Asheville Food Tours: Downtown tastings with local guides

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Duration3h–3h 30m

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Taste your way through Asheville's restaurant scene with guides who know every chef in town

Asheville Food Tours is a guided tasting tour through Downtown Asheville Arts District with 6 to 8 stops at local restaurants, lasting 3 to 3.5 hours. The guides—Paddy, Stu Helm and Sarah Ray—have deep ties to the restaurant community and lead the same tours year after year, which means the tastings stay consistent and the relationships with chefs stay strong. Alcohol is included at no extra cost, and the portions across all stops add up to a full meal.

3h–3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided food tasting tour in Asheville

Walk through Downtown Asheville Arts District
Listen to stories about Asheville's history
Visit multiple restaurants and meet chefs
Taste various local foods

The Experience

The tour moves through the Downtown Asheville Arts District on foot, stopping at restaurants between walks where the guide tells the building history and stories of the city. You'll taste at 6 to 8 stops—enough food across them to make a meal for most people—and the guide handles introductions to the chefs because they know them. Paddy has been leading tours for 12 years and built those relationships; Stu Helm, a food writer, chose to lead here after 10 years; Sarah Ray is an Asheville native and trained baker. That continuity matters: guides stay, chefs know what to expect, and the tastings don't shift with new staff.

Alcohol is included at no extra cost, and non-alcoholic options are available if you prefer them. The walking distance is roughly 2 miles broken into segments between stops, so you're moving but not hiking. The tour runs 3 to 3.5 hours, which leaves the rest of your day open—and because the guides know the restaurant owners, they can also point you toward where to eat on other nights of your trip.

What’s included

The tour includes 6 to 8 food tastings at local restaurants.
alcohol at each stop where it's served.
non-alcoholic beverages.
and a live English-speaking guide leading you through the Downtown Asheville Arts District.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Asheville Food Tours

Is this one for you?The 3 to 3.5 hour window means you can fit the tour into a morning or early afternoon and still have time to explore the rest of Asheville or plan dinners elsewhere—and the guides' connections to restaurant owners give you insider recommendations for the rest of your trip.