How did it get started?
We've always had a passion for donuts, but only recently did we realize just how many others do too. And when looking around, we didn't see anything that truly celebrated donuts in all their glory, hence the Underground Donut Tour was born. The Underground Donut Tour has been running for over 7 years now and was started as a passion project by Jeff Woelker, Chicago donut fanatic. Jeff has worked in marketing for most of his career, but has always had a passion for donuts. The tour started with only Jeff as the tour guide, but now we have multiple guides in multiple cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Portland, Seattle, Boston, London, Dublin, Miami, New Orleans, Nashville, and many more to come!
What can I expect?
The Underground Donut Tour takes place over 2 hours. We'll visit 4 of the best donut stores in each city. At each location, you’ll be able to sample several sizes and flavors of donuts ranging from an entire donut, mini-donuts, or parts of a donut depending on the specialties of each location.
Who is it meant for?
Anyone who truly enjoys donuts. You should be in healthy enough condition to walk 2 miles through flat city streets.
What is the America’s Greatest Donuts Contest?
We started this contest in 2022 to determine the best donuts in America as voted by you, the fans. We simply hosted the contest and let the world know about it. In 2022, 300 different donuts shops were nominated, 160 were selected, with nearly 8,000 votes cast across the entire contest. To learn more about the contest, go here. To read our press release about the winners from 2022, go here.
Do you work with larger groups? Corporate tours? Other types of Groups?
Yes! Our tours are typically between 15-20 people, however, we can accommodate larger groups if needed. Just contact us and we’ll figure something out. It's a unique way to spend your next team building or corporate event, bachelor or bachelorette party, alumni group, wedding activity, school trip, or group tour. We have done the tour for groups up to 100, so feel free to give us a challenge.
Do you give private tours?
Yes! If you give us 48 hours notice, we can pull together a private tour just for you. Just let us know what you need and we’ll make it happen. Contact us at info@undergrounddonuttour.com to get your private tour scheduled today.
Do you actually go underground on this tour?
Typically, no. The underground name itself is meant as “secretive” or “in-the-know”, not actually underground.
Are you affiliated with The London Underground or Seattle’s Underground?
We are not.
What’s your refund or cancellation policy?
Where do the tours start and end?
The tours typically start and end at different points within each city. Here are the starting and ending points for all of our tours, so you can plan accordingly:
Boston:
Starts at Kane’s Donuts (90 Oliver Street) and ends at Bova’s (134 Salem Street).
Brighton:
Starts at Glazed Next Level Doughnuts (25 Ditchling Rd) and ends at the Brighton Palace Pier (Madeira Dr).
Chicago:
Starts at Doughnut Vault (401 N Franklin Street) and ends at Do-Rite Donuts (233 E Erie Street).
Cork:
Starts at Dulce Bun Bakehouse (48 Oliver Plunkett St) and ends at Golden Bites (18 Kyle St).
Dublin:
Starts at The Rolling Donut (55 King Street S, near St. Stephen’s Green) and ends at Offbeat Donut Co (5 Westmoreland St (near Trinity College).
Edinburgh:
Starts at Kilted Donut (23 Grassmarket) and ends near the Scott Monument (E. Princes St Gardens).
Las Vegas:
Starts at The Parlour (616 E Carson Ave) and ends at Pinkbox Doughnuts (1 N Main Street).
London:
Starts at St. John Bakery (180 Borough High Street, near the Borough Tube Station) and ends at Crosstown Doughnuts Food Truck (in More London Riverside plaza, near Tower Bridge).
Nashville:
Starts at Parlor Doughnuts (500 Rep. John Lewis Way S) and ends at Donut Distillery (5055 Broadway Place).
New Orleans:
Starts at PJ’s Coffee at 2140 Magazine Street (corner of Magazine and Jackson) and ends at The Vintage (3121 Magazine Street).
New York - Brooklyn:
Starts at Doughnut Plant (198 Bedford Ave) and ends at Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop (727 Manhattan Ave).
New York - East Village:
Starts at Donut Pub (740 Broadway, New York, NY 10003) and ends at Petit Chou (229 1st Ave., New York, NY 10003).
