Food Crawl in Belo Horizonte Markets: Taste Minas Gerais

Taste your way through a century-old market, then a revitalized warehouse where young chefs are rewriting Minas Gerais cuisine

A three-hour guided food crawl through Belo Horizonte's Mercado Central and Mercado Novo, where you taste traditional and contemporary dishes from Minas Gerais while a local gastronomy guide shares the stories behind the vendors and the region's culinary history. Small groups keep the experience personal. If the tour doesn't feel five-star, you pay for three instead of four.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Belo Horizonte markets and flavors

• Visit Mercado Central
• Taste artisanal cheeses and sweets
• Observe vendors preparing snacks
• Walk to Mercado Novo
• Explore Mercado Novo cultural hub
• Taste innovative Minas cuisine

The experience

The Mercado Central is where you start: a century-old maze of over 400 stalls crammed into narrow corridors, each one a small shop selling regional cheeses, sweets, spices, handmade crafts and local cachaças. You'll taste artisanal snacks as vendors prepare them: pão de queijo and pastel de carne made in front of you. The guide walks you through the daily rhythm of the place, introducing you to the people who work there and explaining how Minas Gerais became Brazil's culinary soul. This is not a quick stop. You move slowly enough to actually eat and listen.

Then you walk to Mercado Novo, a revitalized warehouse in downtown Belo Horizonte where young chefs, brewers and artists have built something entirely different. The same regional ingredients show up here transformed: heritage blended with innovation in every bite. You taste how Minas cuisine has evolved, moving from the traditional market into something contemporary. The contrast between the two spaces is the whole point: you see where the food comes from and where it's going.

A local gastronomy guide leads the entire crawl in English or Spanish, sharing insider stories and history that explain what you're tasting. The group stays small so you're not herded through. You move at a pace that lets you actually talk to vendors and absorb the place. Public transportation runs near both markets if you need it afterward.

What’s included

• Guided food crawl through Mercado Central and Mercado Novo.
• tastings of traditional and contemporary Minas Gerais dishes at both markets.
• stories, history and insider tips from a local gastronomy guide.
• small group size for a personal experience.
• the five-star guarantee (pay for three hours if you're not satisfied).

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday and SaturdayDeparts at 16:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Child (under 18)

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Cook in Fiesta

Is this one for you?Three hours is long enough to linger at stalls and actually talk to vendors, but short enough to fit into the rest of a day exploring Belo Horizonte. You'll finish by early afternoon with time for other neighborhoods or museums afterward.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 18).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I taste at Mercado Central?

Mercado Central's tastings focus on Minas Gerais specialties: artisanal cheeses, regional sweets, cachaças and prepared snacks like pão de queijo and pastel de carne made fresh at the stalls. The guide explains the story behind each one as you eat.

How is Mercado Novo different from Mercado Central?

Mercado Central, founded in 1929, is a traditional market where over 400 vendors sell regional ingredients and prepared foods in a historic setting. Mercado Novo, originally a 1960s wholesale market, has been transformed into a contemporary cultural hub where young chefs and brewers use those same Minas ingredients in new ways.

Can I do this tour if I'm not very fit or have mobility concerns?

The crawl is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Both markets involve walking through corridors and standing while you taste, but the pace is leisurely and you're not covering long distances. The focus is on eating and listening, not hiking.

Is there a money-back guarantee if I don't like it?

Yes. If the experience doesn't feel five-star to you, you pay for three hours instead of four: the operator's promise that the tour will deliver.