Private Food Tour Zagreb: 10 Tastings With a Local Guide

Taste your way through Zagreb's food scene with a local who knows where to eat

A private half-day food tour in Zagreb where you taste 10 hand-picked Croatian dishes and drinks guided by a local foodie. You'll try classics like Sarma and Zagorski Strukli, pass Ban Jelačić Square and the Grič Tunnel, and explore Dolac Market while your guide reveals the city's best-loved food spots. Vegetarian alternatives are available.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Ban Jelačić Square30m
2. Grič Tunnel30m
3. Dolac Market30m
4. Stone Gatepassing by

Zagreb Food Tastings and City Highlights

• Meet local foodie host
• Taste 10 selected food and drinks
• Try Sarma and Zagorski Strukli dishes
• Visit Ban Jelačić Square
• Explore Grič Tunnel
• Visit Dolac Market
• Discover local favorite food spots
• Enjoy vegetarian alternatives if requested

The experience

You arrive in Zagreb with a free afternoon and no restaurant reservations. This tour solves that by pairing you with a local food enthusiast who has already chosen the 10 tastings and mapped the route. Instead of hunting for lunch, you move through the city stopping at places locals actually eat, tasting what they order. The guide speaks English or Croatian and explains why each dish matters to the city, not just what it tastes like.

The tour hits the landmarks that frame Zagreb's center: Ban Jelačić Square with its statue of Count Josip Jelačić, the pedestrian Grič Tunnel in the city center, and Dolac Market, where the city's food supply still flows through stalls and vendors. Between these stops, you taste the classics: Sarma (rolled cabbage) and Zagorski Strukli (a pastry from the region north of Zagreb), alongside dishes the guide has chosen because they're unique to the city or because locals won't stop talking about them. The route itself changes based on your guide's preferences and the day, so no two tours follow the same path.

The tour runs three hours. If you eat meat normally but want to skip it for this tour, tell your guide when you book and they'll swap in vegetarian tastings at each stop. The carbon footprint is offset as part of the booking.

What’s included

• Private tour with a local foodie guide.
• 10 food and drink tastings hand-picked by your guide.
• carbon-neutral tour.
• vegetarian alternatives available on request.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day25 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 21:00

Book up to2h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Croatian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Withlocals

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Croatian, so you'll follow comfortably in whichever language you book. This is a private tour, meaning the route and pace are set by you and your guide alone, not by a group schedule.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Croatian.

What are Sarma and Zagorski Strukli, the two dishes the guide mentions most?

Sarma is a Croatian classic of cabbage leaves rolled around seasoned meat and rice, then braised until tender. Zagorski Strukli is a pastry from the Zagorje region north of Zagreb, traditionally filled with cheese or apple and often served as a main course or dessert depending on the filling.

Is Dolac Market just a tourist stop, or do locals actually shop there?

Dolac Market is where Zagreb's residents buy fresh produce, meat and dairy. It sits in the heart of the city and has operated for over a century, so your guide will show you how locals move through it and what they're looking for, not just point out photo spots.

How much walking is involved in a three-hour food tour?

The tour covers the central neighborhoods on foot, moving between tasting stops with breaks to eat and explore each location. You'll need a moderate level of fitness to keep pace, but the guide sets the rhythm and you're not hiking. You're walking through the city at a normal pace.

Can I request vegetarian tastings if I don't eat meat?

Yes. Tell your guide before the tour starts and they'll swap in vegetarian alternatives at each stop so you get the same number of tastings and the same experience, just without meat.