San Jose Historic Tour: Central Market Visit & Authentic Costa Rican Dinner
4.8
318 Ratings
San José
Immerse yourself in the culture and history of San Jose on this historic tour. Visit the Central Market, learn about local cuisine, explore architectural gems, and enjoy an authentic Costa Rican dinner in a charming private home dining experience.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Los Presentes - Immerse yourself in the culture and history of the city. Starting with the Central Market, which is the only way to learn about the city’s food. Stroll the market with your local guide and get to know the secret uses of the roots, herbs, fruit common in local cuisines, including ingredients that will play a role in your authentic Costa Rican dinner later. We’ll make our way down Central Avenue, learning about the city’s history and anecdotes, as well as visiting one of the most architecturally beautiful buildings, the National Theatre. From there, our appreciation for San Jose’s historical architecture continues, walk through Morazan Park and we will visit Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop to make and taste delicious cocktails. We’ll continue with a walk by the Metallic Building, then on to Spain Park for a fantastic view of the Yellow House and charm Barrio Amon we continue to the National Museum and the blue castle house, one the oldest historical houses. We’ll be spending the rest of the evening at a favorite dinner at a farm to table private home dinning. This cozy establishment offers the best prehispanic food menu , a unique space that offers art, culture, history as well as fine dining.
What's Included
- Special Sangria and Craft beers with unique flavors like Honey Basil Ale, Ginger, Vanilla, Watermelon, Blackberry, etc.
- Exploration of the Historical Center and picturesque neighborhoods such as Otoya and Amon.
- Interactive Tarrazu Coffee and Ochuwa Cocktails Classes with Tasting sessions.
- Exclusive 4-course Tasting Menu featuring a Farm to Table concept in a private home dining setting.
- Shopping break included in the midst of the walking tour.
- Visits to Central Market, the iconic Metallic Building, and Spain Park for stunning views of the Yellow House.
- Enjoy gluten-free pre-Hispanic food and ingredients throughout the tour.
What's Not Included
- Transportation to and from the meeting point.
- Also not included are additional food and drink beyond what is specified.
Additional Information
Delve into the city’s vibrant culture and storied past. Your journey begins in the Central Market, an unparalleled venue to deepen your understanding of the city’s gastronomy. Stroll through the market under the guidance of a local expert, familiarizing yourself with the origins, usage, and significance of the locally-sourced roots, herbs, and fruits that are staples in the region’s dishes. A delectable Costa Rican dinner awaits you, featuring many of these ingredients. Beyond the market, you will delve into the city’s history and intriguing stories, with a stop at the architecturally magnificent National Theatre and a leisurely promenade through Morazán Park. Afterwards, we’ll stop by Mr Sloth Coffee Shop to concoct el Morenito, a delightful coffee cocktail. Your exploration continues in the enchanting Barrio Amon, one of the city’s oldest districts. The rest of the evening will be spent in a charming private home dining setting, where you’ll enjoy a menu specializing in pre-Hispanic Caribbean cuisine. Revel in the Costa Rican gastronomic best that this intimate venue has to offer, a unique spot combining art, culture, history and gastronomy.
- Children under 12 years of age are not allowed on the tour
- Dress code: casual
- Safety Tips, San Jose is a big city like any other, it is a preventive measure to dont wear flashy jewelry
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
4.8
(318 Ratings)
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Debi_b
Apr 12, 2024
Excellent Tour - Angel tour guide was amazing. Full of history, current info, and knowledge of culture. Very engaging and a wonderful night for everyone.
Review provided by Viator
Mark_m
Apr 11, 2024
A fine introduction to the country - What a grand choice for our first night in San Jose! After a long day of travel, Angel and the others welcomed us warmly to Costa Rica. Easy walking, agreeable company and good drinks make this a fine introduction to local history and dining. Highly recommended and a great value for the money. Would do it again.
Review provided by Viator
Luciano_v
Apr 10, 2024
Great San Jose Historical Walking Tour & Local Cuisine! - Angel was very knowledgeable about San Jose and Costa Rica history, and made the tour very welcoming! He told us all about the history of Costa Rica, monuments, cuisine and coffee!
The 3-4 hour tour includes:
• downtown San Jose
• coffee demonstration & tasting
• walking tour
• San Jose market
• local homemade cuisine
Review provided by Viator
Carolina
Apr 6, 2024
Group Tour - It was excellent, I loved the tour and the guide explained very well. Regarding the dishes, uff, highly recommended, they were delicious and they gave us an explanation of each one of them regarding their ingredients. SUPER👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_s
Apr 2, 2024
Would give anything to experience it again! - This tour was wonderful!! Our tour guide was very sweet and she was so knowledgeable about the different areas of the tour. Make sure you bring your walking shoes and come on an empty stomach! The tour takes you around the most famous (and delicious) parts of downtown San Jose. You're able to do some shopping along the tour if you wish but there are free samples for your to try the local cuisine. Once the walking tour is over, the tour goes to a local house where they serve you a meal with multiple courses. The food is some of the most delicious I've ever had. Also, the cocktails and beer they give you are locally made. I'm sure the non-alcoholic drinks were good too, but I didn't get the chance to try it. The other people who were on the tour were part of what made it so amazing. Come ready to socialize and meet people from all over the world who have come to visit Costa Rica. In our group, there were people from the U.S., Canada, Germany, and Haiti. You should definitely book the tour if you can, youwon't regret it!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Florence_h
Mar 29, 2024
Great experience - Touring the market although i wish we could have stayed there longer. And then the dinner was really nice. We were worried about being in town alone because we did jot know if it was safe and it was nice to be escorted while learning about the city history
Review provided by Viator
Jessica_s
Mar 23, 2024
Amazing! - Our tour guide was super friendly and explained both cultural and gastronomical sides of the area. Very interesting and enjoyable experience
Review provided by Viator
Jim_o
Mar 19, 2024
A lot of fun! - Originally, I thought this was a typical food tour that I’ve often taken, but it wasn’t. However, the food was a more typical Costa Rican dinner served in a house with drink (sangria and craft beers) pairings - excellent!
The walking tour before dinner was also quite interesting and enjoyable - as were the other people on tour.
Our guide, Daniel, made the whole experience - from start to finish - a lot of fun!
Review provided by Viator
Diamond_e
Apr 7, 2024
Nice tour - We enjoyed this tour. Being able to connect with other visitors as well as learning about the history and getting an authentic experience. The food was great.
Review provided by Viator
Artsnova
Mar 30, 2024
Not worth the price. - The walking tour was a bit haphazard and not that informative, the cocktails and dinner forgettable. Nice group of participants though.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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