Borough Market & Southwark Food Walk
Food TourWalking Tour2.5 hours
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Why we love it
Borough Market is brilliant without a guide, but the guided walk reveals the stalls that locals actually shop at — the cheese cave at Neal's Yard Dairy, the Turkish gozleme woman, the wine bar in the railway arch. The Southwark extension adds welcome context and a change of pace.
Best for
FoodiesCouplesSolo travellersAnyone visiting Borough Market for the first time
Our tips
- Book a morning tour — the market is less crowded before noon and the produce is at its freshest
- Thursday and Friday are the best days; the market is closed on Sundays
- Bring a tote bag — you will want to buy things to take away after the tasting stops
- The Monmouth Coffee Company is just outside the market entrance; start with a coffee before the tour
In detail
Borough Market has been feeding Londoners since 1756, and possibly since 1014. It is, without qualification, the best food market in the city. You can visit on your own and have an excellent time. But here's why a guided tour is worth considering: there are over 100 stalls, and without direction, most visitors gravitate to the same ten that they saw on social media. The guided walk takes you to the other ninety.
Neal's Yard Dairy is the perfect example. It's technically in Borough Market, but it's tucked around a corner that most visitors walk past. Inside is one of the finest selections of British and Irish farmhouse cheeses anywhere in the country. The staff will let you taste before you buy, and the guide can tell you which cheeses are in season and which producers are doing the most interesting work. This is not something you get from wandering.
The Turkish gozleme stand, the Brindisa chorizo counter, the sourdough from Bread Ahead, the raw honey from a producer who keeps bees on London rooftops — these are the stops that make Borough Market extraordinary, and a good guide sequences them into a tasting journey that builds from savoury to sweet. You'll eat well, learn something about British food culture, and discover stalls you would have walked past.
The walk extends beyond the market into Southwark — past the George Inn (London's last surviving galleried coaching inn), under the railway arches where wine bars and restaurants have colonised the Victorian vaults, and along the river path towards Tate Modern. The neighbourhood context makes the food more interesting: this is where London's food supply has arrived by river and rail for centuries, and the architecture tells that story.
What's included
Included
- Expert food guide with deep Borough Market knowledge
- 5+ food tastings at specialist stalls
- Walking tour of Southwark neighbourhood
- Small group size (max 12 people)
Not included
- Additional food and drinks beyond included tastings
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities (optional)
Frequently asked questions
Borough Market is open Monday to Saturday. The full market operates Wednesday to Saturday (10am–5pm), with a more limited selection on Monday and Tuesday. It is closed on Sundays. For the best experience, visit on Thursday or Friday when all stalls are trading and the crowds are slightly thinner than Saturday.
You can absolutely visit Borough Market without a guide and have an excellent time. The tour adds three things: access to stalls you would likely walk past, tastings that are pre-arranged (so you skip queues), and context about the market history, the producers, and the neighbourhood. If you are a serious foodie, the guide's recommendations alone are worth the price.
Yes — the guide encourages it. Several stops include opportunities to purchase items like cheese, charcuterie, or baked goods to take away. Bring a tote bag. The market stalls also sell excellent pantry items (olive oils, spices, preserves) that make good gifts.
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