Best Food Tours of Marseille

Marseille is one of the main cities of France and also one of the cultural epicenters of the country, with its religious tourism, its art museums and a wide range of attractions throughout the city, but it also has to offer a great gastronomic wealth, which is typical of Provence.

Among the best activities you can see and do in Marseille, one of the main ones is to take a gastronomic tour through the different parts of the city, from the historic center to St. Victor and from Le Panier to Provence through the local markets and multicultural restaurants, which you can get to know in the best tours of Marseille.

One of the best ways to get to know a place is to delight your palate with the local food and Marseille is an ideal place for that exercise, as it combines the tradition of its own flavors with the gastronomic richness offered by the multiculturalism of the city. On this walking tour through the old town you will get to know the best restaurants, bars and taverns while you lose yourself in the narrow cobblestone streets.

On these tours you can sample the popular navettes, which are boat-shaped cookies that date back more than 500 years, the rockfish soup known as bouillabaisse, local cheeses and Marseille chocolates. You can also opt for the botarga de Martigues, which is an exclusive dish made with caviar, and is accompanied by Marseille wine or lemon drinks.

In between tastings you will also learn about the stories of the old town, such as the legend of the Torre del Mangia, which takes its name from its first keeper, who was obsessed with food, and you will learn about the adventures of the man in the iron mask, the mysterious French character who lived for some years in Marseille.

During the tour you will also see the facade of the Cathedral of St. Mary Major, which combines Gothic and Romanesque styles and is one of the main attractions of Marseille, along with the museums of the religious complex.

Interesting details

• Price: these tours have an initial cost of approximately €35 per person for adults and €25 for children between 6 and 12 years old, including tastings and the assistance of a local guide.
• Duration: approximately 1 hour and a half.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to taste the local food and also tour the historic center of Marseille.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they last a very short time, so the tour is very intensive.

These tours propose to go "beyond bouillabaisse", i.e. to explore the flavors that Marseille has discovered during the migratory waves and the influence of visitors.

The route of these tours is through the district of St. Victor, which combines the bohemian of the old days with the haute cuisine of the present, always with the cultural crossroads of Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians and Turks.

During the excursions you can taste delicacies of Algerian cuisine, Provençal cookies and Marseille coffee, visit spice stores and Le Canebiere flea market, which although not located in St. Victor, has its origins in the neighborhood. Finally, you can try the appetizers of the port area in an old sailors' bar. If you plan to visit Marseille in summer, you can also opt for lunch in the Old Port.

Please note that these excursions last about 6 hours, so it might not be convenient if you are planning a short stay in the city. If that is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Marseille in 2 days.

Details of interest

• Price: these tours have an initial cost of approximately 120 euros per person, including the assistance of a guide, tastings and lunch.
• Duration: approximately 6 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will get to know the different flavors of the city, with particular emphasis on the food of the immigrants.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they can be expensive.

If you want to discover the gastronomic richness of Marseille and escape for a moment from the hustle and bustle of the old town, then you might be interested in these excursions, which consist of a full-day private tour of Provence to discover the local flavors and wines, which are a specialty of the region.

During this tasting you will visit wineries and vineyards in Cassis, Lourmarin and Aix-es-Provence as well as some of the most exclusive restaurants and bars in the area, to discover the true taste of Martigues bottarga, bouillabaisse and regional white and rosé wines, in a tasting that will be assisted by a sommelier.

During the tour you will also have free time to visit the villages, which will be ideal for you to take some of the best pictures with the Provence landscape as a frame, especially if you plan to visit Marseille with children or with your family.

During these excursions, in addition to food tastings, wine tasting and walks through the local landscapes, you will also be able to learn about the soil, climate and grape varieties that make Provence one of the most prosperous wine making regions in Europe.

Details of interest

• Price: these tours have an initial cost of approximately 170 euros per person, including the assistance of a guide, tastings and lunch.
• Duration: approximately 7 to 8 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will get to know an alternative route to the main ones in the city.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: it can be a bit long, although it also includes transfers to and from the center of Marseille.

If you want to live a local experience, one of the best alternatives is to take a tour of the city's street markets, which is the place that the people of Marseille visit every day to shop for fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. Among the most outstanding are Marché de Noailles, Marché du Prado and Marché de La Plaine, in Jean Jaures square.

