chapel hill food tour

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Chapel Hill / Carrboro

Go behind the scenes in Chapel Hill and Carrboro on this guided walking tour, where traditional and modern farm-to-table cuisine comes to life. From fine-dining restaurants to mom & pop shops, sample innovative and upscale dishes all sourced from local ingredients. Known for being on the forefront of the Slow Food movement and for restaurants that have redefined Southern cooking, Chapel Hill/ Carrboro is one of the best places in the country to live and eat!

The Carrboro Tasting Tour ties local ingredients to the restaurants that use them. This tour includes savory food tastings at about five different restaurants: substantial bites and tastings, with some small drink pairings, and a sweet ending. You’ll enjoy meeting chefs and artisans on this tour! Available some weekdays and Saturday afternoons – and by request.

The Carrboro and Chapel Hill Tasting & Drinks Tour showcases local ingredients in dishes at five different eclectic Carrboro and Chapel Hill restaurants. Drink pairing at most stops and an opportunity to meet chefs make this tour a delightful and spirited experience! Available by request.

Please scroll all the way down the page to register. To request an additional date for either tour time not shown on the calendar, please email or call us.  Private and custom tours can be arranged for any day or night of the week for groups.

To register for a tour: please click the Purchase Tickets! link at the top of the light blue bar to see the full lineup of tours or click the Book Now! buttons below for the particular tour listed.

Private and custom tours can be arranged for any day or night of the week for groups.

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1:30 Carrboro Tasting Tour , $89 per person, Saturdays and weekdays by request, please contact us. There is also a $6 ticketing fee.

Carrboro & Chapel Hill Dinner & Drinks Tour , Contact us to book this tour for weeknight events for groups.

Private and corporate tours are available any day or evening of the week.

The Purchase Tickets link at the top of the vertical blue bar takes you to a calendar that shows available dates and tickets for all tours in all cities.

Public parking in Carrboro is available in lots and along Roberson Street. The lot next to Open Eye Cafe is not ticketed (usually).

Meet in front of Open Eye Cafe, 101 S. Greensboro St., Carrboro, 15 minutes prior to your tour time.

• Carrboro Farmers’ Market
• Neal’s Deli
• Open Eye Cafe / Carrboro Coffee Roasters
• Pizzeria Mercato
• Sweet Little Something
• Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe
• Vecino Brewing

Tours run rain or shine. Please dress appropriately for the weather. Wear comfortable shoes; walking distance is 2 to 3 miles. Tour runs 3 to 3.5 hours.

Please don’t be late! Meet the group 15 minutes prior to your tour time so that we can arrive at the restaurants promptly.

Bring a government-issued ID if you plan on drinking alcohol.

Register in advance. If you are trying to register for a tour the morning of and registration has closed, please call (919) 237-2254 to check availability. Sorry, no exchanges or refunds. If we have to cancel the tour due to extreme weather, we will refund your money.

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Please reply to let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies not listed on your registration. We are not able to change tastings during the tour. Please bring bottled water and dress for the weather and for walking. Enjoy your tour!

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Take A Culinary Trip Around The World In Chapel Hill

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I hereby declare the summer of 2014 my Summer of the Food Tour.

I just completed my third walking food tour and it was fantastic.

Triangle Food Tours’ Downtown Chapel Hill & Carrboro Food Tasting & Cultural Walking Tour is a great taste trip around the world of food in what Bon Appetite Magazine calls “America’s Foodiest Small Town.”

Why Take A Food Tour?

Besides the food, there’s a multitude of reasons for going on a food tour.

1) You’ll learn the different restaurants and cuisines of an area.

2) A food tour takes place in the middle of the afternoon when restaurants are usually between meals. This affords time with the staff and chefs to ask questions.

3) A food tour is an out-of-the-ordinary way of entertaining out of town guests, exploring a new city or learning the restaurants in your own hometown.

4) It’s a wonderful way to meet people.

  The Franklin Hotel on Franklin Street is where the tour originates.

What To Expect

Undaunted by the smoldering July heat, we walked close to two miles while learning a bit about the culture of the area.  We took in the sites and made seven stops, trying some of the finest food and beverages at Chapel Hill/Carrboro offers.

