AFRICA · FOOD TOURS
Good food tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 14 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Meet your guide at Café Argana and walk through Marrakech’s Medina, Mellah, Kasba, and souks while tasting 10 to 12 local foods. Expect Moroccan pancakes, harira, grilled meat, sardine balls, sweets, juices, and more. Guides such as Abdul, Abdoo, Ahmed, and Miriam explain the food and customs. Come very hungry.
“Great tour, had many opportunities to try different things, was very full by the end of the tour”
Meet your guide near Jemaa el-Fnaa and follow the Medina’s food trail through markets, souks, and side streets. Try olives, dates, pastries, soup, snails, tagine, tangia, kofte, salads, and more, then finish with mint tea and often a full three-course meal. Guides may include Mohammed, Yaya, Ali, Omar, or Mo.
“lots of snacks and stories and whole, full size 3 courses dinner in the end on one of the rooftops restaurants!”
Follow a local guide through Marrakech’s Medina and Jemaa el-Fna, stopping at around 10 food spots for Moroccan pastries, harira, olives, snails, msemen, and other local bites. The evening ends with a three-course dinner on a rooftop terrace. Guides may include Mehdi, Hamza, Ali, Mo, or Mohamed.
“Ali was an excellent guide, very friendly and informative. Really enjoyed trying all the local food and meal at the end. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone”
Walk nearly 4km through Port Louis with a small group of up to eight. Guides such as Christopher, Rudy, Adrien, and Ash lead you from Caudan Waterfront to Company Gardens, Chinatown, and Central Market, with about seven tastings of faratas, rougaille, boulettes, pastries, and other local specialties.
“Christopher was amazing, incredibly knowledgeable and overall a great guide. He lead us around the various sights and we tried some amazing food. We were given lots of food, much more than we expected and we recommend not eating much (or at all) beforehand. Christopher is a credit to his company and Mauritius!”
Follow an English-speaking guide through Marrakech’s souks, spice market, Mellah, and Jemaa El Fnaa. Taste olives, nuts, pastries, bread, soup, and other local specialties before dinner at Chez Lamine Hadj Mustapha. Guides such as Ayoub, Youssef, Atika, Omar, and Brahim are praised for friendly storytelling and steady help in the crowded medina.
“One of the best food tours we’ve done. There were so many dishes to try that we lost count and it wasn’t just street food we saw either. You get to see the communal ovens used by locals for years. Our guide was so nice, really engaging and funny ‘innit’. We’d recommend this tour to anyone.”
Spend 210 minutes walking Port Louis with a small group of up to 10 people and guide Dourvesh. Taste 6 to 8 local dishes, tropical fruit, a juice or milkshake, and food shaped by Indian, Chinese, and African traditions. The route includes the Caudan Waterfront, Chinatown, Central Market, a museum, Company Garden, historic buildings, temples, and street art.
“Very informative and lovely to try different foods. We would definately recommend this tour”
Meet near Café de France for a four-hour food walk through Marrakech’s Medina, Kasbah, markets, and local neighborhoods. Guides such as Nour, Omar, and Mustafa explain the dishes, customs, and history while you sample msemen, harira, tangia, sardines, sweets, tea, and more. The group is capped at 10, and all food and drinks are included.
“This is the number one thing I recommend you do in Marrakech! We did this on our first night and had an amazing time with Nour. He was really friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about the Morrocan culture and food. There was SO much to taste with many stops and each one was special. The tangia was a special highlight and something we learned to order thanks to Nour!”
Join a three-hour evening walk through Stone Town with a local guide such as Zahran or Juma. Start at Darajani Market, pause for a sunset drink, then sample Zanzibar pizza, urojo, shawarma, spice tea, coffee, and sugarcane juice at Forodhani Gardens. Hotel pickup and dinner are included.
“Juma was a great guide. He fed us a lot of food! I recommend this tour.”
You’ll spend about five hours eating through Cairo and Giza with a private guide and air-conditioned transport. Guides such as Mo and Sugar Queen, also known as Hala, may lead the day. Expect Egyptian breakfast, shawarma, fresh juice, koshary-style dishes, sweets, tea, local shops, and possible pyramid views from a rooftop restaurant.
“Mohammad, our guide, shared lots of valuable information about the area. The food stops were delicious from fava bean dishes to Shawarma & fresh juices & an Egyptian speciality of corn, macaroni, beans, lemon juice, tomato sauce & chile. Read more”
Spend about three hours tasting Egyptian foods, drinks, and sweets at local eateries and food stands in Cairo. Guides such as Amal, Maya, Magy, Maggie, and Sarah explain how dishes are prepared, served, and tied to daily life. Choose a local neighborhood route or a restaurant-focused option, with food included and downtown Cairo as your meeting point.
“So much food. Good experience seeing the local perspective. Tour guide was excellent. Took us through the typical meals of Egyptians. Breakfast lunch and dinner. Would repeat.”
Spend four hours following a local foodie guide through Marrakech’s medina, from Bab Doukkala to Jemaa el Fnaa. Taste more than 15 Moroccan foods, including sardines, escargot, tangia, harira, dates, pastries, mint tea, and coffee. Guides such as Rashid and Rachid also explain local customs, bakeries, hammams, and street cooking.
“A fabulous introduction to the food of this fascinating culture. At each stop Rashid explained the ingredients, cooking process, and cultural significance of the particular example of Moroccan cuisine. The portions were the perfect size to enable us to sample a wide variety of dishes without over-filling. The makers of the food were happy to pose for pictures. The day ended on a rooftop terrace with a spectacular view of the main market square and a gorgeous sunset. The other three couples were congenial and interesting. A must if you are going to Marrakech.”
Join local foodie Abdel for a four-hour Agadir food tour with pickup and drop-off in the city. Try 12 to 15 home-style, street-food, and traditional Moroccan dishes, including refissa, bastilla, harira, briouat, sweets, juices, and tea. Daytime tours include Agadir Souk, with groups limited to eight people.
“Our guide was so very thoughtful and concerned to make this the optimum experience for each and every one of us. He had everything planned out in the most efficient manner to be able to provide us with so many different eating experiences within the allotted time. It was totally worthwhile!”
Spend five hours with a private guide, starting from Cairo or Giza, on a one-hour felucca ride followed by local food in central Cairo. Guides such as Abeer, Shereen, Nour, and Mohamed are praised for personal service and city insight. Food and drinks cost extra, and the boat may be replaced by a motorboat if there is no wind.
“Shereen was very informative & knowledgeable & showed us around down town & gave great food recommendations. Transport was on time & comfortable. Shareen will listen to your needs & make sure she provides the best trip possible. Highly recommend”
Start at Le Caudan Waterfront and walk into Port Louis with a guide such as Sailen or Christophe. Over two hours, taste about eight Mauritian, Indian, Chinese, and African-influenced foods, including dholl puri, jalebis, and gâteau piment. Expect a generous food-focused walk, local market stops, cultural context, and plenty of time on your feet.
“The tour was what made our visit to Port Louis memorable. Our guide managed to tell us about the history of Mauritius through food. We visited places that were only for locals and we wouldn’t have discovered on our own. Everything was tasty and in ample amounts, so do come to the tour with an empty stomach. Our guide gave us plenty of instructions on the preparation of the dishes and inspired me to try to cook them at home.”
Pick a desert, a reef, a ruin or a reserve.
