We’ve been running food tours in Prague and Moravia for 11 years now, and we can confidently say that we’ve seen it pretty much all. But there are some mistakes our guests make, and some misconceptions they have, over and over again. So we’ve said “enough”!
Here’s five basic tips that will help you enjoy our food tours (and any other tours, really) to the fullest.
Tip 1: Don’t book for the day of your arrival.
Let’s start with a practical tip. Don’t book our tour on the day of your arrival, especially if you are flying from overseas.
We know what you’re thinking – „but I read the reviews and they said this was a great way to start my trip to Prague! And all my friends said so, too!“ We know. But still, don’t do it. Listen to the voice of experience here.
We don’t know if you’ve noticed, but flying is a bit of a nightmare right now. And even before Covid - you know, when flying was… …fun? - there were many, many, many times when our guests missed a tour because of a canceled or delayed flight. And since this all happens last minute, we may not have the time to reschedule you to a different tour a day later because we might be fully booked by the time you come to the sad realisation that you’re stuck in Newark… while your luggage is well on its way to Buenos Aires.
Also, our experience indicates that serious jetlag and serious overeating are not a great mix, especially if you throw in a bit of alcohol into the mix. We’ve seen too guests literally struggle through our tour, fighting off fatigue and the unescapable feeling of regret. And that’s not how you should experience our tours, honestly.
So trust as here – go against your instinct and book for the day after your arrival. We will be happy to send you tips where to eat and what to do before we actually meet, so we’ve got you covered for your first day too. Just ask.
Tip 2: Free your mind… and your mouth will follow.
OK, so you don’t like mushrooms. Have you ever had mushrooms in the Czech Republic? Maybe they taste like strawberries. (OK, they don’t, really, but you know what we mean.)
But joking aside, while we do respect and appreciate that our guests may have preferences and serious dislikes, we do strongly recommend that you try to broaden your horizons on our tours. Case in point: hot dogs. Hot dogs are awful in the US - let’s face the facts. But the hotdogs we serve on our tours are very different. They only have three ingredients, the way the Lord intended - meat, fat, and seasoning. Many of our guests are shocked that a hot dog can be that tasty. So again, while we will not force you to eat anything you don’t want to eat, it might be a good idea to try for once. Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Tip 3: Authentic shmauthentic.
We often get questions whether we’ll have an authentic Czech experience, like eat pork knuckle in a Medieval cellar. Do you know how many times we’ve eaten pork knuckle in a Medieval cellar In our lives here in Prague? You’ve guessed it - never.
We strongly recommend that you throw away any notions of authentic when you come to Prague, or indeed travel anywhere else. In our experience, authentic really means anything that reinforces the stereotypes you’ve had about a place even before you visited it. But you know what? Real life may be somewhere else – and that’s what our tours try to focus on: real life. We do our best not to play to the expectations you may have when you arrive.
To be perfectly honest, it would be so easy to run an „authentic tour“ in Prague. Have a pork knuckle in a Medieval cellar. Have an overpriced glass of Pilsner with a view of the Prague Castle. Munch on a trdelnik. (If you don’t know what a trdelnik is, get ready to see them on every corner when you arrive. Also, please know that they are not authentic - or Czech - at all.)
So come as you are, and with an open mind. And don’t compare what you see to whatever you think authentic is. Maybe you’ll find you’ll avoid a major disappointment and learn something unexpected.
Tip 4: Get your questions ready.
We’ve had a guest recently who suggested we should use these earpieces that big tours use when they walk around the city. That goes directly against want we want to do with our tours. Our tours should not be about one guy talking and the guests listening quietly. Our tours should be about interaction and conversation.
Sure, food is fun and we can talk about it four hours, but in all honesty, can you? Food tours are really cultural tours, and ours is no different. We also want to talk about all things Czech. How we live, what are the taxes we pay, what do we get in exchange, what’s the healthcare like, and how about the schools? Isn’t this why we travel in the first place? To learn about a new place and perhaps compare our lives to the lives of people living in a different part of the world? That’s exactly what we want to provide.
So sorry, no earpieces. And get your questions ready. We will be happy to answer them all.
Tip 5: Tell us everything!
We’ve had guests who have withheld important information from us (regarding their allergies and dislikes or mobility issues) because they felt they were a nuisance. They just didn’t want to bother us with it.
First of all: you should never feel that way about yourself, girlfriend.
Second, telling us everything actually helps us create a tour you will enjoy, and will avoid disappointment on the spot. We order everything in advance, so learning about stuff on the spot is a tad too late. Also, we can adjust the places we visit to your allergies and tastes… when we know about them.
So please share. We actually welcome it. (And if you’re making a booking for more people, please ask them about their allergies, too.) Thank you!
Bonus tip: No Crocs, please.
As always, no dress code for our tours. Come as you are. We just draw the line at Crocs. Don’t wear them to the tour. Or anywhere else public for that matter. (Home and garden are acceptable.)