Will start the day in central Mexico City with amazing coffee and pastries at Hagamos Composta Cafe, the community center with the largest independent composting project in the country. We will then depart in a private van to the UNESCO heritage site of Xochimilco, a place for a pleasure cruise and also a vital agricultural resource. We’ll learn more about Xochimilco's culture and food and meet the people who maintain its one-of-a-kind agricultural system.
Our first stop will be the vast market of the area of Xochimilco. We’ll try different pre-Columbian dishes such as tlacoyos (oval-shaped corn-meal patties filled with fava beans, cheese, refried beans, spinach, potatoes and more) handmade by local women who set up shop every morning at one of the aisles. As we explore the market we’ll learn more about the different kinds of produce that are grown locally in the chinampas.
We will track the market's local products back to their source as we ride our own trajinera through part of the ecological reserve that is particularly rich in flora and fauna. Will traverse the canals – through part of the ecological reserve. As the boat glides through the canals that connect the chinampas, we’ll have an onboard tasting of seasonal products fresh from the market. After docking, we’ll return to central Mexico City by private van.
We have done a couple of other Culinary Back Streets tours which were excellent, but this one was especially fascinating. Instead of eating in restaurants, we sampled food from the market, then visited an agricultural chinampa. Highly recommended if you are interested not just in food, but in agriculture and environmental preservation/restoration and community engagement.
A fantastic day out. We sampled a wide variety of delicious foods while gaining a wealth of insight into Mexico in general, and Mexico City and Xochimilco in particular. Nacho was an ideal guide: warm and approachable while being highly knowledgeable about Mexican foodways, and about the ecological significance of Xochimilco. The boat ride through the canals was both fascinating and relaxing after several hours tasting our way through the market. It may have been a bit of a splurge but I’m so glad we decided to do it.
This trip was wonderful, and our INCREDIBLE guide, ANNA, had everything to do with creating an amazing experience. ANNA is the BEST GUIDE EVER!! we loved her--she is incredibly bright, and her breadth of knowledge about Mexico (and frankly most things) is stunning. She was the sweetest, flexible, accommodating and super fun person to spend time with. After our trip (that i absolutely recommend), we so loved being with ANNA, that we spent the following two final days of our trip with her. She made our time in Mexico so much more meaningful and memorable. The food that we had in the market was the best food we had on our trip--better than the top rated restaurants in Mexico city. Anna took us to the best vendors, and educated us about the many complex aspects of Mexican food. The time on the boat was really enjoyable--beautiful and interesting! I definitely recommend this trip, and strongly suggest you ask for Anna to be the guide!! i cannot say enough good things about her!!
What an incredible day! Nacho was a the best guide we could ask for! Would absolutely try another Culinary Backstreets tour. Great org and amazing experience.
We loved our Culinary Backstreets day tour to the Xochimilco area in Mexico City. We wanted to experience this unique area anyway, but combining it with a foodie walking tour of the Xochimilco market and a local farm really enriched the experience. Our guide was full of interesting information about the history of the city and its past and present connection to food.
We took this tour, our guide Ana was amazing. We loved her excitement snd passion. She was so fun, down to earth and made us feel so comfortable. We got to sample many different food options in the market and then ride through the canals. It was such a unique experience we won’t forget.
Liz was a great guide with a deep knowledge of history and the evolution of Mexico City and its environs. The market experience in Xochimilco was fascinating giving us insight into the local flavors and styles. I recommend this tour to explore the local color and daily life through its tastes.
If you are heading to Mexico City, I enthusiastically recommend you take this tour!! I learned so much from this enriching, well-crafted, and delicious day which helped me feel more connected with the roots of the city. What makes this tour truly exceptional is how ethically it is run. You aren't just taking a tour; you are actively helping to preserve a one-of-a-kind agricultural lifeline and supporting the community that keeps this ancient way of life alive. It is a glorious mix of culture, history, and amazing foodstuffs. DO IT.
DO NOT DO. ALL (8 of 8) of the Participants on this tour got diarrhea. Half have had to seek medical attention. Guide concern for hygiene and food safety was minimal. Food and market ok, but absolutely not worth risk. Tour operators unresponsive to our concerns. Horrible way to start our trip to Mexico City. We had doubts but guides said they had no problems in 3 years. Unbelievable, literally.
