Holiday food tours

Do Charleston food tours run over the holidays?

Yes, the walks run through the season and in any weather; the booking calendar shows which days have spots.

The Downtown Charleston Food Tour runs rain or shine, and its operator cancels for severe conditions such as a declared State of Emergency, per the Charleston Culinary Tours FAQ. Every tour on this site cancels free up to 24 hours before.

One booking trap: Secret Food Tours confirms within 48 hours, not instantly. If you want it for the Friday after Thanksgiving, book it the week before, not the night before.

What food events are on in Charleston in November and December 2026?

Oyster roasts, farmers and holiday markets, and the James Island lights, from mid-November to New Year's Eve.

The list below comes from the Explore Charleston holiday calendar and the City of Charleston farmers market page. The Marion Square holiday markets are the easiest to pair with a downtown food walk: same neighborhood, morning hours, and a tour after lunch.

Is the City Market open at Christmas?

Every day except December 25; the Night Market runs on Friday and Saturday evenings until the season ends in December.

The Day Market opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., per the market homepage. The Night Market, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, has 100 artists this year and makes for an easy after-dinner walk. Sweetgrass baskets with the Certified Authentic seal are a good local gift. More detail in our City Market hours post.

What is the weather like for a food tour in December?

December falls outside hurricane season, which ends on November 30, and the walks run rain or shine.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so December trips sit outside it. Bring a light jacket for the late-afternoon slots and an umbrella anyway: tours go ahead in the rain, and some restaurant stops are a few steps up with high tables. Routes on the flagship walk cover a mile or less in total.

What do Charleston families eat at New Year?

Hoppin' John and collard greens on New Year's Eve, a Gullah Geechee tradition linked to prosperity.

The National Park Service describes Hoppin' John as small peas, often black-eyed peas today, cooked in rice, served with collards on New Year's Eve; read the NPS lesson on Gullah Geechee foodways. No food tour promises a set dish, since menus rotate, but collard greens turn up on the Bulldog Tours tasting list. For the back story see our Lowcountry food guide.

Can you give a Charleston food tour as a gift?

Yes. Charleston Culinary Tours sells gift cards on its own site.

The gift card page is on the operator's site, where tours start from $75 on its site for the hands-on Charleston Kitchen Experience. Arriving before the end of October? The same company runs Death and Dessert, a two-hour seated evening of ghost stories with a multi-course dessert menu at $75 a guest, "October ONLY" per its event page. It is rated PG-13 and is not a walking tour.

For a gift, the Lowcountry cooking class is our pick: it is indoors, wheelchair accessible and gives the recipient something to cook at home.

Biscuits, pimento cheese and Huguenot torte, cooked in a 2-hour French Quarter class. A warm, dry plan for a December afternoon.

★ 4.9 · 2 hours · from $99

Explore the Lowcountry cooking class → Tour details

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