As our tour guide, Sarah put it, “a food tour is like speed-dating for restaurants.”

Before taking a food tour it’s important to be sure you’ve come prepared with comfortable shoes and your appetite. Bring an open mind as Triangle Food Tour’s website says, be ready to “Walk, Talk, Taste, Sip.”

Why Chapel Hill & Carrboro?

Chapel Hill is home to the University of North Carolina. It’s a bustling college town with a vibrant, ever-changing population. Along with the University dynamic comes a splendid mixture and diversity of culture that’s easily experienced by walking down the main thoroughfare of Franklin Street.

As a result of these two unique municipalities in such close proximity, the Chapel Hill & Carrboro Food Tasting provides a wide variety of cuisines and flavors.  It’s a veritable trip around the culinary world; Irish, Indian, French, Greek, contemporary American, beer, wine and oh yes, dessert.

Our Line Up For The Day

Triangle Food Tours partners with an array of restaurants to present its tasting tours. Though the lineup may change from week to week or with the season, each partner welcomes the food tourists by serving tasty representations and providing insights into the foods these establishments serve. ( Update July 30, 2018 : A few of the restaurants we toured that day are no longer in business.)

Our tour included;

Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub

CholaNad – Contemporary South Indian Concept

Glasshalfull – Contemporary American

Provence – Regional French and Mediterranean cuisine

Carrboro Beverage Co. a Bottle Shop – NC brews on tap for sampling

Kipos Greek Taverna – robust Greek Fare

Gigi’s Cupcakes of Chapel Hill -cupcakes, cheesecakes mini cupcakes, and cookies

Take Away From Our Triangle Food Tour

Yes, the weather was a tad warm for our culinary journey but the delicious food, cool beverages, and good company made for a happy and fun tour of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. We departed our tour feeling full, but wanting more and vowing to return to these marvelous restaurants.

Triangle Food Tours

Reservations are required.  Tours fill up quickly so be sure to book in advance.

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2 thoughts on “Take A Culinary Trip Around The World In Chapel Hill”

We’ve been on a few walking tours (Italy and London) and loved them both. Always way too full afterwards (particularly the London one!). It’s a great way to get some great food while seeing the area.

What a wonderful food tour. Your article made me hungry for new culinary experiences.

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The Best Unique Dining Experiences in Chapel Hill

The best cooking classes, food tours & team building events in chapel hill.

Join culinary classes and tours in Chapel Hill to explore the most delicious foods and gorgeous areas. Treat yourself to some grits or juicy and soft shrimp before you explore other restaurants with fresh and organic food. Don’t forget to walk through the farmers’ markets for everything organic you may need. The Southern comfort is something special, and you should explore every aspect that Chapel Hill offers with its traditions as well as modernized cooking methods. Book your experience today!

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Triangle Food and City Tours

Enjoy neighborhood food, drink and walking tours, featured walking food tours.

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Savor Historic Oakwood Neighborhood Food Tour

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Bites of Boylan Heights Neighborhood Food Tour

Discover unique local restaurants and venues in Raleigh’s Boylan Heights, an early 20th century neighborhood. Blending together some forgotten historical tidbits that leaves you full!

Private Group Food Tours & Experiences

Get out of the office/home and reconnect in person. Celebrate special occasions with a private food tours. Family gatherings, school groups, birthdays, Bachelorette and team outing tours just to name a few. Available weekdays and weekends!

Savor the Carolinas – NC Goodies in a Box

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Introducing a brand new product…Triangle Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars. A perfect gift for a wedding, family celebration, birthday, or corporate present. Check out our unique flavors.

Triangle Food and City Tours make the perfect gift. Purchase a gift certificate for one of our food tours.

The Triangle’s original walking food tour. There are several different delicious, food tasting, walking tours — Downtown Raleigh (the original), Chapel Hill & Carrboro, Downtown Durham, and Downtown Cary.

Explore and discover a culinary and historical perspective of downtown Raleigh, Chapel Hill & Carrboro, Durham, and Cary that only an insider might know.

