Bogota Food Tour with over 12 Tastings & Tejo

Taste Bogotá one bite at a time. This four-hour walk connects 12 Colombian food and drink tastings with stories about the city, from ajiaco and lechona to unusual Andean fruits and coca tea. I like the mix of proper local meals and small snacks, and I especially like that the tour finishes with tejo, Colombia’s wonderfully noisy national game. The main consideration is simple: you need to arrive hungry, because several stops offer generous portions.

The group is limited to eight people, which gives guides such as Andrés, Juliana, Jenny, and Juli room to answer questions and adjust tastings when needed. You will walk a fair distance through central Bogotá, so comfortable shoes matter. Rain gear matters too, since the tour runs in all weather.

Key points to know before booking

• More than a dozen tastings: Expect a full spread of soups, fruit, meat, pastries, drinks, coffee, hot chocolate, and coca tea.
• A real Bogotá food route: The stops include a local market, a small lechona eatery, a chichería, long-running restaurants, and neighborhood venues.
• Tejo adds a cultural twist: You do not just eat your way through the city. You also play the explosive game with a local drink.
• Small groups improve the experience: With no more than eight people, it is easier to hear the guide, share food, and ask questions.
• Plan to skip another large meal: Several people find the tastings substantial enough to replace lunch and, in some cases, dinner.
• The meeting point requires planning: You meet outside La Perseverancia Distrital Marketplace, not at your hotel.

Starting at La Perseverancia Marketplace

The tour begins outside La Perseverancia Distrital Marketplace, a colorful building at the corner of Carrera 5 and Calle 30a. Your guide meets you by the parking lot, so it is worth arriving a few minutes early and checking the street signs carefully.

Hotel pickup is not included. For many visitors, Uber is the easiest way to reach the market because you can enter the destination and see the fixed price in advance. You need mobile data, Wi-Fi, a local SIM, your own coverage plan, or an international eSIM to use it abroad.

If you take a regular taxi, have the driver leave you at the corner of the plaza on Carrera Quinta with Calle 30a. You can use the Spanish instruction Déjalos por favor en la esquina de la plaza sobre la carrera quinta con calle 30a. It is a practical detail, but a useful one. Bogotá’s street grid can feel confusing when you are standing beside a taxi with a hungry group waiting nearby.

The opening market stop sets the tone. This is not a polished restaurant crawl designed only for easy photographs. You begin in a place where food is tied to daily life, local shopping, and Bogotá’s many regional influences.

Ajiaco and Colombia’s unfamiliar fruits

Ajiaco is one of Bogotá’s signature dishes, and it makes a fitting early stop. This hearty chicken and potato soup reflects the cool high-altitude climate of the capital. You will learn how local ingredients and cooking traditions shaped the dish, rather than simply receiving a bowl with no explanation.

The fruit tasting is one of the tour’s most enjoyable surprises. Colombia has an enormous range of fruit, and the guide introduces varieties you may never have seen, much less tasted. The point is not to rush through a colorful plate. Your guide explains the fruits and connects them to the country’s regional and indigenous cultures.

I like this part because it gives you a better sense of Colombia’s food geography. You are not just learning that a fruit is sweet or sour. You are beginning to see how much the country’s climate and regional variety affect what appears in markets and kitchens.

Food sensitivities and preferences should be raised early. The tour has accommodated vegetarian participants and has offered alternatives to people who do not drink coffee or beer. That does not mean every tasting can always be replaced, so clear communication at the start is wise.

Lechona in a small local eatery

Next comes lechona, a roasted and stuffed suckling pig with crisp golden skin. It is a carnivore’s stop, and the texture is part of the appeal: tender, savory filling set against crunchy skin.

The venue is described as a small hole-in-the-wall eatery, which is exactly the sort of place that makes a food walk feel connected to the city. You are not being taken to a restaurant selected only for its space or decor. You are being shown a straightforward local place that specializes in a traditional Colombian dish.

This stop can be filling. The food tour is advertised as 12 or more tastings, but the tastings are not all tiny samples. Some are full or near-full portions, and the guide may use extra plates, glasses, and napkins so the group can share comfortably.

