15 Food and Tasting Shore Excursions Worth the Port Day

1.Full day shore excursion to Florence and Pisa from Livorno with tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 968 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $52Our pick

Spend about three hours exploring Florence and one hour in Pisa on a full-day shore trip from Livorno. Guides such as Sabrina, Ariana, Luca, and Ignaz provide maps, city tips, and help with meeting points. The tasting is a brief sample of local Tuscan products, not a full wine experience.

“Unfortunately it was pouring rain all day long, but the tour operator can’t do anything about the weather. We had been to Florence twice before, so just walked to the Old Bridge area, and walked around for a bit, and went to a cafe. Unfortunately a couple people didn’t make it back to our meeting point and after waiting an extra 20-25 mins for them, it put us behind schedule, so we didn’t have much time in PISA, like 45 mins, but again it was still raining. The tour guides were good, and the bus driver actually was nice enough to take us right back to our ship instead of…”

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2.Florence & Pisa Shore Excursion with Food Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 952 reviews · 8 hours · from $51

Spend eight busy hours touring Florence and Pisa from Livorno with a Spanish or English-speaking guide. Follow your leader through Florence’s key squares, Ponte Vecchio, and the Duomo area, then visit Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. Comfortable coach travel and an optional tasting of local products are included.

“The two guides - Sabrina and Ariel were knowable, entertaining and just plain great! The stops in Pisa and Florence allowed us enough time to get an overview of these two remarkable cities. Highly recommended!”

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3.Douro Valley Cruise Porto to Pinhão: Breakfast, Lunch and Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 451 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $135

Cruise from Porto to Pinhão along the Douro, passing three major dams and locks while breakfast and lunch are served onboard. After arriving, you visit a wine estate for a tasting, then return to Porto by bus. Expect a scenic but very long day, with limited time at the winery.

“Overall, we were glad we took this tour. Once we got off the rocky start of large crowds. Staff great, food delicious, price great, 3 locks interesting, and overall beautiful day. Once we moved, the crowded feeling went away and we loved the scenery and overall day. (The bus ride home has some narrow roads, so was a bit scary. The driver was AMAZING!. Some people stayed in city overnight & returned by train on their own too)”

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4.Taste the Atherton Tablelands Food & Wine Tour from Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 217 reviews · from $190Top rated

Travel from Port Douglas into the Atherton Tablelands with guides such as Brett, Chris, Dale, or Glen. Expect breakfast, lunch, fruit, nuts, ice cream, coffee, spirits, beer, wine, and a creekside platypus watch across seven small-group stops.

“Loved this tour it was a full day and the tour guide Dale was so informative., he was a fountain of knowledge.”

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5.Full day Shore Excursion to Florence from Livorno with tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 163 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $47

This 8-hour shore excursion takes you from Livorno to Florence by coach, with guides such as Sabrina, Ariana, and Ignacio helping you get oriented. Expect a Tuscan tasting, a marked city map, several hours of free time, and a return to Livorno. It is transportation plus useful local guidance, not a full museum tour.

“You can't go wrong with a cheap ride to Florence from the cruise ship. We have done this twice now, and Florence never disappoints”

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6.History & Kiwifruit Tasting – 4 Hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 146 reviews · from $65

Spend four hours with a local guide such as Russell, Arwen, or Emile, touring Mt Maunganui, Tauranga, Minden Lookout, and a working kiwi orchard. Expect port pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, local history, scenic stops, and samples of kiwifruit, avocado, and tea.

“Russel is a highly organised tour operator with a wealth of knowledge that he is able to share with appropriate humour.”

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7.Florence Shore Excursion with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 143 reviews · 8 hours · from $46

Travel from Livorno to Florence by air-conditioned coach with a tour leader such as Alice, Sabrina, or Igna. Hear stories on the ride, enjoy optional Tuscan tastings, then explore the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, and Accademia Gallery at your own pace.

“Our guide (Alice) was amazing. Very upbeat and funny. She did a great job keeping track of everyone, which was no small feat. Went above and beyond and even ended up dropping us off right at our ship to make sure everyone got back on time.”

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8.Argostoli: Shore Excursion to Caves with Local Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 87 reviews · 5 hours · from $37Best value

See Kefalonia’s stalactite-filled Drogarati Cave and turquoise Melissani Lake, then stop at Myrtos Beach and enjoy a 105-minute local wine tasting. Guides such as Maria add island stories during the air-conditioned ride. Cave entry costs about €13 extra.

“The caves were absolutely beautiful and Maria was an excellent guide. Thoroughly enjoyed this excursion!”

