. All while you're tasting.