Denver eats well, but the city is spread across a lot of neighborhoods, and a first-time visitor can burn a lot of time deciding where to go. A guided food tour solves that by making the decisions for you. This one is run by Delicious Denver Food Tours and covers about three hours on foot through Lower Downtown, starting just inside Marco's Coal Fired on Larimer Street and finishing at Union Station. Along the way you pass the Ballpark District, McGregor Square and the old Windsor Farm Dairy building, and the guide fills in local history between bites. The five tastings listed for the tour are a wood-fired Neapolitan pizza with bufala mozzarella, a beef empanada with housemade chimichurri, Colorado pork green chili with a flour tortilla, a roasted pork belly taco on blue corn with peach morita salsa, and a Portuguese egg custard tart. That is a proper meal spread over several stops rather than a sampler of nibbles, so arrive hungry and skip lunch. Groups are capped at sixteen, which keeps the pace friendly, and the tour runs rain, snow or shine, so dress for the day. An optional three-beverage pairing can be added on the spot for an extra charge, and guests must be 21 to drink.
The route works well as a first-day orientation because it is compact and it threads through places you will want to return to. Larimer Street is the oldest commercial stretch in the city, and the walk toward McGregor Square puts you beside Coors Field with the Rockies framing the western skyline. The tour ends at Union Station, which means you finish beside the Great Hall, the airport train and a dozen places to continue the evening. If you are staying nearby, it is one of the easiest ways to learn the grid before you start improvising.
Dietary needs are handled with notice rather than on the fly. The listing says vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free tastings are available if you tell the operator in advance, so mention it when you book rather than at the meeting point. One reviewer described the standard menu as meat-forward while noting that a non-meat eater was looked after, which is about what the menu suggests. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, though strollers are fine and public transit is close. Wear comfortable shoes, because three hours of walking and standing adds up even when the stops are short.
The honest trade-off is that this is a guided tasting rather than a bargain: you are paying for curation, history and a well-practiced guide, and the tastings are sized to add up to a meal rather than a feast. Almost every reviewer rates it five stars, and the volume of reviews is unusually high for a small-group walking tour, which is a good sign that the format is reliable. If you can only do one guided food experience in Denver, choose this one for the central location and the easy finish at Union Station. If you want a hipper, more mural-heavy route, the RiNo tour is the alternative.
What to expect
The experience
A guided walking tour with five tastings and neighborhood history, starting inside a Larimer Street restaurant and ending at Union Station. Groups are capped at sixteen.
Best time
Start times are chosen when you book. Late morning or early afternoon works well because the tastings add up to a meal.
How long
About three hours.
Tips
Eat lightly beforehand, wear walking shoes, and tell the operator about dietary needs in advance. An optional drink pairing is sold separately and is for guests 21 and over.
Quick picks
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want to eat well and learn the layout of LoDo in one outing.
- Families
- Fine for children who like to try things; the listing offers lower child rates.
- Couples
- A relaxed date-style afternoon that ends at the Great Hall.
- Pair with
- Union Station, Larimer Square or an evening at Coors Field.
- Time needed
- Three hours.
Good questions
How long is the tour?+
About three hours, including walking between the stops.
What do the tastings include?+
The listing names a Neapolitan pizza, an empanada with chimichurri, Colorado pork green chili, a pork belly taco and a Portuguese egg custard tart.
Where does it start and end?+
It starts just inside Marco's Coal Fired on Larimer Street and ends at Denver Union Station.
Can it handle dietary restrictions?+
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free tastings are available with advance notice, so mention them when you book.
What if the weather is bad?+
The tour runs rain, snow or shine, so dress for the conditions.
