New Toronto food tour takes you to a series of restaurants for just $20

There's always more to a neighbourhood than what meets the eye, and this fall, Toronto's Taste of Downtown Yonge is giving you two more reasons to head to explore the area.

Taste of Downtown Yonge, which offers walking food tours for those who want to dig deeper into the local food scene and learn more about the community's small businesses, has announced that it's officially expanding its program.

Starting this week, the Toronto tradition is adding a special edition feature to its programming, offering two new experiences: Fall Flavours Lunch Tour and Sip & Stroll.

The Fall Flavours Lunch Tour is designed for those who work in the area and are often looking to get away from the hustle during lunch and stumble upon their new favourite eatery, literally just down the street.

This hour-long tour, held on Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., includes visits to three to four restaurants and costs just $20. The all-inclusive tour encourages participants to connect not only with the local food, but also with each other, fostering community connections through a walking food tour.

I mean, can you taste-test food during your lunch hour, make new friends, and hit multiple locations for just $20 anywhere else? I don't think so.

Sip & Stroll, on the other hand, gives you a more casual experience around town. If you like to trek the streets with a drink in tow, this one is for you.

The 90-minute tour includes stops at independent cafes and beverage spots, as well as local tea houses that make up Downtown Yonge's stellar sip scene.

The experience happens every Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and is just $15 to savour some of the tastiest treats found on the streets of Downtown Yonge.

The Fall Flavours Lunch Tour runs from Sept. 17 onwards, while Sip & Stroll will kick off on Sept. 20 and run through Dec. 20.

Taste of Downtown Yonge is a popular year-round activity in Toronto, so the program caps its tour groups at 15 participants per session. Residents also cannot participate in more than two tours per year. In other words: choose wisely!

You can purchase tickets for the two new fall programs directly on the Taste of Downtown Yonge website.