3 Delicious Carlsbad Food Tours to Check Out in 2023
Carlsbad is often remembered for its stunning beaches and enviable weather. However, the region is also renowned for its impressive culinary scene! And one of the best ways to gain immediate access to all locally known favorites is with a guide on one of the Carlsbad food tours!
Not only will you be able to indulge in some seriously tasty foods but also you’ll get an in-depth look into some of Carlsbad’s unique culinary history.
And to help you save time, I’ve put together a list of the top 3 Carlsbad food tours. This way, you skip searching through all the options and experience the best that this coastal city has to offer!
Table of Contents
- 3 Delicious Carlsbad Food Tours (2023)
- Carlsbad Food Tours Comparison
- Other Carlsbad Tours
- What to Bring for Carlsbad Food Tours
- Where to Stay in Carlsbad
- Visiting Carlsbad: FAQ
- Wrap-Up: 3 Delicious Carlsbad Food Tours (2023)
🌮 PRO TIP: If you’re pressed for time, jump to the comparison table. You’ll get an easy overview of all available tour options so that you can quickly make your decision!
3 Delicious Carlsbad Food Tours (2023)
1. Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting
⭐️ RATING: 5 out 5 – taken by 250+ guests! | ⏳ LENGTH OF TOUR: 3 hours
Why Choose This Tour? This is both the highest-rated and most popular Carlsbad food tour available. It promises a one-of-a-kind experience, allowing you to sample everything from mouthwateringly good Al Pastor tacos and Italian cuisine to artisan donuts and creamy gelato.
Plus, rather than just walking from place to place, the guide will give you insight into the flourishing food scene at Carlsbad Village.
So, if you’re looking to dine at a few of Carlsbad’s most beloved eateries and sample excellent California wines, then this food tour is a perfect choice!
The Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting include:
- 3-hour walking tour through the historic Carlsbad Village
- 6 different samplings from local eateries
- Tasting gourmet desserts and specialty foods
- Drinking prestigious California wines
- Learning about the local history and attractions
- Gaining a behind the scene look into Carlsbad’s vibrant food culture
- Personalized experience with a small group
“David gave us an outstanding tour of Carlsbad Village. We really enjoyed learning about Carlsbad’s history, sampling great food and discovering very nice places to eat. Highly recommended!!!“
– Howard L. (seE MORE REVIEWS)
✅ 🌮 Check availability for this extremely popular food tour through Carlsbad Village!
2. Cruise & Booze Brewery Tour
⭐️ RATING: 5 out 5 – only has 5-star reviews! | ⏳ LENGTH OF TOUR: 4.5 hours
Why Choose This Tour? This half-day tour is perfect for those who prefer a more laid back tour — one where you can sit back and relax as you cruise along the scenic California coast and are chauffeured from place to place through the day.
You’ll also have the chance to sample a generous selection of craft beers while learning about the brewing process and touring one of the breweries! And don’t worry, you’ll also have the opportunity to eat real food!
So, if you love tasting beers and are looking for a relaxing yet educational tour, definitely be sure to check out this Cruise & Booze Brewery Tour!
The Cruise & Booze Brewery Tour includes:
- Pick-Up from hotels in Carlsbad and Escondido
- Round-trip private transportation in retro VW Vanagon!
- Jamming out to music during the drive
- Drinks and snacks
- Visiting 3 North Coast craft breweries
- Trying an array of beer samples
- Learning about the brewing processes used at the 3 breweries
- Limited to 6 people for an intimate atmosphere and personalized tour
“WOW! What a fun day! Seriously, I cannot stress this enough… WHAT A FUN DAY! Sean is a great host and he scheduled a full day of brewery visits – most of them we had never been to. The van is clean and he had it stocked with water and chips for us. We brought our own beer and snacks so we ate and drank all day even when we were on the road. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!“
– Tour Guest. (seE MORE REVIEWS)
✅ 🍻 Check availability for this half-day tour of 3 awesome craft breweries!
3. Brothels, Bites, and Booze: A Culinary Tour
⭐️ RATING: 5 out 5 – taken by 400+ guests! | ⏳ LENGTH OF TOUR: 2.5 hours
Why Choose This Tour? This tour is fantastic for those who are looking for a combination of culinary exploration, history, and culture all in one!
