Bogota Food Tour with over 12 Tastings & Tejo

Bogotá’s food culture makes its best introduction in small bites, and this tour turns a four-hour walk into a full meal, a city stroll, and a game of exploding tejo. You’ll move from La Perseverancia Market through central Bogotá and the Old Town, stopping for more than 12 Colombian foods and drinks along the way.

I like the local venues, including a market, a chichería, and small neighborhood eateries that you might skip on your own. I also like the range: ajiaco and lechona give you hearty Colombian cooking, while unusual fruit, coffee, chocolate, and coca tea fill out the picture.

The main drawback is simple: there is a lot of food, sometimes early in the route. You should arrive hungry and avoid planning a large dinner afterward. The walking is manageable for many people, but comfortable shoes and rain gear matter.

Key points to know before booking

• More than 12 tastings: Try ajiaco, lechona, tamales, buñuelos, avena, fruit, chicha, coffee, hot chocolate, beer or another local drink, and coca tea.
• A small group of eight: The limited size leaves room for questions and gives the guide a better chance to handle dietary preferences.
• Tejo adds real Colombian character: You do not just eat your way around Bogotá. You also play the country’s famous explosive throwing game.
• A walking tour as well as a food tour: The route links markets, local restaurants, central streets, and Old Town stories.
• A serious amount of food: Some stops provide full portions, so consider this a late lunch or early dinner rather than a light snack tour.
• Strong guide-led experience: Andrés, Juliana, Jenny, and Juli have all led tours, with particular praise for their warmth, English, organization, and knowledge of Colombian food and culture.

Starting at La Perseverancia Market

Your meeting point is outside the La Perseverancia Distrital Marketplace, at the parking lot on the corner of Carrera 5 and Calle 30A. The building is described as colorful and easy to spot, but I would still save the exact location on your phone before leaving your hotel.

Hotel pickup is not included, so you need to arrange your own way there. Uber is recommended because you can enter the destination and see a fixed price, but it requires mobile data, Wi-Fi, a local SIM, or an international eSIM such as Airalo.

If you take a regular taxi, the suggested Spanish instruction is: Déjalos por favor en la esquina de la plaza sobre la carrera quinta con calle 30a. That means you want to be left at the corner of the plaza on Carrera 5 with Calle 30A.

Starting at a local market is a smart choice. You meet the city through everyday food rather than beginning in a polished restaurant made for international visitors. The market also gives the guide a natural place to explain ingredients, regional cooking, and the way Colombian food reflects the country’s different climates and communities.

Ajiaco and the first taste of Bogotá

Ajiaco is one of the key dishes on the route. This Bogotá specialty is a hot soup, a fitting introduction to the city’s cool high-altitude weather and home-style cooking.

The point is not only to taste a bowl of soup. Your guide connects the dish to Colombian food traditions and explains how a meal like this fits into local life. At 12 or more tastings, a dish with substance such as ajiaco also makes the tour feel more like lunch than a parade of tiny samples.

You should pace yourself from the start. The tour includes enough food that rushing through the first stop can make the later tastings harder to enjoy.

Exotic fruit at the market

The fruit tasting is one of the tour’s most appealing features for curious eaters. You will sample Colombian fruits that you may not have seen before, much less tasted, and your guide can explain what makes them part of the country’s food culture.

This is where the tour moves beyond familiar dishes. You can compare textures, flavors, and names while learning about Colombia’s regional variety through something as simple as a market fruit stall.

Guides have also helped participants remember what they tried. Andrés, for example, was praised for sharing photos and recipes after the tour, a useful touch if you want to find a fruit again or recreate part of the experience at home.

Lechona in a small local eatery

For meat eaters, lechona is likely to be one of the biggest moments of the afternoon. It is roasted and stuffed suckling pig with crunchy golden skin, served at a small hole-in-the-wall eatery rather than a formal dining room.

That setting matters. You are seeing how a well-loved dish is eaten in an ordinary local place, not simply receiving a carefully arranged tasting plate. The crisp skin and rich filling also provide a sharp contrast to the lighter fruit and soup earlier in the route.

This stop may be less comfortable for vegetarians, though guides have made efforts to accommodate different diets. If you do not eat meat, tell the guide as early as possible. The available information confirms that substitutions have been made for some participants, but it does not promise a fixed vegetarian menu.