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Delicious Food and a Great Way to Learn a Bit of History!

"I highly recommend the walking food tour! Everyone was very knowledgeable & the food was unique & delicious."

We enjoyed the energy of the tour guide. That can really make or break these adventures that we soo love to take. We will definitely check out the tour they have in Durham. I so look forward to it!

We had such a wonderful tour with Jacquelyn. She was so informative and took us to the most wonderful restaurants. The food was delicious and so much of it, we were so full we had to put some in doggy bags. We will definitely call again when we are back in Raleigh, can't wait!!

My husband and I did the Durham Food Tour in early December and had a blast! Our guide, Jennifer, was well versed in Durham history. There was one other couple on the tour which made it especially fun and intimate. All of the food was delicious and the restaurants were accommodating to my dietary restrictions (which I had notified Triangle Food Tours of at the time of booking). I highly recommend the tour and look forward to doing more tours throughout the area.

"ll of the food spots were delicious not so hidden gems. The host Jacquelyn was super knowledgeable about the food spot and the history of the town. I most definitely will check out another tour maybe Durham or even Chapel hill."

"We had a wonderful afternoon with Victoria. The restaurants they use change each time but we really enjoyed the places we were taken. "

"I found that extremely helpful. Every place we visited was ready for our group @ very welcoming. I absolutely would do this again. The food was delish in all restaurants.."

Had a fabulous time on the Raleigh Food Tours. What a great way to spend a Saturday with friends. We learned about new restaurants, tried interesting foods and enjoyed great service. Our guide was terrific and incorporated a lot of interesting history and fun food facts. I highly recommend.

Wow Jacquelyn, what a sweet, gracious, easy-going and knowledgeable woman!!! She is awesome. What a trooper… I am writing to let you know what a great time I had on the tour. She did an amazing job dealing w/ the dynamics of the event, the group, and the rainy weather… I just wanted to take a minute to let her know how much I appreciated her and her care of us on this fateful night… It was great!!!! I was the volunteer for her as she spoke of the past hangings in Moore Square. Thank you for choosing her to help me and my friends have an amazing time together in downtown Raleigh.

~ WE PROUDLY SUPPORT ~

Triangle Food and City Tours is a proud supporter of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and many small community non-profits. We match every donation made by our guests quarterly. IFFS cultivates urban gardens and distributes nutritious food to our neighbors including grocery bags for seniors and backpack buddies for kids, and much more.

Now it's your turn...

A fun, casual way to sample the sights, sounds, and flavors from a cross-section of locally-owned, enthusiastically operated restaurants in the downtown areas of Raleigh, Chapel Hill & Carrboro, Durham, and Cary.

Join Jacquelyn and 9+ million other Small Business Owners

Chapel Hill & Carrboro Walking Food Tour

Join us as we explore the tastes, sights, and culture of the “Southern Part of Heaven” and the “Paris of the Piedmont.” 

Recently named “America’s Foodiest Small Town” by Bon Appetit Magazine, Chapel Hill & Carrboro offer a diverse array of excellent restaurants, in addition to their historic architecture, funky arts scene, and natural beauty. On our three-hour walking tour, we will experience the vibrant downtown neighborhoods of Chapel Hill & Carrboro through their unique food culture.

We will visit a hidden gem in Carrboro that effortlessly combines small plates and wines, a Mediterranean restaurant that is authentic from top to bottom, a contemporary restaurant that totally redefines Indian cuisine, a long-standing west end eatery that locals never overlook, and much more. And no matter how you may feel about UNC basketball, we are sure this walking tour will have you cheering! 

Click here to learn more and register.

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18 Essential Restaurants in Chapel Hill/Carrboro

From Thai food in a train car to Greek plates from a seasoned restaurateur, here’s what the University of North Carolina town has to offer

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For decades the dining scene in Chapel Hill and Carrboro was stuck in neutral, tied down by an abiding community dedication to tradition that translated into what can only be described as a “rut.” With the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the anchor of the entire community (unlike Durham with Duke or Raleigh with North Carolina State University), it was hard to define what was good food and what was cheap college food. Well, no longer.

