Old Town Alexandria Tour: Food, History & Architecture
4.8
21 Ratings
Alexandria
Discover the hidden gem of Old Town Alexandria, just across the river from DC. Explore its food, history, and architecture on a guided tour. Taste award-winning dishes, learn about the city's evolution, and support a local charity.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Old Town - On this tour, you’ll explore the history and culture of Old Town Alexandria and taste carefully selected tastings along the way.
- Alexandria City Hall & Market Square - After our first restaurant stop, we’ll pass through Market Square, the heart of Old Town. If you tour with us on Saturdays, you’ll see the longest running farmer’s market in action!
- Alexandria Visitors Center - As we stroll down King Street, we’ll pass by Ramsey House. If you plan to explore more after the tour, we encourage our guests to return here to speak with the friendly staff with a wealth of information.
- Athenaeum - Our tour route takes you past the Athenaeum, a gallery of fine arts and a performance space. The building is an impressive example of Greek Revival architecture.
- Waterfront Park - Alexandria’s newest park sits at the end of King Street and features temporary public art installations, the first of which is an interactive, responsive work. The art responds to sound with illuminated color, bathing visitors in rainbow-hued light as they talk, sing, and play within the installation.
- Torpedo Factory Art Center - We’ll pass through the Torpedo Factory, which is home to the nation’s largest collection of working-artists’ open studios under one roof.
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Historical content
- Lunch
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Situated just across the river from Washington DC, Alexandria, Virginia’s Old Town offers a stark contrast with its cobblestone pavements and quaint row houses. We always recommend that visitors to the capital make a detour to this delightful spot close by!
Savor samples from local eateries that enrich the narrative we unfold. Among our stops include a cherished establishment that has captivated patrons for over four decades; a dining place celebrated for its exemplary cuisine, and a classic bistro steeped in European tradition.
Discover the charming city scene, the waterfront, public art installations, and the architecture while delving into the progress of this compact city. From the era of the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement until present times, Old Town has played a crucial role in the nation’s story. Join us and savour a piece of history.
A fraction of each ticket sold is given to Bread For The City, an institution dedicated to lessening poverty by providing food, clothes, health care, legal and social assistance to Washington DC residents.
- Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate vegan diets on this tour.
- Please note: Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate vegan diets on this tour.
- Proof of vaccination and government ID may be required. Please check city requirements if you have questions.
Location
107 N Fairfax St
North Fairfax Street
Dolci Gelati
107 N Fairfax St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
Please go inside the restaurant and tell the host you are there for your food tour.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(21 Ratings)
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Manzilotti
Jul 2, 2023
History and Food - Jen was very good, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. She explained not only the history of the area but also of the food we were eating.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wilson3882
Jun 10, 2023
Family friendly, perfect blend of food and history - Jenn was great. Her background in history and archeology came thru in her sharing the history of the area, buildings and restaurant stops. Food variety was great! My 13 year old loved it and asked for a similar experience on our next vacation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alan
May 1, 2023
Great, intitimate tour of Alexandria's old town, with bonus food tour! - Jenn was a great guide with terrific knowledge and enthusiasm. Our food stops were terrific and well managed. And old town Alexandria was revealed to us step by step.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary_k
Apr 24, 2022
Fun and informative! - Excellent tour led by the owners. It was fun, informative, and the food was excellent. We loved hearing the stories of the town, as well as the history. It was fantastic to learn more about the local cuisine and culture.
Review provided by Viator
Quest57855010895
Apr 18, 2022
Professional service. - Unfortunately our tour guide was ill the day of our tour and our tour was cancelled. We were offered other tours, but none fit into our plans. We were issued a full refund the same day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Djamesrice
Mar 22, 2021
Mmmmmm - Loved the tour. Loved the history lesson and definitely loved the food. Went back later for more fried green tomatoes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
06mjf
Nov 16, 2020
Highly Recommended! - We have been to Alexandria before but we have never done a tour. We couldn’t believe all of the hidden gems we learned about on this tour. We were able to see Alexandria in a completely different way! We had an amazing time with our guide, Katie! Everything about this tour was well planned and timed just right. We didn’t feel rushed or hurried between stops. We loved that we were able to eat outside at carefully chosen places with historical significance. The tastings were delicious and we learned many interesting tid bits of history about Alexandria as we went from stop to stop. Can’t wait to try the U Street tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_t
Nov 8, 2020
Fun, friendly and delicious tour - This tour was a wonderful combination of history and exploring local eateries. Our delightful tour guide, Mary, provided us the opportunity to meet many of the eateries' owners and hear their background stories, which made the delicious food even better. We also enjoyed the combination of walking through the area learning about its history, and sitting to enjoy the food. Mary did an excellent job ensuring we could all hear what she was saying and answering all of our questions. We met some wonderful people on our tour and will definitely return to Alexandria!
Review provided by Viator
Retiredandlovingit
Mar 1, 2020
Awesome tour! - This tour was awesome! Emma, our tour guide, took us on a great walking history tour of Old Town Alexandria. She was extremely knowledgeable and told us many facts about the area as well as fun stories. The most enjoyable walk was broken up by breaks at area restaurants where we were served delicious food that gave us a sampling of some of the unique offerings of Alexandria. I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Mark_m
Jul 16, 2021
Great tour - Mary was an excellent guide!Not only was the food on the tour fantastic but the interesting snippets and stories of the locals made for a memorable tour.I would definitely recommend taking this tour!
Review provided by Viator
