- Most Popular!
- Perfect for couples!
Join us for a unique North End, Boston food tour! You will see, hear, and taste Boston’s historic and colorful North End culture on this Boston foodie tour. People of all ages can join and the tour costs includes all food and drink!
- All Ages
- 3 Hours
Italy without the passport awaits you.....
Do you love Italian food and wine? Do you love history and architecture? Then let me guide you on three tours rolled
into one!
We will eat the best regional Italian cuisine spanning Sicily to Genoa, try authentic olive oils, balsamic vinegars, prosciutto, cheese, artisanal bread, freshly made mozzarella and handmade pasta and gnocchi, learn about Italian wine, visit hidden bakeries, an 80 year old coffee and spice shop, and experience a true local caffe. Ending the progressive meal with cannoli, gelato and espresso!! Enjoy all of this delicious food, while I unravel the fascinating history of how the oldest district in Boston has become the largest little Italy in America!! You will leave with full bellies, hearts, and minds!!
Please read reviews on TripAdvisor, yelp, and Google!! This is the most high quality tour in Boston.
A Tale of Two Peninsulas
A consistent theme of the tour is exploring the hyper-localism of the North End and the parallels to Italy’s hyper-regionalism. Both places are peninsulas that have been conquered by various groups of ethnicities and people over their histories. The North End has always been “separate” from Boston, in that it’s a peninsula with natural and at times artificial boundaries ( The JFK Expressway built in the 1950s completely Balkanized the neighborhood until the completion of the Big Dig and subsequent Greenway Park). Italy is the most invaded country in history (just look at where it’s located on a map; it’s the crossroads of three continents). Geography, history, and food will play equal parts on our journey and exploration of two great peninsulas. This food tour of the North End, Boston will have you hungry for more cultural appreciation!
The Ultimate Boston North End Experience!
It's hard to choose what part of the tour was my favorite. I loved it all. It was just the right mix of interesting history, delicious food, and great local knowledge. Paula is a joy to be with and she was clearly someone who loves and cares for her neighbors and neighborhood. I can't imagine a better food tour or a better way to learn about the North End.
– Franny010 | TripadvisorPaula is knowledgeable, funny and a wonderful storyteller! She will ensure you are well fed while fascinating you with North End history, and current details. She will walk and guide you through the neighborhood streets and make stops at unique neighborhood shops. She will educate you on olive oils and feed you the most DELICIOUS food (and wine) . Easily one the best food tours and a highlight of our Boston trip!
– Seaside62974026713 | TripadvisorThis is a fantastic tour to learn about Boston's North End while enjoying some great food and hidden gems! Paula is super engaging and friendly. She is passionate about her neighborhood and has so many wonderful connections and insight. I learned a lot and was definitely full at the end! I've done many, many food tours and this ranks among my favorites. It's a great way to learn about a city. I was by myself and included with a group doing an activity for their work. Everyone was friendly and our group of 12 did not seem too large. Thank you Paula!
– Andrea S. | TripadvisorPaula led my partner, parents, and me on a delicious and educational tour of Boston’s North End. So much variety! Restaurants, a lovely cafe, and some very neat markets—one that still looks as it did in the 1930s (if my recollection is accurate). My partner and I are vegetarians, and were easily accommodated for. Paula is brilliant and good-humored. Her background in art history is clear. She’ll be leading tours of the North End’s architecture soon; we’ll certainly be joining her for one of those!
– Olivia | TripadvisorPaula was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and provided wonderful historical context for all of the food we ate. She has far more North End (and Italian) expertise than any of the corporate tours could. She is also extremely accommodating, and the tour is great for vegetarians. I can’t recommend it enough!
– Avery H. | TripadvisorWe were taken back in time through history and food. The North End has much to offer and Paula took our group to places we never would have found on our own. She is pleasant and passionate about her community and we recommend her tour to anyone looking to learn more about this great community while enjoying some of the best Italian food we’ve ever had. Highly recommended and I bet you’ll love the memories you take from this amazing experience.
– Steve G. | TripadvisorI am headed to college in Boston, and recently took Paula’s “Off the Eaten Path” food tour. It is one of my favorite things I have ever done during my visits to Boston! Paula is a local of the North End and is known and very obviously loved by everyone there. She took us all around Little Italy to places that represent authentic food from all regions of Italy. The food was SO good, and we even took a couple of to-go boxes. Everyone that we met was friendly, welcoming, and excited to share their culture and story. I learned so much about the food, regions of Italy, and about Italy’s influence on Boston’s historical North End.