New York - Union Square:
Starts at Unregular Bakery (124 4th Avenue) and ends in Greenwich Village.
New York - Times Square:
Starts outside the box office of Carnegie Hall on 57th Street (at 7th Avenue) and ends in Times Square.
Miami - South Beach:
Starts at Buon Pane Italiano Bakery, 729 5th Street and ends at Naked Taco, 1111 Collins Avenue.
Miami - Wynwood:
Starts at Panther Coffee (2390 NW 2nd Ave) and ends at Cerveceria La Tropical (42 NE 25th Street).
Philadelphia:
Starts at Federal Donuts (21 S 12th Street) and ends at Reading Terminal Market (51 N 12th Street).
Portland:
Starts at Sesame Donuts (1503 SW Park Ave) and ends at Voodoo Doughnuts (22 SW 3rd Ave).
Santa Monica:
Starts at Randy’s Donuts (829 Wilshire Blvd) and ends at McConnell's Fine Ice Creams (1456 3rd Street Promenade) or the Santa Monica Pier (200 Santa Monica Pier) depending on the weather.
Seattle:
Starts at Top Pot Doughnuts (2124 5th Ave) and ends at Daily Dozen Doughnuts (Pike Place Market).
Toronto:
Starts at COPS Doughnuts (445 Adelaide St W, Rear entrance enter on, Morrison Street) and ends at Dipped Donuts (161 Baldwin Street)
Vancouver:
Starts at 49th Parallel / Lucky’s Doughnuts (689 Thurlow Street) and ends at Lee’s Donuts (199 Water Street - at the Gastown Steamclock).
Victoria:
Starts at Empire Donuts (736 View St) and ends at Fan Tan Alley.
Washington DC:
Starts at Paul’s Bakery - inside Western Market (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) and ends at CityCenterDC (825 10th Street NW).
When does the donut tour run?
Each city is unique so check availability to see when and what days we are currently running.
Are donuts included in the ticket cost?
Donuts are included in the cost of the tour. At each location, you'll be able to try a curated sample of that locations best donuts. You'll also have the option to purchase additional donuts if you wish.
Can I bring my pets on the tour?
Although we love cats, dogs, and most other animals - we can’t allow pets on the tour due to food sanitation and safety regulations. Service animals are acceptable, but please don’t bring Fido or Fluffy. Thanks!
Proof of Vaccination and/or Masks
The Underground Donut Tour abides by all local mandates. Currently, we are not requiring masks and in all of our cities, businesses are not requiring them, however, that does not mean the situation will not change. Check your local jurisdiction to see if conditions have changed to confirm if you need vaccinations or masks.
Anything prohibited on the tour?
Yes. This is a family friendly experience and as such, we do not allow smoking, guns, alcohol, tobacco, vapes, fireworks, or anything else that would jeopardize your safety or others. We don’t enjoy it, but we’ll kindly ask you to leave the tour without refund so as to respect everyone’s health and safety. You will be provided with one warning on the tour, after which point you will be asked to leave the tour without refund.
Should I attend this tour if I have gluten / nut / wheat allergies?
Many locations offer gluten or nut free options, however, please make sure to let us know ahead of the tour, so we can make sure to highlight those specifically for you.
Is there any merchandise for sale on this tour?
Yes - we currently have t-shirts, sweatshirts, buttons and stickers for sale in our online store.
What if the weather isn't good?
We run the tour all year round, so we're used to running it in the heat of summer, the cold of winter and everything in between. The only time we won't run the tour is if the weather poses a danger to our guests. This includes thunderstorms/hail, extreme heat (greater than 90 degrees), extreme cold (less than 10 degrees) or at the tour operators discretion. We'll always keep an eye on the weather running up to the tour and if we need to cancel, we will notify you via email or phone call. We want to make sure you have the best time possible. If you ever have questions - just email us at info@undergrounddonuttour.com.
What if i don't have a good time?
We sincerely hope this never happens, but if it does, just email us at info@undergrounddonuttour.com and we will make it right. We promise!
Are donuts delicious?
Yes