Madison Tours and Tastings
Don't just see the city, experience it. Tours in Madison, WI will guide you through hidden gems and local favorites, showcasing Madison's rich flavors and unforgettable vibes. Get ready to eat, ride, walk, float or even get a little bit spooked as you discover more of the capital city than ever before.
FOOD AND DRINK TOURS
*Madison Eats Food Tours: Explore Madison neighborhoods where you can taste local, seasonal foods and meet the chefs, farmers and artisans who make it all happen.
*Madison Food Explorers: Ready to eat your way through Madison from lake to lake? Madison Food Explorers offers private food tours based around your group's favorite Madison icons.
*Babcock Dairy Store Observation Deck Tour: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Babcock Dairy Store production facility known for its iconic ice cream made on the UW campus.
*State Line Distillery Private Distillery Tours and Tasting: Take an in-depth tour with owner John Mleziva and learn the process of distilling while sampling State Line spirits along the way.
Looking for a behind-the-scenes tour of Madison's craft beverage scene? Check out our breweries and distilleries pages for tour information by location.
WALKING AND RIDING TOURS
*Madison Adventure Tours: See more of the most bikeable city in the country from two wheels, guided by local experts. Madison Adventure Tours is the capital city's official guided eBike tour, showcasing the city's neighborhoods, landmarks and lakeshores.
*Trolley Pub Madison: Pedal with a group of your fave people on a trolley pub, a rolling good time that's part tour, part bar crawl. Get your blood pumping and see some of Madison's most iconic bars and sites.
City Scour: Learn Madison history and make memories with City Scour, an app-based walking tour and curated scavenger hunt.
Arts, History and Sports
Wisconsin State Capitol Tour: Dive into Wisconsin history inside one of the state's most beloved architectural marvels. Free, guided tours are available daily, except for some holidays.
*Camp Randall Stadium Tour: "Jump Around" on a guided tour of one of the most historic college football stadiums in the country. Tours are offered on select days throughout the summer. Group tours for 10-100 people are available.
*Monona Terrace Tour: Take a guided tour of Monona Terrace to learn about Frank Lloyd Wright's influence on the capital city and his vision to "marry" the city with the natural beauty of Lake Monona.
*Taliesin: Take a guided tour of the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the nation's most respected architects and Madisonian. Tours of this UNESCO World Heritage site are available from April through November.
*First Unitarian Society: Public tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed meeting house are available most Sundays April through October.
*University of Wisconsin-Madison tours: Discover 175 years of Badger pride on a UW campus tour. Find a tour that's right for you with options including future student tours, an independent app-led walking tour, general visitor tours and First Nations Cultural Landscape tours that bring awareness to the campus' indigenous history and culture.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens: There's more than one way to take in all the natural beauty of the gardens. Create your own adventure by touring solo, take a guided group tour or stop in on Sundays from June through August for guided garden strolls.
*Historic Architecture Walking Tours: Join the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation for walking tours of some of Madison's architectural marvels like the Kennedy Dairy Building, Machinery Row, Mansion Hill and more.
*Allen Centennial Garden Tour: Take a hands-on tour of one of UW-Madison's living laboratories. Learn about the garden's diverse horticulture and hear from the gardeners about their planting decisions.
ON THE WATER
*Madison Boats: Hop on a pontoon from the dock at the historic Edgewater Hotel for a guide boat tour around Lake Mendota. Check out Madison Boats' event calendar for more guided expeditions, full moon paddles, ice cream boat floats and more.
*Betty Lou Cruises: Set sail on Lakes Mendota and Monona to see classic shoreline sights and enjoy themed buffet menus ranging from pints and pies to champagne brunch.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
*Cave of the Mounds: Get underground with a guided tour of a natural wonder millions of years in the making. This National Natural Landmark is a marvel of stalactites and stalagmites that capture the region's natural history.
*Madison Ghost Walks: Learn the haunted history of Madison with Madison Ghost Walks. Featuring ghost stories and paranormal experiences that will spook your socks off.
*Note that tickets or reservations must be made in advance for all tours; private and charter events are also offered.