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San Jose: Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets

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Summary

Experience Details

What You’ll Experience

Where to Meet

Reviews

Location

San Jose

Duration

3 hours 30 minutes

Number of Guests

1 - 15 guests

Language

English, Spanish

Digital Ticket

Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Explore San Jose by tasting local flavors at historic markets. Enjoy Borbon's exotic fruits, Central Market's ice cream, and Mr. Sloth Coffee for a cultural and culinary adventure.

For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals

Experience Details

Unmask the beauty and culture of contemporary Costa Rican life on this San Jose walking tour. You'll get up close and personal, through local food, history, culture even the herbal remedies of folk medicine. Enjoy exotic, fruits, in the Borbon Market. We’ll take a stroll through the vibrant Central Market, tasting local ice cream, this ice cream shop is over 100 years old. Seeing diverse sites the Cathedral, National Theater, the beautiful Central and Morazan parks will help you get to know the country and its rich history and from this experience, you'll have another sense taste to get more in tune with San Jose. For the end visit Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop where you will find gourmet coffees and chocolates, in this special place tasting and learn to prepare Cafe Chorreado, enjoy coffee tasting, tradicional caldosa, tamal cooked by local families and wrapped in a banana leaf, make your own plantain empanadas with cheese, try our famous Agua de Sapo make with ginger, sugar cane and lemon.

What You Get

Enjoy local ice cream at the Central Market from a shop over 100 years old.

Savor Costa Rican-style tamales, wrapped in banana leaves, crafted by local families

Indulge the traditional Caldosa corn chips, Green banana or pejibaye

Transportation: if you need to quote transportation service, write to us.

Alcoholic beverages

Alcoholic Beverages

Good To Know

We can accommodate vegetarians and other dietary restrictions. Please notify us in advance if you have any dietary requests.
Safety Tips, San Jose is a big city like any other, it is a preventive measure to dont wear flashy jewelry.
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The groups are 12 people with a guide.

What You’ll Experience

Los Presentes

We begin at the Monumento de los Presentes, where we'll introduce the tour by discussing how the city and its culture have endured through many changes. The monument itself personifies the typical inhabitants of the city, who are at risk of disappearing due to modernization. These figures stand firm, serious, and represent a silent rebellion against the sweeping changes around them, symbolizing resilience and the preservation of identity in the face of transformation.

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Correos de Costa Rica

This is the best to understand, why is hard to find an address on here.

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Mercado Borbón

--- We will visit the Borbón Market, also known as the Market of the Carretas, where local families have proudly sold fresh fruits and vegetables for over four generations. This bustling market is a cornerstone of the community, offering a window into the daily lives of vendors who have passed down their knowledge and traditions through the years. As we explore, you’ll be immersed in the vibrant colors, scents, and flavors of the market while learning about its rich history and its essential role in sustaining the city with fresh, local produce. This market serves as both a cultural and agricultural hub, connecting the people of the city with the region’s bountiful harvests.

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Central Market (Mercado Central)

We will visit the Central Market, established in 1880, where you'll have the opportunity to learn about the foundations of Costa Rican agriculture and daily culture. This historic market is a vibrant hub of local life, offering a glimpse into the traditions and practices that have shaped Costa Rican cuisine for generations. As we explore the market, you'll discover the essential ingredients, meet local vendors, and gain insight into the agricultural practices that sustain the region. It's a perfect introduction to the rich cultural tapestry that makes Costa Rica unique.

1 hourAdmission Ticket Free

Metropolitan Church (Catedral Metropolitana)

We will visit the historic Cathedral of San José, whose origins date back to 1788. This cathedral was part of a grand design involving the construction of five churches arranged to form a cross, a symbol of deep religious significance. The cathedral, built in Romanesque style, features beautiful architectural details and a serene atmosphere. Beneath its foundation lie catacombs, adding a layer of mystery and history to this sacred space. As we explore, you'll learn about the church's importance in Costa Rica's religious and cultural development, as well as the stories embedded within its walls.

