San Jose Food Tour: Markets, Cooking Class & Coffee

Taste your way through San Jose's markets, then make food with your own hands.

A 3.5-hour walking food tour of San Jose that moves through the Borbón and Central markets, past the Cathedral and National Theater, and ends with a hands-on cooking class at Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop where you prepare plantain empanadas and learn to brew Café Chorreado. Groups stay under 12 people with a live guide in English or Spanish, and the tour includes tastings of local ice cream, seasonal fruits, tamales wrapped in banana leaves, and pre-Hispanic ceviches. Children from age 5 are welcome, and vegetarian and dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. San Jose Central Market1h
2. National Theater of Costa Rica10m
3. Morazan Park10m

Explore San Jose markets and landmarks

• Start at Monumento de los Presentes
• Visit Borbón Market for fresh fruits
• Explore Central Market and local vendors
• Tour the historic Cathedral of San José
• Visit the entrance hall of National Theater
• Enjoy meal and cooking class at Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop
• Walk around Morazán and Spain parks

The experience

The tour opens at the Monumento de los Presentes, where your guide introduces how San Jose's culture has endured through waves of change. From there you walk to the Borbón Market (also called the Market of the Carretas), where local families have sold fresh fruits and vegetables for over four generations. The colors and scents are immediate. You'll taste seasonal fruits straight from the vendors who know them best, and learn how this market has anchored the community's connection to regional harvests.

Next is the Central Market, established in 1880, where you stop for local ice cream from a shop that's been running for over a century. The market sprawls across blocks of stalls selling the ingredients that built Costa Rican cuisine. You'll see what goes into the dishes you're about to taste. A short walk brings you past the Cathedral of San José, built in Romanesque style with catacombs beneath it, and then to the entrance hall of the National Theater, where ornate Neo-Classical details and murals fill the space. These stops anchor the walk in the city's history without breaking the rhythm of the day.

The cooking happens at Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop on the second floor, where a local family has prepared tamales from ancient colonial recipes. You'll taste banana ceviche, Guanacastecan ceviche, or pejibaye ceviche (pre-Hispanic foods still made the traditional way), and then move to the hands-on part: making plantain empanadas with cheese while learning to brew Café Chorreado in a traditional vandola. The group stays small enough that you're not watching from the back. You're actually doing it. Agua de Sapo, made with ginger, sugar cane and lemon, rounds out the tasting. Morazán Park and its music temple sit just outside the coffee shop if you want to walk a few minutes more after.

What’s included

• Tastings of seasonal fruits at the Borbón Market.
• local ice cream from a 100-year-old shop in the Central Market.
• pre-Hispanic ceviches (banana, Guanacastecan, or pejibaye).
• Costa Rican tamales wrapped in banana leaves made by a local family.
• a hands-on plantain empanada cooking class with cheese.
• instruction in preparing Café Chorreado with award-winning vandola coffee.
• Agua de Sapo made with ginger, sugar cane and lemon.
• visits to the Cathedral, National Theater entrance hall, and Morazán Park.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• small-group experience capped at 12 people.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 and 15:00

AgesAdult (10 to 85 years) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.Operator's directions: “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…”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by San Jose Urban Tours

Is this one for you?The tour is 3.5 hours of walking and standing in markets, so come without eating beforehand and wear comfortable shoes. The pace is steady but manageable for all fitness levels. If you want to taste your way through a city rather than just see it, and you'd rather learn a cooking technique with your hands than watch someone else do it, this small group hits both.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

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 24h before the start.

What's the Borbón Market like, and what will I taste there?

The Borbón Market, also called the Market of the Carretas, has been run by local families for over four generations and is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. You'll taste seasonal fruits directly from the vendors, getting a sense of what grows in the region and how the market has sustained the community.

Do I actually cook during this tour, or just watch?

You make plantain empanadas with cheese yourself at Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop, and you learn to prepare Café Chorreado in a traditional vandola while tasting the coffee. The cooking class is hands-on, not a demonstration.

What pre-Hispanic foods are included in the tasting?

You'll try banana ceviche, Guanacastecan ceviche, or pejibaye ceviche (all pre-Hispanic dishes still prepared the traditional way) along with tamales wrapped in banana leaves made from ancient colonial recipes by a local family.

How many people are in the group, and is a guide included?

Groups are capped at 12 people with a live guide who speaks English or Spanish, keeping the experience personalized and allowing the guide to answer questions as you move through the markets and sites.

Can the tour accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes, vegetarians and people with other dietary restrictions can be accommodated. Notify the operator in advance about your needs so they can adjust the tastings and the cooking class accordingly.

What's the physical pace like, is there a lot of walking?

The tour is 3.5 hours and moves between the markets, historic sites, and the coffee shop. It's suitable for all fitness levels, though you'll be on your feet walking through the city and standing in markets.