Along the way, you’ll get to learn about the more eclectic and seedy side of San Diego’s past as well as visit some historic landmarks. And of course, you’ll also get to try a few different dishes and cocktail drinks!
So, if you’re looking for an unforgettable tour that takes you outside of San Diego’s normal tourist sights and gives you a peek into the area’s complex history, then this is the tour for you!
The Brothels, Bites, and Booze: A Culinary Tour includes:
- 2.5-hour walking tour through the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter
- An engaging and knowledgeable guide
- Learning about the quarter’s origins and thriving restaurants and bars
- Sampling various types of cuisine at 4 eateries
- Tasting beers and wines at 3 local places
- Discovering the lesser-known history of the area
- Hearing stories about the area’s previous life as a “red light” district
- Note: A minimum of 4 guests are needed for the tour to operate
“Excellent way to spend the afternoon! Raoul was an engaging and entertaining guide, also the food and alcohol was amazing!”
– Philip T. (seE MORE REVIEWS)
Carlsbad Food Tours Comparison
By now, there’s a decent chance that you’ve probably forgotten some of the differences and details of the food tours. To help you recall and quickly see the main highlights, I’ve made the table below!
🌮 PRO TIP: If you’re viewing this on your cell phone, I recommend turning your phone so the information reads across the long side. This should help improve readability!
| Tour Name | Duration | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting | 3 hours | > Tasting food from 6 local eateries > Sipping wine from California vineyards > Learning the local history of the area |
| Cruise & Booze Brewery Tour | 4.5 hours | > Transportation in retro VW Vanagon > Visiting 3 fantastic craft breweries > Touring inside a brewery w/ owner |
| Brothels, Bites, and Booze: A Culinary | 2.5 hours | > Walking tour through Gaslamp Quarter > Sampling 4 dishes and 3 drinks > Discovering the seedy history of the area |
Other Carlsbad Tours
If the tours above aren’t doing it for you, there are other food tours in central San Diego that you can check out.
Or, if you’re staying in Carlsbad and looking for activities closer to your housing accommodations, here are a few other excursions worth exploring!
⛵️ Carlsbad Surf Lessons
- Surfing Experience and Lessons — ⭐️ Rating: 5 / 5 | ⏳ Time: 2.5 hours
- Oceanside Private Surf Lessons — ⭐️ Rating: 5 / 5 | ⏳ Time: 1 hour
🐋 Carlsbad Whale Watching Tours
- Oceanside Whale Watching Tour — ⭐️ Rating: 4.5 / 5 | ⏳ Time: 2 hours
- Oceanside Dolphin & Whale Watching — ⭐️ Rating: 5 / 5 | ⏳ Time: 1.5 hours
🚴♂️ Carlsbad Bike Tour
- Local Guided Electric Bike Tour — ⭐️ Rating: 5 / 5 | ⏳ Time: 2.5 hours
🏄♀️ NOTE: If you’re staying near La Jolla or the main San Diego area and looking to begin your surfing journey, check out my local’s guide! It has all the best beginner surf spots and everything you need to know 🙂
What to Bring for Carlsbad Food Tours
So you’ve hopefully found the tour that suits you best and you’re wondering if you need to bring anything special? The short answer is not really…it’s not like you’ll be doing a strenuous hike in Tahiti or paragliding in the Swiss Alps lol
But, just to ensure you remember everything, here is a short list of things to bring with yah!
- 👟 Comfortable Walking Shoes — You’re likely going to have to do a bit of walking, so wear comfortable shoes! Even for the Cruise & Booze Brewery tour, wear comfy shoes cause you might be a lil tipsy by the end and don’t want to risk falling on your face!
- 🌞 Sunscreen — Don’t forget to protect your skin! You will be in Sunny San Diego after all… Well, at least within greater San Diego! Avoid looking like a lobster by frequently putting on sunscreen.
- 😎 Sunglasses & Hat — Similarly, keep your face protected from the sun by wearing some sunglasses and bringing a hat!