A spate of downtown redevelopment has gone hand-in-hand with an exciting new explosion of restaurants in both Chapel Hill and Carrboro over the last decade. Newcomers have found their place alongside historic anchor restaurants, quite literally offering something for everyone. From fine dining to late-night college eats, Chapel Hill has managed to honor tradition while forging a new and delicious path forward.

(Note: while the universe of dining in the area often includes Pittsboro and Hillsborough, we have chosen to restrict this map solely to Chapel Hill and Carrboro.)

Pizzeria Mercato

Owner Gabe Barker might be descended from Southern food royalty (Ben and the late Karen Barker of Magnolia Grill), but he’s found his success with Neopolitan-style pizzas and market-driven Italian cuisine. Wood-fired pizzas anchor a menu that also includes antipasti (marinated and roasted olives, Italian wedding soup, and pork rillettes), an extensive vegetable menu, and comforting main dishes like lasagna al ragu. The crecina is a chickpea batter crepe that comes with eggplant roasted in the pizza oven, tahini, spiced yogurt, pickled cauliflower, and pistachios. Larger family-style take-and-bake dishes are also available.

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Neal's Deli

Matt Neal, son of the late Bill Neal (of Crook’s Corner fame), and his wife Sheila operate this small breakfast and lunch deli that offers classic sandwiches like muffuletta, chicken salad, and a pastrami Reuben. Hot dog fans will like the El Completo, the national hot dog of Chile. It comes topped with mayonnaise, Sriracha, Neal’s kraut, and avocado salsa. Neal’s also churns out massive breakfast biscuit sandwiches and piping hot coffee to Carrboro’s Saturday morning crowds.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neal's Deli | Carrboro, NC (@nealsdeli)

Pasta is the name of the game at chef David Peretin’s intimate 18-seat Carrboro eatery. The menu is divided into shareable small plates (like a half dozen North Carolina oysters, a radicchio salad, or cannellini beans in broth with sauteed greens and focaccia croutons), pastas, and sweets. Peretin changes the menu quite frequently, but expect to see pastas like spaghetti, bucatini, and gnudi to make appearances. A recent menu included mafalde, a ribbon-like pasta with frilly edges, served with a spicy lamb ragu.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tesoro (@tesorocarrboro)

Husband and wife team Younes and Emma Sabouh helm this Carr Mill Mall restaurant serving brunch, lunch, and dinner with truly global flavors. The saffron chicken tagine with Carolina Gold rice is a nod to Younes’s Moroccan heritage, while the “Steak for 1,” a 14-ounce Angus ribeye, with smoked potato puree, market vegetables, and bone marrow dip, is pure steakhouse comfort. The brunch menu is also varied, with items like shakshuka, shrimp and grits, and a fried chicken Benedict all vying for attention.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tandem Carrboro (@tandem.carrboro)

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Thai Station Restaurant

The little boxcar in the center of Carrboro has had many lives over the years and now finds itself home to Thai Station, a bustling little bistro churning out both Thai staples and in-house creations. There’s pad thai, pad see ew, panang curry, and chicken satay, but also soft shell crab with spicy herb dressing, a seasoned ribeye steak with Thai dipping sauce, and the Station duck curry — boneless duck in a red curry coconut broth chock full of vegetables. Weekly lunch specials, along with a special kid’s menu, make Thai Station an ideal spot for the whole family.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thai Station Restaurant (@thaistation_carrboro_nc)

Gourmet Kingdom

Gourmet Kingdom is the place in town to go for that Szechuan mouth-tingle. Shredded tripe in chili sauce, twice-cooked pork, dan dan noodles, and of course, mapo tofu are on offer. Those used to more Americanized Chinese fare can branch out and try specialties like sweet and sour jellyfish, Szechuan spicy conch, or winter melon with white sauce. The cultured sticky congee flavored with bittersweet osmanthus tea is a unique dessert option.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daniel Burapavong (@td2timemvp)

18 Essential Chinese Restaurants in the Triangle

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Carrburritos

Cali-style tacos, margaritas, and burritos the size of a small child’s head are the draw at Carrburritos. The mejor burrito is the standard order, and filling choices range from carnitas, chorizo, and pollo asado to pure de papas (sweet potatoes pureed with caramelized onions) or tofu a la Mexicana (tofu stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh jalapenos).

