Queen Victoria Market Ultimate Foodie Tour: Guided Walking Exploration with Tastings
4.8
229 Ratings
Melbourne
Embark on the ultimate foodie adventure at Queen Victoria Market. Explore the market's history, taste fresh produce, and discover unique ingredients on this guided walking tour. Limited to 10 food-lovers per guide.
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Meet your small group at a prearranged spot in Queen Victoria Market. The historic landmark, whose nicknames include “Vic Market” and “Queen Vic,” was established over two city blocks in 1878.

Five days a week, vendors set up shop in the laneways. Organic produce bursts from crates labeled by region, and stands overflow with honey, spices, and other local goods. Pates, cheeses, and dips fill Deli Hall, also known as the Dairy Produce Hall. Around every corner, there’s a sight to see, and your guide will point out details easy to miss in the bustling market throughout the 2-hour tour.

While most of the market is filled with tables and stands, you can also find specialty shops. Gourmet breads are sold over at the bustling M&G Caiafa, nuts, dried fruits and grains abound. For a sweet treat, head to the American Doughnut Kitchen, where you can indulge in famous hot jam doughnut. For handmade pasta of all shapes and sizes, step into the Traditional Pasta Shop.

At the end of your guided tour, enjoy a fruit platter!

Sample tasting menu, subject to change:

  • Coffin Bay oysters
  • Hot jam doughnuts
  • Grilled peppered kangaroo
  • Pickled octopus
  • Local goats’ milk cheese
  • Fresh dolmades
  • Victorian olives

Please note: Tastings are seasonal and dependent on what’s new and currently popular at the market.

Points of Interest

  • Market Espresso & Trolley Hire

  • Queen Victoria Market

What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Generous tastings
  • Queen Victoria Market shopping bag
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Enjoy an engaging and mouthwatering walking tour through the famous Queen Victoria Market. Sample the freshest products, uncover exotic ingredients, pick up shopping and cooking insights, explore the Market’s past, and get to meet some of our cherished vendors. This two-hour walking tour comes with generous tastings, a Market shopping bag, and a Market voucher.

Tasting samples vary depending on the day’s fresh produce but usually encompass fresh seafood, peppered grilled kangaroo, a variety of local cheeses, savory dips, seasonal gelato among others. This intimate tour accommodates a maximum of 10 food enthusiasts per guide.

Kindly be informed that due to the nature of this gastronomic tour, we are unable to accommodate individual dietary needs.

  • Please wear comfortable walking shoes
  • Tour meeting point: Outside Mary Martin Bookshop, corner Queen Street & String Bean Alley
Location
Market Espresso & Trolley Hire
Queen Street
Please meet out the front of Mary Martin Bookshop, corner String Bean Alley and Queen Street.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(229 Ratings)
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Heather_f
Mar 25, 2024
Fun morning exploring the market. - Irene was very informative and brought the group together, we enjoyed everything about the tour. Guide, stall holders, information, company, food and drink.
Review provided by Viator
Kiwioz15
Mar 10, 2024
Flavours of Greece Tour - This tour was excellent and a great way to learn about the history and operation of the market, plus of course learning about the "Flavours of Greece" available in the market. Stallholders who shared samples of their produce were very varied and generous together with being entertaining. The Tour Guide, Irene ; a Greek/Australia woman resplendent in Greek national colours was entertaining and informative and conducted a very relaxed tour which made for a great way to spend time to learn about one of Melbourne's must see locations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
L3098gfmelissar
Mar 2, 2024
Highly recommended - Highly recommended- informative, fun and walked away with a full belly of many delights. Met people from around the world, all ages.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tess_e
Feb 12, 2024
Fantastic - Couldn't fault it. The guide was lovely and extremely knowledgable. The stories from the various stall holders was delightful and their produce superb. I would highly recommend it to any foodie.
Review provided by Viator
Janice_h
Feb 10, 2024
Highly recommend - The tour guide was very engaging and the history of the markets was fascinating. We had plenty of samples and it was a good amount of time.
Review provided by Viator
Bronwyn_w
Feb 4, 2024
Bustling, delicious, cultural wonderland, definitely a fun thing to do - We had a fabulous morning touring the QVM with our guide Sophie. Amazing samples of interesting and delicious food over the 2 hours. Learnt about the history and rich culture of the markets and had some short presentations from some of the stall owners. Especially loved the Muscles, Kangaroo, Australian Cheese Shop, Eclairs, German sausage, Sicilian Gelato. Lots of small samples of food along the way. Would highly recommend this if its a while since you have been to the QV markets.
Review provided by Viator
Sightsee683595
Feb 2, 2024
Do yourself a favour and take yourself on this marvellous Melbourne tour... - Fabulous connection with the vibrant and bustling Melbourne icon Queen Victoria Market. Rob our tour guide was fabulous. The traders we visited where overwhelming with their love and dedication to the market and their role in adding to the magic the QVM is. The food was plentiful, varied and delicious. We did not need lunch after the tour. Come hungry! I would highly recommend this tour to locals such as us (Richmond residents) and tourists. I will be telling all my friends about this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Usbound
Jan 28, 2024
A must do Melbourne experience - This is a fabulous tour. The Queen Victoria Markets is a truly must do Melbourne experience. The foodie tour is great value, Sonia, our tour guide is passionate, knowledgeable & a true advocate for the markets. 100/100 ❤️
Review provided by Viator
Marinamp5028yf
Apr 4, 2024
Foodie tour - The foodie tour was great. Lots of history about the market and plenty of foodie tastings. I’d suggest having a light breakfast cause you will be so full after the tour, you won’t need lunch and maybe dinner! Our guide was lovely and very knowledgeable about the market.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicki_f
Feb 13, 2024
Disappointed - The tour guide was very nolagable about the architecture of the Market but the food tasting was very slow in coming. We spent alot of time walking up the fruit and vegies stalls, not tasting anything. We missed the Turkish delight tasting and we started off with a Roo and susage taste. Both were very nice. Oysters were nice. We got to my fav part of food consumption area, cheese, anti-pasto, and dips. Unfortunately there was a mishap and a jar of cappers was broken on the ground, and out tour guide tidied it all up - it took ages. I went off and did my own tasting at an Italian family run stall next door, brought cheese, crackers, dips to take back to the Hotel. While everyone else stood around and watched the tour guide clean up the area. There was also a very nice bakery I got some fresh bead from, keeping an eye on the tour group, all the while doing some tasting and buying. We finished the tour off at a wine shop and it was very nice but the tour guide very quickly left after our second taste. It was a good base tour, where I now knew the Market lay out and could continue to taste and shop. Do not really think the price of the tour was worth what we ended up with.
Review provided by Viator
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1 Adult
June 2024
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