Australia is a vast island continent known for its stunning natural wonders, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Outback's red deserts. With vibrant cosmopolitan cities like Sydney and Melbourne, unique wildlife including kangaroos and koalas, and world-class beaches, Australia offers diverse experiences for every traveler.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Australia through its food.
Melbourne Food and Coffee Culture Walk
Explore Melbourne's legendary laneway cafe culture and multicultural food scene with a local guide, sampling coffee from acclaimed roasters, dumplings in Chinatown, Greek pastries in Little Athens, and craft beer in a converted warehouse. The tour visits 6 food stops across the CBD and Fitzroy.
The Rocks Food Lovers Tour Sydney
Discover Sydney's oldest neighbourhood through its food story, tasting oysters from the NSW mid-coast, Australian artisan cheese, local craft beer, and traditional tucker with Indigenous food guide context. Departs from The Rocks Market at 10AM on weekends.
Queen Victoria Market Foodie Tour Melbourne
Navigate Melbourne's most beloved market with an expert guide learning how to select Australian produce and meeting the traders behind the stalls. Sample everything from Victorian berry jam and artisan sourdough to freshly shucked oysters, continental deli meats, and local honey.
Surry Hills Eat Street Dinner Crawl
Sydney's inner-city food hub Surry Hills hosts a guided dinner crawl through its diverse restaurant scene, with three courses spread across three restaurants — typically including Japanese izakaya, Modern Australian, and dessert at a patisserie. Maximum 10 guests per tour.
Hunter Valley Wine and Food Immersion
A comprehensive food and wine journey through Australia's oldest wine region, visiting Broke Road artisan cheese producer, olive grove, two premium wineries, and a providore for a gourmet lunch with matched wines. Departs from Sydney CBD with return transport included.
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Australia's food scene.
Street food tours
Mobile food market crawls and pop-up street food precinct tours in Melbourne's Footscray (best multicultural market suburb) and Sydney's Newtown, both offering authentic cuisines at low cost with knowledgeable local guides
Market tours
Guided market tours through Queen Victoria Market Melbourne, The Rocks Markets Sydney, and Salamanca Market Hobart — all weekly and seasonally scheduled, with expert produce buyers as guides
Restaurant tours
Progressive dinner tours through Sydney's Surry Hills, Melbourne's Fitzroy, and Brisbane's West End precincts, sampling signature dishes at 3-4 restaurants selected to represent the neighbourhood's diversity
Specialty tours
Wine and food immersion tours to Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley, Margaret River, and Yarra Valley combining winery visits with regional produce experiences, typically including return transport from nearest capital city
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Australia home with you.
Sydney Cooking School
Modern Australian cooking class in a fully equipped teaching kitchen in Sydney's CBD, focusing on native Australian ingredients and techniques. Classes cover topics including saltbush lamb, wattleseed desserts, and Moreton Bay bugs with local seafood experts.
The Migrant Kitchen Melbourne
Melbourne's most acclaimed cultural cooking experience taught by first-generation migrant cooks in their home kitchens. Topics rotate weekly between Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Ethiopian, and Mexican cuisine with each host sharing the cultural story behind every dish.
Bush Tucker and Native Cuisine Class
Aboriginal culinary cultural experience with Indigenous Australian chef Nornie Bero (Tiwi Islands descent), exploring traditional bush ingredients including wattleseed, quandong, finger lime, and kakadu plum incorporated into contemporary Australian recipes.
DIY self-guided food tour
Melbourne is ideal for a self-guided food tour using the city's world-class laneways, markets, and diverse neighbourhoods. Start early in the CBD and work outward — most food stops open by 7AM and the best markets finish by midday.
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Stop 1: Degraves Street Espresso Bar (7:30AM) — Begin with Melbourne's quintessential flat white coffee in the city's most beloved coffee laneway
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Stop 2: Queen Victoria Market Deli Hall (8:30AM) — Sample continental cheeses, Hungarian salami, and fresh-baked sourdough from the historic market deli section
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Stop 3: Chinatown Little Bourke Street (10:30AM) — Yum cha breakfast or late morning dumplings at Shark Fin House or Flower Drum — Melbourne has one of the world's best Cantonese dining scenes
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Stop 4: South Melbourne Market smoked salmon bagel (11:30AM) — Legendary smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel from Viet Rose or local deli — a Melbourne institution worth the tram ride
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Stop 5: Lune Croissanterie Fitzroy (1PM) — Join the queue for what has been called the world's best croissant, made in a climate-controlled glass cube laboratory — arrive early as they sell out
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Melbourne's coffee culture is Australia's most serious — order a 'flat white' (espresso with microfoam milk) rather than a latte, and explore the specialty cafes of Fitzroy and Collingwood for the best independent roasters
Australia's freshest seafood bargain is the Sydney Fish Market at Pyrmont — open daily from 5:30AM, you can buy directly from fishmongers at wholesale-adjacent prices and eat at the outdoor tables
Seek out Indigenous Australian bush foods at Tali Restaurant in Melbourne, Charcoal Lane, or Noma Australia pop-ups — finger limes, quandong, and wattleseed are genuinely unique to the continent
The Barossa Valley (SA), Hunter Valley (NSW), and Margaret River (WA) wine regions each offer exceptional food as well as wine — book producers like Penfolds, Henschke, or Leeuwin Estate for cellar door dining
Yum cha (dim sum) Sunday brunch is a beloved Melbourne and Sydney tradition — arrive before 11AM to avoid long waits at top spots like Flower Drum Melbourne or Golden Century Sydney
Australia's multicultural suburbs offer the world's cuisines at local prices — visit Footscray (Melbourne) for African and Vietnamese food, Cabramatta (Sydney) for Vietnamese, and Sunnybank (Brisbane) for Cantonese
BYO (bring your own alcohol) restaurants are a beloved Australian institution — look for 'BYO' signs and bring your own wine to save significantly on the bill at unlicensed restaurants
Fresh prawns, bugs (Moreton Bay bugs are actually a crustacean), and Sydney rock oysters represent Australia's best casual seafood — buy from fish markets rather than restaurants for best value
The Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula, and Yarra Valley all have excellent farm gates selling seasonal produce directly — bring an esky (cool box) for cheese, berries, and honey
Bunnings Warehouse sausage sizzle — while unofficial, this weekend charity fundraiser at hardware stores across Australia is a beloved cultural institution: $1.50 for a sausage in white bread with fried onions