Kingston Downtown Food Tour: 6 Tastings on Princess Street
Taste six continents without leaving downtown Kingston
A three-hour walking food tour through downtown Kingston where you eat at six stops across four continents: Montreal bagels, Himalayan dumplings, South Indian fried lentils, olive oil and balsamic, ice cream, and a secret kitchen your guide reveals on arrival. The tour covers under a mile and a half on and around Princess Street, the limestone-fronted spine of the city's 19th-century retail district, with a live English-speaking guide who knows which unmarked doors hide the best cooking in a city that holds more Feast On certified restaurants than anywhere else in Ontario.
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Step-by-step itinerary
Downtown Kingston food and sights tour
- Meet at historic Kingston Symphony building
- Walk along downtown Kingston's main retail street
- Pass through narrow art alley off Princess Street
- Explore oldest public market behind City Hall
- View National Historic Site near harbour
- End tour across from City Hall at visitor centre
- See working harbour and Shoal Tower from shore
The experience
You arrive at the Murney Tower visitor centre and end there three hours later. The walk stays compact (under a mile and a half) threading through downtown Kingston's 19th-century shopfronts and the oldest continuously running public market in Ontario, which trades Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On market days you'll see the producers supplying the kitchens on the route. Your guide lives in Kingston and knows which unassuming door hides each stop, why this garrison town of 130,000 holds this much cooking behind unmarked entrances, and what to order when you walk in.
The six tastings move through geographies. You'll try a Montreal-style bagel hand-rolled and honey-boiled before it meets the oven; steamed Himalayan dumplings, vegetable and chicken, from a family kitchen on Princess Street; a fried lentil doughnut sunk in South Indian sambar; extra virgin olive oil and small-batch balsamic poured side by side; a single scoop from an ice cream counter that has been scooping since 1986. Then there's the stop your guide won't name until you're standing outside it: that tasting comes as a reveal. The cream cheese cinnamon roll or Montreal bagel depends on which day you book: cinnamon roll on Sunday and Monday, bagel Tuesday through Saturday.
The route passes through a narrow art alley hung with work by local artists, walks behind City Hall, and ends at the Murney Tower, a National Historic Site from 1844 and one of the most photographed buildings in the city, facing the harbour where one of four British Martello towers sits offshore. The tour is wheelchair accessible, and public transportation options are available nearby if you're arriving without a car.
What’s included
- Vada sambar at a South Indian kitchen.
- half and half Mo:Mo platter of vegetable and chicken dumplings at a Himalayan family kitchen.
- one tasting at the secret stop revealed on arrival.
- a single scoop of ice cream from a counter operating since 1986.
- cream cheese cinnamon roll on Sunday and Monday, or Montreal-style bagel with house cream cheese Tuesday through Saturday.
- a tasting of extra virgin olive oil and small-batch balsamic.
- live English-speaking guide who lives in Kingston.
Before you book
Prices and times updated today
Operated by Secret Food Tours
Is this one for you?The tour starts and ends at the Murney Tower visitor centre downtown, reachable by public transit or on foot from anywhere in Kingston's core, so you don't need a car or a ride to join. If you're staying in the city without transportation or have a free afternoon between other plans, the three-hour loop stays within a mile and a half of the starting point.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.
What exactly is the secret stop on the Kingston food tour?
Your guide reveals which kitchen it is when you arrive at the meeting point. The stop is one of the six tastings on the route, and the reveal is part of the experience. You'll find out which unmarked door it is once the tour begins.
How much walking is involved on this Kingston food tour?
The route covers under a mile and a half, staying on and around Princess Street in downtown Kingston's compact core. The pace is built around eating at six stops, so you're stopping frequently rather than walking continuously.
What is Princess Street and why does the tour focus on it?
Princess Street is the spine of downtown Kingston, lined with 19th-century limestone shopfronts and known as Store Street until it was renamed in 1842. Three of the six food stops sit on or a few steps off it, making it the natural route through the city's oldest retail district.
Is this tour accessible if I don't have a car?
Yes. The tour meets at the Murney Tower visitor centre, which has public transportation options nearby, and the entire route stays within downtown Kingston's walking core. You can reach the meeting point without a car and finish at the same location.
What is Feast On certification and why does Kingston have so many?
Feast On is an Ontario certification for restaurants sourcing local ingredients. Kingston holds more Feast On certified restaurants than anywhere else in Ontario, which is why your guide chose these particular kitchens for the tour. They reflect the city's connection to local producers.
Can I bring a stroller or pram on this tour?
Yes. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and the tour is wheelchair accessible. Infants must sit on an adult's lap during the eating stops themselves.
Kingston Downtown Food Tour: 6 Tastings on Princess Street
3h · EN
from CA$ 107.99 per person
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