It’s more of a market tour than a tour of the canals. Most of the time they spent trying food in the local market, which is a great experience.
Victor Gamboa Trejo was an extraordinary tour guide. Not only is he deeply knowledgeable, he had a terrific sense of humor, and a deep sense of commitment to his community. His work helping to restore the Chinampa is inspiring. Can’t recommend him enough. And the tour of the market - arrive hungry…you will be fully satiated by the end! Can’t recommend this tour and company enough!
One of the best food tours I’ve ever done in my life. Great intro session into the city while having special morning drinks, great ride into Xochimilco, fabulous market. Every bite a total hit while learning about some of the biggest hits of Mexican food. Seafood, meat, vegetables. Wow! The social impact project Cullinnary backstreets is doing in Xochimilco is very impressive. Super knowledgeable guide, Victor!! One of the best food (and city) I’ve taken in my life and I’ve done more than 20 around the world. Thank you!!
Our family had a great time... our guide was exceptional and we learned so much about Mexico City culture, food and eco systems. So much delicious food... but even more an understanding of the changes in Mexico City food and water issues through the years.
A terrific experience lead by Liz and Raul who were both very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the food and culture of Xochimilco. The market tastings were great as was the chinampas visit. I got way much more from this experience than I ever could have expected. Thank you!
I'd taken this exact tour a couple of years ago and liked it so much that when friends joined me in Mexico City I wanted them to experience it as well. They loved it. I loved it. We even had the same guide, Victor, who is fantastic.
This was such an amazing experience! I loved getting such an in-depth food tour in a market setting and being able to explore the canals. What a beautiful setting this was. The guides were such wonderful people and very easy to talk to, and I appreciate the work they're doing to support these farming practices. Will highly recommend to others!
This was a really good tour of Xochimilco, allowing us both the chance to eat food from the local market while also exploring the chinanpas on the boat. Ana was an excellent guide. Her intro really helped to set the scene and our understanding of Mexico City’s watery origins and current agricultural heritage. Even though a bit of rain shortened our time in the chinanpas, it didn’t affect our enjoyment. The market food was all delicious and I loved that we had a picnic on the boat as well.
We had a great tour with Liz to Xochimilco and would highly recommend this tour. Liz was personable and did a great job making things feel more real and connected that we’d previously only learned about on our own and through museums. She was a great teacher about history, culture and food, which is the fuller picture we had hoped to get out of the trip. We also felt like our health was carefully considered in the vendors chosen, the boat meal prepped and the frequent offerings of hand sanitizer. We had read a review to not show up completely hungry, but we wished we’d skipped breakfast entirely because we were stuffed too soon! Fortunately, there was a second wave of eating that we rallied for. If you want to capture info about what you learn and the foods you eat, I recommend bringing a notebook along.
The amount of history information given made this tour strong. The information was given in a way that was easy to understand and remember. The food we tried was fantastic and visiting a chinampa only to learn that the money from this tour helps fund them made me feel so great to be a part of that.
This was an AMAZING tour! Our guide, Victor, had an impressive knowledge about Mexico/CDMX, it's people and culture. He was passionate about sharing his insights, and had a playful sense of humor and enthusiasm which elevated the whole tour experience. The tour was equally divided between the Xochimilco market and canals, with time for a café breakfast, substantial lunch, and snacks on the boat (including the best guacamole I have ever had!) I particularly enjoyed floating the chiampas canals, it's a tranquil and fascinating area and a great respite from the business of Mexico City. I definitely recommend the tour, they hit a great balance of adventure, information, and tasty food.
Do not hesitate to sign up for this tour! Paco, our tour guide, was excellent! The entire tour is well laid out and paced for all ages. Being able to explore and try foods from individuals the guide has developed relationships with is priceless. Our group had a total of 8 people and we split off 4 and 4 with two guides, which made the atmosphere and size very personable. The length of the tour is also excellent as it allows you to return to Mexico City with time to prepare for dinner. Highly recommend!
Our guide Jacinto was awesome we had the best time and the best food in xotchimilco great tour guide highly recommend them
The whole experience was incredible. The tour was comprised of a perfect stream of delicious bites, fascinating historical/ecological knowledge, and the kindest tour guide, Liz. We took a boat through the canals of Xochimilco, stopping at farms to harvest veggies. It was totally surreal and cinematic. Couldn’t recommend more highly
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