Spend your afternoon in the North End, one of Boston's oldest neighborhoods, and sample a variety of foods from some of the city's best waterfront restaurants, markets, and cafes.
Or spend your afternoon or evening in Back Bay, one of Boston's most beautiful and fascinating neighborhoods, and have some wonderful chocolate, and even visit some excellent art galleries.
Better yet, reach out on the Private Tours page so we can create a customized and tailored food tour geared towards your group's wants & needs!
Why we love it for your party:
Immerse yourself in the history and food of some of Boston's best neighborhoods and tourist epicenters.
Sample a wide variety of foods from some of the city's most important institutions.
Leave Boston with a newfound appreciation of these neighborhoods, newly discovered secrets of the city, and more tips and suggestions for things to do after the tour and during your next visit.
About this experience partner:
Up and Adam Food Tours runs small group walking food tours in the North End, Back Bay, and Union Square, as well as tailored and customized tours around the city per client request. We strive to introduce people to these historically and culturally significant neighborhoods and feature the excellent restaurants and bakeries within them that make these areas crucial places to visit while in Boston!
Additional information:
Alcohol is not included on the tour, but if you’d like to get a drink after the tour ends, I’ll gladly point you in the direction of some terrific bars.
Tastings are subject to change. We cannot fully accommodate gluten-free or dairy-free diets on these tours (some substitutes are available). Please let us know of any dietary restrictions or allergies before booking.
Book This Experience
Visit the experience booking site to check availability and book your experience.
We had a great time. Chocolates and cupcakes were delicious.
EG
Emily G.
September 2025 • Birthday Party
Adam was extremely accommodating and down-to-earth. Loved hearing all the background and historical insights. The bakery treats were excellent! He picked a perfect variety. Highly recommend his tour!
RH
Rene H.
September 2025 • Birthday Party
Fun and delicious!!
SV
Sarah V.
September 2025 • Birthday Party
We just had an awesome tour with Adam! I reached out to plan a private tour to celebrate my anniversary, and Adam put together a tour of Jamaica Plain that was excellent! We're locals of Boston and he planned to take us to places that we hadn't been before. He is very knowledgeable about the food scene, and very down to earth and easy to talk to. Would highly recommend!
KB
Karin B.
September 2025 • Girls-Trip Party
Adam was a fantastic food tour guide and very personable. We learned a lot of Boston history and had a great time. Would definitely recommend!
CK
Cathy K.
September 2025 • Other Party
My husband and I had a fabulous tour of the North End with Adam. He really knows his history and perhaps more importantly (at least for foodies like us) some fantastic eateries. We will booking with him again and have already begun discussing with a group of friends a Custom Tour.
AY
Anastasiya Y.
September 2025 • Girls-Trip Party
It was a great tour with personal touch! We discovered some hidden gems of Back Bay and enjoyed delicious chocolate
LM
Laura M.
August 2025 • Other Party
Adam was personable and the tour was just the right amount of history and food. All food was incredible! Would book again in a heartbeat.
WS
Will S.
August 2025 • Guys-Trip Party
Everything was fantastic! Adam is an incredible guide and does an amazing job giving you the history of the area while talking you through recent developments within the neighborhood. Would highly recommend you to take this tour if you want fun history while eating great food
SK
Sarah K.
August 2025 • Other Party
Wonderful! The best tour we've taken in Boston. Adam was incredibly knowledgeable and showed us some amazing spots on the chocolate tour. Everything was delicious and fun—we’ll definitely be back!
JW
Jere W.
August 2025 • Group-Trip Party
Adam was an amazing guide and our group, in Boston for a meeting, loved the whole tour.
CH
Czarina H.
July 2025 • Holiday Party
We booked this tour very last minute and honestly booked it because it was convenient for the time and availability. BUT, this was probably one of the BEST food/city tours we have been on. I’ve traveled all over the world and Adam’s tour ranks up there. My son and I are huge foodies and each spot was thoughtful and well planned. He gave us a great taste (pun intended!) of the north end and a great history lesson as well. He also talked about some other favorite food spots he loves in the city.
There are so many food tours but I promise you want to be on Up and Adam tours. Well worth the money (and one of the more affordable ones too BTW!).
EL
Erin L.
July 2025 • Holiday Party
We had an excellent time on the North End bakery and cafe food tour! We had a small group which made the experience even better! Adam was very knowledgeable about not only the food but also the cafes and bakery’s history. He also gave us information/history about different areas of the north end and Boston. We would definitely do a tour with Adam again if we make it back that way! Pics of the treats do not do it justice! We usually forgot to take pics before we started digging in!!A list of what we got on the tour:
Bricco Panetteria: Sfogliatella
Caffé Vittoria: Tiramisu
Bova’s: Florentine cannoli
Modern Pastry: Chocolate ganache and limoncello!
Also! Bonus! My family was going out to eat that night and we texted him for restaurant suggestions in the area we were going to be in and his suggestion was spot on and delicious!
CM
Claudia M.
July 2025 • Girls-Trip Party
Great tour, Adam is very knowledgable about the history and restaurants in Boston. Very personable an fun! :)
HJ
Heather J.
