Guided tour

San Jose Bites and Sights Walking Tour

4.9 / 5

93 reviews

Activity provider: San José Urban Tours
Guided tour

San Jose Bites and Sights Walking Tour

Activity provider: San José Urban Tours
Likely to sell out

From US$ 32 per person

Likely to sell out

Explore the beautiful city of San Jose on a guided walking tour through busy streets. See the bustling Central and Borbon markets, and peaceful parks. Learn how to make plantain empanadas with locals.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English, Spanish

Experience

Highlights
  • Discover the secrets of herbal remedies at Borbon and San Jose Central Market
  • Savor Costa Rica's famous organic coffee at a special coffee tasting
  • See a side of San Jose known only by locals and not found in guidebooks
  • Cook your own plantain empanada, cafe chorreado, and enjoy a Costa Rican tamal
  • Enjoy luggage storage so you can experience this tour hands-free
Full description

Get up close and personal with Costa Rican life, through local food, history, and even the herbal remedies of folk medicine. Enjoy a hands-on lesson on exotic plants, fruits, and vegetables, and enjoy several local food samples on this guided tour.

 

Stroll through the streets with a local as they show you the ins-and-outs of daily life. Start with a morning pick-me-up coffee in a café located in the Central Market. Then, take a stroll through the vibrant market, tasting local fresh fruits.

 

Next, sample empanadas and continue along local roads towards the Borbon Market. Seeing diverse sites the Cathedral, National Theater, and the beautiful parks will help you get to know the country and its rich history.

 

Finally, visit a special coffee store where you will find coffee and chocolates produced by women. Learn to prepare coffee, enjoy a tamal, and make plantain empanadas before concluding your tour.

Includes
  • English-speaking guide
  • Food samples: fruits, empanada corn, and tamal
  • Coffee tasting
  • Plantain empanada cooking class
  • Any other food and drinks
  • Tips
Not suitable for
  • Pregnant women
  • People with mobility impairments

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meeting point:At the Los Presentes Monument in front of the Central Bank of San Jose, in between Avenue 1 and Avenue Central

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Comfortable clothes

Not allowed

  • Luggage or large bags
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.9 /5

based on 93 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.9/5
  • Value for money
    4.9/5
  • Service
    5/5

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Star rating:

If you’re wanting mostly a food tour, this is for you! If you want a mostly historical tour, mb look at another one. This was 80% bites, all of which were great. Angel took us to some great food stops and taught us about the history of the food, etc. He’s a very knowledgeable and engaging man. Lots of fruit! At the end, we had a wonderful experience at a coffee shop. Well worth the money if you’re wanting to learn about gastronomic San Jose!!

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March 23, 2023

We took the tour with Edwardo on our first day in Costa Rica. He did a great job. Very knowledgeable about the area, history foods and shopping. We learned a lot and had plenty to eat. Lots of tastes of local fruits, along with empanadas, a spiced sorbet treat, got to make our own plantain empaña stuffed with cheese and of course, coffee! He happily answered any questions we had. He has a great sense of humor as well. We enjoyed meeting the other folks on the tour. We would recommend

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March 23, 2023

I really enjoyed this tour! Our tour guide Dinorah did a fantastic job showing us the city. I particularly enjoyed the local market where we got to try a bunch of local foods, but the mini cooking class and coffee tasting at the end were also great! Would definitely recommend this to anyone!

March 23, 2023

Product ID: 410208