Beyond the Cheesesteak Tour in Philadelphia, PA

30th St StationPhiladelphia, PA 19104
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Overview

Feed your wanderlust and your appetite on this tasty tour throughout Philadelphia. On this tour, you’ll tour Philly’s notable universities, food trucks, and culinary hot spots while learning more about the city’s history and landmarks. The 2.5-hour food is the perfect way to sample some of Philadelphia’s top treats and dishes while also diving into the culture and life at the city’s major universities.

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Description

Feed your mind as well as your belly on this Philadelphia city tour that bypasses the usual tourist spots and sends you back to school on the university campuses. Don't worry, there won't be an exam at the end — there'll be food trucks instead!

Your Philadelphia tour begins at the city's largest transportation hub, 30th St. Station. You'll get a glimpse of the fine architecture inside the grand terminal, and be in the midst of the busy intersection of trains, buses, subways, and trolleys. We leave the station on foot and begin the journey down Market Street.

Before we make it very far, we’ll stop for a taste of the Caribbean or we'll keep it local, at our first group of food trucks. It’s a bit of a hidden gem here, and you’ll be amazed at the quality of food being produced here.

Just down the road, we'll reach Drexel University, where we'll head down one of their new green quads and into the beautiful Main Building, the very first building on Drexel's campus. You'll meander down the hill past World Cafe Live and underneath the Highline as trains are passing high above.

From here we enter Penn Park, a brand-new green space with spectacular views of the Philly skyline. After soaking up this panorama, your tour continues over the train tracks and passes by some of the most iconic college sports venues in the country: Franklin Field and the Palestra.

We’ll reach our second group of food trucks just in front of Franklin Field. You’ll also get to experience this chaotic and wonderful food scene during the heart of lunch — a truly local experience!

From there we head to the heart of Penn's campus, the very first public university in the US. We'll take you inside Fisher Library, an architectural masterpiece by Frank Furness. We'll walk by College Hall, Penn's first building on the campus, and go inside Houston Hall, home of America's first Student Union. From there we walk up Locust Walk, arguably the most beautiful city campus setting in the country.

From there, we end up on Spruce Street, where you’ll be treated to something sweet. This is one of the best spots for food trucks in Philly, and a food tour wouldn't be complete without stopping here!

We'll finally arrive at a trolley stop, where your guide will provide a token for each person. This street trolley ride is a unique experience and you'll definitely feel like a Philadelphia local once you've taken a trip on it! From this point, you'll have the option to ride back to 30th St. or continue into the city center.