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe

Southern India meets North Carolina at Vimala’s, where the kitchen transforms finds from nearby farms into comforting classics like lamb rogan josh, pork vindaloo, and mixed vegetable pakoras. All of the chutneys and pickles are made in-house, and Vimala’s dosa batter is available by the quart for fresh dosas made at home. Dishes like kerala beef, tandoori chicken, a daily Kerala-style fish curry are also available chilled to take home and reheat.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe (@vimalascurryblossom)

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Chef Andrea Reusing’s ode to Asian-inspired, locally-sourced Southern cuisine was at the forefront of Chapel Hill’s restaurant revitalization and remains a favorite today. Dumplings, small dishes, and entrees like whole steamed wild North Carolina black bass and Japanese steakhouse-style steak are all inspired by the bounty of local farmers Lantern has been partnering with since day one.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lantern (@lanternrestaurant)

Sutton's Drug Store

Another Franklin Street mainstay, Sutton’s has served classic soda-fountain-style food since 1923. Hot dogs, burgers, deli sandwiches, and more can all be washed down with a milkshake. A breakfast menu is available until 11 a.m., and while the menu nods to more current tastes with pitas, wraps, and some vegetarian options, the soups are still good old-fashioned Campbell’s.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mcal and Anna (@sweetnsalty.sisters)

Time-Out Restaurant

Early-risers, bleary-eyed Carolina students coming off all-nighters, UNC sports fans, and more have been packing into this Franklin Street staple since 1978. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Time-Out offers what could be called Southern diner staples, like pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato pie, and an all-day breakfast menu.

Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen

Many Tar Heels will argue that the biscuits at Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen are the best in the country, and the line of cars that snakes around the tiny building out onto Franklin Street most mornings might just be proof of that fact. Big, pillowy biscuits filled with a choice of meat, egg, and cheese combo, or topped with gravy, are the order of the day here. Sure it has sandwiches and burgers, but a biscuit is the way to go.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen (@sunrise_biscuit_kitchen)

Il Palio, located in the Siena Hotel, is Chapel Hill’s go-to for high-end Italian cuisine. There’s linguine alla vongole with North Carolina clams, a wagyu beef carpaccio, and wood-grilled octopus with nduja. A $95 family-style chef’s tasting menu ($140 with wine) is always available, with the staff creating a menu based on your preferences. Speaking of wine, Il Palio has one of the most extensive collections of Italian wines in the Triangle.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Il Palio Restaurant (@il_palio)

Osteria Georgi

Restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias’s Osteria Georgi arrived on the Chapel Hill dining scene with a splash in 2021, quickly becoming one of the Triangle’s must-have reservations. Chef Dan Jackson and his crew plate up dishes that span a range of regional Italian cuisines. The swordfish puttanesca comes with Sardinian-style couscous and roasted vegetables, while the bistecca is a New York strip steak served with white beans. All the pastas are made in house — the tagliatelle is served with a duck ragu while the bucatina all’amatriciana comes with pancetta, a pomodoro sauce, and Calabrian chilies. The bar stocks an extensive offering of Italian amari, while a carefully curated list of Italian wines and speciality cocktails round out the beverage offerings.

Kipos Greek Taverna

Uber-restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias has long had a footprint in Chapel Hill and Kipos Greek Taverna might be the one restaurant in his collection that is closest to his heart and his Greek heritage. With a menu overseen by his sister Olga, Kipos offers the flavors Bakatsias grew up with. Open for lunch, dinner, and a weekend brunch, diners can expect classic dishes like a gyro sandwich, moussaka, and pastisio. The spanakopita is Olga’s special recipe, and the mezze platter is enough to make a meal on its own.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kipos Greek Taverna (@kiposgreektaverna)

