15 Food Experiences in Washington DC to Build a Day Around

1.Georgetown Foodie Culinary Tour & Neighborhood Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 437 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $79Our pick

Walk about 1.5 miles through Georgetown with a guide such as Jacob, Lauren, or Elizabeth, stopping at four local food spots for four or five tastings and one drink pairing. Expect neighborhood history, Julia Child’s former house, vegetarian choices, and practical tips for eating on your own.

“The weather was beautiful, the Guide was fine, but you receive Too Little for Too Much money. Our guide was fine, she was very friendly and happily shared all of her travels with us, The many places that she studied abroad or visited with friends before and after her ‘summer guide work’. I did not learn anything historical but did get to see a house that Julia Child and her husband owned. We walked at a very slow pace through the Georgetown streets and saw many beautiful homes, but again, it was a lot of walking and a little bit of history. We had 4 stops - this is the…”

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2.Gastronomic Georgetown Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 373 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $84

Start at 3 p.m. near the Four Seasons for a 3.5-hour Georgetown food and history walk. Guides such as Robert, Wayne, James, and Christian lead you to four generous tasting stops, with Italian, tapas, Mexican, plant-based, and macaron options possible.

“Excellent mix of interesting historical facts, food and perfect amount of walking in between food stops.”

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3.Washington’s Hidden Gems Food Tour with 6+ Tasty Bites

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 292 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $98

Spend about three hours walking Georgetown with a guide such as Cooper, Matt, Jen, or Noam, stopping for six or more tastings. Expect local favorites, Georgetown architecture, the Exorcist location, Washington Harbour, and a final cupcake at Baked & Wired. The menu and route can change.

“This was a very fun and tasty tour around Georgetown! Cooper, our guide, was informative and entertaining. The tour had 5 very different food stops, and even being somewhat a “local” from Maryland, all of them were new for me. Highly recommend!”

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4.DC’s Original Food and History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 255 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $112

Walk about 1.5 miles through Washington’s U Street corridor with guides such as Jim, Rasheed, and Soneka. Expect generous tastings, including a Ben’s Chili Bowl half-smoke, Ethiopian food, Cuban pastries, and ice cream, plus stories of Black Broadway, murals, music, and local life.

“Really interesting history. Food was outstanding. So glad we did this tour. Highly recommend it to others. Our tour guide Someka was terrific!”

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5.Tastes of Georgetown Food & History Small Group Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 203 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $129

Spend about three hours walking Georgetown with a local guide such as Joe, Neka, or Mary. Expect four food stops, drinks, neighborhood stories, generous portions, and a group capped at eight. Vegetarian options are available, but vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free diets cannot be accommodated.

“Vanesa did a wonderful job! She was very friendly, knowledgeable, and encouraged us to get to know each other so we felt more like friends than strangers. Thanks!”

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6.Acquired Taste Food Tour in Georgetown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $95

Spend about two hours walking Georgetown with a local guide such as Mike or Erin. Expect four varied tastings, including kosher food, an Italian dish, a DC pastry, and a seasonal specialty, plus neighborhood history. The route begins at the Car Barn and ends near Thomas Jefferson Street.

“Erin was our terrific and personable tour guide. Even in the heat, she made certain that we all hydrated. She was informative. We stopped at new places that we were unfamiliar with and the food was plentiful.”

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7.Taste of Georgetown Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 89 reviews · 3 hours · from $129

Walk 1.5 miles through Georgetown with a guide such as Neka, Soniqua, Jim, or Lois, stopping at local restaurants for Turkish, Mediterranean, Italian, French, and other bites. Tastings add up to lunch, while stories connect the food to Georgetown’s port past and changing culture.

“This was a perfect tour for my husband and I. We walked around beautiful Georgetown and our guide was so informative on so many things about the area. We visited 5 great places to eat beginning with Dean and Deluca and ending at a delicious pastry shop. We certainly did not leave hungry. It was a great afternoon and would highly recommend this to anyone. Can't wait to do some of their other tours.”