Beyond the Cheesesteak Reviews

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V4650YKanitap
Hartsville, South Carolina
"Thanks, David!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed September 04, 2022
Went on the Founding Fathers tour with David. He was extremely informative and told so many interesting stories. Loved touring around the city with him and looking forward to our next one, because we’ll DEFINITELY be back! Thanks again, David. Really appreciate you answering all of our questions!
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363macip
Hartsville, South Carolina
"Founding Fathers Tour with David"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed September 04, 2022
David hosted our Founding Fathers tour- wow! What a great tour guide. Thanks so much for all the fun facts and interesting information, David, and also thank you for the lunch recommendation for after the tour. Great tour, 10/10 recommend booking this when visiting Philadelphia. :)
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JoolnSteve
Cannock, Staffordshire, England
"Loved the tour"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed July 10, 2022
Loved the constitutional walking tour today with Our guide Adam. We learned so much about the city and not just Philadelphia’s history but a lot of American history generally. Adam was able to help us ‘join the dots’ with the gaps in our knowledge and also directed us towards some great places to eat. Adam was friendly, knowledgeable and generous with his time.
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V5056OVdawnm
Las Vegas, Nevada
"Transcended Our Expectations"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed January 01, 2022
Italian Market with Chuck. Where to start? He was down to earth, educated at U Penn ….a retired professor…..born, raised and still resides in South Philly. He knew everyone in every store. We were family from the first 2 minutes. And the food? Chuck made sure that we were COVID friendly as we savored minutes made bread from Sarcones ( as a true Italian) got us all way more than we needed (there were 12 of us), and we got to take a whole loaf home which was devoured by the next morning. And fresh tortillas……..The market itself is a throwback to the 1800s. Vendors yelling, fresh EVERYTHING…… I just can’t rave about this tour more. The perfect way to start our 2022. Ask for Chuck if you can!
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meghanwh
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"Italian Market Tour - Nina was fabulous!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed December 31, 2021
Italian Market Tour - Nina was fabulous! Super insightful native Philadelphian delighted locals and visitors alike. Highly recommend!
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W8610EGsuzanneb
"Special Italian Market"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed December 04, 2021
We did the Magic and Mosaics tour. Howard was our tour guide. He was very informative and included many historical facts about Philadelphia. I enjoyed the walking tour immensely. All the stores we visited were varied and stocked full of wonderful good food items. I highly recommend this tour.
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NorthStar42426106208
"Thanks Howard!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed December 03, 2021
My mom, aunt and I did the Magic and Mosaics tour with Howard and it was amazing. Howard was a wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide. We learned so much about South Philly and the Italian Market. There were 5 of us total on the tour and he never rushed us through anywhere and always provided such interesting information about the area, people and food. I’d take another tour from Howard any time!
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Sarahsthoma
Brighton, Michigan
"Great guide!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed November 22, 2021
This was a fun tour. I really liked that is was very small and personal. Our guide Nina was personable and has great stories to tell. She did a wonderful job of making history come alive!
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347madisons
"Informative, fun tour!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed October 27, 2021
We did the Founding Fathers tour with Nina. It was a great, informative tour! Nina knows her stuff and is funny as well - making the tour a great choice. Really enjoyed it!
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Lisa-Michele1
Blairstown, New Jersey
"Great tour!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed October 10, 2021
I took the tour with my 17 year old daughter. Miriam was amazing. Very informative. We saw a lot and ate many delicious samples.
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BergrenDR
Overland Park, Kansas
"Historic Tour of Philadelphia"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed October 05, 2021
Nina was a great guide. Very knowledgeable of the city and proud to have spent her while life in Philadelphia. Great interaction with our group and people we ran into on the street. Funny and humorous and easy to talk to and ask questions.
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Feleenas
Fresno, California
"Chuck is the market expert!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed September 28, 2021
We did the Italian Market Walking Tour in Philadelphia with Chuck. It was truly an immersion into the family owned eateries on the South side of Philly. Everything we tasted was amazing. I could see that Chuck has a personal relationship with the owners and employees, which made our experience even better. Somehow, learning of the immigrant stories and their passion for food made me feel like I was part of the neighborhood.
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niels509
Boston, Massachusetts
"Excellent tour guide in Philadelphia"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed September 24, 2021
Founding Fathers tour of Philadelphia Our tour guide Nina was wonderful and very knowledgeable. Her passion for the city reflected on her tour. I can highly recommend her
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F1107WRdanielw
"Great tour! Highly recommend!"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed September 18, 2021
Great tour and amazing Guide. He told us so much history about the tour spots but also about the city as a whole. That was a huge plus. He was very friendly and inviting to make sure each guest had a great experience.
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SilasFindley1
"Founding Fathers Tour with Adam"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed September 18, 2021
We did the Founding Father’s tour with Adam, and had a great experience! He was so knowledgeable, and shared great insights and stories with us about the different parts of Philadelphia. Loved getting to know our tour group as well. Would definitely recommend this tour!
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joanstubbs14
"9th Street Italian Market tour"
TripAdvisor user rating 5.0 out of 5
Reviewed September 11, 2021
Yesterday, start to finish, our tour guide Chuck made the Italian Market tour an interesting & fun experience. Chuck is well informed & eager to share. As a bonus, we had tastings of Italian Bread, Torrone, cheese & cashews, fruit, & pizzelle, along with laughs, facts & tips. I'll do this tour again next time I get to Philadelphia.
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