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9.Best Rhodes Tour with Wine Tasting Experience from Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 78 reviews · from $65

Travel from the cruise port or hotel to Lindos, a family pottery workshop, a Rhodes winery, and the UNESCO-listed Old Town. English-speaking guides such as Diana and Georgos lead the day, with free time for exploring. The pace is active, and the Lindos Acropolis ticket and lunch cost extra.

“Quite a bit of traveling but the highlight would have been the ruins which are a very long uphill climb with minimal time allowed to do it. The tour doesn’t lie but also doesn’t reveal the inherent difficulty. Otherwise the tour met expectations.”

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10.Shore Excursion: Local Tasting Tour from Tauranga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $186

Join Paul from Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters for a five to six-hour shore outing from the Port of Tauranga. Sample beer, cider, gin, wine, food, dessert, and a cocktail, with a gondola ride to Volcanic Hills Winery in Rotorua and a possible kiwifruit stop.

“The whole day from start to finish was amazing. It was such a variety to suit all kinds of tastes. Our tour operator Paul was full of local Knowledge in all areas.”

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11.Kangaroo Island Shore Excursion Tasting Tour – For Cruise Ship Passengers Only

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 74 reviews · from $164

Spend about seven hours touring Kangaroo Island from Penneshaw with local guides such as Caitlyn, Nikki, Lutz, or Joel. Taste honey, cider, wine, gin, and lavender scones, visit Kingscote, and keep watch for kangaroos and koalas between stops.

“We had a great day. Our guide was very knowledgeable about all things Kangaroo Island. We enjoyed great scenery as we were driven around and fabulous tastings at various places.”

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12.Naples/Salerno Port: Pompeii & Vesuvius – lunch or wine tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $156

Travel from Naples or Salerno port to Pompeii for a two-hour guided visit, then continue to Vesuvius National Park for two hours of free time. Port pickup, entry tickets, onboard commentary, and lunch for Naples departures are included. Guides have included Raffaello, Titi, and Bruno.

“The guide was prompt and waiting for us outside the cruise port. We made our way by bus to Pompeii… it was a little hectic with numbers of people but was a good experience. Next we went to have lunch just before the entrance to Vesuvius. It was AWESOME! The food was tasty, servers busy, and views were amazing! Definitely recommend this trip AND TiTi and Bruno were excellent!”

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13.Katakolon Small Group Tour: Olympic site, Honey/Olive Oil Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $126

From Katakolon, ride in a small group to Ancient Olympia with port pickup and live commentary. Explore the Olympic site, meet a beekeeper at Klio’s Honey Farm, then sample local olive oils, olives, wine, and sweets at Padelina Shopping Center. Guides may include Elena, Eleni, Maria, or Nikos.

“We started with a trip to Olympia. We had to purchase entry into the ruins and were guided by a knowledgeable person showing us all the highlights of the grounds. It was incredibly hot so this part of the tour was the least enjoyable for me. We left and went to a farm and listened to the owner talk about the history of her family in the honey business. While she explained how honey was collected we enjoyed drinks and a small sample. Afterwards we had local honey to eat and sampled items created with the honey. It was a sweet treat. Then we went to an indoor mart where…”

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14.Barbados Shore Excursion: Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · from $94

Meet your guide at Bridgetown’s cruise terminal for three hours of Bajan food, history, and easy city walking. Expect bakery treats, fishcakes, soup, flying fish, Banks beer, and local stories from guides such as Paulette, Janelle, and Shari. Food and drinks are included, with advance notice required for some diets.

“Paulette was great during this walking food tour. She was friendly, engaging, and very knowledgeable about the history of Barbados as well as taking us to delicious places to eat. I will definitely recommend this tour. Paulette made it extra fun.”

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15.Best Shore Excursion Etna, Taormina, Messina With Tasting Of Sicilian Products

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $227

You travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Messina to Mount Etna, Taormina, and central Messina. Expect Ionian coast views, free time near Porta Catania, and tastings of honey, olives, wine, liqueurs, and olive oil. Entrance fees and tips are extra.

“The tour we received did not cover most of the items from the tour description on Viator website (see below for summary), so this misrepresentation is very disappointing. We contacted Viator to no avail. We will be disputing this charge with our credit card company immediately. From Tour Description on Website: Mount Etna Walk on the sylvan craters with a breathtaking view of the Ionian coast of Sicily. 1 hour • Admission Ticket Free 2 Tempio Votivo di Cristo Re Short stop for souvenir photos from the panoramic balcony of Messina 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free NOT PROVIDED 3 Duomo di Messina Stop to visit the famous Piazza del…”

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