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Teatro Nacional Costa Rica

Is include a visit to the entrance hall of Costa Rica’s National Theater. In the heart of San Jose, the National Theatre (Teatro Nacional) remains one of the capital city’s most popular tourist attractions.” The ornate Neo-Classical theatre is considered the finest historic building in San Jose, and is known for its exquisite interior decorated with lavish furnishings and beautiful murals.

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Parque Espana

With this walking tour we can also enjoy of the beauty of the nature when we visit the Spain park.

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Templo de la Música

La Laguna Plaza was initially called in 1887 because it was erected over a small lake in which the inhabitants of San José of the nineteenth century obtained the mud necessary to make the adobes with which they built their houses. There the New Year holidays were celebrated. The lake, of artificial origin and known as the Villanueva well, was known at least since 1790. In 1808, the then Spanish governor of the Province of Costa Rica, Tomás de Acosta, had urged the authorities to dry out the place. Around it, there was a ditch, called Las Arias, so some families had begun to settle, forming a neighborhood called La Laguna. Between 1853 and 1856, President Juan Rafael Mora Porras ordered the construction of the National Liquor Factory in the neighborhood, which came to consolidate the housing presence in the area

15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop

We will visit Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop and head up to the second floor, where you'll enjoy a home-cooked meal featuring tamales made from ancient colonial recipes, lovingly prepared by a local family. You'll also have the chance to taste unique dishes such as banana ceviche, Guanacastecan ceviche, or pejibaye ceviche—authentic pre-Hispanic foods. The experience continues with a hands-on cooking class, where you'll learn how to make artisanal chocolate empanadas, all while enjoying specialty coffee brewed in traditional vandolas.

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Meeting & Pickup

Meeting Point

Los Presentes, Calle 4, San José, Costa Rica, CR

Open in Google Maps

Between Avenue one and Central Avenue on street 4, we have the Central Bank of Costa Rica, in front of the main entrance we have a Monument with several small green people, this monument is known as the Monument de los Presentes, there is where the we will be waiting to start the tour.

End Point

Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop, Calle 5, San José, Costa Rica, CR, 10101

Open in Google Maps

The tour ends at Mr Sloth Coffee Shop, a very special cafeteria of fine coffees and chocolates, where we will taste coffee food and cook dessert.

Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 24 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Read more

What People Are Saying

Overall ratings and reviews

(1471)

A Taste of Costa Rica

June 27, 2025

(TripAdvisor)

The guide was friendly, professional and full of great facts and information. We loved seeing the markets and enjoying the typical Costa Rican food and drinks.

Amazing cultural...

June 27, 2025

(Viator)

Amazing cultural immersion! Our guide was fantastic - learned so much about Costa Rican history while sampling incredible local fruits, tamales & coffee. Markets were vibrant and authentic. Perfect...read more

Pura Delicia, Pura Vida!

June 25, 2025

(TripAdvisor)

Highly recommend this walking tour. The time goes by so fast but you experience a lot. Get a good snapshot of San Jose and lots of tasty treats. We were able to try a variety of fruits, got a small...read more

A Tasty Day Out en San Jose

June 25, 2025

(Viator)

Nice length for your. Any longer and it would get too warm.

June 25, 2025

(Viator)

The length of the tour was perfect. Saw enough of the farmers market and central market to know if I wanted to go back and buy something. I assumed there was going to be other food tasting but it w...read more

from $36.20

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Please note that the time is in Central Standard Time.

Free cancellation (24 hours notice)

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(10 - 70)

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Date

July

2025

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INSTANT CONFIRMATION

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from $36.20 per guest

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Please note that the time is in Central Standard Time.

Free cancellation (24 hours notice)

For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals

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Private Experience

San Jose: Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets

Experience Details

What You Get

Good To Know

What You’ll Experience

Los Presentes

Correos de Costa Rica

Mercado Borbón

Central Market (Mercado Central)

Metropolitan Church (Catedral Metropolitana)

Teatro Nacional Costa Rica

Parque Espana

Templo de la Música

Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop

Meeting & Pickup

Cancellation PolicyCancel your booking at least 24 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.Read more

Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 24 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Read more