Chicha, buñuelos, and avena

The route continues to a local chichería. Chicha is a traditional fermented drink, and tasting it gives you another way to understand Colombia’s food culture beyond the dishes most often presented to visitors.

Next come buñuelos, golden fried dough-like pastries. They are paired with avena, a local oatmeal smoothie, creating one of the tour’s most distinctly Colombian snack combinations.

The buñuelo and avena stop is also a lesson in balance. Bogotá food is not only about large plates and grilled meat. Fried snacks, thick drinks, warm pastries, and simple street foods are part of the city’s daily eating habits.

You may find the sequence generous rather than delicate. One participant specifically felt that too much food was served near the meeting point, while others appreciated receiving full portions. The practical lesson is to treat the early tastings as a meal and eat slowly.

Tamales and hot chocolate at a long-running restaurant

One stop takes you to a restaurant that has served local diners for almost two centuries. There, you will try chicken tamales wrapped in leaves, followed by frothy hot chocolate.

The leaf wrapping is part of the appeal, since the presentation reflects a familiar Colombian cooking method rather than a modern tasting-room approach. The tamal is warm and filling, while the hot chocolate makes the stop feel especially suited to Bogotá’s cool climate.

This pairing also shows how drinks matter in Colombian meals. Hot chocolate is not simply a sweet finish here. It belongs alongside substantial food and offers a different rhythm from the cold drinks and fruit earlier in the afternoon.

If you avoid coffee, beer, or other drinks, tell your guide. One guide offered alternatives when participants did not drink coffee or beer, but the exact substitute can depend on the day.

Walking through central Bogotá and Old Town

The food stops are linked by a city walk through central Bogotá and the Old Town. You are not confined to a market or restaurant, so the tour gives you a basic sense of how different parts of the city connect.

Your guide tells stories about Bogotá and Colombia as you move between venues. The strongest guides on this experience have been praised for tying food and drink to indigenous culture, national history, and the country’s regional diversity.

I like this format because food gives the walking route a purpose. You are not simply following a guide past buildings. You are moving toward the next dish, and each stop gives you a reason to pay attention to the streets around you.

The route does cover a decent distance. One participant who did not consider themselves in good shape managed it, but you should still wear comfortable shoes. Since the tour runs in rain or sunshine, carry an umbrella or other rain gear if the forecast looks uncertain.

Coffee workshop and Colombian beans

Colombia is famous for coffee, but a coffee tasting is more useful when it explains why the beans matter. This tour includes a coffee workshop designed to show you more about Colombian coffee and roasting.

The workshop breaks up the food stops and gives you time to focus on one ingredient. You can expect an explanation of coffee culture and the reasons Colombia produces highly regarded beans, rather than just a quick cup handed over at the end of the route.

For coffee drinkers, this may be the most useful part of the tour after returning home. You gain vocabulary and context that can help you choose Colombian coffee with more confidence.

Still, coffee is not the only option. Alternatives have been provided to people who do not drink it, so mention that preference when the tour begins.

Tejo, Colombia’s explosive pastime

The final major activity is a game of tejo, often described as Colombia’s national pastime. You throw a heavy metal disc toward a target, where small explosive charges can produce a sharp bang when struck.

Tejo is not included as a token photo opportunity. You actually get to play, and the game brings a social edge to the afternoon. It is easy to enjoy even if your aim is poor, which is fortunate because the fun comes as much from the noise and group reaction as from scoring.

A local beverage is served with the game. The details of the drink can vary, but the important point is that tejo gives the tour a cultural activity that food alone cannot provide.

Some participants also played bolirana, another local game, though tejo is the activity specifically included in the tour. If you prefer a quiet, sit-down food experience, this part may feel like a change of pace. If you want a more playful introduction to Bogotá, it is a strong addition.

Coca tea to finish

The tour closes with coca tea from the Andes. This gives you one last drink with a clear connection to Colombia’s indigenous and highland traditions.

Coca tea should not be confused with a recreational drug. Here it is presented as an Andean beverage and a final piece of the country’s food story.

Ending with tea rather than another large dish makes sense after such a full route. By this stage, you will have tasted a broad mix of savory food, sweets, fruit, fermented drinks, coffee, chocolate, and local beverages.

