Mexico · MARKETS
Good market tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Explore Cancun beyond the resorts with four taco stops, Mexican beer, churros, downtown transport, and a lively night market.
“The food was amazing, and our host Sasha provided wonderful commentary on the differences between the tacos and the beer.Come hungry and enjoy a fabulous night outside the hotel zone!”
Taste tacos, barbacoa, Yucatecan specialties, market treats, and local art on this practical 3.5-hour Cancun food tour.
“Poor communication on pickup time. We showed up at time printed on ticket but were told that pickup was 1 hour and 25 minutes before that time. They never tried to reach us by phone or text us. Tried reaching the provider right away to see how we can rejoin or reschedule, but unfortunately, even 12 hours later, there is no response. Lost my money due to very poor communications. Please be careful.”
Shop Puerto Vallarta’s local market, make tortillas and regional dishes with Chef Enrique, then enjoy a tequila toast and lunch at his home.
“Awesome experience! We really enjoyed going to the market and learning about the produce. We would definitely do this experience again. Also best margaritas ever!!!!”
Learn Mexican cooking, shop a local market, and share a seasonal meal with an English-speaking chef in central Mexico City.
“Wonderful experience with chef Jose. Trip to the market to purchase ingredients was great, and the cooking experience was hands on and an wonderful experience.”
Review of Casa Crespo’s Oaxaca cooking class and market tour, with hands-on recipes, local ingredients, drinks, pricing, and practical tips.
“I thought this was really great – the information, the cooking, the flavours – and I would recommend it!”
Explore Mérida’s Lucas de Gálvez Market, then cook a three-course Yucatecan meal in a local home with a bilingual guide.
“The host was sweet and helpful, the market visit had lots of samples of fruits, sauces, and spices, and the meal was a lot of fun to prepare with a small group of friendly strangers.”
Explore Mexico City’s Mercado Medellin, cook a four-course Mexican meal, and enjoy mezcal, beer, wine, dessert, and hands-on guidance.
“Absolute highlight of our trip to Mexico City. We should've started with this! I learned so much about the food (and general culture) of Mexico. I don't even like cooking and had such a good time with our chef, Lorena. The market visit, cooking process, and meal were all amazing.”
Tour Puerto Vallarta’s local market, choose fresh ingredients, and cook a personalized Mexican meal with chef Manu in his home.
“Manuel was very knowledgeable about all kinds of different dishes. It was fun and would recommend it very highly.”
Explore Cancun’s Mercado 23, shop for fresh ingredients, and cook a four-course Mexican meal with hotel pickup and a small group.
“Really enjoyed this class and visit to the market. I was a little nervous reading some reviews after I booked. There was concern that there was not enough hands on experience, but I guess the guide/chef Nassim listened to the feedback because we were definitely hands-on. We did make tortillas from masa and put them on the grill. Nassim cooked them for us. We did wind up using fresh tortillas bought from the market. My guess is that they were more uniform for what we were doing. We made guacamole from scratch. We made sopas and did use those in our cooking. We put together enchiladas. Cut the veggies for…”
Taste San José del Cabo through mole, birria, tacos, sopes, market stops, and paletas on a three-hour English-guided food walk.
“Adrian was our guide and was very hospitable and informative. Since he has a chef background, he passed on a lot of knowledge about the various foods and their origins. We ate at several different places that were primarily frequented by locals and the dishes were tasty. Agua frescas, chicken mole enchiladas, birria tacos, fish tacos, carnitas sopes, and homemade fresh fruit popsicles for dessert. They served us full portions, so we ate a lot!”
Learn Mexican cooking, make tortillas and guacamole, visit a Cancún market, and enjoy a four-course meal for $78.
“I really enjoyed the cooking class and it was fun to learn about mexican dishes. However, I still wait for the recipes to be sent to me via email. I can truly recommend doing this tour, even for vegetarian there are good options.”
Explore Xochimilco’s markets, chinampas, traditional Tlapique cooking, and an axolotl sanctuary on this peaceful cultural tour.
“This was such a great intimate way to get a slice of authentic Mexican culture. Thank you to Connie for putting together!”
Taste tacos, tamales, cochinita pibil, market treats, and Cancún street art on a five-hour local food tour with hotel pickup.
“Both our guide Adrian as well as our driver Angel did an incredible job with the tour. Each spot we went to felt different, and both the food and drink options were excellent. One thing I underestimated though is just how much food there is. So make sure you skip breakfast when taking this tour :)”
Explore Guadalajara Cathedral, grand plazas, Cabañas murals, and San Juan de Dios Market on a small-group walking tour.
“This tour was excellent! Mayra was lovely and taught me so much about the city’s history.”
Shop Oaxaca markets with a local cook, prepare mole, tamales and tortillas, and share a traditional meal for a memorable 5.5-hour food tour.
“We went to a family in Teotilan and the whole experience is very unique and wonderful. Edgar (our guide) and David (our driver) picked us up right on time and the car is very clean. We drove to Teotilan which took about 35 min and met with our cooking teacher Alicia. Then we gathered the ingredients from the market and made it back to the kitchen to start preparing a local dish. They accommodated the fact that I cannot take spicy food and still gave us a whole experience of preparing everything from scratch that is authentic here that I can safely eat. All the other ladies who work there…”
Pick a coast, a ruin or a kitchen.