That sharing is useful for couples and friends with different appetites. It also helps you try more dishes without eating every portion alone. Still, do not make the mistake of eating a large breakfast beforehand. You will have plenty of chances to feel full.

Chichería, buñuelos, and avena

The route continues to a local chichería. Chicha is a traditional fermented drink with a long connection to Colombia’s indigenous cultures. Here, the value is as much cultural as culinary. Your guide can explain how the drink fits into Colombian food traditions and how it differs from more familiar beer or spirits.

The walking between stops gives the meal some breathing room. You move through the streets of central Bogotá and Old Town while the guide explains local stories, history, and customs. This is not a separate sightseeing tour with food added as an afterthought. The city walk and the tastings are linked, so the streets help explain what you are eating.

Buñuelos are a welcome change in texture. These golden fried dough balls are crisp outside and soft inside, and they are paired with avena, a smooth local oatmeal drink. The combination is filling, comforting, and very different from the fruit and meat stops that come before it.

For me, this is where the tour’s variety really works. You are moving from soup to fruit, roasted pork to fermented drink, then pastry and an oat-based beverage. The foods do not all aim for the same flavor or texture, and that keeps the afternoon interesting.

Tamales and hot chocolate at a long-running restaurant

One of the most atmospheric food stops is a restaurant that has served local diners for almost two centuries. Its exact age gives the dish more context, but the main attraction is the food: steaming chicken tamales wrapped in leaves, followed by frothy hot chocolate.

Tamales are ideal for explaining how Colombian cooking uses wrapping, steaming, and slow preparation. The leaf is not just decoration. It helps shape the serving and adds to the sense that you are eating something connected to home cooking and longstanding local habits.

Hot chocolate may sound familiar, but the Colombian version makes a fine companion to the tamal. The warm drink also fits Bogotá’s cool climate. If you do not drink coffee, do not assume you are left without a hot beverage option. Guides have offered alternatives when participants prefer not to drink coffee or beer.

The restaurant stop can be one of the heaviest parts of the afternoon. Keep your portions sensible if you want to enjoy the later coffee workshop and coca tea. There is no prize for finishing every plate quickly.

Walking Old Town with a guide

The route through Old Town adds useful context to the food. You will hear about Bogotá’s development and Colombia’s wider cultural story while moving between places where residents eat and drink.

A small group helps here. Guides such as Andrés have been praised for linking food and drink to national history, while Juliana and Jenny have been singled out for clear explanations and friendly, attentive hosting. The important point is not the personality of one specific guide, which can vary by departure. It is the level of conversation a small group makes possible.

You can ask about ingredients, regional dishes, indigenous traditions, or the city itself without holding up a large crowd. Some guides also share recipes, photographs, and information about the unusual fruits after the tour, which is handy if you want to remember what you tasted or recreate a dish later.

The walk is manageable for many people, but it is not a stationary tasting. One participant who described being out of shape still managed the distance, yet you should expect a decent amount of walking. Wear shoes that can handle uneven city streets, and carry an umbrella if rain is likely.

Coffee as a workshop, not just a cup

Colombia’s coffee reputation can make a coffee tasting feel predictable, but this stop aims to explain the process. The workshop gives you a better grasp of why Colombian beans are valued and how roasting affects the finished drink.

That makes the coffee more useful than a quick caffeine break. You can ask questions, compare flavors, and understand more about the work behind one of Colombia’s best-known exports. The experience is still accessible if you are not a coffee expert.

If coffee is not your thing, tell the guide. Alternatives have been provided for people who avoid coffee. The exact substitute can vary, so it is better to ask rather than quietly skip the tasting.

The workshop also balances the earlier food stops. After several substantial dishes, a slower drink-based activity gives the group time to talk and digest before the final part of the tour.

Explosive tejo and a final coca tea

Tejo is the tour’s most unusual feature. The game involves throwing a metal disc toward a target that can produce a small explosion when hit. It is played with a local beverage, making the stop social as well as competitive.