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8.Local Neighborhood Washington DC Food Tour by DrinkEatWalk Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $169

Join guide Tim for a four-hour, three-mile walk through Dupont Circle and U Street. Taste a seafood slider, pupusa, Ethiopian dinner, and sweet potato pie, with four drinks included, then finish on a private rooftop overlooking DC.

“Tim is great! Makes you comfortable and you feel like friends by the end of the tour. Amazing food and drinks mixed with stories that make history accessible and personal. Got to experience the real DC in all its color and beauty and tastiness. Loved everything about it! If you are tired of looking at monuments and want to see the best of the people and neighborhoods this this is the tour for you.”

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9.Cobblestones & Croissants: A Morning Food Tour in Georgetown, DC

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $85

Meet Robert or Wayne at 10:00 am for a three-hour Georgetown walk combining local breakfast stops, Turkish coffee, pastries, chocolate, tacos, and a cupcake with stories about old houses, presidents, and the C&O Canal. The group is capped at 10 people, and you finish where you began.

“Robert was amazing. Food delightful. Want to do again. Everyone needs to go. Love love love. Amazing variety”

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10.Capitol Hill Food and Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 42 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $81

Spend about three and a half hours walking Capitol Hill with a guide such as Robert, Christian, Jennifer, or Paige. You’ll taste several neighborhood cuisines, hear unusual DC stories, and finish where you started near Eastern Market. The group is limited to 12 people.

“So much fun walking around and seeing this re-vitalized area of DC. Enjoyed everything from the sparkling sangria to the home made pop-tarts.”

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11.Eastern Public Market Food Tour with 5 Tastings plus Dessert

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129

Walk from Capitol South to Eastern Market and Barracks Row for five food samples plus dessert. Guides such as Becca, Kathleen, and Katherine connect crab cakes, cheese, pozole, Stromboli, and pastries with local history. The 2.5-hour tour ends near Eastern Market Metro Station.

“A fantastic tour led by a very knowledgeable guide. Katherine was great. I would eagerly seek her out for another tour.”

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12.DC’s Original Food & History Neighborhood Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 16 reviews · from $112

Spend three hours walking U Street with a local English-speaking guide, tasting enough food for lunch while learning about Black Broadway, jazz, Civil Rights, murals, and neighborhood change. The group is limited to eight, and guides such as Rasheed and Jim bring an engaging personal touch.

“We loved our tour and learned a lot! Our guide Rasheed was very knowledgeable and personable. I highly recommend going and will definitely do another in the future.”

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13.Sweet and Savory Scandalous White House Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $60Best value

Join Rae Valencia at 10:00 a.m. for a 1.5-mile walk through White House history, presidential scandals, Lafayette Square, and St. John’s Episcopal Church. The tour includes a specialty doughnut, a savory brunch dish, and gelato, with vegetarian and vegan needs accommodated.

“Excellent food choices of sweet and savory. We loved it! Rae was fun and knowledgeable about DC. The locations were great too.”

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14.Eat Like a Local: Downtown DC Food Tour with 4 Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $149

Spend 2.5 hours tasting four food and drink samples in downtown Washington, DC. Your English-speaking guide, including Andrew or Liam, leads you from a Chinatown food hall to the Irish Channel pub, with neighborhood stories, local drinks, and a small group of up to 12 people.

“Great guide, Liam, who was very knowledgeable about the little known history of the area. Thankfully we didn’t go to touristy spots. Highly recommend for true foodies looking for new spots!”

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15.Little Ethiopia Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $71

Meet at 10:30 am near the U Street Metro for a 3.5-hour walk through Washington’s Little Ethiopia. Your guide may be Christian, and you’ll sample Ethiopian breakfast, savory dishes, lentil appetizers, cottage cheese, breads, coffee, sauces, and dessert at several local restaurants.

“The food is delicious and the history is rich. This was my 3rd time on this tour. There were only 3 stops this time, but the food was outstanding at each stop. The walk between restaurants was quite long, it would have been nice to have smaller stops in between, even if just for some local history or chat about the architecture. Our guide, Christian, was very knowledgeable and fun, but the group size (14) was probably too big. Overall I recommend this tour, but adding another stop and getting restaurants a little closer together would be nice. Maybe adding a soul food stop as part of the tour could…”

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