Florence: Sant'Ambrogio Market Food Tour & Street Eats

Summary

Florence food market walk with street bites and local stories

You’ll taste your way through Florence’s Sant’Ambrogio Market with a local guide who brings you into daily life—crunching schiacciata bread, sampling lampredotto if you’re brave, sipping wine among locals. Expect stories about Dante as you wander old streets and end with sweet cantucci cookies or gelato—the kind of food memories that linger long after you leave.

What’s the experience like?

First thing I noticed was the smell—like tomatoes just picked, and bread that’s still warm. We’d barely made it past Piazza Santa Croce when our guide, Marco, waved us over to this bakery window. He handed me something called schiacciata (I probably said it wrong), oily on my fingers, salty, chewy. “This is what we eat after school,” he grinned. I was still chewing when an old man shuffled by with a basket of artichokes under his arm—no tourists in sight yet, just the slow rhythm of Florentine mornings.

Sant’Ambrogio Market isn’t what you picture when you think ‘Florence food tour’. It’s loud—vendors shouting across aisles, someone slicing prosciutto so thin you can almost see through it. Marco seemed to know everyone; he’d stop to chat in Italian, then translate for us with a wink. At one stall we tried lampredotto (cow stomach, yeah), stewed until soft and spooned into a bun. I hesitated but took a bite—surprisingly gentle flavor, kind of earthy? The woman serving us laughed at my face and poured me a splash of red wine. Honestly, that helped.

We wandered past benches stacked with purple artichokes and wild strawberries that smelled like summer. The light inside the market is weirdly beautiful—sort of golden and dusty around midday. Marco told stories about Dante as we passed the Dante House Museum (he did voices for the characters, which cracked me up). I didn’t expect to learn about language and poetry between bites of cantucci cookies dipped in sweet dessert wine—but here we are.

I keep thinking about that moment outside the market when Marco broke off a piece of pecorino cheese for us to try—sharp and grassy—and the way everyone just stood around talking like they’d known each other forever. There was gelato too (of course), cold against my tongue while the city buzzed around us. I guess that’s what stuck: Florence felt less like a postcard and more like somewhere people actually live—and eat really well.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Florence food market and cultural tour

• Admire Santa Croce church
• Explore Sant'Ambrogio Market
• Walk through food benches and taste
• Dive into Dante House Museum

Top questions

Is Sant'Ambrogio Market included on this Florence food tour?

Yes, the tour centers on Sant'Ambrogio Market where most tastings happen.

How many street foods do we try during the tour?

You’ll sample at least 7 different street food bites—it’s basically a meal.

Are vegan or gluten-free options available?

No, vegan and gluten-free options are not available on this tour.

Does the tour include drinks or wine?

Yes, local wine is included along with dessert wine served with cantucci cookies.

Is there hotel pickup for this Florence street food tour?

No hotel pickup; you meet your guide at the starting point near central Florence.

Are children or infants allowed on this walking tour?

Yes, infants can join in strollers or prams; children are welcome too.

Is this Florence market food tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the route is wheelchair accessible throughout.

Will we visit any historical sites during the walk?

You’ll pass by Piazza Santa Croce and Dante House Museum during the route.

What’s included

Your day includes guided walks through Florence’s Sant’Ambrogio Market with over seven traditional street food tastings (enough for lunch), seasonal fruit or vegetables picked right from market stalls, glasses of local wine plus dessert wine paired with cantucci cookies, all led by a passionate Florentine guide—and yes, there’s gelato before you say goodbye.