On these excursions you can start your tour at Marché de Noailles, which is located in the neighborhood of the same name and is the largest of Marseille's flea markets. There you can taste the best fruits of the city and also buy spices from the Maghreb. These tours usually include tastings in the market and a tour of the neighborhood. Also, if you visit Marseille during Christmas time you will see that it turns into a Christmas market.

The next stop will be at Marché du Prado, in Castellane, a flea market where you can buy everything from street food to handicrafts. There I recommend you try the Arabic food and Spanish tapas. It is the furthest from the Marseille markets.

Marché de La Plaine is the last of the markets of the tour and is the most eclectic of all, as there you can buy almost any product, but stands out for the vegetables and chocolates Marseille. Moreover, because of its strategic location it is also ideal to continue the tour of the city from there, on foot or taking the hop on-hop off tourist buses of Marseille.

Interesting details

• Price: these tours have an initial cost of approximately 85 euros per person, including the assistance of a private guide and tastings.
• Duration: approximately 3 to 4 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be able to live an authentic local experience.
• Disadvantages of these tours: you will have to walk a lot, so it is not recommended with children or older adults.

If you want an alternative gastronomic experience, beyond the fish and seafood of the Old Port and the traditional dishes of the historic center, you can opt for this tour that runs through Aix-en-Provence to discover the best fruits, vegetables, cheeses, breads and pastries of the region. Moreover, the tastings will not take place in a restaurant, but in a picnic, an authentic Provençal plan.

In these tours you will be provided with all the accessories for the experience, such as the table, chairs, napkins, food and also the drink, as you can choose to also taste the wine of the region, as in the best excursions to Provence from Marseille.

This is an ideal excursion to do in a group, especially if you plan to visit Marseille and Provence with friends or family. During these tours, you will usually also be able to tour the city center of Aix-en-Provence and take some of the best pictures of your trip.

Details of interest

• Price: these tours have an initial cost of approximately €45 per person, including picnic items and tastings.
• Duration: approximately 3 to 4 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be able to live an alternative gastronomic experience.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: it is a group excursion, so if you are traveling alone you will not be able to enjoy it.

You can book a gastronomic tour in advance online or book the tour once you are in town, although if you plan to visit Marseille in August or during the summer months, which is high season, I advise you to book before your visit to avoid being sold out on the date you chose and also to avoid last minute price increases.

Although in Marseille in winter is low season, the weather is mild, so although all gastronomic tours are outdoors or require walking, you can book without fear, because the temperatures will allow you to enjoy the tour. In these cases, in addition, the crowds will be much smaller, so it will not be necessary to book in advance.

The answer will depend on the excursion you choose, but in general you will be able to discover the flavors of Marseille and the Mediterranean coast, but also those of other countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia or Turkey, as it is a cosmopolitan and multicultural city with an important influence of immigrants. In addition, you can also get to know the main Marseille neighborhoods and street markets.

On excursions to Provence, which is one of the most beautiful regions of France, you will be able to contemplate some of the best landscapes, taste the local fruits and cheeses and discover the wines of the area. If you plan to enjoy Marseille in April or during the spring, you will also be able to enjoy the blooming fields, as the roads in Provence are mostly rural.

If you plan to visit Marseille in high season, I advise you to book the tours in advance to secure your spot. I also recommend that if you have enough time, don't miss out on touring Provence with a gastronomic tour, as you will not only get to know the local flavors, but also some of the best landscapes of the French south.

Keep in mind that many of the gastronomic tours in Marseille have a full day duration, so they could be incompatible with a short visit to the city. If that is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Marseille in 3 days.

In case you do not have enough time for the day trips in Provence, you can still do the gastronomic tours through the city's markets and the restaurants of the Old Port or the old town, but I recommend that you do not miss out on discovering the flavors of Marseille.

In Marseille you can discover some of the best museums, visit one of the oldest ports in France and visit the Cathedral, but also discover the best of French gastronomy and the multicultural crossroads of flavors, so taking a gastronomic tour is the best alternative to enjoy a different day in the city and get to know its spirit.

In addition, gastronomic tours also include city tours, visits to the city's markets and walks through the main points of Marseille, so it is also an option to know the city with a different theme than the traditional tours.

You can organize an itinerary and go on gastronomic tours on your own, but in many cases you will waste time and money and you will not end up visiting the most interesting sites, which are usually hidden and only available to locals.

On gastronomic tours, expert guides will tell you about the best market stalls, the restaurant with the freshest seafood in the Old Port and the best cheeses in Provence, so in addition to enjoying the tour you will also be assured of the best flavors.