FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Each tour has a specificed downtown starting location where you will meet your Tour Guide. When you purchase tickets this information will be emailed to you along with parking suggestions. Each tour ends at a nearby different location, but within a very short walk from the start location.
Dress casually and wear comfortable shoes for walking. Also check the weather and dress accordingly as we will be both inside and out.
Our tours serve enough food that for most participants lunch afterwards is not necessary. With the combination of drink and food tastings along with breaks for architectural, cultural, and historical insight, most participants are comfortably full after the tour. Our food tours are not intended to replace breakfast and lunch combined, so please consider eating a light breakfast before the tour.
Yes, bathrooms are available during the tour at selected locations.
Please be sure and let us know if you (or anyone in your group) has a dietary restriction (e.g. vegetarian, food allergy, etc.) when you purchase your tickets. As long as we know in advance, we can usually accommodate their needs.
Water is provided at many tasting locations along our tour and available at others. However, we encourage you to bring your own water if you so desire.
Tours are held rain, shine, and in all temperatures year round. We reserve the right to cancel a tour due to weather if safety is threatened, and if there are less than 5 persons on a specific tour.
If we cancel a tour, we will at your discretion, either, 1) reschedule you to another tour date (subject to availability), 2) issue you a Gift Certificate that you can use within the next year, or 3) refund your ticket purchase.
If you cancel, with at least 24 hours notice, we’ll either, 1) reschedule you to another tour date (subject to availability), or 2) issue a Gift Certificate. With less than 24 hour notice, tickets and fees are non-refundable.
Absolutely not! Our Food Tours combine architectural information, historical facts, local culture and culinary insight into a unique tour experience. It’s called a “Food Tour,” so the food is primary, but it’s so much more.
There are a couple of stairways along the tour route; however, there is an elevator or alternative route provided in all instances. All walking is on flat hard surfaces (sidewalks). If you have concerns, please indicate this when you purchase your ticket or be sure to tell your tour guide before the start of the tour.
Yes, Gift Certificates are available for all our tours. You many purchase them in any dollar amount suitable to your interest and needs.
Click Here to purchase Gift Cards
If you are bringing an infant or young child (7 years of age and under), and they will not be eating, you do NOT need to purchase a ticket for them. If you do plan on your child eating, we offer a Child Ticket. Please let us know if you will be attending with an infant or young child who is NOT eating when you purchase tickets in the Notes section.
Yes, we only offer tours in English at this time. Please email us if you would like to make arrangements for your own interpreter to join the tour or if you are interested in a tour in a different language as we may be able to accommodate requests with enough notice.
We ask that you please wait to shop until after the tour so that we can stay on our food-tasting schedule and continue with the informative tour and food tastings in a timely manner. We ask you allow time at the end of the tour to return to your favorite locations and/or shops. The tours are on a schedule to arrive at each tasting location so its important to stay on time so the food is freshly prepared for the participants.
Yes, Private tours are available for groups up to 14 guests. To set up or learn more, please visit our Private Group Tours. A member of our staff will respond within 48 hours.
Yes – all guests must purchase a ticket whether they plan to partake in the food tastings or not. Non-paying individuals will not be able to join the tour. The ticket fee helps cover the costs of all the samplings and other costs. Also the fee helps to pay your tour guide, who offers valuable commentary on historical, architectural, cultural and restaurant information during the 3-hour tour.
Tickets must be purchased in advance as the tours sell out ahead of time. To maximize your chances of getting the day, time, and number of tickets you prefer, please book well in advance.
A gratuity for your tour guide are greatly appreciated, although not mandatory. The standard gratuity in the service industry is 15%.
Absolutely! We strongly encourage locals to attend and learn a little more about your city, discover new exciting restaurants, or just spend a great afternoon with us in downtown. Your guaranteed to gain a new appreciation of your hometown! The tours are also a great way to showcase your city to out of town guests!
Tours generally last about 3 hours and participants can expect to be standing or walking for a good portion of the tour. We walk at a moderate pace and also provide sit down locations on all of our tours.
We do not provide a waiting list. However, if a tour date and time is sold out, there is some chance that we might be able to accommodate in some way. Please email us and let us know what date you are interested in if you do not see availability.
No, the ticket price does not include a guide gratuity. If you are so inclined, a 15%-20% tip for your guide/driver is always appreciated.
Yes, the tour route is wheelchair and baby stroller friendly and accessible.
While we offer both adolescent (8 – 12) and child (7 & under) tickets, the tour is three hours long and some children have a limited attention span and therefore the tour may not be appropriate for some. Parents, who know their children best, should assess the situation individually. Since there is a lot of standing and walking, please consider this when deciding whether the tour is appropriate for your child.
All our Tours are held rain, shine, or snow, year round in all temperatures. However, we advise to check the weather conditions for your tour day and dress appropriately.
On our walking tours in the event of inclement weather, we will be able to go inside many of the establishments on the tour. We also provide ponchos in case of sudden weather changes or if you do not have your own umbrella.
We reserve the right to cancel a tour due to weather or other conditions that may impact guest safety. Otherwise, here we go!
Food is provided by ethnic eateries, specialty food shops and local restaurants. For a better idea of what types of eateries we will visit, a list of the food tasting locations can be found on each tour’s page on this web site.
For Roanoke visitors, we highly recommend taking our food tours at the beginning of your visit – it’ll make the remainder of your visit so much more enriching. Our tours are the tastiest way to discover Roanoke like an insider! You’ll also be able to redeem your Tasting Location Coupons. For locals, the best time is with your friends and family. Since tours may sell out well in advance, we suggest buying tickets early.
Parking is available at each tour’s starting location. After you purchase tickets, you’ll receive emails with parking suggestions.
Due to the various food establishments we visit, pets of any kind are not allowed on this tour. Accommodations for Service Dogs will be made. However, please do let us know if you will be attending with a Service Dog and any accompanying limitations when you purchase tickets in the Notes section.