It's that merry time of year again, but the angst of finding the perfect gift can permeate those…read moretidings of joy. Before you get too holidazed, may I suggest the following: Research shows that people's most cherished memories are not of things and objects, but of experiences. Thus, gifting an experience vs. an object will bring more joy to your loved ones. And as gift-worthy experiences go, I can think of few better stocking stuffers for your local lovies than a spot on a Savor Oakland Food Tour. I've been lucky to tour with Savor twice now. First thanks to Yelp, I was blessed to get in for one of the Jack London Square area. Carlo, Savor creator and main guide, is both knowledgeable and genuinely warm as a guide. His love for Oakland is also apparent, which puts real heart into the tour. The destinations may rotate, but ours included Chop Bar, Urban Winery, Home of Chicken & Waffles, Forge, Bocanova, Miette and a nosh in transit. Between the food/drink stops, Carlo will call out some of the history and architecture of the area, which ushered more than a couple "I did not know that!" inner responses. My second tour, of Oakland Chinatown (half-priced thanks to Yelp), was a wonder. At tour's beginning, I questioned how much Carlo could show me that I didn't try already, but by tour's end I was happily humbled. I won't divulge all the locations, but some of the stops included: - noodles from Classic Guilin, whose cuisine is from a region in China off the beaten occidental track; - Vietnamese noshes and a Jamison Hot Toddy from the super-cool folks at Tay Ho (one of 74 reviews I'm overdue on); - A magical place where fortune cookies come into existence; - vegetarian Chinese pork fried rice that makes you think "I Can't Believe It's Not Pork"; and.. - just when you think you can't eat another bite (think of Monty Python's "Meaning of Life" character who's offered a "wafer theeen mint?"), another tasting ending with amazing fried banana dessert. Seriously... we were stuffed. Rounding out the awesome food and historic sights: the tours are small enough that by their end you develop a real bond with your fellow travelers. That connection between people, from different walks of life, guided by Carlo -- is for me a prime example of what makes Oakland such a great place to call home. A very easy five stars for Savor Oakland. A thoughtful and unexpected great holiday gift (even for yourself) for this holiday season. Give local, and live local, all.

As part of a small contingent of Yelp Elites, I was fortunate enouh to go on Savor Oakland Food…read moreTours' tour of Oakland Chinatown. For anyone not hardcore Chinese, like myself, this tour is a necessity for braving the Andrew Zimmern-like delights of Oakland Chinatown. I mean, let's face it. Many of us are are going to have at least some amount of trepidation about diving right into the restaurants & markets of Oakland Chinatown. But with Carlo's trusty & knowledgable guidance, we were all able to relax & really enjoy the wonders that this non-touristy Chinatown has to offer. & it wasn't all about food. Though there was more than enough downright delicious food at each our 4 restaurant stops to stuff all of us, even with plenty of walking during the tour. The Oakland Chinatown tour also had a healthy helping of history mixed in that deepened the understanding & appreciation of this neighborhood. Savor Oakland Food Tours' tour of Oakland Chinatown was truly a mouth-watering & eye-opening experience. Knowing what a great tour this is, I know I'll have to check out their Jack London Square tour sometime.

I can't believe I didn't do this sooner! My friends' birthday was coming up and I thought taking a…read morefood tour to celebrate would be much more fun than just going out to an individual restaurant like we usually do. And it couldn't have been a better decision. We took the North Berkeley Tour and Justin was our guide (who I very highly recommend). Not only was he incredibly knowledgeable about the history of all the delicious food we enjoyed, but he was also so personable and easy to talk to. It really felt like we were getting an insider's view of the area. And of course, the selection of food we had was diverse and amazing too (all of it). The best advice I can give to someone who would like to book this tour is to bring your appetite because you will not be hungry when it's over. In fact, by the time we got to our last stop for cupcakes, we were all so full that we just took them to go. I'm still amazed that we were able to visit so many different places in such a short distance. Many of the foods I tried were new to me but I think it's safe to say I've now discovered some new favorites and will definitely be back. Oh, and for those who like to shop, we passed a few cute places along the way too. This really was a fun experience and a wonderful way to spend the day!