– Hollis Hanson | TripadvisorLoved walking around the North End with someone who was obviously part of and passionate about her neighborhood’s history and cuisine. Paula shared wonderful, funny and insightful anecdotes about characters past and present that brought the area and it’s unique place in Boston’s broader culture alive. The delicious tastes along the way were beautifully woven into a truly superb food tour!
– James L. | TripadvisorIt's hard to choose what part of the tour was my favorite. I loved it all. It was just the right mix of interesting history, delicious food, and great local knowledge. Paula is a joy to be with and she was clearly someone who loves and cares for her neighbors and neighborhood. I can't imagine a better food tour or a better way to learn about the North End.
– Franny010 | TripadvisorPaula is knowledgeable, funny and a wonderful storyteller! She will ensure you are well fed while fascinating you with North End history, and current details. She will walk and guide you through the neighborhood streets and make stops at unique neighborhood shops. She will educate you on olive oils and feed you the most DELICIOUS food (and wine) . Easily one the best food tours and a highlight of our Boston trip!
– Seaside62974026713 | TripadvisorThis is a fantastic tour to learn about Boston's North End while enjoying some great food and hidden gems! Paula is super engaging and friendly. She is passionate about her neighborhood and has so many wonderful connections and insight. I learned a lot and was definitely full at the end! I've done many, many food tours and this ranks among my favorites. It's a great way to learn about a city. I was by myself and included with a group doing an activity for their work. Everyone was friendly and our group of 12 did not seem too large. Thank you Paula!
– Andrea S. | TripadvisorPaula led my partner, parents, and me on a delicious and educational tour of Boston’s North End. So much variety! Restaurants, a lovely cafe, and some very neat markets—one that still looks as it did in the 1930s (if my recollection is accurate). My partner and I are vegetarians, and were easily accommodated for. Paula is brilliant and good-humored. Her background in art history is clear. She’ll be leading tours of the North End’s architecture soon; we’ll certainly be joining her for one of those!
– Olivia | TripadvisorPaula was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and provided wonderful historical context for all of the food we ate. She has far more North End (and Italian) expertise than any of the corporate tours could. She is also extremely accommodating, and the tour is great for vegetarians. I can’t recommend it enough!
– Avery H. | TripadvisorWe were taken back in time through history and food. The North End has much to offer and Paula took our group to places we never would have found on our own. She is pleasant and passionate about her community and we recommend her tour to anyone looking to learn more about this great community while enjoying some of the best Italian food we’ve ever had. Highly recommended and I bet you’ll love the memories you take from this amazing experience.
– Steve G. | TripadvisorI am headed to college in Boston, and recently took Paula’s “Off the Eaten Path” food tour. It is one of my favorite things I have ever done during my visits to Boston! Paula is a local of the North End and is known and very obviously loved by everyone there. She took us all around Little Italy to places that represent authentic food from all regions of Italy. The food was SO good, and we even took a couple of to-go boxes. Everyone that we met was friendly, welcoming, and excited to share their culture and story. I learned so much about the food, regions of Italy, and about Italy’s influence on Boston’s historical North End.
– Hollis Hanson | TripadvisorLoved walking around the North End with someone who was obviously part of and passionate about her neighborhood’s history and cuisine. Paula shared wonderful, funny and insightful anecdotes about characters past and present that brought the area and it’s unique place in Boston’s broader culture alive. The delicious tastes along the way were beautifully woven into a truly superb food tour!
– James L. | TripadvisorIt's hard to choose what part of the tour was my favorite. I loved it all. It was just the right mix of interesting history, delicious food, and great local knowledge. Paula is a joy to be with and she was clearly someone who loves and cares for her neighbors and neighborhood. I can't imagine a better food tour or a better way to learn about the North End.
– Franny010 | TripadvisorPaula is knowledgeable, funny and a wonderful storyteller! She will ensure you are well fed while fascinating you with North End history, and current details. She will walk and guide you through the neighborhood streets and make stops at unique neighborhood shops. She will educate you on olive oils and feed you the most DELICIOUS food (and wine) . Easily one the best food tours and a highlight of our Boston trip!
– Seaside62974026713 | TripadvisorThis is a fantastic tour to learn about Boston's North End while enjoying some great food and hidden gems! Paula is super engaging and friendly. She is passionate about her neighborhood and has so many wonderful connections and insight. I learned a lot and was definitely full at the end! I've done many, many food tours and this ranks among my favorites. It's a great way to learn about a city. I was by myself and included with a group doing an activity for their work. Everyone was friendly and our group of 12 did not seem too large. Thank you Paula!
– Andrea S. | Tripadvisor