Recently Viewed
Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class
5.0
930 Ratings
Charleston
Embark on a chef-led historic food tour in Charleston, exploring the city’s culinary heritage. Enjoy a walking tour, cooking demonstration, lunch, and wine tasting at Bistro a Vin.
Embark on a chef-led historic food tour in Charleston, exploring the city’s culinary heritage. Enjoy a walking tour, cooking demonstration, lunch, and wine tasting at Bistro a Vin.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- 1 Vendue Range - Charleston’s acclaimed Chef Forrest Parker guides you along an undiscovered path where food and history meet on in historic Charleston, distilling 400 years into a walking tour experience culminating with a cooking demonstration and three course tasting of the iconic flavors of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Chef Forrest leads you…
- 1 Vendue Range - Charleston’s acclaimed Chef Forrest Parker guides you along an undiscovered path where food and history meet on in historic Charleston, distilling 400 years into a walking tour experience culminating with a cooking demonstration and three course tasting of the iconic flavors of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Chef Forrest leads you on a 90 minute walking tour unlike any other in the city, as the only certified chef tour guide, exploring the complicated history of the Holy City and the culinary influences that shaped Charleston into one of the world’s top food destinations. You’ll visit the not-to be missed sights, but also the lesser known and understood locations where, for example, an enslaved chef created a recipe that still helps define local menus. The tour concludes at a cozy bistro where you relax while Chef Forrest demonstrates how to prepare the recipes he wrote interpreting definitive Lowcountry classics, and prepared using techniques he mastered over two decades. You’ll enjoy a lunch with each of those courses carefully paired with wine, and then take his recipes home with you as our gift to you.
What's Included
- 90-minute walking tour of Charleston’s historic district
- Cooking Demonstration by Chef Forrest Parker
- Each guest will leave with copies of Chef Forrest’s recipes
- Lunch
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tea and coffee
- 90-minute walking tour of Charleston’s historic district
- Cooking Demonstration by Chef Forrest Parker
- Each guest will leave with copies of Chef Forrest’s recipes
- Lunch
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Meal Options
- Lunch - Tours conclude at a cozy bistro where Chef Forrest demonstrates how to prepare Lowcountry classics. Enjoy a lunch carefully paired with wine.
- Lunch - Tours conclude at a cozy bistro where Chef Forrest demonstrates how to prepare Lowcountry classics. Enjoy a lunch carefully paired with wine.
Additional Information
Charleston’s sole chef-led historical walking tour, cooking show, and lunch! Our adventure starts with a 90-minute culinary history walking tour through the historic district, followed by a cooking show, lunch & wine tasting at the beloved local venue, Bistro a Vin. The experience is led by Charleston’s only South Carolina Chef Ambassador & Palmetto…
Charleston’s sole chef-led historical walking tour, cooking show, and lunch! Our adventure starts with a 90-minute culinary history walking tour through the historic district, followed by a cooking show, lunch & wine tasting at the beloved local venue, Bistro a Vin. The experience is led by Charleston’s only South Carolina Chef Ambassador & Palmetto Guild Certified tour guide, Forrest Parker. As the leader of teams at some of Charleston’s most famous eateries, Parker has been described as a ‘visionary who leverages the culture, history & flavor customs of South Carolina to create heritage-rich experiences.’ In 2016, Parker was acknowledged by Governor Nikki Haley as a S.C. Chef Ambassador, a peak achievement in a culinary career that kicked off in 1995.
Chef Forrest encourages you to take the road less taken; to see, touch, sip, and savor the Undiscovered Charleston!
- Guests must be 21 or older, with the exception of older teenagers accompanying parents
- FOOD ALLERGIES! I regulary cook, handle, prepare and serve meats, shellfish, eggs, dairy, nuts and gluten. That said, if you require reasonable accommodation of any food allergies, aversions or special diets: most common special diets etc. can be accommodated, provided I’m aware in advance. Vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, dairy allergies, nut allergies & celiacs are all welcome, provided I’m aware in advance. I’m not a restaurant and if I’m not aware in advance I will not be prepared. If you are requesting reasonable accommodation, I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO MESSAGE ME DIRECTLY.