Fun activity to eat, learn and experience!…read more We did a 4pm tour at the ferry plaza building and it was a nice replacement for dinner. The tour guide was informative and fun while mixing in tastings throughout. Highly recommended experience!

We did the Old Sacramento tour booked through Viatour, and Mariah was excellent! Fun food and lots…read moreof sites to see! Even though were are local to Sacramento, we still learned a lot of had a great day!

We received a gift certificate for this company and chose the Midtown Walking Food Tour! It was a…read moreWednesday afternoon so it was just me, B, and our fantastic guide Mariah! Even as local Sacramento foodies we learned a lot and tried lots of new places! Mariah was really knowledgeable and so personable. We never felt rushed anywhere. I loved learning more about Wide Open Walls and the stories behind murals I've driven by tons of times. This is a great activity for visitors and locals alike, highly recommend!

I loved this food and wine tour is the Sonoma Plaza. Our guide, Teresa, was very knowledgeable, but…read morealso warm and personable. We had four unique stops for wine and food; each stop was great. We started with cheese and champagne, two stops with white wine; one with Indian food, the other with a grilled branzino. The last stop included two beautiful reds and two dark chocolates. In between we learned so much about the history of Sonoma.

What a super fun experience! I highly recommend this food, wine & history walking tour. We did…read morethe Sonoma Square tour with the owner, and local Novato gal, Renee Rebell. She is very knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed all of our pairings. We had friends in town, who came just for this experience! She mentioned she also does similar tours in Sausalito & Napa. I tried my first food tour at Pike's Place Market, in Seattle. It's a great way to get to know a new foodie town or in this case, get a deeper knowledge and appreciation for a great place closer to home. We especially liked be taken to a tucked away Indian restaurant to try a dish we've never had before. With a paired wine of course!

Fun tours, incredible food and interesting experiences. Must love Mexico! Rose is an amazing tour…read moreguide.

I worked with Rose to schedule a Mexi-Best tour for a group of adults from the Peninsula. She was…read morevery easy to work with in terms of scheduling and modifying the tour (dietary restrictions, mobility needs, etc.). The portions were generous, so we left full and happy. Both Rose and Rosalie were excellent at sharing information and giving the trip a personal touch. We can't wait to get back to San Jose again!

This was the 2nd time that I've booked a wine bus service with eXtraordinary Tour Services. Both…read moretimes we've received excellent and accommodating services. We booked a party style bus for a group of 7 to Kenwood from the Marina. Our driver Paula was a star and we really appreciate the above & beyond service. Each time we've known which wineries we wanted to book but if you do not know, Dean was ready to make recommendations each time. I would recommend booking with Dean as you will not be disappointed!

Excellent experience. Dean was communicative, responsive, flexible, and easy to work with. The…read moredriver showed up early and was also communicative. I would definitely recommend.

Didn't know what to do for my birthday, and came across this beer bike tour. I don't drink, but I…read morefigured it would be fun and my friends can do the drinking. It was very easy to book online on their website. We were a group of 12. It was $27.5 for each of us. If you have 14 people you would get a deal for $25 a person, and the whole bike would be yours. Our "driver," Travis was real nice and laid back. We didn't go too far, but it was more for the experience. It lasts about 2-2.5 hours. We biked to 3 different breweries, and hung out at each for about 30 mins. It was fun! I would definitely do it again!