- 💸 Wallet + ID — The ID is a bit more obvious given the nature of these Carlsbad food tours… But, I recommend bringing money to order additional food or tip your tour guide.
Plus, for the Cruise and Booze Brewery Tour, only some of the drinks you’ll be tasting are included in the price. At times, you’ll have to pay for what you want to try since there’s a large selection.
- 🌮 Empty Stomach — Lastly, to ensure you experience maximum enjoyment, bring an empty stomach! When I do food tours, I literally avoid eating the entire day up until the tour… ok, maybe I’ll eat an apple. But, you want to make sure you have enough room to feast and fully enjoy everything! 🤠
Where to Stay in Carlsbad
In case you haven’t locked down your housing, there are plenty of great options for where to stay in Carlsbad. Whether you’re looking for a room with a stunning ocean-view, or something more affordable… Carlsbad has it!
And to hopefully save you some time in reading through the bajillion hotel reviews, here are the ones I recommend based on my research!
Low-Cost Stay
- West Inn & Suites — 3-star hotel | ⭐️ 8.6 / 10
- Staybridge Suites Carlsbad — 3-star hotel | ⭐️ 9 / 10
Mid-Range Stay
- Southern California Beach Club — 3-star hotel | ⭐️ 9 / 10
- Hilton Grand Vacations Club MarBrisa Carlsbad — 4-star hotel | ⭐️ 8.7 / 10
Fancy Stays
- Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara — 5-star hotel | ⭐️ 9.4 / 10
- Park Hyatt Aviara Resort & Spa — 5-star hotel | ⭐️ 9.4 / 10
Feel free to click these buttons to head to your favorite booking platform and see additional housing options there.
Alternatively, you can use this little interactive map to see housing options across various booking platforms. The prices are up-to-date and become even more accurate if you enter your specific travel dates.
Visiting Carlsbad: FAQ
Aside from the gorgeous coastlines and amazing year-round weather, Carlsbad, California is special for several reasons. For one, it’s located conveniently near Legoland, making it a great place to stay for families with kids.
Additionally, the coastal town is famous for its massive flower fields that are in full bloom during the Spring.
And if you’re a running enthusiast like me and my dad, there’s also a giant annual race along the Carlsbad coastline in mid-January. They offer 5ks, half marathons, and marathons and each of the courses is extremely pretty, you *almost* forget that you signed up for pain!
If you can’t tell by my response above, I definitely think Carlsbad is worth visiting.
It’s not exactly a big metropolitan city like Paris, Montreal, Oslo, Barcelona, or any other major city… But, it is amazing for a relaxing getaway!
So, if you’re looking for a great place to visit with stunning views and plenty of activities to explore during your stay, then Carlsbad is definitely worth checking out.
Plus, it’s only a short drive away from the San Diego Airport, making it fairly accessible for anyone flying in!
Although most people like to visit the beach during the peak summer months, and that’s all well and fine, I think the best time of year to visit Carlsbad is during the spring and fall, specifically May/June and September/October.
There are way fewer crowds and the surf is better 😉
To see and hit up all the main attractions, I recommend at least a full 3-days. But, if you want to add some extra excursions and tours, I suggest 4-5 days!
Wrap-Up: 3 Delicious Carlsbad Food Tours (2023)
With its thriving and diverse food scene, Carlsbad is an incredible destination for foodies and beer and wine lovers looking to indulge in delicious cuisine!
That said, it can be hard to spot the really good restaurants and local eateries that will offer you an unforgettable culinary experience. For this reason and a few more, I always recommend my foodie friends embark on one of the awesome Carlsbad food tours that are offered!
Plus, not only will you get to eat and drink your way through the city, you’ll also get to learn some of the hidden stories and gain an insider’s look into the ever-evolving culinary scene.
Regardless of if you end up doing a tour or not, I hope this post has been helpful and you have the absolute best time exploring coastal Carlsbad!
Read More About California
- Looking for a small town to visit that’s only a little over an hour away from Carlsbad? Consider visiting the historic town of Redlands for a day or two!
- Making your way to Palm Springs? Here are some things to do and activities you won’t want to miss out on in this desert oasis!
