Colmar Food Tour: Alsatian Full Meal With Do Eat Better

Included in the $89.74

The price covers the English-speaking local guide, water, at least one alcoholic drink for guests over 18, and the tastings at every stop. The listing states you will have eaten the equivalent of a full meal in at least 4 stops by the end. Non-alcoholic options are available and the minimum drinking age is 18.

• English-speaking local guide
• Water
• At least one alcoholic drink (over 18s only)
• Tastings at at least 4 stops, equivalent to a full meal
• Vegetarian options available

Not Included, Paid on Top

Any additional food or drink beyond the tastings is yours to pay for, and gratuities are not in the price. There is no hotel pickup, so budget nothing for transport but allow time to reach the Théâtre Municipal on foot.

• Extra food or drink you order yourself
• Gratuities
• Transport to the meeting point

One Point to Confirm

The tour description mentions local wines and beers in the plural, while the inclusions guarantee only at least one alcoholic drink. Treat one guaranteed drink as the floor and ask the operator what the other pours are. Contact the operator about any food restriction before booking.

Dates and the Euro

The tour runs year-round, so it works outside the market season too. If you want the markets as well, they run 23 November to 29 December. Prices on this page are in US dollars, and euro figures from official sources use the European Central Bank rate of 1 EUR = 1.1130 USD.

Fees at stalls are not published, so bring a small amount of euros for extra drinks or snacks.

Getting to the Meeting Point

The walk starts outside the Théâtre Municipal. The old town is closed to all vehicles during market hours, so drive to a car park and walk in. The covered Rapp and Gare/Bleylé car parks are open 24/7, and the free Bleylé shuttle runs from Parking Bleylé to the Théâtre Municipal every 13 minutes from 25 November to 29 December, Mon-Fri 9:30-19:30, with no service on 25 and 26 December.

On designated weekends the park and ride at the Parc des Expositions costs $5.57 (€5) per day with a free return bus.

Age, Allergies and Fitness

Infants 0-3, children 4-10 and adults 11-99 can take part, infants can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available. The minimum drinking age is 18, with non-alcoholic options available. The rule that matters most: for safety reasons, guests with severe or life-threatening food allergies cannot take part, and the operator asks anyone with a food restriction to make contact before booking.

Vegetarian options are available. Service animals are allowed. You need at least a moderate level of physical fitness for 3.5 hours of standing and walking on cobblestones.

• Cancel free of charge at least 24 hours before departure
• Contact the operator about food restrictions before booking
• No severe or life-threatening food allergies

What the Shared Tour Gives You

At $89.74 per person with a maximum of 12, the shared format gives you other people to taste with. The trade-off is a fixed route, fixed stops and no pickup: you walk from the Théâtre Municipal for the whole 3.5 hours. Vegetarian options exist, but the operator asks you to make contact about any food restriction before booking.

• Maximum 12 guests, English guide
• No hotel pickup, no vehicle
• Severe or life-threatening food allergies cannot be accommodated

When a Private Tour Fits Better

A private food and wine tour in Colmar, such as the Ophorus version, includes pickup at the Colmar hotel and handles groups from 8 people, so it suits families or small parties who want a car and a route built around them. For wine without a private guide, the Colmar Walk and Wine Tasting is a shared 2-hour option at $50 per person.

Meeting Point

Meet your local guide outside the Théâtre Municipal in Colmar. The listing states no departure time and no return time, so confirm your slot when booking. Public transportation options are available nearby, and the free Bleylé shuttle from the Parking Bleylé stops at the Théâtre Municipal during the Christmas season.

The Stops

The walk starts with a tasting of Bretzel, Bibeleskäs and Munster cheese at a local shop. It then stops for Tarte flambée aux pommes and for artisan Alsatian biscuits. In total there are at least 4 tasting stops, which the operator describes as the equivalent of a full meal.

Between stops the guide leads you through the central parts of Colmar, with commentary and local tips along the way. Local wines and beers feature in the tastings. The tour is entirely on foot, so wear shoes that cope with cobblestones.

The Dishes You Taste on This Tour

The Bretzel is the knotted salted bread roll. Bibeleskäs is a fresh, seasoned fromage blanc that usually arrives with herbs and potatoes or bread. Munster is the strong soft cow's milk cheese of the Vosges region.

Tarte flambée aux pommes is the apple version of flammekueche, a thin bread dough base. The artisan biscuits are bredele, the spiced Christmas cookies baked across Alsace in December, .

• Bretzel: knotted salted bread
• Bibeleskäs: seasoned fresh cheese
• Munster: strong soft cow's milk cheese
• Tarte flambée aux pommes: thin dough base with apples
• Bredele: spiced Alsatian biscuits

Dishes You May Meet Elsewhere in Colmar

Two dishes define Colmar's tables beyond this tour. Baeckaoffe is a dish of three kinds of marinated meat and potatoes cooked in white wine. Kougelhopf is a sweet cake with raisins soaked in kirsch, .

Neither is named on this tour's stop list, so if you want them, ask at restaurants around the town centre or look at the stalls on the Christmas markets in Colmar.

• Baeckaoffe: three marinated meats and potatoes in white wine
• Kougelhopf: sweet kirsch-raised ring cake

What the Tour Actually Covers

This is a food tour, not a market tour. The route explores central Colmar on foot, and tastings happen at shops and venues rather than at chalets. During the season, which runs 23 November to 29 December, the six Colmar markets with about 180 stalls stand in the old town, so you may pass some of them between stops.

If market browsing is the point, book a dedicated walk instead: the Secrets of the Colmar Christmas Markets walk is $23 for 2 hours, and the Christmas Market Walk with a Local is $110 for 1 hour with one hot drink and one snack.

What to Add Before or After

Because this tour is only 3.5 hours, it pairs well with a market walk the same day. For villages, the Enchanting Christmas Villages Tour covers Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Eguisheim in 8 hours at $145 with wine tasting included. For a short wine add-on closer to town, the Colmar Walk and Wine Tasting gives three Alsatian samples at a winery for $50.

For a light show, the Once Upon a Night at Unterlinden ticket runs $9.

The Market Hours That Matter

The six Colmar Christmas markets run 23 November to 29 December, open Mon-Thu 11:00-19:00 and Fri-Sun 10:00-20:00. They close exactly at the scheduled time for security reasons. Place Jeanne d'Arc is the regional products market, with foie gras, charcuterie, wine, schnapps and bredala, so it is the closest thing to a self-guided food tour among the chalets.

The Gourmet Market

For chef-cooked food, the Gourmet Market on the Plateau sportif de la Montagne Verte at 2 rue de la Montagne Verte puts 9 chefs in 9 cabins with a standing bar and a cooking show. It is open daily 11:00-22:00 to 3 January, closing at 17:00 on 31 December, so it stays open after the chalet markets close. Stall prices are not published.

• 9 cabins, 9 chefs, standing bar, cooking show
• Daily 11:00-22:00 to 3 January
• Ferris wheel beside it, $11.13 (€10) per adult, $8.90 (€8) under 1.20 m