Location
Pineapple Fountain
Vendue Range
Waterfront Park, also called Joe Riley Waterfront Park is at the end of a street called Vendue Range. We'll meet at the famous Pineapple fountain in the middle of the park.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(930 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Adambz4765xw
Oct 26, 2025
Best historical walking tour and foodie experience in Charleston - We are quasi locals in Charleston and are always looking for fun and interesting things to do. There is an endless supply. We found Forrest and the Undiscovered Charleston tour on Trip Advisor. Boy are we glad we did. The history and locations were so interesting. We've done numerous carriage ride / tours. Visited sites like the Provost Dungeon. We have taken food tours and done pub crawls. This tour culminated in a cooking demonstration that tied the mornings sites and history together in a marvelous 3 course menu wine pairing that left us without a need for dinner. ( We ate anyway - Charleston is a food town after all ). It was as good as any 5 star establishment in town. The wines were perfect. Light and well balanced. The pace was a good balance for the quicker people in the group and those who brought up the rear. Everything was presented with ample time for questions, and time to soak in the site without being hurried while moving us along for a perfectly timed lunch. Forrest even brings the humor to keep things lively and relevant. This is definitely a diamond in the broadly available historical walking tours of Charleston. One you shouldn't miss.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dale_l
Oct 25, 2025
Chef gave us an... - Chef gave us an informative tour followed by a wonderful meal. I would highly recommend this experience.
Review provided by Viator
Justan_g
Oct 17, 2025
Awesome experience,... - Awesome experience, really cool to have the chef cooking and preparing the dishes in front of us and really explaining how we can make the items ourselves. The shrimp and grits was a real treat, I couldn't recommend this highly enough to anyone that loves food and a good time!!!
Review provided by Viator
452loyc
Oct 11, 2025
Best cultural and dining experience I’ve ever had! - This tour was an incredible and delicious cultural experience! I highly recommend to anyone visiting Charleston whether it’s your first time visiting or returning. Chef Forrest is knowledgeable, engaging, and very passionate about his craft and the history of Charleston and its cuisine. We did this tour for my wife’s birthday, and Chef Forrest made it a day we will always cherish. Even with the weather being rainy and windy, we would have walked and listened to Chef Forrest all day. To top off the tour (which could absolutely stand on its own), Chef Forrest prepared a three course meal for us in a private space continuing to educate us during the preparation and service and tying the food he served back to the history we learned during the walking tour. The meal was the best dining experience we’ve has in Charleston and likely in any other travel, all the while it felt like a lifelong friend was cooking for us. Don’t hesitate to take this tour. I’m confident you won’t regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leighd823
Oct 11, 2025
Food tour - This was a great experience. The tour was so history rich and the food was delicious!! Forrest was a wonderful host. I would highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindak360
Oct 9, 2025
See, experience and taste the best of Charleston! - Enthusiastic and fun, Chef gives a great walking tour of Charleston. The highlight was our 4 -course lunch and wine pairings! A fun and great way to kick off our 3 days in Charleston celebrating decade birthdays for 6 life-long friends! Superb!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda_k
Oct 9, 2025
Great friends enjoying our half day with Forest! - Forest made the best of a rainy start to our walking tour! We really loved the stories and enthusiasm with which he shares the rich cultural history of Charleston. The highlight to our day was the foodie extravaganza he prepared for us! Can’t say enough about that experience. A great kickoff for 6 friends sharing some decade birthdays on this trip.
Review provided by Viator
Stamon14
Oct 9, 2025
Amazing food and experience! - This was hands down some of the best food I’ve ever eaten — and I’ve traveled all over the world. Food was absolutely incredible, with flavors and stories that made Charleston come alive.
Our guide was kind, intelligent, and genuinely entertaining, weaving in history, humor, and heart throughout the day. The food was out of this world, from the first bite to the last.
If you’re visiting Charleston, this is a must-do experience — come hungry and ready to be amazed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John
Oct 6, 2025
Don’t miss this if you are in Charleston. - Walking tour with amazing insights to Charleston. Great personality, humor, and great history. The lunch after the tour was brilliant. It as if we have made a new friend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roam609966
Oct 6, 2025
Special Morning with Forrest - This food tour and cooking demonstration was such a fun and unique experience! Forrest was an incredible guide — he shared fascinating stories about how Charleston’s history shaped its food culture, and you could tell how passionate he was about it.
The first part of the tour was a nice walk with great insight into the city’s culinary past. Then we headed to a charming little bistro where Forrest cooked a three-course lunch right in front of us! The small group (only 10 people) made it super personal, and we got to chat with him and ask questions as he cooked.
The food was absolutely delicious — honestly one of the best meals of our trip. Highly recommend this tour if you want something interactive, authentic, and full of flavor!
Review provided by Tripadvisor