Tucson Authentic Food Tour with 6 Dishes of Southwestern Flavors
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Join Secret Food Tours on a food tour through downtown Tucson. You'll dine in a number of locally owned restaurants, trying some of their signature dishes.
Learn the story of a city that started with open spaces and rich agriculture and became an eclectic part of the southwestern United States. At the end of your Downtown Tucson food tour, you'll have sampled some of this city’s most delicious dishes and gained a better understanding of its culture and history.
Your Tucson food tour starts here as you imagine everything you’ll see and all the delicious dishes you’ll try. All the food will be served with water.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
* Please note: the itinerary and menu is subject to change, based on the locations' availability, weather, and other circumstances.
* Please ensure to contact us in advance of the tour for any dietary requirement, to ensure we can cater for them the best we can.
* This tour involves a fair amount of walking; comfortable shoes are recommended.
What To Expect
Your guide will meet you inside The Mercado, next to La Estrella. A modern adaption of old world architecture within an expanding downtown, you can find everything from clothes to tacos.
Situated within Viente de Agosto Park sits a statue of a beloved and controversial General Villa. You will learn why this particular piece was gifted by the Mexican government and what role Pancho played in Tucsons rich history.
Options
Private Tucson Food Tour
Private Tour Upgrade: Choose this option to upgrade to a private food tour of Tucson for only you and your group
Tucson Small Group Food Tour
Small Group Tour: Choose this option to join our Secret Food Tour Tucson in a group of 12 people or less!
What‘s Included
Special Elote Pizza
Water
Hand-Crafted Tea
Sonoran Hot Dog – Tucson’s most iconic bite
Homemade Tamales
Our Delicious Secret Dish!
Cochinita (Mexican Pastry)
Transportation
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
320 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Take the tour!
B9863HGbethg,Jun 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful tour filled with history, stories, humor, and delicious food. Loved getting to walk around and try lots of things. Steve was a great guide. Highly recommend.
Great Food Tour
billaT1250CD,May 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide Steve was just great! He was fun and had interesting and historical info that made the city feel very cool! Choices of food venues were authentic and delicious! All the spots on the tour were very welcoming and all are worth another visit! Great tour and highly recommended it and 5 stars for Steve!!
Fun Foods
CHRISTOPHER Q,May 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Excellent tour guide who understands cuisine and explained the food and history of the area well. The variety of food was interesting and delicious.
Great Introduction to Tucson!
Scout1960,May 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Sandra showed us a great day in a surprisingly diverse city. I loved the variety of food on offer, from the Sonoran hot dog to probably one of the best tamales I’ve ever eaten (and I’m from Texas, so I’ve had a few!). A wonderful way to get to know a new city! Highly recommend!
A fun way to learn about Tucson and enjoy some food.
TomandGlenda,May 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It was just the two of us with our guide, so we got a personal tour. The food and beverages were all very good and our guide, Steve, was friendly and knowledgeable. We did realize afterward that the itinerary had said we were actually going to go into a few places that we only walked by, but he did explain them to us.
Ellie with a smile
EVC Stearns,Apr 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wow, Ellie was exceptional great food history as well as local history of Tucson. Very engaging and fun. A true food and city ambassador. I would highly recommend this tour.
Great food tour. Enjoyed...
Shulamith S,Apr 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great food tour. Enjoyed the choices on the tour as they focused on southwestern cuisine. Steve was a wonderful guide and made sure to obtain vegetarian foods for me
Great experience
braylenh2026,Apr 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really fun experience. Great food and tour guide was great. I loved learning more about Tucsons history too.
Interesting, filling and professional tour for a first trip to Tucson
JDFTravels,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did this tour with Ellie and we had a fantastic time- highly recommended. Food-wise, we had plenty of it. By the end we were definitely very full. There was a great balance between substantial food and more snack-like options and some of the larger items were served as half portions, which was very welcome given the number of stops. We had great weather (windy but not terribly hot) but even if it had been hotter, I didn't think it was too much time outside without air conditioning. While we definitely put in a lot of steps that day, it was broken up with time to sit down & relax as well as time on the trolley. Our group involved a variety of ages and abilities and everyone seemed to keep up with the pace just fine. All of the stops were prepared for us when we arrived and all of the seated locations also had water ready for us. Food came out quickly and efficiently and dietary restrictions were handled without any issue. There was a good variety through the day and even though Tucson has far more food options than can ever be captured in a single tour, I think we had great representation of the local cuisine. We went on a Sunday and I know that this meant our food options were slightly different from the ones in the listing, but overall I don't feel like we missed anything major. Ellie gave us great insights into the history and lore of Tucson, both food and non-food related. All of the beautiful murals and Tucson's UNESCO gastronomy designation were just some of the interesting and surprising things we learned about along the way. The timing of our reservations and the efficiency of our guide also gave us some time to explore local businesses as well, so we got some shopping checked off our list at the same time. Overall we went to a lot of places where we would not have gone on our own and ended the day feeling like we had learned a lot about the food and culture of Tucson. A few bits of advice: -If you get a cookie at the beginning, try it but otherwise save it for later- it's dense and filling and could mean you're too full for some of the later food options. -If you go on a Sunday, get there early to check out the flea market. -Comfy shoes for walking are a must
The Secret Food tour with Ellie as our guide - Great afternoon out!
carlsL4512FN,Apr 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The secret food tour was excellent, even though we are long term residents of Tucson we still learned things about the downtown scene that we were no familiar with. Our tour guide Ellie kept us entertained the entire way and the food stops served tastey food in ample portions to fill us up. I would recommend it for people visiting or even the locals if they want a fun afternoon in the Old Pueblo.
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Operated by Secret Food Tours