Best Walking Tours in Providence

Discover the beauty of Providence on foot with our curated walking tours. Whether you're visiting for the first time or looking to uncover hidden gems, exploring Providence by walking lets you experience its culture, history, and landmarks up close.

Top Walking Tours in Providence

Downcity Providence Food Tour in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (321 reviews)

From $ 99.00

 

Join this 3-hour small-group food tour to savor 6+ food tastings in one of America's top food cities with a professional guide. Sip on alcoholic beverages (if option selected) at select locations. Explore this historic capital city's architecture while listening to fascinating stories about the history and view the art and culture as you walk through the Downcity Arts District. Tour is limited to a maximum of 14 people to ensure personalized service and includes a guide offering recommendations for you to further explore on your own.  

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Crime and Cuisine on Federal Hill in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (136 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 100.00

Duration: 3 hours (approx.)

A food tour with a felonious twist! The Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence is one of its hottest destinations, home to some of the best Italian food in the world. This tour will give you a smorgasbord of its best bites and drinks, from fine wines to family recipes passed down through generations. Come hungry! Every guest will also get a memento from their time on the Hill to take home with them. Spoiler alert: it's delicious! The Hill was also home to some historic characters who dabbled on the wrong side of the law. Follow the intrigue of State v. Patriarca, when a future mayor took on a mob boss; learn about the corruption which brought Rhode Island's banking system to its knees in the '90s, and about a raid on an illegal dice game that sent a Providence Police Officer through a second-story window. Guests under 21 will not be served alcohol on this tour.

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Haunted History Walking Tour of Providence in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (89 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

 

Our company has been a member of the Providence community for nearly two decades. Our company is a walking, haunted history tour of Providence's College Hill neighborhood. Our guides lead guests by lantern light as we explore the history, mystery, legends, and lore of our city. Learn about different types of hauntings, our spirits' most current activities, and the dark tales that have been forgotten over time. Our tour is a wonderful blend of history and mystery, perfect for believers and skeptics alike! The tour includes a portion of College Hill. We have chosen the most walkable route, but it is indeed a hill and our streets are old. Please wear shoes that are comfortable and stable. It is also outdoors, so be sure to dress for the weather.

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The Creative Capital: An Art and Architecture Tour of Providence in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (73 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

Duration: 2 hours (approx.)

The story of Providence is told by its buildings. Our city's downtown blossomed during America's Gilded Age, and has well-preserved examples of Art-Deco, Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical, and many more architectural styles. But this tour goes beyond bricks and windows: peer into the past by learning some of the human stories behind the facades. This tour also explores the city's vibrant arts and cultural scene, a key ingredient of its dramatic turnaround from mid-century urban decay to regional arts center. Experience and learn the inspiration for Providence's most breathtaking murals: these massive works weave into the city’s visual landscape for a result unparalleled anywhere in the United States.

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Providence Ghost Tours: Phantoms, Poltergeists, & Pestilence in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (62 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 26.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Embark on a spine-tingling journey through Providence’s shadowy streets with our walking ghost tour! Led by a seasoned local guide, this tour takes you to some of the city’s most haunted and historically significant sites. As you stroll through the district, spine-chilling tales of ghostly encounters and eerie happenings will unfold, revealing the dark secrets that linger in Providence’s past. Prepare to uncover the spectral stories behind legendary figures, from renowned authors and influential politicians to brave Revolutionary War soldiers whose spirits still roam these haunted streets. While the tour doesn’t enter private buildings, standing on this haunted ground is enough to send shivers down your spine. From the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial to Brown University’s University Hall, each stop offers a unique glimpse into the city’s eerie history. Join us for an evening of mystery, history, and the supernatural, and feel the presence of those who walked these streets long ago!

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Parasols and Pocket Watches: A History Tour in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (40 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Join us for this elegant stroll through time! Allow our historically costumed, local guides to lead you down the most beautifully preserved street in all of Providence, RI- Benefit Street! Guests will learn the history of some of Providence's most prominent residents and families, including the Dorr family, Roger Williams, and the Hoppin family. See architectural icons including the John Brown House, the First Baptist Church, the Fleur de Lys Building, and the original State House. Learn about the events that shaped our state and nation, including the suffrage movements (yes, there were two!) and the Civil War. This tour will leave you feeling more connected to the city's past and with a greater appreciation for Providence. Benefit Street is a mostly flat street and is suitable for people of most levels of health and fitness.

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Voices of Resilience: Hidden History of Providence Tour in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (6 reviews)
Likely to Sell Out Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

Duration: 2 hours (approx.)

From pivotal social justice movements to the personal narratives of unsung heroes, Voices of Resilience offers a deeper understanding of Providence’s identity and legacy of courage, resistance, and triumph. We'll take a closer look at how Rhode Island's tremendous profit on the international slave trade powered the Industrial Revolution, how the state barely overcame revolution in defiance of rebellious suffragists, all the way through how the state fought but failed to prevent the first Gay Pride parade from taking place in Providence in 1976. ​ Providence has been home to diverse, courageous, and resilient people who were able to achieve incredible feats despite the deck being stacked against them in every way. Learn about Edward Bannister, a 19th-century Black barber who overcame prejudice to become a painter of national acclaim; Princess Red Wing, a Narragansett and Pokanoket activist; and the 1902 labor strike that stopped Rhode Island's urban core in its tracks.

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Prohibition in Providence: A Drinking History Tour in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 100.00

Duration: 3 hours (approx.)

Downtown Providence is experiencing a renaissance of its historic brewing scene- join us for a walking tasting tour of Providence's local libations, including delicious beer and spirits produced right here in Rhode Island's capital city. Between tastings, learn about the incredible history of Rhode Island prohibition in a state that never ratified the Prohibition amendment. Immigrant-rich Providence found it a little too difficult to part with its Old World drinking cultures, despite what the Feds had decided was "moral." From the zealous coalition who brought it to Congress, to liquor loopholes, to famous bootleggers and undercover agents and corrupt officials, Providence's Prohibition history is rich with characters and culture you won't find anywhere else.

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Dark Tales: The Haunted Authors of Providence Tour in Providence

Providence , Rhode Island

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (2 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

Duration: 2 hours (approx.)

Walk through Providence's dark side! The eerie writings H.P. Lovecraft- one of the most significant supernatural horror fiction authors of the 20th century- are inexplicably bound to his hometown of Providence. This tour walks in the tortured author's footsteps through his traumatic upbringing and favorite haunts; guests also meet some of the fictional characters that Lovecraft wrote into the city's fabric through dramatic retellings of his creepiest tales. But Lovecraft isn't the only author that ambled the city's centuries-old sidewalks: Sarah Helen Whitman was an eccentric local spiritualist and poet who was briefly engaged to master of the macabre Edgar Allan Poe. This tour also explores her life and relives the couple's whirlwind- and doomed- romance.

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Local Tips for Providence

Guided vs. Self-Guided Walking Tours

A guided walking tour offers expert insights, historical context, and often includes skip-the-line access to major landmarks. If you prefer flexibility, a self-guided route lets you explore Providence at your own pace using maps and mobile apps. Combining both options is ideal for a complete experience.

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