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10 Reasons Why You should Join
a Food Tour in Athens

Reasons Why to Join a Food Tour in Athens

Date
21 January 2020

Athens is the capital of Greece, attracting people from all over the country who bring with them local traditions and local cuisine. Once you are in Athens, one of the best ways to explore Greek cuisine and travel to the far corners of Greece is through taste and a food tour! Food tours are nowadays very popular, for the same reason that we use to say in Greece “love comes through your stomach”. How can you fall in love with a city and its people if not by their food? So get to know Athens by… tasting her! Here are 10 reasons why you should join a food tour in Athens:

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Food walking tour in Athens with Greek TravelTellers - Credit: Greek TravelTellers

1. To discover Greek culture and local life

When we refer to the Greek culture, our mind first travels to the ancient marvels and the great men of the past. But Greek culture is beyond that; it's the way we live, how we think, how we react, how we dress, and of course, what we eat! Culture is within people’s hearts and people’s habits. Food is an important aspect of the culture in Greece. A food tour in Athens will allow you to travel with all your senses to the heart of Greek culture; to delve into the local Athenian’s routine. Discover and enjoy "flavors of tradition", authentic flavors, flavors that will take you all over Athens and to every corner of Greece!

Yiasemi steps in Plaka

2. To learn things you won’t find in a guide book

Guide books are great for information. But what they lack is engagement with people. This engagement is what will allow you to leave Greece with lasting memories. Let your local foodie guide take you to family-run shops, chat with the owners while you eat and engage in the experience with all your senses! Listen to real stories of real people and let your local guide reveal to you little-known or secret facts of their life, facts that you will never find in a guide book.

Tip! Join our storytelling Athens food tour and get to meet local people and share authentic, homemade Greek food and stories with them!

Discovering local herbs

3. To get inspiration for the rest of your trip

Your foodie guide will take you to many parts of the city, some of them well-known some others more secret and hidden. This is your chance to see things in Athens that you would otherwise miss or need much more time to discover. Between the food tastings, you will see many sites and places of interest that you will most likely do not enter. As you pass through them, you will get the chance to take note of what impressed you the most and come back in your own time to explore it. Within a few hours, you’ve seen a lot of the local life, tasted many local foods and created an itinerary for the afternoon or the next day in Athens!

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Walking tour in Athens

4. To try out new foods risk-free

We’ve all been to a situation where we are in a new country and wish to try the most iconic foods of that culture, but have no idea where to start from or are afraid that we will not be satisfied by the quality. And of course, there is always the limit of how many different foods you can try, timewise and budgetwise. An Athens food tour solves these issues for you. The foodie guide will take you to the most trusted shops frequented by locals. During the food tour, you will get tastings of many and various foods. You may love some of them and you may hate others; this is part of the experience and the adventure, and you will still have a lot of food to get your stomach full! There is no need to commit your time and money in one restaurant where you may not be satisfied with the meal you ordered. Spend some money to join a food tour in Athens and get guaranteed variety and quality. After the tour, you will know what you loved the most and where to taste it again! You will also leave the tour with the local’s tips on where to find the best moussaka, how to avoid tourist traps and where to enjoy the best cocktails in town.

Tip! Come with us to the original Athens food tour and let our local guide take you to the best establishments in the town where locals satisfy their hunger!

Tasting Greek food

5. To explore little alleys and corners of Athens

One of the perks of joining a food tour in Athens is the discovery of cute little alleys, family-run, authentic shops and local ‘treasures’ that you would otherwise miss. Athens is full of small oases that will make your day and fill your lungs with positive energy. The signature streets, the picturesque alleys, the neoclassical houses, the vintage cafés, the ancient monuments, and the underground gardens create an ideal balance between the glorious past and the multidimensional present. Join a food tour in Athens and let your local guide show you what the real Athens is.

Little alley in Anafiotika

6. To listen to the stories behind the food you eat

Wondering around Athens by yourself and trying some of the Greek food is not the same as to listen to the stories behind each bite that you taste. If you join a storytelling food tour in Athens, the food stories will become testimonies of life and convey experience! It is this magic behind the little things that stay in our memory and leave intense and lasting impressions. Great stories happen all around you! What is special in food stories though, is not just that you will learn the origin or a myth or legend about the food you will eat; it is the connection of a taste and its past to the people that created a life around it. Food is no longer just food and becomes a taste of local history and tradition.

Discovering how ‘mpougatsa’ is made before tasting it

7. To discover the local markets

If you are looking for local vibes and delving into a local Athenian’s routine, then local markets are the place to be. This is one of the best reasons to join a food tour in Athens; because it doesn’t get more real than that! See, touch, smell, taste, listen… dive into the real Athens. Explore the Varvakios Market, located in the most multicultural neighborhood and offering the best quality of meat, fish, nuts, honey, and anything else you can imagine; locals love it and they are coming from all over the city to shop there. The merchants behind their stalls will be calling you out to get closer and try some of their products for free. They are eager to start a conversation with you and learn where you come from and what makes their product special. The local markets are where you will discover the raw material of Greek Mediterranean cuisine.

Tip! Our Athens food tour is like a discovery tour in the authentic part of the city. Join us and explore Varvakios Market and other hidden gems!

Local market in Athens

8. To find recipes you want to take home with you

Among the most vivid memories in a human mind are those recalled by the aroma and taste of the delicious food they tried! The warmth, the sense of security and the intimacy of food are all human experiences. A "strong" image may remain etched in our memory for years, but it is proven that its memory slowly fades away. By joining an authentic food tour in Athens you will have the chance to learn traditional Greek recipes, which you can take back home with you. As you try the recipe in your own kitchen, all the Athenian memories will come back to life! Scents and flavors remain indelible in the human brain, inextricably tied to memories that will never go away.

Mpougatsa with cream and cinnamon

9. To meet and share food with people from different cultures

Joining a small-group food tour in Athens will allow you to share time and food with other travelers visiting Athens, like you; people that have a different background. You get the unique chance to discover Greek culture with people from other cultures and create bonds that transcend borders through shared experiences. Food truly connects people!

Tip! Combine tastes and history in Athens, by joining our Scents and Flavors walking tour, and share beautiful memories with different people.

Sharing local drinks in Athens

10. To travel off the beaten path and away from the crowds

Many food tours in Athens guide you away from the tourist center and the low-quality places, taking you to authentic neighborhoods and shops. Instead of finding yourself in places you’ve already been or shops that cater to the masses of tourists, discover family-run restaurants and food shops in authentic corners of the city that are frequented by the locals. Follow your local foodie guide and taste your way through Athens’ little streets during an Athens food tour. Taste Greek delicacies away from the crowds, interact with the locals and see how everyday life looks like for Athenians.

A food tour in Athens will open your mind and fill your stomach! And it is ideal if you are in Athens only for a short visit. It allows you to discover a lot in a short time. Feel free to get in touch with us for a tailor-made tour in Athens, based on your own preferences and tastes. If you are a true foodie, you should check our article about traditional foods and drinks to try when you visit Greece. If you love to travel off the beaten path, then see what we have to say about the alternative things to do in Athens.

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