July 2025 • Girls-Trip Party
Adam is great! He has a real passion for Boston’s history and culture. Adding food to a history tour is one of my favorite things to do. As an added bonus, Adam is so darn cute that if I had a daughter that was age appropriate for him, I would try to get them together 😆
Frequently Asked Questions
For the North End Pastry Tour and Back Bay Chocolate tours, tastings will be provided from 4 different locations. For the North End and Union Square Food Tours, tastings will be provided from 5 different locations.
For the food tours, we provide tastings, so please do not expect a full meal at each location. Tastings vary in portion size, with some served while seated inside the restaurant and others served in a more “on the go” manner, allowing time for the neighborhood component of the tour.
We can provide vegetarian options in most tasting locations with advance notice. Please make this request when you purchase tickets since we won't be able to arrange for alternative options on the day of the tour.
All substitutions must be requested in advance; please indicate this in your reservation when purchasing tickets. Tastings are prepared ahead of time based on reservation notes, so we are unable to make changes to the orders on the fly on the day of the tour.
For allergies and restrictions not listed, as there may not always be a “next best” option that also meets specific dietary needs, we are not able to provide substitutions in all tasting locations. However, our tours offer a good mix of foods, including vegetarian, pescatarian, and gluten-free options.
Please make your way to the starting point of your tour 10-15 minutes before. Because of the tight schedule, the tour will start right at the time noted on the website and we will not wait for late guests.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets may be purchased through our website. Cash is not accepted for ticket purchases.
Tickets can be refunded and/or exchanged for a different date up to 24 hours prior to the originally scheduled tour. Tickets cancelled within 24 hours of the tour or after the tour will not be refunded or exchanged.
Tour guide gratuities are not included in the ticket price. If you had a great time, gratuities will be welcomed and greatly appreciated by your tour guide at the end of the tour. Standard gratuity is $10 per guest in your group.
Yes, in the tasting locations where we are seated and served, gratuities for the servers are included in the price of your ticket and have been taken care of behind the scenes.
Yes, we can accommodate private group tours. Please visit the Private Tours page for more details.
The North End Food Tour will begin at the Columbus Park Trellis and end at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.
The North End Pastry Tour will begin at the Tony DeMarco Statue and end at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.
The Bay Bay Chocolate Tours start in front of the Tesla showroom at the Prudential Center and end on Clarendon Street.
The Union Square Food Tour will begin and end in Union Square in front of Vera's.
For the North End Food Tour and North End Pastry Tour, we walk approximately 1 mile.
For the Union Square and North End Tours, we walk approximately 0.5 - 0.75 miles, accounting for about 20 minutes of walking.
For the Back Bay Evening Chocolate Tour, we walk approximately 1 mile. For the Back Bay Chocolate & Art Galleries Tour, we walk approximately 1.25 miles.
Each tour is coordinated in advance to ensure fresh food tastings and an efficient operation. Because of this, it is critical for us to stay on schedule. We ask that you please refrain from purchasing your own food during the tour unless stated otherwise. However, everything is within close proximity and we will provide all the information you need to return to your favorite spots easily after the tour.
Additionally, there will be time frames in which you're allowed to do some shopping in the Prudential Center during the Back Bay tours, and in Bow Market during the tour in Union Square.
All tours will run rain or shine. Please check the weather forecast and plan ahead. If rain is predicted, please bring an umbrella and proper rain gear. Boston area weather is quite variable, so please also plan attire accordingly for hot or cold temperatures depending the time of year you visit us!
Parking capacity in the North End and Back Bay is scarce, and availability is sporadic and quite expensive. Please consider using public transit or Uber/Lyft, or even walking if you're staying downtown. If you have to drive, SpotHero is a great app for finding parking. In the North End, parking garages include North End Garage and Sargent's Wharf Lot, and in Back Bay, parking garages include Back Bay Garage and Clarendon St Garage. Because of the unpredictability of Boston transit and traffic, please give yourself a 15-minute buffer when considering your ETA.
For the North End Food Tour, there will be bathrooms available at the first and last spots on the tour.
For the North End Bakery & Cafe Tour, there will be bathrooms available at the second and last spots on the tour.
For the Back Bay Chocolate tours, bathrooms will be available at most chocolate vendors.
Bathrooms will be available at each stop of the Union Square tour.
Absolutely! Taking pictures and documenting your tour is welcomed and highly encouraged. If you had a good time, feel free to tag us on social media @upandadamfoodtours.
The North End tours are accessible by wheelchair.
The Back Bay Evening Chocolate Tour is accessible by wheelchair.
The Back Bay Chocolate & Art Galleries Tour is accessible by wheelchair, except for one of the art galleries we visit.
We highly recommend you take this tour toward the beginning of your vacation so you have time to re-visit the neighborhood and your new favorite local eateries! In addition to the tasting locations visited as part of the tour, we also talk about and provide a list of our favorite places to go and things to do in the Boston area.
For the comfort of all of our guests and per Massachusetts regulations prohibiting animals in establishments serving food, we do not allow pets on our tours.
For the comfort of all of our guests, we kindly ask that you refrain from smoking during our tours.