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Asian fusion is the name of the game at Jujube, The Jujube bolognese subs celery rice noodles for traditional pasta and comes with a hoisin-based sauce of shredded slow-cooked pork. There’s also a play on the popular Indonesian salad gado gado, a fancy version of kung pao chicken, and a trio of dumplings, among other small and large plates. Two prix fixe menus at slightly different price points are available nightly, as well as wine, cocktails, and beer.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jujube Restaurant (@jujuberestaurant)

Hawthorne & Wood

The sister restaurant to Bluebird, Hawthorne & Wood is a more laid-back neighborhood joint serving Americana fare with touches of global flavor. Think General Tso’s cauliflower, a slow-cooked pork shoulder with tamarind and jalapeno, and a duck breast in mole sauce. There’s a burger that comes “fully stacked,” New Orleans-style shrimp with Portuguese cornbread, and fried olives with a rouille to help round out the edible trip around the world. The wine list features both New and Old World familiar varietals, and the cocktail menu offers both classics like a French 75 or a Moscow Mule, or new creations like the Chapel Hill iced tea (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, black tea, lemon).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by hawthorne&wood (@hawthorneandwood)

Bluebird has quickly become one of the most buzzed-about Triangle restaurants. Chef Brandon Sharp (also of Hawthorne & Wood) and his team have created what they call an “unapologetically French bistro”. The menu is chock full of classics like French onion soup, Lyonnaise salad, foie gras pate, and more. Steak frites, duck confit, and boeuf bourgignon are just a few of the main dishes that will transport diners right back to a Parisian bistro.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bluebird (@blue.birdnc)

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What’s your passion? History, food, nature, farms? There’s a tour for that! We have a rich cultural history here, award-winning chefs, and a bountiful of farms to explore. We have a cidery that loves to share their knowledge of ciders, wines and fuited sours at their farm. And a Botanical Garden that is a collection of many gardens native to our state – our favorite - the carnivorous plant collection! So, find a tour guide and wear your walking shoes; bring your appetite and your camera because you will want to share these memories.

Want to make a go of it on your own?  Check out this  Self-Guided Driving Tour  of Historic Chapel Hill  or the self-guided mural and public art tour, Soundwalk of Northside, UNC Campus tour and a historic self-guided tour of Hillsborough or Carrboro, listed below. 

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Our in-person Sense of Place tour is a 90-minute walking tour hosted by student guides who share campus history, traditions and the student experience as well as some of the University’s current endeavors in research and innovation. Learn more about our Sense of Place tour.

The Visitors Center also offers a 75-minute walking graduate student tour hosted by a current graduate student tour guide. Building on the Sense of Place tour, the graduate tour includes information relating to graduate student life at Carolina. Learn more about our graduate student tour.

The UNC Visitors Center, located at 134 E. Franklin Street, is open to guests 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

We hope that you will find our  Visitors Guide helpful as you explore Carolina. If you have other questions, you may reach us 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at [email protected] . For details about parking on campus, check visitor parking. For information and resources about Chapel Hill, visit the Chapel Hill and Orange County Welcome Center .

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• Sense of Place tours
• Explore Carolina virtually
• Undergraduate admissions tours
• Other things to do on campus
• Frequently asked questions
• UNC Visitors Center 134 E Franklin Street Ave, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Chapel Hill 27514

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Carolina up close

With historic buildings and picturesque landscaping, Carolina's campus is iconic, and some of the University's most beautiful spots are worth a closer look.

Moving forward with boldness

More than 225 years ago, a radical idea took root in North Carolina: higher education, funded by the people, for the people. As we enter the third decade of this millennium, the challenges we face today are great, but, as we have demonstrated for more than two centuries, we are built to face great challenges.

Timeless traditions

Take a sip from the Old Well on your first day of classes to get good grades. Sign your name on the bricks inside the Bell Tower as a senior. Relax in the sun on Polk Place. Carolina is filled with traditions - some that date back for decades and others that are new - that students cherish today.

Always a great day to be a Tar Heel

“It’s a great day to be a Tar Heel” is a phrase you’ll often hear around Carolina, and for a good reason. Every day, Tar Heels create a positive impact on the world by improving their communities and inspiring change through their talents. They’re artists, scientists, humanitarians, researchers and innovators doing extraordinary things.

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