Athens Food Tour: Insider Guide to Markets & Street Food

Taste what locals eat, not what guidebooks say

A three-hour food tour of Athens led by a travel and culinary journalist, moving through Varvakeios Market, Omonia Square, Kotzia Square and the Psiri neighborhood. You taste souvlaki, loukoumades, traditional meze, bougatsa, and sample extra virgin olive oil and Greek honey while the guide shares insider stories and local tips tied to each stop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Omonoia SquareEntry included20m
2. Kotzia SquareEntry included10m
3. PsiriEntry included15m

Athens culinary and cultural food tour

• Start at Omonia Square bakery
• Taste authentic bougatsa at family shop
• Visit Polykala Distillery showroom
• Explore Varvakeios Market stalls
• Wander colorful fruit and vegetable market
• Taste extra virgin olive oil and honey
• Enjoy traditional Greek meze plates
• Savor Athens' ultimate souvlaki
• Try loukoumades with honey and cinnamon

The experience

The tour starts at Omonia Square at a traditional bakery that has been running since 1948, where you taste koulouri, spinach pie, raisin bread and baklava before moving to a family-run shop near Kotzia Square for bougatsa. A crispy, creamy pastry made from a recipe passed down through generations. From there you head into Varvakeios Market, Athens' central food market since 1886, where you walk past stalls of fresh fish, meat and produce while meeting vendors and learning how they source ingredients for Greek cooking. The guide tailors recommendations for other neighborhoods and nightlife based on what interests you, so the tour becomes a map of the city itself, not just the food stops.

The tasting moves through olive oil and honey (you learn to distinguish their qualities and aromas while hearing how they fit into Greek culture), then lands on souvlaki at a hand-picked spot where the meat is grilled and wrapped in warm pita with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki. You finish with loukoumades, fried dough puffs dusted with cinnamon and honey, either classic or with chocolate and nuts. In between, you sample traditional meze: dolmades, melitzanosalata, grilled saganaki cheese and keftedakia, paired with ouzo or tsipouro in an authentic taverna. Bottled water, coffee and tea come with the tour.

Small groups keep the pace intimate, so you're not moving as a crowd through the market. The guide speaks English and handles all the stops. You show up at the meeting point and taste your way through the afternoon.

What’s included

• Bottled water.
• coffee and tea.
• a tasting of traditional meze including tzatziki, tyrokafteri, fava, Greek salad, small fish, pork, beef, fresh greens, beans and fried vegetables.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• and pickup included.

Information

Lasts 3h, runs every day at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30, from € 199 per person, with a live guide in English, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30Other times ›

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (5 to 17 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupPrivate8 in a group ›

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 30 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Dimitris Agian

Is this one for you?Small groups keep the experience intimate, so you move through the market and stops without the noise of a large tour. This works best if you want to taste your way through Athens with someone who knows the city as a food writer, not just as a tour operator: the guide shares stories and local tips tied to each stop, and adjusts recommendations based on what you're interested in exploring next.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 17 years); Infant (under 5).

What is Varvakeios Market actually like when you walk through it?

Varvakeios has been Athens' central food market since 1886, with stalls selling fresh fish, meat and local produce. You walk past the vendors, meet them, and learn how they source ingredients for Greek cooking. It's the working market where locals shop, not a tourist version.

Can I do this tour if I've never been to Athens before?

Yes. The guide tailors recommendations for attractions, nightlife and hidden spots based on your interests, so you not only taste the food but get a map of neighborhoods and what to do in them. It's built for newcomers and regulars alike.

How many different things do I actually taste on this tour?

You taste at least ten: koulouri and baklava at the bakery, bougatsa at Kotzia Square, olive oil and honey in a tasting, souvlaki with all its toppings, loukoumades, and a spread of meze including dolmades, melitzanosalata, saganaki and keftedakia. Coffee or tea comes at the end.

What's the difference between the souvlaki and meze stops?

Souvlaki is grilled meat skewers in pita: a single, iconic street food. Meze are small plates served in a taverna: multiple dishes like eggplant dip, fried cheese, meatballs and greens, meant to be shared and paired with ouzo or tsipouro, the way Greeks eat socially.

Is this tour walking the whole time, or do you stop and sit?

You walk between stops through the market and neighborhoods, but you sit down to eat and taste at each one: at the bakery, the bougatsa shop, the market, the olive oil tasting, the souvlaki spot, and the taverna for meze. It's three hours total, so a mix of walking and eating.