Cali Walking Tour with Salsa Class and Local Food

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.83 (6 reviews)

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/11

Duration3h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

Colonial streets, a salsa class, and the food that defines Caleña culture

A private guided tour of Cali's historic center combines visits to the Church of San Antonio, Plaza de Cayzedo and the Jairo Varela Museum with a salsa lesson and tastings of local dishes including empanadas, boiled plantain and cholado. Your guide speaks English or Spanish, and hotel pickup is included. You choose your tour length and which stops matter most — the 3-hour walking tour, or options that add more time for the museum, salsa class or both.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Cali's culture and cuisine

Visit Church of San Antonio
Walk through Plaza de Cayzedo
Tour Jairo Varela Museum
Explore Cali Viejo neighborhood
Taste typical local foods

The Experience

The tour starts at the Church of San Antonio, a colonial landmark that anchors Cali's religious and cultural identity. From there you move through Plaza de Cayzedo, a public square where locals gather, then into Cali Viejo — the old neighborhood where cobblestone streets and colonial houses hold the city's history. The Jairo Varela Museum, dedicated to one of Colombian salsa's greatest figures, sits inside this route when you choose the longer options; it houses personal items and documents that trace the evolution of Caleña salsa itself.

The food stops are woven through the walk, not bundled at the end. You'll taste empanadas (meat or cheese pastries), boiled plantain stuffed with cheese and wrapped in egg, cholado (a dessert of ice cream, fruit and condensed milk), and chontaduro when it's available. A traditional fermented corn drink called shampoo rounds out the local flavors. These aren't restaurant meals — they're the snacks and small bites that define how Cali eats, tasted at places your guide knows.

The salsa class happens on the 5-hour and 7-hour options. You learn from a local instructor in a setting built for it, not as a rushed add-on. The 3-hour walking tour skips the class and the museum, focusing on the neighborhoods and the food. Your guide handles the route and the timing; transportation during the tour is walking with planned rest stops, though you can request vehicle support if you need it. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and your guide carries knowledge of Colombian history that goes beyond the usual landmarks.

What’s included

Private transportation to and from your hotel.
a live guide in English or Spanish.
entry to the Jairo Varela Museum (on the 5-hour and 7-hour options).
a salsa lesson with a local instructor (on the 5-hour and 7-hour options).
tastings of empanadas, boiled plantain, cholado and chontaduro at local stops.
a traditional fermented corn drink.
access to discounts with recommended local partners when you show your tour map.
accurate knowledge of Colombian history woven through the route.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Beyond Colombia Free, Group & Private Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the 3-hour walking tour if you want the neighborhoods and the food without the museum or salsa class. Pick the 5-hour option to add either the museum or the salsa lesson. Go for the 7-hour tour if you want all three — the museum, the class and the full food experience — in one day.