Ten Tastings, Food And Culture

Ten Tastings, Food And Culture is one of two food and drink tours compared on this site, it runs 3 hours 30 minutes, and the live listing opens at $92 a person. It carries 5.0 from 1,157 reviews, reproduced here exactly as the operator publishes it.

Overview

Three and a half hours is a long walk, but this tour spreads it across food. You meet a guide outside Asian Kitchen at 5-A Vijzelstraat, right by the Flower Market entrance, and from there the route works its way through the centre with stops at the Begijnhof, the Royal Palace, the Anne Frank House and the Westerkerk. The sightseeing is real but the thread holding it together is what you eat along the way.

Ten tastings are built into the route: cheese, herring, kibbeling, a stroopwafel, Dutch fries, bitterballen, a grilled cheese sandwich, the Crookie, Dutch apple pie and chocolate. Guides share insider trivia and anecdotes along the way, so the food doubles as an introduction to the city rather than a string of snacks.

The tour is run in English, French, Spanish or Hungarian, and there is no hotel pickup, you make your own way to the meeting point. Bring comfortable shoes, and note that large bags are not allowed on the walk. A bottle of water is provided.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at VijzelstraatGather in front of Asian Kitchen at 5-A Vijzelstraat, by the entrance to the Flower Market. This is the only meeting point, there is no hotel pickup.
2. Walk the Flower MarketThe tour starts with a stroll through the lively and colorful Flower Market.
3. Pass historic landmarksThe route takes in the Begijnhof, the Royal Palace, the Anne Frank House and the Westerkerk Church, with the guide adding local trivia and anecdotes along the way.
4. Explore the JordaanThe walk continues into the Jordaan neighbourhood, one of the charming areas of the city.
5. Ten tastingsAlong the route you sample cheese, herring, kibbeling, stroopwafels, Dutch fries, bitterballen, grilled cheese, the Crookie, apple pie and chocolate. The tour ends on the sweet note of apple tart.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical things shape the day on this walk.

• Pace and fitness. This is a three-and-a-half-hour walking tour with no transport and no pickup. The listing asks for comfortable shoes, and one reviewer described the sampling as enough food to sustain a walk around the canals and back streets.
• What is included. The price covers the guide, the walking tour, all ten food tastings and a bottle of water. Tips are not included, and neither is hotel pickup or drop-off.
• Group feel. One reviewer called it a small group experience, though group size is not fixed on the listing, so treat that as one traveller's impression rather than a guarantee. Reviewers describe guides who keep the mood light and share local stories.
• Food quantity. One reviewer found the food delicious and filling, and another said they tried all of the foods and liked the variety. Some reviewers, echoed in the listing's review summary, would like clearer detail beforehand on portion sizes and exactly which tastings are included.
• Weather. One reviewer walked through rain to the meeting point and still called the tour a strong start to their trip, but bring a layer or umbrella depending on the forecast.
• Photos and bags. Luggage and large bags are not allowed, so plan to leave them behind.

Common issues. No hotel pickup or drop-off is included, which is worth knowing if you are staying outside the centre. Luggage and large bags cannot be brought on the walk. Some travellers, and the listing's own review summary, mention that portion sizes and the exact list of tastings could be communicated more clearly before booking. The whole experience is on foot in the open air, so bad weather will not be avoided, and the meeting point must be reached independently.

Questions People Ask