My friend booked this tour for her birthday outing, and we all had a great time! We had 11 people…read moreon one vehicle. The only downside is that the two seats above the back wheels don't have pedals, so only 10 people can bike at a time (5 people on each side). This may not be a bad thing if you get tired and want to take turns pedaling. It was $27.50 a person, and every individual is required to sign a waiver. The vehicle has shelves inside where you can store your belongings and there are cup holders on the table for you to place your water or phone. There are seatbelts for each chair, but none of us really used them (oops). They also have an aux cord, so you can play your music while pedaling! We met our tour guide at Independent Brewing Company. He was very friendly and considerate that we were a little late. Before we got started, he asked what type of drinks we were interested in. He took us Seawolf first, then Slainte and we finished at Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon. All were great choices although Slainte was my favorite. Neat Irish tavern with people playing live music inside. Heinold's was a little small and claustrophobic, but they are known for their beer. When we returned to our vehicle after the second bar, our tour guide came in clutch and stocked our cup holders with pretzels and water. Please don't forget to tip your tour guides! The tour was about 2 hours long. No, drinks are not included in the fee. But this was a fun way to get around the neighborhood, drink, laugh, dance, sing, and overall just be together with friends. Highly recommend!

I found this Pop-up event & thought its a nice idea. I t was a delightful evening, hands-on class &…read morethen we had dinner. The event held in the Chef's beautiful house & everything was well organized, well prepared & extremely flavorful! People at the group were very sweet & enjoyable to cook with. I highly recommend any event with Chef Mashav. She is really professional & knowledgeable!

What a fantastic tour by Mashav (the owner and the chef of Le Couloir)! Richmond neighborhood in SF…read moreis known for its mix of cultures, but Mashav masterfully uncovers all the hidden secrets and gems - Secrets only someone who lives in this community is familiar with. And she does that through food and hand-picked dishes that you will never uncover without a guide. Even though locations may change per tour, our group tasted a mix of cultures and got some stories behind the dishes, the restaurants, and their owners. Few examples - * Russian cuisine - Herring with a pickled onion on fresh bread * Indian street food - I was surprised how much I enjoyed this vegan street snack - I would have never ordered anything without meat, and I dislike spinach, but the fried spinach snack was mind-blowingly good. * Mexican - Quesadilla with plantain. Again, no meat but it was soooooo good. * Chinese - Glazed Pork and pork-filled bun I won't spoil the surprise for some of the other locations. And more, and more - Total of about 7-8 places. You won't stay hungry, guaranteed. The walk itself is not challenging; there are no hills to overcome, even though it's San Francisco. Don't wait - Just go!

A fun, interactive, and incredibly well done "Travel Around the World" Smart Cooking and Wine…read morePairing Event. My team and I had an amazing experience at Miggi's Kitchen. We learned to cook with the Thermomix while working in teams at different stations, preparing dishes from around the world. It was hands-on, interactive, and a lot of fun - every dish turned out delicious. Miggi is a fantastic teacher: clear, detailed, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable. She explains techniques in a way that's easy to understand, and we all walked away genuinely better cooks. We also paired the experience with wine tasting and learned how to taste and appreciate wine properly, which made the evening even more memorable. On top of that, Miggi's fun, warm personality really brings the whole experience together. My office team loved it and is still talking about it. Highly recommend for team events or anyone looking for a unique, engaging culinary experience.

Our group of 12 just completed an "around the world" cooking class with Miggi and we could not have…read morebeen happier. What a great environment - even better food, and Miggi was very entertaining and informative. We will definitely recommend this to friends. John S

I am writing to express our sincere appreciation for the exceptional service provided by Michael…read moreMcKay. His dedication and responsiveness truly went above and beyond our expectations. He was very patient with our group of 11 trying to decide what cruise line we should pick. Michael answered all of our questions in a quick and timely manner, ensuring that we were always informed and confident in our decisions. What truly stood out was his commitment to customer satisfaction--he even took the time to call us over the weekend, outside of regular working hours, to let us know that an upgrade we were interested in had become available and to ask if we would like to proceed. This level of attentiveness and care is rare and highly commendable. He is the best travel agent we have ever had and we want to thank him for his outstanding service.

Allison Conrad was more than helpful. She went above and beyond to make my trip happen on short…read morenotice. Even when I had to reschedule the trip she was more than happy to assist in rearranging everything. She was so professional and knowledgeable, she created an itinerary based on just a few things I told her I was interested in doing. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to travel. I personally look forward to using her as my travel agent again in the future. Thank you Allison for all your kindness and attention to detail!