You do not need to be athletic or experienced. The fun comes from trying the throw, hearing the bang, and laughing at everyone’s first attempts. Some departures also include bolirana, another local game, but tejo is the listed activity, so you should count on that rather than assume both games will appear.

This is a strong ending because it changes the pace. After several hours of eating and walking, you get a chance to do something active and distinctly Colombian. It also gives the small group a natural final shared moment.

The tour finishes with coca tea from the Andes. Coca has a long cultural connection in the region, and the tea provides a gentle final taste after the stronger flavors and heavier foods earlier in the day. It is a fitting close to a tour that treats drinks as part of Colombia’s story, not just refreshments.

Does the $56 price offer good value?

At $56 per person, the tour is good value if you plan to eat your way through Bogotá and want someone else to organize the route. The fee includes 12 food tastings, bottled water, a food guide, the coffee workshop, and tejo.

You are also paying for access and judgment. A guide chooses the stops, explains what to order, handles the pacing, and takes you to local places you might not pick by yourself. That matters in a city where a menu can be unfamiliar and food portions can be larger than expected.

The four-hour schedule gives the tour enough time to feel like a city outing, not a quick sequence of samples. Several departures have run longer when the group needed more time, but you should not plan your day around an extension. Keep the evening flexible.

The value is strongest for first-time visitors, food-focused visitors, and anyone who wants cultural background with each dish. It is less attractive if you dislike walking, prefer tiny tasting portions, or want a restaurant meal with plenty of time to sit in one place.

Practical details that affect your afternoon

The tour is conducted in English and limited to eight participants. The small size is particularly helpful when the guide is explaining unfamiliar dishes or arranging shared plates.

Comfortable shoes and rain protection are essential. The tour operates rain or shine, and Bogotá weather can change during the afternoon. Bring an umbrella if rain looks possible.

Unaccompanied minors are not allowed, and the experience is listed as unsuitable for pregnant women. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so allow time to reach the marketplace and arrange your return from the final stop.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option allows you to hold a place without paying immediately. Check the available starting times when booking because the schedule can vary.

Who should book this Bogotá food tour?

I would choose this tour if you want a broad first taste of Bogotá rather than a narrow focus on one dish. It gives you food, drinks, a walking route, history, coffee, and tejo in one afternoon.

It is especially well suited to curious eaters who enjoy trying unfamiliar fruit, traditional meat dishes, fermented drinks, and regional staples. It also works well for solo visitors, couples, and small groups who like meeting other people without joining a large bus tour.

You should think twice if you have a very restricted diet, though vegetarian participants have been accommodated. You should also avoid booking it immediately before a major dinner reservation. The food is plentiful, and the pacing is designed to help you digest between stops, not to leave you hungry.

Should you book it?

Yes, if you want an active and generous introduction to Bogotá’s food culture. The strongest reasons are the range of tastings, the local venues, the small group, and the guide’s role in connecting each dish to Colombian culture.

Book it early in your Bogotá stay if possible. You will gain a list of foods to seek out later, learn which drinks suit you, and get a useful feel for the city’s central streets. Come hungry, wear practical shoes, and leave room for the tejo explosions.

FAQ

How long does the Bogotá food tour last?

The tour lasts four hours. Some departures may run longer if the group needs extra time at the stops, but you should plan for the scheduled four-hour duration.

How many food tastings are included?

The experience includes 12 food tastings, with the itinerary describing 12 or more Colombian foods and drinks.

What foods and drinks can I expect?

The tastings include ajiaco, unusual Colombian fruits, lechona, chicha, buñuelos, avena, chicken tamales, hot chocolate, coffee, coca tea, and other local foods and beverages.

Is tejo included in the price?

Yes. A game of tejo is included, along with a local beverage.

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is outside La Perseverancia Distrital Marketplace, by the parking lot on the corner of Carrera 5 and Calle 30a.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. You need to make your own way to the marketplace and arrange your own return after the tour.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable walking shoes and rain gear. The tour runs in rain or shine, so an umbrella is useful when wet weather is likely.