Tickets must be purchased in advance as the Near North Food Tour and Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour typically sell out quickly ahead of time. To maximize your chances of getting the day, time, and number of tickets you prefer, please book well in advance. Tickets can only be purchased with a Visa, AMEX, or MasterCard from Zerve Ticket Center, or by calling (212) 209-3370. Cash is not accepted.

We do not provide a waiting list. If a date and time is sold out, there is always a good chance that we will add an additional tour on that day. Please email us to let us know what date you are interested in if you do not see availability.

Chicago Food Planet Food Tours serve enough food that for most participants, lunch afterwards is not necessary. With the combination of drink and food tastings combined with breaks for architectural, cultural, and historical insight, most participants are comfortably full after our food tours. Please understand our food tours are not intended to replace breakfast and lunch combined, so please consider eating breakfast before the tour.

Tours generally last between 3 and 3.5 hours and participants can expect to be standing or walking for a majority of the time. We walk at a moderate pace and also provide at least two resting locations for at least 45 minutes total.

A majority of Chicago Food Planet attendees live right here in Chicago. Chicago locals partcipate to learn about the neighborhoods and the city in which they live in as well as take advantage of knowing the best specialty food store locations and local restaurants in Chicago's tastiest neighborhoods, away from Downtown and traditional tourists.

Gratuities are greatly appreciated, although not mandatory. The standard gratuity in the service industry is 15%.

Please be sure and let us know if you (or anyone in your group) has a dietary restriction (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic, allergy, etc.) when you purchase your tickets. As long as we know in advance, we can accommodate your needs.

We ask that you please wait to shop until after the tour so that we can stay on our food-tasting schedule and continue with the informative tour and food tastings in a timely manner. We ask you allow time at the end of the tour to return to your favorite locations and/or stores. The tours are on a schedule to arrive at each tasting location so its important to stay on schedule so the food is freshly prepared for the participants.

We highly recommend taking our food tours at the beginning of your visit so you allow plenty of time to revisit the wonderful neighborhoods off-the-beaten-path and also enjoy returning to you favorite food tasting locations and redeeming your Store Coupons. Since tours usually sell out well in advance, there is not a better day of the week versus another.

While we offer both adolescent and children tickets, the tour is three hours long and some children have a limited attention span and therefore the tour may not be appropriate for some of them. Parents, who know their children best, should assess the situation individually. Since there is a lot of standing and walking, please consider this when deciding whether the tour is appropriate for your child.

Yes, both the Near North Food Tour and Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour routes and tasting establishments are wheelchair and baby stoller friendly and accessible.

Yes, Chicago Gift Certificates are available for Chicago Food Planet tours. To purchase or learn more about our gift certificates, please visit our Gift Certificates page and submit a Gift Certificates Request Form. A member of Chicago Food Planet staff will respond with payment and further instructions.

Yes, Chicago Private Group Tours are available from Chicago Food Planet Food Tours. To set up or learn more, please visit our Private Group Tours page and submit a Private Group Tour Request Form. A member of Chicago Food Planet staff will respond within 24 hours.

Yes, both tours offer alternative tasting options for vegetarians.

Both the Near North Food Tour and Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour have a drink tasting included in the tour. You can however purchase water and/or beverages at the beginning of both tours at the specified meeting locations. Additionally, most of the tasting locations sell water and/or beverages during the tour.

No, neither the Near North Food Tour nor the Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour finish at the same meeting point. However, detailed instructions are provided after ticket purchase with starting and ending point locations, and all participants receive a map with return directions included at the beginning of the tour. Return trips can be accomplished by walking, taking a Chicago taxi, or taking the CTA "L" trains or bus.

Currently, we do not participate in wine tastings on any of our food tasting and cultural walking tours.

A list of the food tasting locations can be found on the Chicago Food Planet Public Tours page. Tasting locations on both the Near North Food Tour and Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour range from tea, spices, ethnic delis, Chicago-style hot dogs, Chicago-style deep dish pizza, oil and vinegar, cheese, fudge and chocolates to name a few. Food-tasting locations can change without notice.

Absolutely not! Chicago Food Planet Tours combines architectural commentary, historical facts, local culture and culinary insight into a unique 3-hour experience. Imagine walking through Chicago eating our local artisans most delicious foods while learning the neighborhoods from real locals. Please consider reading Chicago Food Planet Reviews from thousands of previous customers to learn more of their experiences or view our Chicago Food Planet Tours Photo Gallery.

We do not sample food from any sit-down restaurants during our food tours. Most food tasting are done on the go, and the food is provided by ethnic eateries and specialty food shops and stores. However, insights to Chicago's best restaurants off-the-beaten-path are shared by the tour guide during the tour, and we provide a list of all the restaurants that we highlight so you can revisit or contact them after the tour.

Yes, we only offer tours in English at this time. Please email us if you would like to make arrangements for your own interpreter to join the tour or if you are interested in a tour in a different language as we are able to accommodate most requests ahead of time.

The tours are held rain, shine, or snow. In the event of inclement weather, we will be able to go inside many of the establishments on the tour. We also provide ponchos in case of sudden weather changes or if you do not have your own umbrella. However, we advise to check the weather conditions for your days event and dress appropriately.

If you are bringing an infant/very young child and they will not be participating in the tastings, you do not need to purchase a ticket for them. However, please do let us know if you will be attending with an infant or young child when you purchase tickets in the Notes section.

Yes, bathrooms are available during the tour at selected food-tasting locations.

Yes. Cameras and filming are allowed during the tour. We strongly encourage participants to take photos during the tour.

Yes, there is both private and public parking located near the meeting point of both Near North Food Tour and Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour. Specific parking details are included in the meeting location directions after purchasing ticket(s) with location, pricing, and hours.