Anyone that comes to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica is struck by how many places there are to eat in Puerto Viejo proper and down the coast. We have lived here a while and still find new places that pop up from time to time. There is simply no way to eat everywhere on your vacation. Because there are so many places that look and smell wonderful, it is hard to know where to spend your money and time.

We recommend taking this tour at the start of your vacation so that you can come back to eat at the “tried and true” spots that you have already enjoyed or have had conversations about during the tour. This eliminates the need to do lengthy internet searches for the best or hidden spots while you want to be out enjoying the beach or looking for some wonderful beastie in the jungle.

Our food tours typically last for between 3 to 4 hours.

We recommend you bring:

Weather appropriate clothing– a light jacket or sweater, even a poncho or umbrella if it looks like rain

Comfortable shoes, there is not a lot of walking but the tour does take several hours

A small amount of cash for any additional purchases you care to make along the way

A phone or camera to take pictures

Children are always welcome on this tour, as we are parents ourselves and understand how traveling with kiddos is. One of our favorite memories is a food tour we all took in Bangkok.

However, keep in mind this tour runs anywhere from 3- 4 hours and may not be suitable for every child because of the length and time it is offered. We leave it up to parents to decide ultimately if this is an appropriate outing for your family.

Children under 2 are free, and we will substitute any alcoholic drinks served for non-alcoholic options for children. You are welcome to enjoy this tour with your family.

No, pets are not allowed on our food tours.

Any cancellations made prior to 48 hours before the tour are gladly given a refund. After that 48 hour mark, there are no refunds.

If you cancel between 48 hours and 24 hours before the event time, we will give you a credit for service and you may use it to book with us at a later date.

There are no refunds, credits, or exchanges offered for any reason if you cancel with less than 24 hours notice.

Absolutely! We get that sometimes you just want to have fun with your own friends and family. We love that. Please contact us in advance with your details and we will be happy to accommodate your party.

We love cash, but we can’t accept it in this instance. We need advance purchase of your ticket to reserve your spot and make sure we have enough time to let our restaurant partners know our numbers. This guarantees enough reserved tables for each of our guests at every stop as well as proper amounts for food prep at the restaurants.

Tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance to ensure the proper lead time. Tickets are purchased through the website, simply go to the Book Now section of our page, and we look forward to seeing you on the tour.

Yes, we offer gift certificates. It is a perfect way to gift friends and family when they are going on vacation and you don’t know what to send them off with. Please see the gift certificate section of our website to order yours today.

We recommend booking your food tour at least 24 hours in advance.

Missing the tour aka no-showing for the event for any reason, even if a dragon comes down and carries your car to the magical land of Ooo (my Adventure Time fans will get that reference) results in you forfeiting your spot and your refund. No exceptions.

On a food tour, you will visit a variety of restaurants and food vendors and sample a variety of foods. You will also learn about the local culture and cuisine from your knowledgeable tour guide.

Our tour includes a food offering at eight stops along the way, and three drink offerings (two alcoholic and one non-alcoholic) as well as a bottle of water. This tour is intended to replace dinner for the evening. People are often surprised at the amount of food served during the course of the evening, so do come hungry. There is enough that most will feel more than comfortably full by the end.

Short answer– If you enjoyed your evening, then yes. Tips are not included in the cost of your ticket and it is strongly recommended that you show appreciation to your guide for the excellent evening with a gratuity. Standard industry rates are 15%-20% of the cost of the ticket.

Yes. Everyone that takes a spot on the tour must pay for a ticket, regardless of whether you eat or not. There are a limited number of spaces available, as such, if you come with us, and you are over 2 years of age, you must purchase a ticket.

Guests are expected to be respectful of the tour guide and others on the tour. Obnoxious inebriation and/or inappropriate conduct will NOT be tolerated and if a guest continues to act in a disorderly, offensive way they will be asked to leave the tour and will NOT receive a refund. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.

Look, people come on vacation to have a good time and enjoy themselves. Everyone wants to have fun, and to do that, they will spend quite a bit of money. No one wants to have that ruined by someone who can’t handle their liquor or doesn’t know how to behave in public. Don’t be that guy, and we’ll get along splendidly.

Yes, almost all of our partners have bathrooms for your convenience.

We live in the tropics, baby. There is always either rain, the threat of rain, it’s thinking about raining, or it just rained…unless you happen to come in a dry patch and are gifted from the weather gods with glorious days and nights (and that happens too!)

But the point is that we run rain or shine. Please dress accordingly and bring a good poncho or umbrella just in case.

Unfortunately, our tour travels to destinations that do not allow easy access for wheelchairs, walkers or crutches due to the uneven ground, beach and streets. Some of the restaurants have steps as well.

Yes, it begins and ends at the Dee-Lite Gelato Shop next to the La Parada Bus Station in downtown Puerto Viejo. There is a free parking lot within one block of the gelato shop.

In general, we can not accommodate for food allergies and guarantee it, as we do not prepare the food and the kitchens are not ours. If there is a specific question about an allergy and ingredients in the food beforehand, please contact us and we will do our best to get that information to you so you can make a decision. Something isolated like a papaya allergy can be accounted for as we can check against a list of foods served. However, something more global like a nut allergy or a seafood allergy encompass too many types of food and can not be accommodated for. If you have a question, please ask and we will do what we can, but this is never guaranteed.

YES WE CAN ACCOMODATE: alcohol free, vegetarians, and pescatarians

NO WE CANNOT ACCOMODATE: vegans, gluten allergies or celiac disease, nut allergy, dairy free, general serious food allergies. Because we do not run the kitchens and we rely on restaurant partners to prepare food items, we cannot guarantee dishes will be prepared within your dietary requirements.

We need at least 48 hours to make arrangements for any food that deviates from our normal menu. Please keep that in mind when booking the tour.

We are not responsible for any illness resulting from consumption of food or alcohol products on this tour.

If you have a severe food allergy, we recommend that you do not participate in a food tour.

I have another question.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: Hola@puertoviejofoodtour.com