How much food do you really get?

The $56 price is good value if you use the tour as a meal replacement and want an organized introduction to Colombian food. You are paying not just for 12 tastings, but also for a four-hour English-language guide, the coffee workshop, tejo, bottled water, and the work of arranging multiple local stops.

The portions may be more substantial than the word tasting suggests. Several participants found themselves full enough to skip a later meal, and one person said the tour provided full portions of food. I would schedule it as your main meal of the day.

There is a small tradeoff. Because many stops are packed into four hours, some food may arrive close together, particularly near the beginning. If you prefer long meals with plenty of time between courses, this can feel rushed or overly generous.

For most people, though, the amount is a strength. A $56 tour that replaces lunch, includes a cultural activity, and helps you find places you might not choose alone can save both time and guesswork.

What the small group changes

The group is limited to eight participants. That is important on a food tour, since large groups can crowd small eateries and make it difficult to hear explanations.

A small group also gives you more chances to ask about ingredients, history, food preferences, and Colombian customs. Guides such as Andrés have been especially praised for bringing the group together and making the afternoon feel social rather than formal.

The guide names associated with particularly strong experiences include Andrés, Juliana, Jenny, Juli, Julian, and Andreas. You cannot assume which person will lead your departure, but the repeated strengths are clear: warm conversation, strong English, good organization, and enthusiasm for Colombian food.

The guide may also help with practical sharing. Andrés was praised for bringing extra plates, glasses, and napkins so the group could share tastings more easily. That matters when a dish arrives in a large portion or when you want to sample something without committing to a full serving.

Who should book this Bogotá food tour?

I would book this for a first visit to Bogotá, especially if you want food and orientation in the same afternoon. It suits people who enjoy trying unfamiliar ingredients, eating traditional dishes, walking through central neighborhoods, and learning from a local guide.

It is also a good choice for solo visitors. The group of eight makes conversation easier, and the tejo game gives you a natural way to meet the other people on the tour.

Food-focused visitors should find the range worthwhile. You will cover soups, meat, fruit, pastries, fermented drinks, hot drinks, coffee, tea, and local games in one outing.

I would think twice if you have strict dietary needs that cannot be adjusted, dislike walking, or want a very light food experience. Pregnant women are listed as unsuitable for this activity, and unaccompanied minors are not allowed.

The tour is offered in English, with a live guide. Since hotel transfers are not included, you should also be comfortable getting independently to La Perseverancia Market and back from the final stop.

Practical tips for a smoother afternoon

• Eat lightly beforehand, but do not arrive after a large breakfast or lunch.
• Wear shoes you can walk in for several hours.
• Bring an umbrella or rain jacket. The tour operates in all weather.
• Carry mobile data if you plan to use Uber.
• Tell the guide about vegetarian preferences or drinks you avoid at the start.
• Leave room in your evening schedule. You may not want dinner after the final tasting.
• Keep your group small and stay close while walking through the city.
• Ask questions. The guide is a major part of the value, not just the person who leads you from one plate to the next.

Should you book it?

Yes, if you want a filling, social introduction to Bogotá that mixes food with streets, stories, coffee, and tejo. The strongest reasons to book are the local settings, the unusually broad menu, and the guides’ ability to connect what you eat with Colombian culture.

The best way to approach it is as a four-hour meal and city orientation, not a quick snack crawl. Come hungry, wear practical shoes, and keep your dinner plans flexible. At $56, it offers strong value for anyone who wants to taste widely and let a local guide handle the route.

FAQ

How long does the Bogotá food tour last?

The tour lasts four hours. Starting times vary, so you need to check availability when booking.

How many food tastings are included?

More than 12 food and drink tastings are included. The route can include ajiaco, Colombian fruits, lechona, chicha, buñuelos, avena, tamales, hot chocolate, coffee, coca tea, and other local foods or drinks.

Is tejo included?

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

Where does the tour meet?

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

Is hotel pickup included?

No. You must arrange your own transportation to the meeting point and from the end of the tour.

Is the tour available in English?

Yes. The activity includes a live English-speaking guide.

How many people are in the group?

The tour is limited to eight participants.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes and rain gear. The tour operates in rainy or dry weather, and an umbrella is suggested if rain looks likely.