San Jose Walking Tour: Culture and Cuisine

Embark on a walking food tour in San Jose to uncover the beauty and culture of contemporary Costa Rican life. Taste local delicacies, explore historical sites, and learn about traditional remedies and exotic plants. Get a true sense of San Jose through its flavors!

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Los Presentes - The tour begins at the Monumento de los Presentes, where the enduring spirit of the city and its culture amidst numerous changes is introduced. This monument embodies the typical city dwellers, who face the threat of disappearing due to modernization. These figures stand resolute and serious, symbolizing a quiet defiance against…
What's Included
  • 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 in traditional Caldosa corn chips, Green banana or pejibaye.
  • Try fresh, seasonal fruits at the Borbón Market.
  • The tour is capped at 12 people for a personalized small-group…
What's Not Included
  • Transportation: if you need to quote transportation service, write to us.
  • Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information

Discover the beauty and culture of modern Costa Rican life on this San Jose walking tour. Experience the local food, history, culture, and even the herbal remedies of folk medicine up close. Delight in exotic fruits at the Borbon Market. Take a leisurely walk through the lively Central Market, where you can taste local ice cream from a shop that has…

Location
Los Presentes
Calle 4
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.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1534 Ratings)
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Flyer39759608828
Aug 24, 2025
Wonderful - This tour was amazing, from the tour guide (who was filling in for his cousin), the sights/historic facts, and especially the food. We were very excited about the surprise at the end of the tour! I highly recommend to anyone visiting San Jose. We had an incredible time- even in the rain! You don't want to miss this.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacation60914046667
Aug 23, 2025
Dive into local flavours - I really liked the company of our guide showing us the local flavours and telling about the history. It was also pleasant to see our guide’s interact with the local market folks. Happy to see that they advertise the products of the local businesses.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P4867zqmichelles
Aug 22, 2025
Great tour and included lots of local hostory - Daniel gave us a very informative tour and even showed us some of the local medicinal items and cultural folklore. I really enjoyed the making the empanadas and the coffee at the end of the tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diana_b
Aug 21, 2025
Fu& Interesting Tour! - Included a tour inside a few markets, the theatre, history of San Jose & an opportunity to make our own empanada.
Review provided by Viator
Roberto_v
Aug 20, 2025
Perfect sunny day for a... - Perfect sunny day for a stroll to several markets in downtown San Jose. Oscar was a terrific guide. He really knows his stuff and well known in town. Got to enjoy several fruits grown in the region as well the world class Costa Rican coffee. Making plantain base empanadas was a great experience too. Well worth the money.
Review provided by Viator
680kristyt
Aug 18, 2025
Fun and interesting - This tour was lots of fun. The guide was very knowledgeable and interactive. Getting to taste food in the market was fun and interesting. Enjoyed the cooking demo and food at the end as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathleen_r
Aug 16, 2025
Loved it! - The entire tour from start to finish was enjoyable! I didnt exprect to try so many local foods, and Andrea was a lovely guide. This is a must do tour if you are visiting San Jose.
Review provided by Viator
Debbie_l
Aug 16, 2025
Fun solo outing - I had a great time in the bites and sites tour! I appreciated insights into the city and into the markets that only a local would have, and I loved trying local fruits that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Our tour guide was lovely and the group I was with was small so it was nice to talk with each other. I came by myself and enjoyed the three hour tour with no issues. I bought some coffee and am now greatly enjoying it at home.
Review provided by Viator
Chris_c
Aug 11, 2025
Excellent Experience! - We had an amazing tour. Our tour guide showed us all the different markets in downtown San Jose and told us some of the history of each location. He also showed us one of the old cathedrals and multiple beautiful theaters. After the walking portion completed, he led us through making empanada's and we learned a little bit about Costa Rica's coffee industry. Wonderful tour. I would recommend it to anyone who is coming to visit San Jose!
Review provided by Viator
Danielrt6116yz
Aug 22, 2025
“Meh” intro to Costa Rica - This was definitely a weird introduction to Costa Rica, and sort of solidified why most people only use San Jose as a pass-through to other parts of the country. The tour was organized enough to be considered a tour, but no subject was ever really thoroughly explained. I honestly think the “don’t come here at night because you might not make it out” portion was more thoroughly covered than anything else. Honestly, the entire experience sort of lacked authenticity/personality. As for the food, you can expect fruit cut/prepared by the tour guides in a reserved back stall of a market, a spoonful of ice cream that the entire group shares from a single cup, and then the actual meal portion involves sitting at a restaurant that was closed to the public. The empanada overview was definitely the highlight, and the tamale sort of saved the day on the food portion. Having now spent close to a week in Costa Rica, I can say that the tour did not do a great job at capturing the great/unique flavors that can be found throughout the country.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $34
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).